The Supreme Court on Friday evening, November 7, 2025, temporarily blocked a federal court order requiring the Trump administration to provide full SNAP benefits to approximately 42 million Americans for November during the ongoing government shutdown. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the …
Supreme CourtKetanji Brown JacksonJohn McConnell Jr.Department of AgricultureTrump Administrationsnap-benefitsfood-assistancesupreme-courtgovernment-shutdownpoverty+1 more
The Supreme Court issued an administrative stay at least temporarily allowing the Trump administration to withhold approximately $4 billion in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) payments affecting 42 million Americans, blocking a federal district court order that had required full …
Supreme CourtKetanji Brown JacksonJohn McConnellUSDAsupreme-courtsocial-safety-netgovernment-shutdownfood-insecurityjudicial-capture
The Supreme Court heard nearly three hours of oral arguments on November 5, 2025, in the consolidated cases Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, addressing whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) authorizes President Trump to unilaterally impose …
Donald TrumpSupreme CourtSupreme CourtTariffsEmergency PowersSeparation of PowersIEEPA
On October 29, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court took the rare step of requesting additional briefing in a high-profile emergency case challenging President Trump’s federalization of the National Guard in Chicago for immigration enforcement, signaling the Court is grappling with fundamental …
April PerryDonald TrumpJB PritzkerSupreme Courtchicagoconstitutional-crisisfederalismfederalizationmilitarization+5 more
The Supreme Court heard rare second-round oral arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could fundamentally weaken or eliminate Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The case questions whether Louisiana’s creation of a second majority-Black congressional district (which elected Rep. …
Supreme CourtLouisianaACLUNAACP Legal Defense FundCleo Fieldssupreme-courtjudiciarycourtsvoting-rightsredistricting+2 more
The Supreme Court began its 2025-2026 term on October 6, 2025, with a docket featuring critical cases on executive power, voting rights, and constitutional law. The October session includes 10 oral arguments over five days, with several cases that could fundamentally reshape American governance.
Key …
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The Supreme Court voted 6-3 along ideological lines to allow Trump to freeze $4 billion in congressionally-approved foreign aid targeting UN development assistance, international peacekeeping, and humanitarian programs. Trump used a ‘pocket rescission’—a Nixon-era tactic not deployed …
Supreme CourtDonald TrumpElena KaganMike JohnsonGAOconstitutional-crisissupreme-courtcongressional-oversightexecutive-overreachforeign-aid+1 more
The Supreme Court cleared the way for Trump to fire FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, overturning lower court rulings that had ordered her reinstatement after Trump fired her and fellow Democrat Alvaro Bedoya in March 2025. The Court agreed to hear arguments in December on whether to overturn …
Supreme CourtDonald TrumpRebecca SlaughterAlvaro BedoyaFTCinstitutional-captureregulatory-capturesupreme-courtindependence-erosionauthoritarianism+1 more
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a rush appeal deciding whether President Trump acted lawfully in firing board members leading independent federal agencies, setting up oral arguments for December 2025. The case will reconsider the landmark 1935 precedent Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, …
Supreme CourtDonald TrumpRebecca SlaughterFederal Trade CommissionBrett Kavanaughsupreme-courtjudiciarycourtsexecutive-powerindependent-agencies+3 more
The Trump administration filed an expedited emergency petition with the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the Federal Circuit’s August 29 ruling that declared Trump’s sweeping tariffs illegal under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The government asked the Court to …
Donald TrumpSupreme CourtU.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal CircuitDepartment of Justicesupreme-courtjudiciarycourtsemergency-docketexecutive-power+2 more
In a controversial 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court lifted lower court injunctions blocking the Trump administration’s mass firing plans, enabling reductions of up to 50% in 19 federal agencies. The ruling temporarily permits widespread federal workforce terminations, with Justice Ketanji Brown …
