Archiv: Gewaltenteilung / Gewaltensammlung / checks and balances / accumulation of power


09.09.2026 - 02:25 [ CNN ]

Supreme Court rejects Missouri’s request to use congressional map with extra GOP seat

The decision was issued by conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who handles emergency cases rising from parts of the Midwest. Kavanaugh did not refer the case to the full court, a signal that he didn’t think the emergency appeal was significant enough to do so. He also did not explain his reasoning, and there were no dissents.

05.09.2026 - 17:03 [ Common Dreams ]

‘We Are in a Constitutional Crisis’: Congress Urged to Sue Trump to End Iran War

With no end in sight to President Donald Trump’s illegal war with Iran, Congress is being urged to take legal action to bring the conflict to an end.

Jamal Abdi, executive director at National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Action, said on Wednesday that Congress must go to court to enforce the war powers resolution that passed in the House and the Senate earlier this year.

04.09.2026 - 03:50 [ Daniel Neun / Radio Utopie ]

C.I.A.-AffĂ€re: Der Offenbarungseid von Dianne Feinstein – Video, Zusammenfassung, EinschĂ€tzung

(12. MĂ€rz 2014)

Die Rede von Senatorin Dianne Feinstein vor dem Senat der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika ĂŒber die Sabotage der verfassungsmĂ€ĂŸigen Kontrolle des Parlaments ĂŒber die Central Intelligence Agency durch die Central Intelligence Agency ist vielleicht das ErbĂ€rmlichste, was ich in meinem Leben je gesehen und gehört habe. Es ist nicht nur der Offenbarungseid eines Ausnahmezustands, eines ĂŒber sich selbst und die Welt verhĂ€ngten Kriegsrechts des mĂ€chtigsten Imperiums auf dem Planeten, in seinem Krieg „on terror“, weltweit gefĂŒhrt mit seinen „Einflussgebieten“, „Alliierten“, Ablegern, schlechten Kopien und Kolonien. Es ist der Offenbarungseid seiner bis auf die Knochen korrupten, feigen, abgetakelten, unfĂ€higen ZutrĂ€ger, Mitwisser, Kollaborateure und FunktionĂ€re.

Was Senatorin Feinstein hier zeigt, was sie da zeigt, ist so unbeschreiblich, das sogar mir die Worte fehlen um es zu beschreiben. Ich will hier den Inhalt ihres Statements nur deshalb zusammenfassen, weil ich davon ausgehe dass die ganzen Feinsteins der deutschsprachigen Presse dies alles weder hören, lesen, geschweige denn darĂŒber berichten wollen, genauso wie deren KundInnen…..

04.09.2026 - 03:26 [ Representative Press / Youtube ]

Senator Feinstein on the Intel Committee‘s CIA Detention, Interrogation Report

Mar 11, 2014

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein‘s speech about the committee‘s study on the CIA Detention and Interrogation Program.

04.09.2026 - 03:17 [ Norman Solomon / Common Dreams ]

25 Years Ago, 9/11 Triggered a US Crusade of Torture

Despite public pressure, Bush vetoed a version of the Intelligence Authorization Act in March 2008 that would have required CIA interrogators to adhere to Army Field Manual regulations. As soon as Barack Obama became president, he issued an executive order rescinding the free hand for the CIA director on interrogations that Bush had reaffirmed in a July 2007 order. Obama’s directive removed the CIA’s detention power and required the agency to follow Army Field Manual rules.

Yet five and a half years went by before President Obama acknowledged, in his notable words, “We tortured some folks.” He told a news conference: “When we engaged in some of these enhanced interrogation techniques, techniques that I believe and I think any fair-minded person would believe were torture, we crossed a line.”

