All articles tagged with #supremecourt
New renderings of the White House East Wing reveal gold-colored additions, including a gilded Great Seal and gold interior trim, as the Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling blocking aboveground construction; the project is about 65% complete with an estimated $600 million price tag and a 2028 completion target, with potential design-review hurdles for the exterior gilding.
Barrett and Kagan told House lawmakers that threats against the Supreme Court have risen, prompting a push for a roughly 10% budget hike that would add $14.6 million for personal protection, six more agents per justice, an off-site security post, and more court police as part of a $228 million request for next year; Barrett recounted carrying a bulletproof vest home after the Dobbs leak and a swatting incident, while Kagan condemned hostile rhetoric and stressed safeguarding judicial independence amid scrutiny of Justice Thomas.
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision allows West Virginia and Idaho to bar transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports, a narrow ruling that policy makers say enables tailored, sex-based eligibility under Title IX. Advocates warn it will amplify discrimination and harm trans youth, while families recount painful consequences—from fear and exclusion to the hard conversations about safety and belonging. The ruling is not a broad revocation of protections, but it signals that state-by-state battles over transgender participation in sports will continue, necessitating ongoing advocacy and safeguards to ensure equal opportunities for trans students.
The U.S. Supreme Court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, ruled in favor of expanding the Trump administration’s powers to restrict immigration: allowing the end of humanitarian protections like TPS for Haitians and Syrians, authorizing border officials to turn away asylum seekers at the border, and granting broader authority to deport lawful permanent residents. The rulings suggest a broader effort to redefine who may live in the U.S., with ongoing debate over a looming birthright citizenship case and calls from advocates for Congress to preserve protections for migrants of color.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Rastafarian inmate cannot sue prison staff for religious-liberty violations under RLUIPA, holding that individual employees aren’t liable under the statute because they did not consent to be subject to it; the decision upholds a lower-court ruling that prisoners cannot seek monetary damages from staff even when rights are violated, with dissents arguing RLUIPA should protect prisoners’ rights against officials.
Louisiana lawmakers approved a new U.S. House map designed to gain a Republican seat, reconfiguring Rep. Cleo Fields’ district toward white Baton Rouge‑area communities and shifting part of Baton Rouge into Rep. Troy Carter’s majority‑Black New Orleans district, after the Supreme Court ruled the previous map illegal for racial gerrymandering; Democrats warn the plan could still be challenged in court.
The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, limits when race can be used to comply with the Voting Rights Act and rules that Louisiana’s congressional map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, forcing a redraw even as primaries approach. Conservatives say the ruling confines race-based map drawing, while liberals warn it could dilute minority voting power and have wide-reaching consequences.
A bank robber’s cellphone helped authorities identify him, and the Supreme Court is weighing how digital evidence from a phone should be treated under privacy and Fourth Amendment rules, a decision that could reshape future criminal investigations.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor apologized for remarks about Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s upbringing after criticizing a Kavanaugh-authored immigration decision, saying the comments were inappropriate and expressing regret; the exchange underscores lingering tensions on a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court as it readies major rulings.
The Dispatch chronicles how Trump’s 2025 tariff program, under IEEPA, disrupted American commerce and squeezed small businesses. Stories like Busy Baby Mat’s owner cutting staff and draining savings illustrate widespread revenue losses and looming costs as shipments stalled and duties rose. While tariff revenue increased, studies say Americans shoulder about 96% of tariff costs. The Supreme Court could rule the tariffs illegal, potentially triggering refunds, but uncertainty remains whether the administration will reinstate tariffs under other codes, prompting firms to rethink supply chains and some to seek suppliers abroad.
Experts say ICE encounters are bounded by the Fourth Amendment: officers can question in public, but detentions require reasonable suspicion and arrests require probable cause; entering a home generally requires a warrant unless exceptions apply. A controversial Kavanaugh opinion and a leaked DHS memo have sparked debate over widening use of ethnicity as a factor and the potential expansion of administrative warrants, which could affect profiling risks and constitutional challenges. Civil remedies against federal agents are limited, with only narrow paths under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
The Supreme Court heard arguments over whether President Trump can remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook for cause, with justices weighing due process, the Fed’s independence, and what counts as “cause.” While justices signaled caution about altering Fed autonomy, they appeared inclined to decide narrowly and likely send the case back to lower courts for a fuller factual record, potentially keeping Cook in her post during proceedings.
The Supreme Court appeared skeptical of Hawaii’s rule that bar licensed handgun carriers from bringing guns onto private property that’s open to the public unless the owner consents, signaling concerns that the Second Amendment is being treated differently. The case, Wolford v. Lopez, tests whether public-carry rights can be restricted on privately owned spaces opened to the public under the Bruen history-and-tradition framework. The outcome could affect public-carry restrictions nationwide; the plaintiffs are backed by the Trump administration.
Retired Justice Kennedy reflects on his 43-year judicial career, the decline in civil discourse during the Trump era, and the impact of recent Supreme Court decisions, including his own opinions on same-sex marriage and abortion, highlighting the court's evolving conservative stance and personal anecdotes about colleagues like Justice Scalia.
On its tenth anniversary, gay marriage in America faces renewed challenges despite significant legal and public support, with the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling in Obergefell v Hodges establishing it as a constitutional right.