Supreme CourtFederal AgenciesGSADepartment of Government Efficiency (DOGE)Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson+1 moresupreme-courtmass-firingsfederal-workforcejudicial-enablingworkforce-reduction+2 more
In a landmark hearing, the Supreme Court began addressing complex constitutional challenges surrounding executive branch financial entanglements. The court explored unprecedented legal territory regarding potential emoluments violations, signaling a willingness to directly examine potential …
Supreme CourtDepartment of JusticeExecutive Branchemolumentssupreme-courtconstitutional-accountabilityjudicial-reviewexecutive-power
In an extraordinary session, the Supreme Court issues an emergency order clearing the way for President Trump to fire two Democratic-appointed independent agency leaders, revealing deep institutional tensions. The fragmented 6-3 ruling exposes unprecedented challenges to constitutional checks and …
In a landmark series of rulings spanning multiple federal appeals courts and culminating on April 10, 2025, federal judges significantly reaffirmed and expanded legal frameworks for holding the executive branch accountable. The decisions centered on critical constitutional issues including …
Federal JudiciarySupreme CourtDepartment of JusticeRebecca SlaughterLisa Cook+2 morepresidential-accountabilityconstitutional-crisisjudicial-reviewlegal-precedentexecutive-power+1 more
Elon Musk awarded a $1 million payment to a Wisconsin voter days before the state Supreme Court election, part of a broader $20 million effort to influence the race. The payment to Scott Ainsworth, who supports conservative candidate Brad Schimel, prompted a legal challenge from Wisconsin’s …
Despite ongoing concerns about potential Emoluments Clauses violations, the Supreme Court has continued to avoid definitively ruling on the constitutional questions surrounding presidential financial conflicts. Previous cases from 2021 were dismissed as moot, leaving unclear legal standards about …
The Supreme Court held a rare emergency hearing addressing multiple constitutional challenges to the Trump administration’s foreign financial entanglements. Legal scholars described the proceedings as a watershed moment in constitutional law, with justices probing the boundaries of …
In February 2025, the Supreme Court and federal district courts reached a critical impasse over presidential emoluments enforcement. Following a pattern established in previous cases, the Court repeatedly declined to resolve substantive questions about Trump’s potential constitutional …
Supreme CourtFederal District CourtsTrump Administrationconstitutional-crisisemolumentsjudicial-reviewseparation-of-powerssupreme-court+1 more
U.S. Supreme Court allowed Virginia to purge over 1,600 voters within federally protected 90-day “quiet period” before 2024 election in 6-3 emergency decision, overturning lower court rulings in Beals v. Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights. Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive …
US Supreme CourtGlenn Youngkin (Governor)Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rightsvoter-purgesupreme-courtnvra-violationnaturalized-citizensvoter-suppression+2 more
Judge Juan Merchan postponed Donald Trump’s sentencing from July 11 to September 18, 2024, to allow time to consider how the Supreme Court’s recent presidential immunity ruling might affect the case. The delay represented the first of what would become multiple postponements that …
Juan MerchanDonald TrumpAlvin Braggsentencingpresidential-immunitysupreme-courtaccountability-delay
In a landmark 6-2 decision, the Supreme Court overruled the 40-year-old Chevron deference doctrine in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, fundamentally altering the balance of power between courts and federal agencies. The ruling requires courts to independently interpret ambiguous statutes rather …
Clarence ThomasSamuel AlitoChief Justice John RobertsSupreme CourtKoch Network+1 morejudicial-capturesupreme-courtchevron-deferenceregulatory-capturekoch-influence+2 more
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference, eliminating the long-standing doctrine that required courts to defer to federal agencies’ reasonable interpretations of ambiguous statutes. This landmark ruling fundamentally reshapes administrative law, requiring courts to …
