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The Supreme Court granted an unusually quick hearing on President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Tuesday, putting a policy at the center of his economic agenda squarely before the nation’s highest court. The justices will hear the case in November, a lightning-fast timetable by the Supreme Court’s typical standards, and rule at some point after that. The tariffs will stay in place in the meantime. The court agreed to take up an appeal from the Trump administration after lower courts found most of his tariffs illegal. The small businesses and states that challenged them also agreed to the accelerated timetable. They say Trump’s import taxes on goods from almost every country in the world have nearly driven their businesses to bankruptcy. “Congress, not the President alone, has the power to impose tariffs,” attorney Jeffrey Schwab with the Liberty Justice Center said. Two lower courts have agreed that Trump didn’t have the power to impose all the tariffs under an emergency powers law, though a divided appeals court left them in place. The Trump administration asked the justices to intervene quickly, arguing the law gives him the power to regulate imports and striking down the tariffs would put the country on “the brink of economic catastrophe.” The case will come before a court that has been reluctant to check Trump’s extraordinary flex of executive power. One big question is whether the justices’ own expansive view of presidential authority allows for Trump’s tariffs without the explicit approval of Congress, which the Constitution endows with the power to levy tariffs. Three of the justices on the conservative-majority court were nominated by Trump in his first term. While the tariffs and their erratic rollout have raised fears of higher prices and slower economic growth, Trump has also used them to pressure other countries into accepting new trade deals. Revenue from tariffs totaled $159 billion by late August, more than double what it was at the same point a year earlier. Solicitor General D. John Sauer has argued that the lower court rulings are already affecting those trade negotiations. If the tariffs are struck down, the U.S. Treasury might take a hit by having to refund some of the import taxes it’s collected, Trump administration officials have said. A ruling against them could even the nation’s ability to reduce the flow of fentanyl and efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, Sauer argued. The administration did win over four appeals court judges who found the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, lets the president regulate importation during emergencies without explicit limitations. In recent decades, Congress has ceded some tariff authority to the president and Trump has made the most of the power vacuum. The case involves two sets of import taxes, both of which Trump justified by declaring a national emergency: the tariffs first announced in April and the ones from February on imports from Canada, China and Mexico. It doesn’t include his levies on foreign steel, aluminum and autos, or the tariffs Trump imposed on China in his first term that were kept by Democratic President Joe Biden. Trump can impose tariffs under other laws, but those have more limitations on the speed and severity with which he could act. (AP)

Qatar’s prime minister issued a sharp warning following Israel’s strike on Hamas figures in Doha, declaring that his nation “reserves the right to respond” to what he described as a grave assault, while also stressing that mediation initiatives would go forward.

“Qatar… reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack,” Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said during a press briefing.

“We believe that today we have reached a pivotal moment. There must be a response from the entire region to such barbaric actions,” he continued.

Despite the severity of the incident, Al-Thani pledged that his country would not abandon its role in trying to secure both a ceasefire and an agreement on the release of hostages between Israel and Hamas.

“Nothing will deter us from continuing this mediation in the region,” Al-Thani affirmed.

Earlier reports from diplomatic officials indicated that Qatar was preparing to temporarily pause its mediation role, though the prime minister’s comments pointed in the opposite direction.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump issued a response Tuesday regarding Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar.

Writing on his Truth Social account, Trump emphasized that the decision to launch the operation was made by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and did not come from him.

“This morning, the Trump Administration was notified by the United States Military that Israel was attacking Hamas which, very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha, the Capital of Qatar. This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me,” wrote Trump.

He continued, “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals. However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”

Trump explained, “I immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did, however, unfortunately, too late to stop the attack. I view Qatar as a strong Ally and friend of the U.S., and feel very badly about the location of the attack.”

He added, “I want ALL of the Hostages, and bodies of the dead, released, and this War to END, NOW! I also spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu after the attack. The Prime Minister told me that he wants to make Peace. I believe this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for PEACE. I also spoke to the Emir and Prime Minister of Qatar, and thanked them for their support and friendship to our Country. I assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil. I have directed Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to finalize the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Qatar. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Qatar had been warned by the U.S. before the strike took place.

{Matzav.com}

California Gov. Gavin Newsom used his State of the State address Tuesday to blast President Donald Trump administration for a “relentless, unhinged California obsession” while also touting the state’s achievements on its 175th anniversary of statehood. The Democratic governor opted to send the letter to the state Legislature instead of delivering it publicly. Newsom, who’s seen as a potential presidential contender for 2028, also released a shortened version of the annual report on his social media channels. The letter criticized the president and his policies for bringing chaos and disruption to California, without mentioning Trump by name. “We are now nine months into a battle to protect the values we hold most dear and to preserve the economic and social foundation we built for California,” Newsom wrote. “We are facing a federal administration built on incompetence and malicious ignorance, one that seeks the death of independent thinking.” Newsom hasn’t done a formal address in a few years, a departure from decades of tradition. The state has been a battleground for the Trump administration after its hardline immigration strategy spurred protests, and the deployment of the National Guard and the Marines. The federal government has also cut funding to the state’s long-delayed high-speed rail project, rolled back the state’s first-in-the-nation rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars and sued the state over its law that allows transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams. California responded by suing the administration 41 times. Lawmakers earlier this year authorized giving $50 million to California’s Department of Justice and other legal groups to help protect the state’s progressive policies. California is also fighting back against Trump’s move to suspend funding to University of California, Los Angeles, over allegations of civil rights violations related to antisemitism and affirmative action, Newsom said. “It would be a mistake to think California is cowering in the face of this onslaught,” Newsom said. The letter also outlines what Newsom described as California’s achievements — highlighting the state’s resiliency and quick recovery effort to the devasting wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year as well as other advancements in tech, green energy and education in an economy that exceeds $4.1 trillion. He also highlighted the state’s volunteer force of tens of thousands of young people and a tax credit program to bring back Hollywood productions. State Republicans said Newsom is prioritizing building his national profile instead of working on issues in California. James Gallagher, the Republican leader of the state Assembly, pointed to the state’s ongoing budget deficits, homelessness crisis and sky-high costs of living in a social media post responding to Newsom’s letter. Gallagher also criticized Newsom’s push for a new U.S. House congressional map to help Democrats win more seats and potentially gain control of the House ahead of the 2026 midterms. California’s move was to counter a similar effort led by GOP lawmakers at Trump’s urging in Texas. “Stop refusing to show up and actually do the work of being a governor,” he said in the video. (AP)