Supreme Court grants Trump admin request to withhold foreign aid funds

The Supreme Court on Sept. 9 granted a Trump administration request to temporarily withhold approximately $4 billion in foreign aid funding previously authorized by Congress. The federal government’s emergency application in U.S. Department of State v. AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition … Continue reading Supreme Court grants Trump admin request to withhold foreign aid funds

Judge halts removal of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, Haitians

A San Francisco-based federal judge on Sept. 5 ruled the Trump administration may not cancel the temporary protected status (TPS) that prevents Venezuelans and Haitians from being deported from the United States. TPS is a designation that allows individuals from … Continue reading Judge halts removal of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, Haitians

Federal appeals court reinstates FTC commissioner fired by Trump

A divided federal appeals court on Sept. 2 reinstated Rebecca Slaughter as a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) after President Donald Trump removed her from the post. The ruling is the latest development in the president’s ongoing effort to remove personnel from independent federal agencies whose appointees traditionally have been shielded from termination without cause. Slaughter, formerly chief counsel to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), was first appointed to a seat reserved for Democrats on the FTC by Trump in 2018 and then reappointed in 2023 by President Joe Biden. Trump fired Slaughter earlier this year. In a letter … Continue reading Federal appeals court reinstates FTC commissioner fired by Trump

South Carolina asks Supreme Court to let it enforce school bathroom policy

South Carolina has asked the Supreme Court to block an appeals court order that exempts a transgender-identifying student from a state law banning students from using school restrooms inconsistent with their sex. The application in South Carolina v. Doe, docketed by the nation’s highest court on Aug. 28, was directed to Chief Justice John Roberts, who oversees emergency appeals from the Palmetto State. The state is asking the Supreme Court to halt an injunction the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued on Aug. 12 that requires a Berkeley County school to allow a female student who identifies … Continue reading South Carolina asks Supreme Court to let it enforce school bathroom policy

Federal government withdraws emergency Supreme Court application over freezing of foreign aid

The federal government on Aug. 29 withdrew an emergency request at the Supreme Court to give it control over billions of dollars in foreign aid after an appeals court cleared the way for the government to withhold the funding. The case goes back to Jan. 20, when President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14169 to freeze foreign aid spending for 90 days. Grant recipients and associations sued to free up the government funds, arguing that the president violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution. The government had already won in a 2–1 ruling on Aug. 13 a challenge … Continue reading Federal government withdraws emergency Supreme Court application over freezing of foreign aid

Federal appeals court blocks withdrawal of protected status for Venezuelans

A federal appeals court on Aug. 29 blocked the Trump administration’s move to rescind the temporary protected status (TPS) that prevents 600,000 Venezuelans from being deported from the United States. TPS is a designation that allows individuals from countries affected … Continue reading Federal appeals court blocks withdrawal of protected status for Venezuelans