A divided federal appeals court on Sept. 2 ruled that the Trump administration may terminate $16 billion in grants to nonprofits intended to finance climate-related projects. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia … Continue reading Appeals court allows EPA to cancel $16 billion in climate grants
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 … Continue reading South Carolina asks Supreme Court to let it enforce school bathroom policy
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 … Continue reading Federal government withdraws emergency Supreme Court application over freezing of foreign aid
A federal district judge blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Aug. 31 from deporting a group of unaccompanied Guatemalan children. The temporary restraining order by District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan of the U.S. District Court for the District of … Continue reading Federal judge blocks deportation of unaccompanied Guatemalan children
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
The Florida Supreme Court decided on Aug. 26 that it will not pause President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board. The Pulitzer board had urged the court to put the litigation on hold during Trump’s presidency because … Continue reading Florida Supreme Court rejects Pulitzer Prize board request to pause Trump lawsuit
Redistricting based on race is unconstitutional, Louisiana’s attorney general told the Supreme Court on Aug. 27 in a preview of arguments that the state will make in an important upcoming election law case. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said her … Continue reading Louisiana AG urges Supreme Court to reject map with 2 black-majority congressional districts
The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled 5–2 in a pair of decisions that bar owners may pursue their lawsuits against the state over COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdowns in 2020. The similar rulings in the cases of Howell v. Cooper and North … Continue reading North Carolina Supreme Court allows bars to sue state over COVID-19 restrictions
A federal judge ordered Mississippi to revise an electoral map used in voting for state supreme court justices after determining that it violates the federal Voting Rights Act. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock held on Aug. 19 that the current … Continue reading Federal judge tosses election map used for Mississippi Supreme Court
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier urged the Supreme Court to invalidate a Florida law that forbids individuals between the ages of 18 and 21 from buying firearms. Although a state attorney general generally defends the laws of his state, Uthmeier … Continue reading Florida AG urges Supreme Court to strike down gun ban for young adults
The Supreme Court voted 5–4 on Aug. 21 to allow the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in research grants linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The new ruling clears the way … Continue reading Supreme Court allows Trump admin to revoke DEI-related NIH grants
A federal appeals court struck down a Maryland law forbidding companies from listing a state tax on digital advertising on customers’ receipts. The unanimous tax-transparency ruling in U.S. Chamber of Commerce v. Lierman was issued on Aug. 15 by a … Continue reading Appeals court strikes down part of Maryland digital advertising tax
A federal appeals court on Aug. 20 sided with the Trump administration by pausing a lower court order that preserved temporary protected status (TPS) for nationals of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal. TPS is a designation that allows individuals from countries … Continue reading Appeals court rules DHS can revoke temporary status for Hondurans, Nicaraguans, and Nepalese
After rejecting Louisiana’s request that it invalidate a key provision of the federal Voting Rights Act in a state-level redistricting lawsuit, a federal appeals court is considering whether it should pause its ruling. In an Aug. 14 ruling, a three-judge … Continue reading Appeals court won’t invalidate part of Voting Rights Act
A federal appeals court has reinstated an Arkansas law banning transgender procedures for individuals younger than 18 years of age. On Aug. 12, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit voted 8–2 to overturn a lower court ruling … Continue reading 8th Circuit reinstates Arkansas ban on transgender treatment for minors
The Supreme Court on Aug. 14 declined to block a Mississippi law restricting minors’ access to social media platforms. The court did not explain its new ruling in NetChoice v. Fitch. NetChoice, a trade association for internet companies, filed an … Continue reading Federal judge rules anti-DEI directive for schools is illegal
The Supreme Court on Aug. 14 declined to block a Mississippi law restricting minors’ access to social media platforms. The court did not explain its new ruling in NetChoice v. Fitch. NetChoice, a trade association for internet companies, filed an … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t halt Mississippi law requiring social media age-verification
A federal appeals court ruled on Aug. 13 that the Trump administration may cut billions of dollars in foreign aid funds that Congress previously approved. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit … Continue reading Appeals court allows Trump administration to withhold foreign aid funds
President Donald Trump on Aug. 12 announced the nomination of five individuals as federal district judges in Alabama and Mississippi. Among them is Alabama Solicitor General Edmund LaCour as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District … Continue reading Trump unveils nominations for 5 judicial posts
The Supreme Court on Aug. 12 scheduled oral arguments for the fall in major cases, including a redistricting case that could affect the balance of power in Congress. One newly scheduled case is a challenge to a Colorado law that … Continue reading Supreme Court announces fall hearings for election, conversion therapy cases