The morning read for Wednesday, April 17

The morning read for Wednesday, April 17

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The court expects to issue one or more opinions this morning in argued cases from the current term. Following the opinion announcements, the court will hear oral arguments in Thornell v. Jones. Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles, commentary, and other noteworthy links related to the Supreme Court. Here’s the Wednesday morning read:

  • Supreme Court gives skeptical eye to key statute used to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters (Nina Totenberg, NPR)
  • Takeaways from the Supreme Court’s
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Court allows Idaho to generally enforce ban on gender-transition care for minors

Court allows Idaho to generally enforce ban on gender-transition care for minors

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The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for Idaho to temporarily enforce a state law criminalizing gender-transition care for minors against anyone who is not part of a lawsuit currently challenging that ban. In a brief order, the justices granted the state’s request to limit the scope of an earlier order entered by a federal district court in Idaho, which had barred the state from enforcing the law at all while a challenge to its constitutionality continues.

The … Read the rest

Justices exempt bakery-truck drivers from arbitration requirement

Justices exempt bakery-truck drivers from arbitration requirement

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The justices on Friday ruled in favor of a group of truck drivers who transport goods for Wonder Bread in their arbitration dispute. Bissonnette v. LePage Bakeries Park St. is another of the court’s numerous cases interpreting the Federal Arbitration Act’s command that courts enforce mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements. Bissonnette involves an exception from the FAA for any “class of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce,” and the question in Bissonnette  is whether that exception turns on the … Read the rest

The morning read for Thursday, April 11

The morning read for Thursday, April 11

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Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles, commentary, and other noteworthy links related to the Supreme Court. Here’s the Thursday morning read:

  • Prosecutors Ask Supreme Court to Reject Trump’s Immunity Claim in Election Case (Adam Liptak, The New York Times)
  • Starbucks seeks Supreme Court protection from being ordered to rehire baristas who say they were fired for union-promoting activities (Michael Z. Green, The Conversation)
  • US historians file brief with supreme court rejecting Trump’s immunity claim (Martin
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Jan. 6 defendant asks Supreme Court to throw out obstruction charge

Jan. 6 defendant asks Supreme Court to throw out obstruction charge

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The Supreme Court will hear oral argument on April 16 in the case of a former police officer from Pennsylvania who entered the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks. Joseph Fischer, who was charged with (among other things) assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct in the Capitol, and obstruction of a congressional proceeding, has asked the justices to throw out the charge that he obstructed an official proceeding, arguing that the law that he was charged with violating … Read the rest

The morning read for Friday, April 5

The morning read for Friday, April 5

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Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles, commentary, and other noteworthy links related to the Supreme Court. Here’s the Friday morning read:

  • Chief Justice Extols Legacy of Sandra Day O’Connor (Zach Montague, The New York Times)
  • ‘Rest easy.’ Mashpee tribe praises Supreme Court action preserving 321 acres in trust (Rachael Devaney, Cape Cod Times)
  • Crypto Firms Take SEC Fight to Texas, With Eye on Supreme Court (Matthew Bultman, Bloomberg Law)
  • Sonia Sotomayor’s Retirement Is Not the
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Purposes and consequences: A conversation with Justice Stephen Breyer

Purposes and consequences: A conversation with Justice Stephen Breyer

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With the publication of his latest book, Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism, retired Justice Stephen Breyer talks with Ibrain Hernández about the moments that have marked his career, as well as his perspective on the role of judges in a constitutional democracy and his focus on purpose and consequences when interpreting the law. Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Ibrain Hernández is a law student at Center for Economic Research and Teaching, … Read the rest

Oil companies, government point fingers over cleanup of World War II-era pollution

Oil companies, government point fingers over cleanup of World War II-era pollution

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The Petitions of the Week column highlights a selection of cert petitions recently filed in the Supreme Court. A list of all petitions we’re watching is available here.

During World War II, Congress authorized President Franklin Roosevelt to enlist oil refineries for the war effort. Centralization helped meet the war’s rapidly increasing demand for fuel. But it also led to a glut of hazardous waste, some of which leaked into the ecosystems surrounding the refineries. This week, we … Read the rest