Supreme Court of the United StatesChief Justice John RobertsNational Marine Fisheries Serviceadministrative-lawchevroncourtssupreme-courtjudicial-reform
On June 27, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to reject the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement that would have provided the Sackler family immunity from future opioid-related lawsuits in exchange for paying up to $6 billion. Justice Neil Gorsuch’s majority opinion held that “the …
U.S. Supreme CourtNeil GorsuchKetanji Brown JacksonBrett KavanaughSackler Family+1 moreopioid-crisissupreme-courtbankruptcy-lawaccountabilitylegal-precedent
The Supreme Court unanimously held the plaintiffs lacked Article III standing to challenge FDA’s 2016/2021 actions on mifepristone, leaving the agency’s changes in place. Justice Kavanaugh delivered the opinion, with the Court finding that the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine failed to …
Supreme Court of the United StatesFood and Drug Administrationadministrative-lawcourtsstandingsupreme-courtabortion-rights
The Supreme Court allowed Texas’s SB 4 immigration law to take effect pending further proceedings, before subsequent Fifth Circuit action. A 6-3 ruling temporarily permitted Texas to criminalize border crossings and allow state police to arrest and potentially deport migrants, creating a …
Supreme Court of the United StatesState of TexasBiden AdministrationJustice Samuel AlitoJustice Sonia Sotomayor+2 moreemergency-docketimmigrationstate-preemptionsupreme-courtjudicial-conflict
A comprehensive investigation by ProPublica revealed systematic ethics violations by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, documenting decades of undisclosed luxury gifts from billionaire donor Harlan Crow. These gifts included private jet flights, yacht vacations, property purchases, and boarding …
Clarence ThomasHarlan CrowSenate Judiciary CommitteeProPublicasupreme-courtjudicial-ethicsclarence-thomasharlan-crowcorruption+1 more
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 30, 2023, in Biden v. Nebraska that the Biden administration exceeded its authority under the HEROES Act in announcing $400 billion in student loan forgiveness, striking down a plan that would have canceled up to $20,000 in debt for Pell Grant recipients and …
John RobertsJoe BidenElena Kagansupreme-courtstudent-debtjudicial-capturebiden-v-nebraska
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that President Biden’s plan to cancel up to $430 billion in student loan debt exceeded executive authority under the HEROES Act. The plan would have forgiven up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for other borrowers, affecting 43 million Americans. …
Supreme CourtJoe BidenJohn RobertsElena KaganDepartment of Educationexecutive-overreachemergency-powerssupreme-courtstudent-debt
Supreme Court rejected dangerous “independent state legislature” theory in Moore v. Harper with 6-3 decision, preserving state courts’ ability to review federal election laws under state constitutions. Theory would have given state legislatures unchecked power over federal …
US Supreme CourtNorth Carolina LegislatureDemocracy advocatesindependent-state-legislaturesupreme-courtelection-lawconstitutional-lawchecks-and-balances+1 more
ProPublica exposed that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito failed to disclose an expensive luxury fishing trip to Alaska in July 2008, paid for by billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Singer and other Republican donors. Alito flew to Alaska on Singer’s private jet and stayed at the King Salmon …
Samuel AlitoPaul SingerElliott Investment ManagementLeonard LeoRobin Arkley II+1 morejudicial-capturesupreme-courtcorporate-influenceethics-violationsamuel-alito+3 more
ProPublica exposes Samuel Alito’s 2008 luxury Alaska fishing trip with hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer who later had business before the court, revealing potential judicial ethics violations and conflicts of interest. Alito preemptively disputes in WSJ op-ed, PBS News Hour provides …
ProPublicaSamuel AlitoPaul SingerWall Street JournalLeonard Leo+1 morejudicial-capturesupreme-courtinvestigative-journalismalito-scandalundisclosed-gifts+2 more
The Supreme Court held that Alabama’s congressional map likely violated §2 of the Voting Rights
Act and ordered a remedy adding a second majority-Black district. The ruling preserved the
Thornburg v. Gingles framework for vote-dilution claims, affecting redistricting nationally.
