November 18

Catholic Bishops Condemn "Dehumanizing" Immigration Crackdown in Rare 216-5 Vote

At their plenary assembly in Baltimore, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a Special Message on immigration 216-5 with 3 abstentions — the first such urgent message in 12 years, requiring two-thirds approval. The bishops opposed "indiscriminate mass deportation," condemned "dehumanizing rhetoric and violence," and expressed concern about detention conditions and lack of pastoral access for Catholic detainees. The vote marked an extraordinary break with political allies of the Trump administration.

Judge Boasberg rules Meta is not an illegal monopoly, leaving Instagram and WhatsApp intact

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled against the FTC in its landmark antitrust case seeking to force Meta to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp. After a six-week bench trial, Boasberg found the FTC failed to prove Meta currently holds monopoly power in personal social networking, because TikTok and YouTube now compete as substitutes. The FTC had argued Meta's 2012 Instagram and 2014 WhatsApp acquisitions created an illegal monopoly. The agency said it was "deeply disappointed" and questioned Boasberg's impartiality.

Gov. Greg Abbott declares CAIR a terrorist organization in Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations under state action. The move targeted one of the country's most prominent Muslim civil-rights groups and followed scrutiny of Muslim civic institutions in Texas.

Ninth Circuit Blocks SB 261 Enforcement While Allowing SB 253 to Proceed

The Ninth Circuit granted an injunction pending appeal for SB 261 on November 18, 2025, halting enforcement while the case proceeded, but denied the same relief for SB 253. The split outcome reflected the court's view that SB 261's financial risk disclosure requirements raised stronger First Amendment concerns than SB 253's emissions reporting. Plaintiffs withdrew their Supreme Court emergency application, and CARB issued an advisory that it would not penalize companies for SB 261 non-compliance.

Education and Labor departments move education program management to other agencies

The Departments of Education and Labor jointly announced new interagency agreements on November 18, moving elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education program management to other agencies. The announcement preceded the formal interagency agreements and drew immediate legal scrutiny. The DOL press release framed it as aligning education with workforce development goals.

Trump gives MBS lavish White House welcome and shrugs off Khashoggi murder

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made his first US visit since the 2018 Khashoggi killing, receiving a military flyover and East Room gala attended by Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Cristiano Ronaldo. When asked about Khashoggi, Trump said "things happen" and defended MBS. Saudi Arabia pledged to boost US investment from $600 billion to "almost $1 trillion." Trump angrily rebuked an ABC reporter for asking.

+1 others

Federal panel blocks Texas Plan C2333 as a racial gerrymander targeting Black and Hispanic voters

A three-judge federal panel in El Paso blocked Texas from using Plan C2333 in the 2026 elections on November 18, 2025, ruling there was "substantial evidence" the map was a racial gerrymander targeting Black and Hispanic communities in Houston, Dallas, and the Rio Grande Valley. The court found that Republicans had drawn district lines to eliminate five Democratic-held seats by splitting minority communities. Attorney General Ken Paxton immediately filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court to stay the ruling.

+1 others

House votes 427-1 to release Epstein files after Massie forces vote

Rep. Thomas Massie used procedural maneuvers to force a 427-1 House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act despite months of resistance from Speaker Mike Johnson. Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana cast the sole no vote. The bill passed with bipartisan support and was sent to the Senate, which passed it by unanimous consent the following day. Massie, Ro Khanna, and MTG held a press conference with Epstein survivors.

+2 others

Senate passes Epstein files bill by unanimous consent

The Senate passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act by unanimous consent shortly after the House vote. The Senate action sent the bill to Trump and made the 30-day DOJ release deadline unavoidable unless the administration refused or delayed compliance.

+1 others

Federal Court Blocks Texas 2025 Redistricting Map as Racial Gerrymandering, Orders 2021 Maps for 2026

A three-judge federal panel in El Paso issued a preliminary injunction blocking Texas's 2025 congressional redistricting map, finding it constituted racial gerrymandering. Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee, wrote that map drawers "purposefully manipulated the districts' racial numbers" to convert coalition districts to single-race-majority districts. The court ordered Texas to use its 2021 maps for the 2026 elections. Ironically, the 2025 map was drawn at DOJ's urging, after AG Harmeet Dhillon alleged the 2021 maps themselves violated the Voting Rights Act.

Brazil's Supreme Court sentences nine generals up to 24 years for a plot to kill Lula

Brazil's Supreme Court sentenced nine high-ranking military officers and a federal police official to up to 24 years in prison for conspiring to murder President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, VP-elect Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to prevent Lula's 2022 inauguration. One general was acquitted for insufficient evidence. Former President Bolsonaro had been separately sentenced to 27 years in September 2025.