The acknowledgement came four months before the long-awaited release of a report in December 2014 by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. While heavily redacted, it was a political indictment of torture. “CIA personnel, aided by two outside contractors, decided to initiate a program of indefinite secret detention and the use of brutal interrogation techniques in violation of US law, treaty obligations, and our values,” wrote the committee’s chair, Senator Dianne Feinstein. …

03.09.2026 - 10:20 [ Democrats / US House Foreign Affairs Committee ]

Ranking Members Meeks, Smith, Himes, and Thompson Introduce War Powers Resolution to End Trump’s Illegal Boat Strikes

September 2, 2026

Washington, DC — Marking one year since the Trump administration’s first boat strike, U.S. Representatives Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee; Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, introduced a War Powers Resolution today to block the administration from continuing to use U.S. Armed Forces to conduct strikes in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.

“One year ago today, the Trump administration launched a campaign of extrajudicial killings, using the U.S. military and taxpayer dollars to execute at least 227 individuals without due process or a credible national-security justification. The administration calls this counternarcotics. However, it remains unclear whether these operations have made any real difference in stemming the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, and they were never authorized by Congress. A year later, the administration has little to show for this lawless campaign except a mounting body count, a massive price tag, and a stain on the American conscience.

03.09.2026 - 10:10 [ American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) ]

ACLU Demands End to the Trump Administration’s Illegal Year-Long Boat Strikes Campaign

In Just One Year, the Trump Administration’s Bombing Campaign Has Killed at Least 227 People, Including Fishermen and Farmhands

03.09.2026 - 10:00 [ Common Dreams ]

Trump Condemned for 200+ Extrajudicial Killings After Yearlong Murder Spree at Sea

Wednesday marked one year since President Donald Trump began bombing boats allegedly smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean—a grim anniversary that sparked a fresh wave of condemnation from rights advocates across the United States and beyond.

03.09.2026 - 09:23 [ Senator Jeff Merkley / Youtube ]

Six months of Trump’s illegal war of choice. It’s cost us dearly.

(August 28, 2026)

03.09.2026 - 09:14 [ kobi5.com ]

Merkley criticizes Trump’s 6-month Iran war while urging War Powers vote

(August 31, 2026)

In his address, Merkley outlined the severe consequences of the conflict, saying it has failed to control nuclear materials while at the same time has strengthened Iranian hardliners, fractured alliances, and enriched Russia. He also highlighted the human and military costs, pointing to deaths and injuries among U.S. service members and depleted domestic munitions.

Since the start of the war on February 28th, 18 service members have died and 757 have been wounded. Furthermore, Merkley warned that the war is financially pressing Americans against the wall as skyrocketing gas, diesel, and fertilizer prices hit families and farmers hard.

31.08.2026 - 00:46 [ Consortium News ]

Twilight’s Last Gleaming

There is a point in the decline of republics when the problem is no longer that government breaks its own laws. Governments will always behave unlawfully. The deeper problem comes when the constitutional machinery designed to prevent those acts stops functioning — when spending becomes detached from arithmetic, presidential power becomes detached from law and Congress and the courts become detached from the Constitution.

That’s where America is today.

(…)

The twilight of our constitutional republic has not arrived because the sun suddenly disappeared. It has arrived because, little by little, nearly everyone became accustomed to the darkness.

19.08.2026 - 14:52 [ FloridaTrib.org ]

Angie Nixon, progressive Jacksonville firebrand, wins Democratic primary for U.S. Senate

Vindman ran a centrist camapaign focused on corruption and the need for congressional checks on the Trump administration. But some strategists have said his campaign was a sleepy one, centered more on the general election than on the primary, where he faced an experienced campaigner.

Vindman declined to debate Nixon during the campaign. He conceded the race Tuesday night, applauding her “hard work” and Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate. “”I will be standing by her,” he said, “and my hope is that she wins this election, because again, the stakes couldn’t be higher.”

