By JOEY CAPPELLETTI, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a March presidential memorandum to revoke the security clearance of prominent Washington attorney Mark Zaid, ruling that the order — which also targeted 14 other individuals — could not be applied to him.

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The decision marked the administration’s second legal setback on Tuesday, after the Supreme Court declined to allow Trump to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area, capping a first year in office in which President Donald Trump’s efforts to impose a sweeping agenda and pursue retribution against political adversaries have been repeatedly slowed by the courts.

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali in Washington granted Zaid’s request for a preliminary injunction, after he sued the Trump administration in May over the revocation of his security clearance. Zaid’s request called it an act of “improper political retribution” that jeopardized his ability to continue representing clients in sensitive national security cases.

The March presidential memorandum singled out Zaid and 14 other individuals who the White House asserted were unsuitable to retain their clearances because it was “no longer in the national interest.” The list included targets of Trump’s fury from both the political and legal spheres, including former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former President Joe Biden and members of his family.

The action was part of a much broader retribution campaign that Trump has waged since returning to the White House, including directing specific Justice Department investigations against perceived adversaries and issuing sweeping executive orders targeting law firms over legal work he does not like.

In August, the Trump administration said it was revoking the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials. Ordering the revocation of clearances has been a favored retributive tactic that Trump has wielded — or at least tried to — against high-profile political figures, lawyers and intelligence officials in his second term.

Zaid said in his lawsuit that he has represented clients across the political spectrum over nearly 35 years, including government officials, law enforcement and military officials and whistleblowers. In 2019, he represented an intelligence community whistleblower whose account of a conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy helped set the stage for the first of two impeachment cases against Trump in his first term.

“This court joins the several others in this district that have enjoined the government from using the summary revocation of security clearances to penalize lawyers for representing people adverse to it,” Ali wrote in his order.

Ali emphasized that his order does not prevent the government from revoking or suspending Zaid’s clearance for reasons independent of the presidential memorandum and through normal agency processes. The preliminary injunction does not go into effect until January 13.

Zaid said in a statement, “This is not just a victory for me, it’s an indictment of the Trump administration’s attempts to intimidate and silence the legal community, especially lawyers who represent people who dare to question or hold this government accountable.”

Associated Press reporter Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

PHOENIX — Gophers offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh detailed his favorite regular-season throws from quarterback Drake Lindsey this year. Then Harbaugh spun it forward into the Rate Bowl in Arizona on Friday and into the 2026 season.

“I want him to always go out there and be feared,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what our goal is.”

Lindsey completed 63% of his passes (228 for 361) for 2,235 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. The redshirt freshman’s total attempts and TD tosses rank within the top 10 single-season numbers in program history. He can add to those marks against New Mexico after the 3:30 p.m. CT kickoff.

One of Harbaugh’s favorite passes from Lindsey this season came in the 31-28 win over Rutgers on Sept. 27. It was a guard-pull play-action pass with tight end Jameson Geers’ crossing route serving as the first read. Receiver Le’Meke Brockington’s post route is not even considered in the progression.

“Funny thing on that is, I can tell you how many times I said to Drake to throw the post on that: Zero,” Harbaugh said. “He saw the grass and threw it. It’s that type of throw.”

Lindsey feathered in the right touch over Scarlet Knights defensive backs, and Brockington came down with it for a 9-yard score to tie the game at 14-14 at Huntington Bank Stadium.

“That’s not necessarily a read in the play,” Lindsey said. “(It’s) kind of clear-out route. And I just kind of felt the space and felt the grass and trusted Le’Meke to be there. We’ve never even thrown that one time, so that was a really cool feeling. Harbaugh kind of gave me some (grief) for it, kind of messing with me.”

Lindsey would throw two more touchdowns in the Rugters win, but his 78-yard bomb to Jalen Smith — the U’s longest pass play of the season — jump-started the U’s comeback from a 14-0 hole. That, too, was on Harbaugh’s list.

Harbaugh also mentioned a crucial third-down conversion on a four verticals route to Brockington during a two-minute drill comeback in the 23-20 overtime win over Michigan State on Nov. 1. Plus, a sideline out to Brockington in the 38-35 loss to Northwestern on Nov. 22.

“(Lindsey) let the ball go before Le’Meke hit a break point,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, it’s a ridiculous throw; like, you can’t teach it.”

Harbaugh added a post route touchdown to Javon Tracy in the Northwestern loss. That play was designed to lead to the check-down options, not necessarily take a shot down the field.

“(Lindsey) saw split safety, (and the) safety (back) pedal; Javon ended up running into the post,” Harbaugh explained. “He threw it before Javon was looking. Javon made a great catch.”

Lindsey added on his own list the 52-yard completion he had to Malachi Coleman in the Wildcats game. “(Coleman) made a great catch on it,” he said. “That was a good ball, good protection.”

Lindsey had one heck of a game at Wrigley Field that crisp afternoon, throwing a career-high four touchdown passes. But both he and Harbaugh alluded to passes they would like to have back. That centered on his three-interception showing in the 41-3 loss at Iowa on Oct. 25.

“There’s a few throws that you know you always want again, and maybe not have thrown your best, but maybe threw your best as well,” Lindsey said. “The season is always fun.”

Former Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan said Lindsey showed off his arm with the first throw of the season, a sideline out to Koi Perich in the 23-10 win over Buffalo on Aug. 28.

“You saw his arm talent and just natural ability to throw the football pop,” Morgan told the Pioneer Press.

