Dispatches from Kentucky

Dispatches from Kentucky

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How Fear Can Change an Agency Without Changing the Law
CFPB examiners were warned about “most unpleasant” consequences. Months later, Reuters found an unusual wave of expedited reviews.
The Power to Prosecute, and the Pressure to Use It
Prosecutors concluded David Hearn had committed no crime. President Trump pressed them to reverse course. A judge closed the door.
When Criminal Investigation Becomes Political Leverage
A federal judge found that Justice Department subpoenas were used to pressure Jerome Powell over interest rates.
The Difference Between Correcting a Judge and Controlling a Court
Kentucky’s Goodman impeachment fight shows how removal power can pressure an independent judiciary.
When Government Gives a False Claim New Life
A federal investigation that found no evidence of vote manipulation shows how repeated false claims can gain authority when the government acts on them.
Congress Appropriated the Money. The White House Let the Clock Run Out.
An $810 million “pocket rescission” shows how presidential power can expand without Congress ever agreeing to give it up
When Housing Becomes Leverage
Federal homelessness policy is changing what Kentucky providers can offer. The question is what happens when shelter becomes conditional.

September 2026

The Price of Saying No: When Federal Money Becomes Leverage Over Elections
A federal judge blocked an attempt to tie counterterrorism funding to election rules. The dispute shows how government can use money to make resistance…
When Public Money Starts Promoting the President
Taxpayer-funded ads featuring Trump show how the line between public communication and personal political promotion can begin to blur.
ICE stopped showing where many final-order detainees are held
Lawyers have lost track of some clients through ICE’s public locator. No Kentucky detainee has yet been shown to be affected.
When Does Democratic Restraint Become Surrender?
Democracy requires restraint in exercising political power. But what happens when that restraint is no longer reciprocal?
Who Are the 35 Percent?
The harder question is not who supports a president. It is who will suspend democratic rules when those rules get in the way.
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