Office of Legal Counsel (US)

• Justice Dept. Memo Approved Military Incursion Into Venezuela as Lawful - The specifics of the memo are unclear. But Attorney General Pam Bondi told lawmakers in briefings this week that the administration would share the document with them.
• How Oil, Drugs and Immigration Fueled Trump’s Venezuela Campaign - New details of deliberations show how aides with overlapping agendas drove the United States toward a militarized confrontation with Venezuela.
• Not All Targeted Killings Are the Same. Hegseth’s Boat Strikes Are Illegal. - A former secretary of homeland security on the illegality of Trump’s boat strikes.
• Halligan Continues as U.S. Attorney, Prompting Criticism From Judges - The Justice Department has seized on a lack of explicit instruction from a federal judge to keep Lindsey Halligan in place for now.
• U.S. Military’s Boat Strikes Planning Takes On New Significance - The details could raise questions about who was responsible for a follow-up strike on Sept. 2 — the commander who ordered it or the defense secretary.