Supreme Court of the United StatesState of AlabamaDOJ Civil Rights Divisionsection-2section-2-vravoting-rights-actredistrictingracial-discrimination+4 more
ProPublica publishes investigation revealing Clarence Thomas accepted luxury trips and gifts from Harlan Crow for over 20 years without disclosure, triggering Supreme Court ethics crisis
ProPublicaClarence ThomasHarlan CrowSupreme Courtjudicial-capturesupreme-courtinvestigative-journalismethics-scandalundisclosed-gifts+1 more
ProPublica revealed that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas had accepted luxury vacations worth potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars from billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow over more than 20 years without disclosing them, as required by federal ethics law. The gifts included private …
Clarence ThomasHarlan CrowCrow HoldingsLeonard LeoRobin Arkley II+1 morejudicial-capturesupreme-courtcorporate-influenceethics-violationclarence-thomas+2 more
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to block President Biden’s OSHA mandate requiring businesses with 100+ employees to enforce COVID vaccination or weekly testing, affecting 84 million workers. The Court held that while OSHA can regulate ‘occupational dangers,’ it lacks authority to …
Supreme CourtJoe BidenOSHADepartment of Laborexecutive-overreachemergency-powerssupreme-courtcovid-19vaccine-mandate
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to block the Biden administration’s CDC eviction moratorium covering areas with high COVID transmission, finding the agency exceeded its statutory authority. The Court held that ‘[i]f a federally imposed eviction moratorium is to continue, Congress must …
Supreme CourtCDCJoe BidenAlabama Association of Realtorsexecutive-overreachemergency-powerssupreme-courtcovid-19housing
Supreme Court dismissed all three pending emoluments clause lawsuits against Trump as moot after he left office, including CREW v. Trump, DC/Maryland v. Trump, and Blumenthal v. Trump (200+ Democratic members of Congress). The Court vacated lower court decisions that had allowed cases to proceed, …
US Supreme CourtDonald TrumpCREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington)District of ColumbiaMaryland+1 moreemolumentssupreme-courtconstitutional-lawjudicial-dismissalaccountability-failure
On October 26, 2020, the Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court by a vote of 52-48, installing her on the bench just eight days before the November 3 presidential election and while millions of Americans had already cast their ballots. Barrett’s confirmation created a 6-3 …
On September 26, 2020—just eight days after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death—President Donald Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a religious conservative from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, to fill Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court. Barrett’s judicial record showed …
On September 26, 2020, President Trump held a Rose Garden ceremony announcing Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court that became what Dr. Anthony Fauci would later call a “superspreader event,” with more than 150 attendees packed together without masks for both an …
On September 18, 2020, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at age 87 from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer, creating a Supreme Court vacancy just 46 days before the November 3 presidential election and while early voting was already underway in some states. In her final days, …
Thomas accepts luxury trip to Bali including eight-day yacht excursion and private jet travel, later acknowledges he “inadvertently omitted” reporting after ProPublica investigation
Clarence ThomasVirginia ThomasHarlan Crowjudicial-capturesupreme-courtundisclosed-giftsluxury-travelyacht-trips+1 more
The Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Rucho v. Common Cause that partisan gerrymandering claims present “political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts,” effectively eliminating federal judicial oversight of even extreme partisan redistricting. The decision gives state legislatures …
On October 6, 2018, the Senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court by a vote of 50-48, making him the first justice in modern history confirmed with credible sexual assault allegations pending and despite obvious temperament problems that raised serious questions about his fitness for the …
On September 27, 2018, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her at a house party in 1982 when she was 15 and he was 17. Ford delivered four hours of credible, detailed, emotionally raw testimony …
The Supreme Court rules 5-4 to uphold Ohio’s aggressive voter purge system—the most severe in the nation—that removes voters from registration rolls if they fail to vote in a single federal election and don’t return a mailed confirmation notice. Justice Samuel Alito’s majority …
Gorsuch sells Colorado property for up to $500,000 to Brian Duffy, CEO of Greenberg Traurig, nine days after confirmation without disclosing buyer’s identity, raising conflict concerns
Neil GorsuchBrian DuffyGreenberg Traurigjudicial-capturesupreme-courtreal-estateconflict-of-interestdisclosure-failures+1 more
On April 6, 2017, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell invoked the “nuclear option”—a parliamentary procedure to change Senate rules by simple majority vote—to eliminate the 60-vote filibuster requirement for Supreme Court nominations, lowering the threshold to a simple 51-vote …
On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick B. Garland, the widely respected Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalia’s death one month earlier. Garland was considered a …