The Supreme Court refused on June 12 to hear Ohio’s argument that the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) unconstitutionally prevents states from using COVID-19-related pandemic relief funding to offset tax cuts. This is the second time this year that the … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t hear Ohio’s lawsuit over using pandemic relief for tax cuts
The Supreme Court decided on June 12 not to hear the claim of a Christian school in Colorado that it can’t be sued for firing a teacher who accused the school, parents, and students of racism. The school argued that because it’s a religious institution it’s beyond the reach of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The familiar amendment begins, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The case involves the so-called ministerial exception that the Supreme Court recognized in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Employment Opportunity Division (2012). The exception prevents … Continue reading Supreme Court denies Christian school’s claim against teacher who accused it of racism
A friend of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says a highly publicized media report that accused the justice of violating ethical norms contained “old news” and failed to disclose that Thomas was cleared of accusations of wrongdoing “more than a … Continue reading ProPublica article left out fact justice was cleared of ethics violations: Clarence Thomas defender
The Supreme Court limited the reach of the federal Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, unanimously rebuffing the Biden administration’s efforts to prosecute a man already convicted of Medicaid fraud with a separate charge of aggravated identity theft arising out of the same fraud case. The 9–0 opinion (pdf) in Dubin v. United States (court file 22-10) was issued on June 8 and authored by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Justice Neil Gorsuch filed a separate concurring opinion. The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act mandates a two-year prison sentence for violations. When then-President George W. Bush signed the law in 2004 he said it … Continue reading Government overreached in identity theft case, Supreme Court rules unanimously
The new indictment a federal grand jury returned against former President Donald Trump over his allegedly illegal retention of national security documents after he left the White House in January 2021 is politically motivated, legal experts told The Epoch Times. … Continue reading New indictment against Trump is political payback, legal experts say
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on June 8 against a dog toy maker whose chew toy parodies a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey that the Tennessee distiller had claimed violated its trademark. The case dealt with the intersection of the First … Continue reading ‘Bad Spaniels’ dog toy maker loses trademark case against Jack Daniel’s
The Supreme Court voted 5–4 on June 8 to strike down Alabama’s electoral map for congressional elections, ruling that it was racially discriminatory. The court narrowly found that the map drafted by Alabama Republicans violated the provisions of the federal Voting … Continue reading Supreme Court strikes down Republican-drawn election map for Alabama
The Supreme Court crackdown on social media platforms’ liability shield for user content that many observers expected in a pair of recent high-profile cases never came. Much to the relief of Silicon Valley, the Supreme Court sidestepped the issue in … Continue reading Supreme Court leaves social media liability shield untouched
Lawfare abuses orchestrated by left-wing activists and sympathetic government officials that enact harmful policies and enrich activist groups need to be curbed, a congressional panel heard on June 6. The former Trump administration curbed such abuses but the Biden administration … Continue reading Republicans consider legislation to counter ‘lawfare’ abuse
The U.S. Supreme Court reversed court rulings in which local governments seized two homes over unpaid tax debts and kept sale proceeds that far exceeded the tax owed. Critics call the practice “home equity theft.” The case came after Pacific … Continue reading Supreme Court overrules local governments for seizing homes
The Supreme Court decided on June 5 to consider whether a progressive activist can trademark a belittling phrase targeting former President Donald Trump for use on T-shirts. The ruling puts the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the … Continue reading Supreme Court to decide if insult against Trump can be trademarked
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Big Tech company on June 1, issuing a unanimous ruling that limits the power of shareholders to sue over misleading statements made by companies when selling shares in a direct listing. Justice … Continue reading Supreme Court reverses ruling against Slack Technologies over direct listing
In a unanimous ruling on June 1, the Supreme Court revived whistleblower lawsuits against pharmacy operators SuperValu and Safeway for allegedly overcharging the government by filing false Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement claims for prescription drugs they sold. The case concerns the federal … Continue reading Supreme Court sides with whistleblowers in pharmacy fraud lawsuits
In an 8–1 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 1 decided that a union’s deliberate destruction of company property as a pressure tactic in a labor dispute isn’t protected by federal law. Labor activists have said that endangering and … Continue reading Supreme Court deals blow to unions, rules company can sue for damage caused by strike
The Supreme Court resurrected four appeals from illegal immigrants trying to avoid deportation, sending their cases back to federal appeals courts after ruling weeks ago that lower courts don’t have to wait until a litigant’s administrative options are exhausted before issuing rulings. The Court released unsigned orders (pdf) on May 30 summarily reversing rulings of the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, 8th Circuit, 10th Circuit, and 11th Circuit. The nation’s highest court did not explain why it was issuing the orders. No justices dissented. The cases of lead petitioners Sergio Mencia-Medina of Honduras, Alma Aracely Castaneda-Martinez of … Continue reading Supreme Court overturns four deportation orders from US appeals courts
The Supreme Court refused to take up a lawsuit on May 30 against Reddit over its alleged hosting of child pornography on the social media website. The case is Doe v. Reddit Inc., court file 22-695. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition in an unsigned order. No justices dissented. The court did not explain its new decision. The order came after the Supreme Court sidestepped a challenge on May 18 to Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act of 1996, which generally prevents internet platforms and internet service providers from being held liable for what users say on them. Big Tech … Continue reading Supreme Court throws out lawsuit against Reddit over child pornography
My new book, Barack Obama’s True Legacy, was just published. I contributed a chapter looking at Obama’s immigration legacy. Mark Tapson reviews it at FrontPageMag. Bruce Bawer reviews it at American Thinker. The book is already #1 in the United … Continue reading My new book, Barack Obama’s True Legacy, is on sale now
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a Minnesota county wronged a grandmother when it forced the sale of her condominium over an unpaid tax debt and kept the sale proceeds that far exceeded the tax she owed. Critics call such … Continue reading Supreme Court sides with 94-year-old woman whose home equity was seized by county
The Supreme Court overturned the fraud convictions of four businessmen, three of whom were connected to the scandal-plagued “Buffalo Billion” development plan in upstate New York. The plan, led at the time by then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, envisioned the construction of a … Continue reading Supreme Court overturns fraud convictions related to Cuomo project
The Supreme Court voted to rein in the power of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate wetlands in a complex decision issued on May 25, the second time in a year that the court has curbed federal environmental authority. All three liberal … Continue reading Supreme Court rules against EPA in major wetlands case