Summary: We’re back after a one-week layoff! No SCOTUS announcement yet, alas, but we do have this to offer:<br> <br> * Doe v. Mattis and the upcoming hearing on the government’s plan to release Doe in Syria<br> * The military commissions and the retirement of Judge Spath<br> * Over in the civilian court system, Uzair Paracha, convicted back in 2005, just won a motion for a new trial based on newly-discovered evidence (involving CSRT and other statements from GTMO detainees)<br> * A roundup of other recent DOJ prosecution developments (including the extradition of El Chapo’s successor)<br> * A deep dive into a set of tort suits involving overseas military activities and the role of civilian contractors, with an emphasis on the role the political question doctrine has played in defeating such cases<br> * A SCOTUS nomination preview<br> * Kudos to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) for its strong report documenting massive Russian intervention in the 2016 election<br> <br> And, as always, some pure frivolity (including an analysis of the Kawhi Leonard debacle in San Antonio and notes on our favorite things about the World Cup).<br>
