An Ohio businessman is suing San Francisco in federal court over a local ordinance his lawyers say punishes him for trying to convert his residential rental property into a condominium by forcing him to allow his tenant to remain in the property … Continue reading Lawsuit seeks to overturn ‘lifetime lease’ regulation in San Francisco

Five Democratic senators filed papers with the Supreme Court warning a restructuring of the highest court in the land could happen if the supposedly ailing institution fails to “heal” itself by embracing a restrictive view of Second Amendment gun ownership rights. … Continue reading Democrats declare Supreme Court needs to ‘heal’ itself, or face restructuring

Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt (pictured above) said Aug. 12 the Trump administration is moving forward with a business-friendly regulatory overhaul of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that officials say “without compromising conservation” will ease some of the burdens landowners … Continue reading Trump administration eases regulatory burdens of Endangered Species Act

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration will soon enforce a long-awaited “public charge” rule aimed at making sure future immigrants to the United States can support themselves without becoming a burden on taxpayers. The move, which is part of President Donald Trump’s promised … Continue reading New rule bans immigrants from being a ‘public charge’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (pictured above) has taken the unusual step of asking his state’s Supreme Court to render an advisory opinion about whether the state’s up to 1.5 million felons have to pay all fines and fees imposed on … Continue reading Florida governor asks state supreme court to advise on felon voting

A Roman Catholic charity and two foster parents are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up their case after a federal appeals court ruled that Philadelphia could refuse to work with the charity because it has a religious-based objection … Continue reading Catholic foster care agency fights allegedly discriminatory religious test

A federal appeals court has set aside deportation orders for two Guatemalan nationals because the Pennsylvania state trooper who pulled over the van they were riding in for speeding allegedly inferred that the two men were present in the country … Continue reading Appeals court frees deportees over racial-profiling claims

Remington Arms Co. is challenging the unusual legal claim that says the maker of a gun used in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting should be held liable for what the user of the gun did with it, because the … Continue reading Firearms maker challenges suit by Sandy Hook victims

One federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s Proclamation 9822, which limits asylum claims to those entering the United States at an officially designated port of entry, as another federal judge issued a national injunction preventing the rule’s application. The … Continue reading Courts strike down Trump administration rule limiting asylum

Two state university employees are suing California and the Teamsters union in federal court to strike down a state law they say violates their constitutional right not to join a labor union. In its landmark 2018 ruling in Janus v. … Continue reading Employees sue to enforce right not to join union

News analysis Conservatives are applauding the Trump administration for proposing new regulations that would save taxpayers $2.5 billion a year by ending food stamp benefits for an estimated 3 million people, by taking away states’ ability to automatically enroll welfare … Continue reading Reform of food stamp program triggers debate

The state of Alabama is suing the federal government over how it counts people in the census, claiming it will lose a seat in Congress because it has a low illegal-alien population. The lawsuit, filed May 21, 2018, in U.S. District Court for … Continue reading Alabama sues over how census counts US population

WASHINGTON—Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) criticized the claim by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) that the earth has only 12 years left if nothing is done about the so-called global warming crisis, at the Heartland Institute’s 13th International Conference on Climate Change … Continue reading US representative warns against climate change ‘hysteria’

WASHINGTON—Republican office-holders need to stop trying to appease the Left on climate-related issues by embracing ideas such as a watered down version of the prohibitively expensive Green New Deal, participants heard July 25 at the Heartland Institute’s 13th International Conference … Continue reading Conference calls on Republicans to reject the Left on climate change

Concerned parents in Santa Barbara, California, are moving forward with a lawsuit in state court against a nonprofit and the local school board over taxpayer-funded “implicit bias” instruction, after a legal hiccup forced their watchdog group to change judicial forums. According … Continue reading Santa Barbara parents ask courts to roll back ‘implicit bias’ curricula

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals barred the Trump administration from indefinitely detaining some asylum claimants while handing the administration a partial victory in the same ruling by striking down as unreasonable the fast-track processing requirements imposed by a lower … Continue reading 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds bail for illegal immigrants

The University of Missouri is being sued by Michigan-based Hillsdale College for allegedly failing to honor the wishes of a late benefactor who willed the university $5 million to fund six professorships on the express condition they be held by … Continue reading University of Missouri sued for failing to hire conservative economists

A closely divided 4th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a lawsuit last week by four homeless alcoholics challenging a 1934 Virginia law that allows “habitual drunkards” to be jailed for possessing, consuming, and purchasing alcoholic beverages. Dissenting judges in the case … Continue reading Appeals Court: habitual drunkard law too vague