13.08.2026 - 03:46 [ Time Magazine ]

How the Iran-Contra Scandal Impacts American Politics Today

(May 14, 2025)

The revelation of the intertwined scandals captivated Americans. Between the fall of 1986 and the fall of 1987, more than seven out of 10 Americans watched some of the televised congressional hearings about Iran-Contra. But once it became clear that Democrats would not impeach Reagan, public interest waned. Unlike Watergate, when a smoking gun tape implicated President Richard Nixon, to many, the 1980s scandal seemed a blur of byzantine Cold War diplomacy, opaque Swiss bank accounts, and a large cast of forgettable middlemen. The country boxed up the ugly affair and stored it in the attic of its memory.

It did so even as the scandal persisted and investigators indicted dozens of administration officials. In 1988, Reagan’s vice president, George H.W. Bush, won the presidency, and throughout his entire administration, those responsible for Iran-Contra dodged the political and legal consequences of their actions.

06.08.2026 - 16:55 [ United Kingdom Supreme Court ]

R (on the application of Ammori) (Appellant) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Respondent)

Case ID

UKSC/2026/0099
Parties
Appellant(s)

Huda Ammori
Respondent(s)

Secretary of State for the Home Department
Issue

Was the decision of the Secretary of State for the Home Department to proscribe Palestine Action under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000 lawful?

(…)

Full hearing

Start date

4 November 2026

End date

5 November 2026

06.08.2026 - 16:50 [ Jerusalem Post ]

UK Supreme Court to hear appeal over Palestine Action proscription in November

The UK Supreme Court has confirmed it will hear an appeal by Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori challenging the government’s proscription of the group as a terrorist organization. The hearing is scheduled for November 4-5.

The legal battle stems from the Home Secretary’s decision in July 2025 to ban Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000.

06.08.2026 - 16:14 [ Bluewin.ch ]

Streit um Corona-Ursprung: US-Senatsausschuss erklĂ€rt Fauci schuldig – kommt er jetzt vor Gericht?

Anthony Fauci hat bei einer Anhörung mehr als 100-mal die Aussage verweigert. Nun hat ein republikanisch gefĂŒhrter Senatsausschuss ein Verfahren wegen Missachtung des Kongresses angestossen.

06.08.2026 - 16:11 [ CNN ]

Senate panel votes to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress

Republican chairman Rand Paul has said he will send the committee’s recommendation straight to the Justice Department, bypassing a full Senate vote in a break with precedent that’s likely to set up a high-stakes legal and political test for the Trump administration.

Vice President JD Vance will now first need to sign off on the committee’s circumvention of long-established rules due to his constitutional role as president of the Senate. Then it would be up to the Justice Department to decide whether to bring formal charges.

03.08.2026 - 23:52 [ USA Today ]

MAGA Trump critics Greene, Massie, Carlson meet, tout new ‚movement‘

(today)

Carlson said in a recent interview that „I’m going to help build a third party.“ Democrats and Republicans are in „lockstep“ on war in the Middle East and other issues, Carlson said, adding the government should focus on „the welfare of its own people.“

Greene previously said she is „in talks“ to launch a new party.

„I think there’s a group of us that if we decide to align, we could launch a true America-focused party that doesn’t fall into the traps of Democrats or Republicans,“ Greene said on „Piers Morgan Uncensored,“ while also acknowledging the difficulties of creating a third party.

02.08.2026 - 19:25 [ Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene / X ]

We said no more foreign wars and we meant it and supported, Donald Trump because he made that promise. But he’s betrayed us all. Our commitment is America First for all Americans, right, left, and center. The movement has begun.

(…)

02.08.2026 - 19:19 [ Tampa Free Press ]

Former Georgia Rep. MTG, Tucker Carlson Signal Third-Party Ambitions Following GOP Split

Former Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and former cable news host Tucker Carlson have signaled plans to form a new political party, citing growing dissatisfaction with the Republican Party and current U.S. foreign policy.

In a social media post on Saturday, Greene shared a photograph of a meeting featuring herself, her husband Brian Glenn, Carlson, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Massie’s wife, and Joe Kent.

