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
A Washington state gun shop is challenging a state ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines in the U.S. Supreme Court. The gun shop is appealing a May 8 ruling by the Washington Supreme Court that upheld the state law, ESSB 5078, … Continue reading Gun shop asks Supreme Court to review state ban on high-capacity magazines
The state of Oklahoma and the U.S. Department of Justice have agreed to overturn a state law that let illegal immigrants pay in-state tuition rates. In-state tuition rates are offered at public colleges and universities to students who are residents … Continue reading Oklahoma agrees to end in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
The Trump administration filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court late on Aug. 7, asking the court to suspend a lower court order restricting immigration stops in Southern California. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) started its operations in … Continue reading Trump admin asks Supreme Court to cancel restrictions on immigration stops in Southern California
Companies suing the Trump administration over tariffs urged the Supreme Court on Aug. 5 to take up their case to resolve a disagreement between lower courts over which one has the authority to hear the tariff challenge. The case is … Continue reading Companies challenging Trump tariffs urge Supreme Court to take up case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Aug. 4 declined to stay the execution of a Tennessee inmate whose lawyers argued his pacemaker may cause him pain by shocking him during the execution process. Byron Lewis Black is scheduled to be executed … Continue reading Supreme Court rejects inmate’s request to have his pacemaker turned off before lethal injection
The Supreme Court has changed the focus of an upcoming redistricting case, ordering attorneys to present arguments about whether the creation of a second black-majority congressional district in Louisiana is constitutional. A ruling striking down the district at issue could … Continue reading Supreme Court to consider use of race in drawing Louisiana election map
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a friend-of-the-court brief on July 29 in support of a GOP congressman’s challenge to an Illinois law that allows ballots received 14 days after Election Day to be counted. Eighteen states, including Illinois, accept … Continue reading DOJ supports congressman’s Supreme Court challenge to late counting of ballots