Before departing for the summer recess, the justices on Thursday issued orders from their private conference the day before. That conference was not one of the justices’ regularly scheduled conferences; instead, it was what is sometimes referred to as the “clean-up” conference, an opportunity for the justices to dispose of the petitions for review that… Read More
Divided court allows Biden to end Trump’s “remain in Mexico” asylum policy
This post was updated on June 30 at 4:52 p.m. The Supreme Court on Thursday handed the Biden administration a major victory, giving it the green light to end one of the Trump administration’s signature immigration programs: the controversial “remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while they wait for… Read More
Supreme Court curtails EPA’s authority to fight climate change
This post was updated on June 30 at 2:48 p.m. The Supreme Court on Thursday truncated the Environmental Protection Agency’s power to regulate greenhouse gases. The ruling may hamper President Joe Biden’s plan to fight climate change and could limit the authority of federal agencies across the executive branch. By a vote of 6-3, the… Read More
Justices will hear case that tests power of state legislatures to set rules for federal elections
The Supreme Court will take up a case from North Carolina next term that could upend federal elections by eliminating virtually all oversight of those elections by state courts. On Thursday, the justices granted review in Moore v. Harper, a dispute arising from the state’s efforts to draw new congressional maps in response to the… Read More
On the final day before the summer recess, two opinions remain
The justices enter the final day of June with just two opinions remaining. It’s a big day at the court for other reasons as well: Justice Stephen Breyer will officially retire at noon on Thursday, and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be sworn in at the court in a ceremony that will be live-streamed on… Read More
Jackson will be sworn in on Thursday as Breyer steps down
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be sworn in as the newest Supreme Court justice at noon on Thursday, June 30. She will become the first Black woman ever to serve on the court. Jackson will replace Justice Stephen Breyer, who announced Wednesday in a letter to President Joe Biden that he will make his retirement… Read More
Justices reinstate Louisiana voting map that is being challenged under Voting Rights Act
A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked a district court’s order that would have required the Louisiana legislature to draw new congressional maps, including a second majority-Black district. The three liberal justices dissented from the brief, unsigned order, which effectively clears the way for Louisiana to use its original map, which the district court found… Read More
After releasing three decisions on Monday, only four cases remain undecided
With the announcement of three decisions on Monday, the justices still have four more cases left to release before they leave for their summer recess, involving important issues such as the “major questions” doctrine and whether the Biden administration must continue to enforce the “remain in Mexico” program. The justices are scheduled to release opinions… Read More
Justices agree to hear technical bankruptcy case but won’t reconsider pillar of defamation law
At last Thursday’s conference, the justices considered several high-profile petitions for review, involving issues like New York’s vaccine mandate for health-care workers, whether to overrule the court’s landmark decision in New York Times v. Sullivan, and whether to take up a redistricting case from North Carolina that could upend federal elections. But on Monday, the… Read More
Justices side with high school football coach who prayed on the field with students
This article was updated on June 27 at 1:59 p.m. The Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of a high school football coach who lost his job because of his post-game prayers at the 50-yard line. By a vote of 6-3, the justices ruled that Joseph Kennedy’s conduct was protected by the First Amendment…. Read More