02.08.2026 - 19:12 [ Hindustan Times ]

Marjorie Taylor Greene teams up with Tucker Carlson as Trump rift fuels political party push: ‘Betrayed us all’

Former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has shared a new photo with Tucker Carlson, Rep. Thomas Massie and Joe Kent, adding fresh momentum to discussions about launching a new political party.

Greene posted the picture on X and said the group had come together because they believe President Donald Trump has broken one of his biggest campaign promises. Her post comes weeks after Carlson publicly said he was helping build a third party.

The latest meeting has again raised questions about whether the group plans to turn those talks into a formal political movement.

30.07.2026 - 15:01 [ Antiwar.com ]

Rep. Massie Joins Democrats in Attempt To Sue White House Over Iran War

(July 27, 2026)

The War Powers Resolution was passed by both the House and Senate in June, marking the first time Congress approved a concurrent resolution under the 1973 War Powers Act directing the termination of an unauthorized war.

Section 5(c) of the 1973 War Powers Act states that “at any time that United States Armed Forces are engaged in hostilities outside the territory of the United States, its possessions and territories without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization, such forces shall be removed by the President if the Congress so directs by concurrent resolution.”

30.07.2026 - 14:58 [ Fox News ]

Trump critic Massie joins Democrats in unprecedented bid to sue White House over Iran war

(July 27, 2026)

Massie accused Trump and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth of being „in blatant violation of two sections of the War Powers Resolution of 1973.“

„For the first time since the law was enacted, a concurrent resolution has passed in accordance with 5(c) of the law, but the White House has ignored it. It seems they’ve assumed the law is unconstitutional, but no court has ever found that to be the case, so the law remains on the books while the White House flouts it. In the 1983 case INS v. Chadha, the Supreme Court did not opine on the 1973 War Powers Resolution. It’s time for the courts to settle this, and that’s what our legislation directs,“ Massie said.

30.07.2026 - 14:45 [ Common Dreams ]

Congress Hasn’t Authorized Trump’s Iran War—or Ended It

Congress has not authorized Trump’s Iran war. Until lawmakers either define and limit the mission or stop paying for it, troops and civilians will remain trapped between a president claiming the power to continue and a legislature unwilling to take responsibility for ending it.

24.07.2026 - 11:58 [ CBS News ]

Senate fails to advance latest attempt to limit Trump‘s Iran war powers

The Senate rejected the latest attempt to rein in President Trump‘s war powers in Iran on Thursday, soon after the House adopted a separate measure rebuking the president amid escalations in the conflict in recent days.

In a 47 to 49 vote, one Republican — Susan Collins of Maine — joined Democrats in voting to advance the measure. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the sole Democrat to oppose. Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky, who have previously supported similar war powers efforts, did not vote.

24.07.2026 - 10:37 [ CNN ]

Trump’s DOJ says it will withdraw subpoenas targeting NY Times reporters

The Justice Department opened a leak investigation and took aggressive steps to identify the officials who spoke with The Times. Some officials were asked to turn over their cell phones at the White House, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Some of the subpoenas — which are court orders compelling a person to testify — were delivered by FBI agents at the reporters’ homes.

The Times publicized the legal threat right away and aggressively fought back, calling the subpoenas a “bad faith effort to harass and intimidate” the news media.

The Justice Department said it was not targeting the reporters; it was pursuing the leakers of classified information.

23.07.2026 - 18:58 [ Fox News ]

4 House Republicans rebel against Trump, vote with Dems to block Iran war powers

Thursday‘s vote is largely symbolic, and the resolution will not go to Trump’s desk for signature if the Senate chamber were also to pass it.

But Democrats‘ war powers effort underscores that the war in Iran is continuing to divide Republicans, several of whom have complained the White House has not given enough visibility to Congress about the military’s actions.

Just 34% of voters approve of Trump‘s handling of Iran, according to a Fox News poll released Wednesday.