DOJ withdraws NYT subpoenas

The U.S. Department of Justice withdrew grand jury subpoenas issued to three New York Times reporters after a federal judge criticized the government's legal work. The subpoenas sought testimony and phone records related to articles about President Donald Trump's Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet, which reportedly lacked advanced security features. Judge Arun Subramanian stated that subpoenas should be a last resort and that the government had turned regulations 'on its head.' The DOJ admitted inadvertent errors, including subpoenaing a reporter's mother and spouses. This marks another instance of the DOJ backing down from aggressive efforts to compel journalists to reveal sources, following similar withdrawals involving The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.