What We’re Following
Pardon Power: President Trump asserted on Twitter that he could pardon himself if indicted in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, thus implying the executive branch has no power to check presidential misdeeds—and unwittingly making the case for impeachment. Over the weekend, a new report from The New York Times revealed that Trump’s lawyers sent a letter to Mueller’s team arguing that it’s impossible for a president to obstruct justice. Benjamin Wittes explains the merits—and the flaws—of their case.
Civil Liberties: In Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a baker who refused to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple for religious reasons. Garrett Epps unpacks the ruling and what it means. And a proposed rule change from the Trump administration “could prohibit doctors who receive a type of federal funding called Title X from explicitly referring their patients to abortion providers,” Olga Khazan writes. Kami Geoffray, the head of a family-planning organization in Texas, explains how the new rule would affect the patients she serves.
Security Threats: Will North Korea give up its nuclear weapons? Kim Jong Un is said to be considering it—but he could face internal opposition from North Korean officials who see the nuclear program as the key to their country’s security. Meanwhile in Germany, the country’s pacifist philosophy is coming into conflict with a need to take a more aggressive approach to cyberwarfare.