American jurist, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Recent memos show the US Supreme Court has been increasingly using secretive, expedited procedures to make major decisions, bypassing traditional deliberation. This shift began in 2016 with the blocking of Obama's climate policy and has since impacted numerous cases, raising concerns about transparency and judicial independence.
The Supreme Court has left in place lower-court rulings in favor of Joseph Clifton Smith, who has spent roughly half his life on death row after a 1997 murder conviction. The Court has not issued a decision on how to handle multiple IQ scores near the 70 threshold in intellectual disability determinations.
Kevin Warsh has been sworn in as chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve at a White House ceremony on May 22, 2026. President Trump has said Warsh will be "totally independent." Markets are repricing risks as inflation remains above target and the US‑Iran war is pushing bond yields and oil prices higher.
The Supreme Court has ruled Mississippi's jury selection in Pitchford’s capital trial violated Batson v. Kentucky, giving Pitchford a potential new trial after decades on death row; the ruling follows heightened scrutiny of race-based jury practices and echoes earlier Flowers rulings.
The US Supreme Court has rejected President Trump’s executive order that would have denied automatic citizenship to nearly all children born on US soil. In a 6-3 ruling written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court has affirmed that the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to those born in the United States, while three justices dissented.
The Supreme Court has ruled that Helms-Burton does not shield Cuban state agencies from certain lawsuits, allowing Americans to sue entities profiting from confiscated Cuban assets. ExxonMobil is seeking compensation for properties confiscated after the Cuban revolution. The decision could impact U.S.-Cuba relations as the Trump administration applies pressure on Havana.
The judiciary is tightening oversight on executive actions as courts assess the scope of presidential power in civil service and immigration matters. Recent rulings have implications for how federal agencies operate and how the administration handles asylum policy and courthouse arrests.
The Supreme Court has ruled 7-2 that federal pesticide law bars state failure-to-warn lawsuits over Roundup, overturning a $1.25m jury verdict and imperilling thousands of similar claims against Bayer. The decision follows the EPAs position that glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer and clears the way for dismissal of many pending suits.
The United States marks its semiquincentennial while commentators insist America is still a work in progress. The nation has celebrated, debated, and confronted its founders’ legacy, with civics, law, and culture in the spotlight.
The Supreme Court has upheld Mississippi’s policy allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if received within five days, a decision that maintains state flexibility and could affect upcoming midterms. Justice Barrett writes for the majority, while Justice Alito dissents.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the president can remove leaders of most independent federal agencies, overturning the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor precedent, while carving out an exception for the Federal Reserve. The decisions leave Lisa Cook in place for now but open the door for presidents to exert new control over agencies such as the FTC, shifting regulatory power toward the White House.
The Supreme Court has upheld birthright citizenship for babies born on U.S. soil, rejecting Trump’s bid to limit citizenship based on parents’ status. The decision maintains the 14th Amendment’s promise, even as the administration vows to pursue further restrictions through legislation and enforcement.
The US Supreme Court has upheld Idaho and West Virginia laws that bar transgender girls from girls' sports, ruling those bans survive Title IX and equal-protection challenges. The decision preserves similar statutes in roughly two dozen states, hands conservative groups a legal lever, and shifts the next fights to state courts, school boards and athletic bodies.
The Supreme Court has ruled that children born on US soil to parents unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment, maintaining birthright citizenship. The decision blocks President Trump’s bid to end automatic citizenship by executive order, with Chief Justice Roberts writing for the court and joined by a cross-ideological majority.
The Supreme Court has agreed to review challenges to AR-15 bans in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois. The cases arrive as federal and state actions on semiautomatic rifles intensify after Bruen’s history-and-tradition framework, with gun-rights groups arguing that bans are unconstitutional while supporters say they protect public safety.
The Supreme Court has struck down the administration’s birthright citizenship order. Trump urges Congress to act while officials warn that redefining citizenship faces constitutional hurdles. Analysts say the issue remains politically charged as lawmakers weigh legislative routes amid ongoing legal battles.
The Supreme Court has ruled that coordinated party spending with campaigns violates the First Amendment, overturning a decades-old cap on party expenditure. The decision is 6-3 in favor of the NRSC, with the majority citing free speech as the justification. The ruling is likely to shift fundraising dynamics ahead of the midterms, as parties can coordinate more with candidates and may attract bigger donations.
The Supreme Court has denied Catherine Herridge's bid to stay a civil contempt fine in the case involving scientist Yanping Chen and leaked materials from a government probe. Herridge had sought relief while Chen’s Privacy Act suit against the FBI and DOJ proceeds. The decision is described as a setback for press freedom as reporters face potential fines amid investigations that may reveal confidential sources.
Barrett has authored a 5-4 ruling allowing states to count mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day, while other decisions reject global tariffs and birthright citizenship restrictions. The court’s conservatives maintain a controlling stance, though Barrett’s recent votes show occasional divergence from Trump positions. The publishing window spans early July 2026 and stems from Independent reporting.
Senator Lindsey Graham has died after a "brief and sudden illness," his office has said. The 71-year-old Republican returned from a trip to Ukraine days earlier and was running for re-election. Tributes have poured in from US and foreign leaders; the DC medical examiner has preliminarily cited aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Sen. Lindsey Graham has died after a brief illness, leaving allies in Washington and Kyiv recalibrating support amid renewed sanctions talks with Russia. He had just returned from Ukraine, where he was advancing sanctions legislation and strengthening ties with Kyiv. World leaders and lawmakers are paying tribute as Republicans and Democrats weigh the political implications.