That type of trust is what Harbaugh has been emphasizing with his to-be redshirt sophomore QB. “You want to continue to build off of it. You want to continue to let him know, ‘OK, you can make any throw,’ ” Harbaugh said.

After diving into his own throws, Lindsey was asked by a reporter if he had a favorite run, a tongue-in-cheek joke because Lindsey isn’t known for his speed.

He chuckled.

On a naked bootleg, Lindsey’s stiff arm of a Michigan State defender led his way to the end-zone pylon and won Minnesota the game in overtime. His fourth-down scramble against the Boilermakers aided that 27-20 comeback win on Oct. 11.

“Not a lot. Maybe get a few more next year,” said Lindsey, who had four rushing TDs this season. “Probably the Michigan State one. That was a cool experience. I like the Purdue one, as well. But then again, didn’t run the ball much. I’ve got to do a better job of that.”

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Following the signing of a new cooperative agreement between Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management and Red Lake Nation tribal leaders, a new cannabis dispensary called NativeCare is expected to open early next year in West St. Paul.

Pending municipal regulatory approvals, the dispensary would be located at 2067 S. Robert St., a city spokesperson said. The address is a storefront in Ten Acres Center, a strip mall at the intersection of Robert Street and Mendota Road.

In a statement, Red Lake announced the dispensary would open in January. A representative of the Red Lake Nation did not respond to interview requests.

Red Lake’s original NativeCare dispensary, located on tribal land in Beltrami County, was the first dispensary to open after the state legalized the sale of cannabis in August 2023.

The new compact between Red Lake and the state’s Office of Cannabis Management, signed by Gov. Tim Walz on Dec. 15, allows Red Lake to open a select number of off-reservation retail dispensaries alongside continuing safety commitments including regular testing and reporting.

An employee sells cannabis products at a Red Lake Nation NativeCare dispensary. (Mathew Holding Eagle III / MPR News)

“The Red Lake Nation is eager to share our top tier cannabis and cannabis products with the Minnesota market,” Red Lake Nation chairman Darrell G. Seki Sr. said in a statement issued by the state Office of Cannabis Management. “Over the past five years, we have been perfecting unique strains of cannabis in our premiere growing facilities at the Red Lake Nation. Our goal from the beginning has been to produce the highest quality cannabis products that are free of all toxins and impurities. Consistent testing has verified that we have reached our goal.”

Revenues from these dispensaries are expected to be “significant” and will be reinvested in education, health and wellness services for Red Lake Nation members and infrastructure improvements on tribal-owned reservation lands, tribal leaders said in a statement.

“We are focused on making sure that our cannabis operations are a success, so that our tribal infrastructure projects can be completed and our members are able to obtain the employment opportunities that our integrated cannabis operations provide,” Seki said in another statement from the Red Lake Nation.

As state cannabis regulations have taken shape in recent years, Native nations have found themselves with a significant head start. Tribal-run dispensaries like NativeCare began opening almost immediately after adult-use recreational cannabis was legalized in Minnesota in 2023, but licenses for privately owned dispensaries did not roll out until summer 2025.

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The state also maintains cannabis agreements with White Earth Nation, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Prairie Island Indian Community, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, which operate a number of dispensaries around the state. Alongside the proposed West St. Paul location, Red Lake leaders also announced plans for a NativeCare dispensary to open soon in Thief River Falls.

As private dispensaries have proliferated in recent months, cities in the Metro area have enacted varying regulations around how many will be allowed to open and where they can operate, the Pioneer Press found.

Red Lake leaders initially submitted a proposal to the city of West St. Paul while the compact was still pending but city staff asked them to resubmit last week after the agreement had been signed, said Sarah Haugen, the city’s communications coordinator. City staff are currently reviewing the application to ensure it complies with local regulations, she said.

Tribal leaders did not specify in their proposal why West St. Paul was of particular interest for a dispensary, Haugen said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House has been charged in a complaint with federal firearms charges in connection with the ambush on November 26 that fatally wounded one of the West Virginia National Guard members and seriously injured the second.

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Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, has been charged with transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with the intent to commit an offense punishable for more than one year. He has also been charged federally with transporting a stolen firearm in interstate commerce.

“The transfer of this case from Superior Court to District Court ensures that we can undertake the serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine if the death penalty is appropriate here,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Sarah Beckstrom was just 20 years old when she was killed and her parents are now forced to endure the holiday season without their daughter. Andrew Wolfe, by the grace of God, survived but has a long road ahead in his recovery.”

Lakanwal remains charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill and illegal possession of a firearm in the shooting that killed Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Wolfe, 24, in violation of D.C. code. Lakanwal, who was shot during the encounter, has pleaded not guilty to the D.C. charges.

There is no death penalty in D.C. Superior Court.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard for President Donald Trump’s law-enforcement surge in the nation’s capital, which has flooded the city with federal agents and troops since August. Lakanwal is accused of driving from Bellingham, Washington to Washington, D.C. while in possession of a stolen firearm and ambushing the two Guard members outside a subway station three blocks from the White House.

A picture of National Guard member Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of two National Guard members who were shot in Washington on Wednesday, is honored with blue bows in Webster Springs, W.Va., Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)

An Afghan national, Laknawal worked with the American government, including the CIA, “as a member of a partner force” in Kandahar, Afghanistan, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said.

Lakanwal, 29, entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, officials said. That Biden administration program evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country.

Lakanwal’s lawyer was not immediately available for comment.