Lawyers and justices argued during an Oct. 2 hearing about whether “and” always means “and,” as a convicted drug dealer hoping to reduce his sentence under the First Step Act of 2018 made his case before the Supreme Court. The … Continue reading Supreme Court opens new term with drug sentencing case
Some in the financial services industry are nervous about how the Supreme Court will rule in a payday lending industry challenge to the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that’s being heard this week. A ruling against the … Continue reading Supreme Court case about financial regulator sparks industry anxiety
An election integrity group is suing Hawaii for allegedly violating the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) by refusing to hand over voter records. The legal complaint (pdf) in Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) v. Nago (court file 1:23-cv-00389), was filed … Continue reading Election integrity group sues Hawaii over federal voting law
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case in which a store is asking the court to ignore a time limitation so it can challenge a Federal Reserve policy on debit card swipe fees that it argues is illegal. The appeal comes amid merchant anxiety over high transaction processing fees and after the proposed Credit Card Competition Act was recently introduced in Congress. The bill, promoted by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), is supposed to enhance credit card competition and reduce credit card fees. The legislation would require banks with more than $100 billion in assets to … Continue reading Supreme Court will hear store’s lawsuit over allegedly illegal debit card swipe fees
The Supreme Court may spend much of its upcoming term, which begins next week, scaling back the power of the government, panelists said at a think tank chat on Sept. 28. Along the way, the nation’s highest court may get … Continue reading Supreme Court may curb government power in new term, panel hears
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear challenges to laws in Florida and Texas that regulate how social media companies moderate content on their platforms. Former President Donald Trump had urged the court to hear the Florida case. The cases … Continue reading Supreme Court will hear challenges to social media laws in Florida and Texas
Colleges and universities across the country are evading a recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down the use of racially discriminatory admissions policies in higher education, a congressional panel heard. At the same time, the schools are backing away from … Continue reading Universities are evading Supreme Court’s anti-affirmative action ruling, Congress hears
Federal agencies accused of pressuring social media companies to remove users’ content will remain free to contact those companies for the time being because the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has temporarily stayed a judge’s order forbidding … Continue reading Fifth Circuit allows Biden admin to continue social media contacts
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas after the court agreed to consider next week whether it will hear an emergency challenge to the state’s concealed carry gun law that went into effect a year ago. … Continue reading New York Gov. Hochul criticizes Justice Thomas as Supreme Court moves gun law challenge forward
A white Houston couple in the landscaping business filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Texas city over its racially discriminatory contracting policy that forces them to send a portion of government contracts to minority-owned businesses. Affirmative action programs … Continue reading White-owned businesses file civil rights lawsuit against Houston over racial discrimination
A federal appeals court has denied pro-life campaigner Lauren Handy’s emergency motion to be released from custody pending her appeal. Lawyers for Ms. Handy, who was jailed over a Washington abortion clinic protest, previously filed an emergency appeal seeking her … Continue reading DC appeals court refuses to release pro-life campaigner during appeal
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan expressed optimism during a public appearance at a top law school on Sept. 22 that the high court will adopt a code of conduct for its nine justices. At the same time, the liberal justice … Continue reading Supreme Court ethics code would be ‘a good thing,’ Justice Kagan says
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito extended to Sept. 27 a temporary stay blocking a lower court ruling that restricted federal agencies from contacting social media firms with requests to remove content, giving the justices more time to reflect on how … Continue reading Supreme Court temporarily allows Biden administration’s social media censorship efforts
The Supreme Court may take steps to roll back the administrative state in its approaching term that begins next month, according to lawyers who frequently appear before the nation’s highest court. The lawyers were appearing at a Sept. 20 event … Continue reading Supreme Court may put administrative state on chopping block in upcoming term, lawyers say
ATLANTA–Three alternate presidential electors who argue their efforts to support former President Donald Trump in Georgia in the 2020 election were shielded by federal law, urged a federal judge on Sept. 20 not to return state racketeering charges against them … Continue reading Alternate Trump electors push back against state racketeering charges in federal court
Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urged a federal appeals court on Sept. 18 to overturn a federal district judge’s decision to send the election interference prosecution back to a Georgia court. The new filing with the U.S. Court … Continue reading Former Trump aide urges 11th Circuit to return state election interference case to federal court
The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up several cases this fall that could lead to controversial rulings, panelists said at a Sept. 18 forum hosted by the libertarian Cato Institute. One case questions the legality of a ban on people under domestic restraining orders from possessing guns. Another deals with a Trump-era wealth tax that hit a married couple with an unexpected tax bill. Another case takes on so-called Chevron deference, a legal doctrine that critics say gives bureaucrats too much power. Still, another case, which the court has not yet decided to take up, deals with alleged racial … Continue reading Supreme Court to consider pro-bureaucrat legal doctrine, gun ban, and wealth tax in upcoming term
Be very careful in dealing with AKCSS Data Consulting LLC of 9520 Wilcrest Drive, 1211, Houston, Texas 77099. This company, or perhaps someone pretending to represent it, is engaged in fraud. I know this because I almost got sucked into a scam. I recently discovered that I had fallen behind on a payment to my local utility, Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE). I didn’t knowingly get into arrears. It happened because BGE recently began paperless billing for its customers. BGE offered an opt-out for customers so they could continue to receive paper bills. Apparently, I missed the opt-out deadline. I … Continue reading Fraud alert: AKCSS Data Consulting LLC, or someone pretending to be from that company, is posing as BGE
A federal appeals court abruptly canceled expedited oral arguments set for Sept. 15 in an emergency motion by former Trump aide Mark Meadows aimed at staying a federal judge’s decision to remand a racketeering prosecution to a Georgia court. The … Continue reading 11th Circuit cancels Meadows’s emergency hearing after state ruling slows down prosecution
A federal judge has denied Mark Meadows’s motion to temporarily stay an order remanding a racketeering prosecution to state court, while the former Trump White House chief of staff appeals it to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th … Continue reading Judge denies Meadows’s motion to prevent state conviction while federal appeal continues