A new analysis of documents from the War on Terror era has indicated that the emergency powers granted to the president during the Cold War could allow the commander-in-chief to take shockingly drastic steps without oversight during an emergency – including turning off all electronic communications. Analysed by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, the documents in question date from the administration of George W. Bush, and are the product of senior staffers’ efforts to refresh the secret

Applied on such a wide scale, they're unprecedented exertions of authority, although most are just suggestions at this point.... I reached out to Elizabeth Goitein for some insight about what powers US and state laws spell out when it comes to President Donald Trump and state governors or mayors.... According to Goitein, there's no single law giving the federal government authority to lock down the country--but there are secret documents that have never been publicly released giving the Presid