Justices rule out “commingled funds” theory in Hungarian Holocaust survivors’ compensation suit

Justices rule out “commingled funds” theory in Hungarian Holocaust survivors’ compensation suit

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A unanimous Supreme Court on Friday threw out a ruling by a federal appeals court that allowed a lawsuit brought by survivors of the Hungarian Holocaust to go forward. The survivors contended that their claims fell within an exception to the general presumption that foreign governments cannot be sued in U.S. courts because Hungary and its national railway confiscated their property, sold it, and mixed it with their other funds to do business in and with the United States. … Read the rest

Supreme Court sidesteps Trump’s effort to remove watchdog agency head

Supreme Court sidesteps Trump’s effort to remove watchdog agency head

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The Supreme Court on Friday left in place for now an order by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., that instructed President Donald Trump to temporarily reinstate the head of an independent federal agency tasked with protecting whistleblowers from retaliation. The justices did not act on a request from the Trump administration to block the order by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, which had restored Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel for 14 days, … Read the rest

The morning read for Wednesday, Feb. 19

The morning read for Wednesday, Feb. 19

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

  • Trump’s lawyers ask Supreme Court to fast-track approval of agency officials’ firings (David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times)
  • The Supreme Court gave Trump immunity. He’s using it as a blank check. (Joan Biskupic, CNN)
  • The Supreme Court has helped presidential power expand. Trump may test its limits. (Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor) 
  • President Trump’s Executive Order
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Trump asks court to allow firing of watchdog agency official

Trump asks court to allow firing of watchdog agency official

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The Trump administration on Sunday asked the Supreme Court to block an order by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., that would require the president to temporarily reinstate the head of an independent agency tasked with protecting federal employees, and in particular whistleblowers, from retaliation. The order by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris told the justices, was an “unprecedented assault on the separation of powers that warrants immediate relief.”

Sunday’s filing was the … Read the rest

The morning read for Friday, Feb. 14

The morning read for Friday, Feb. 14

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

  • Texas Judge Fines New York Doctor and Orders Her to Stop Sending Abortion Pills to Texas (Pam Belluck & Mary Beth Gahan, The New York Times)
  • What Marbury v. Madison means for the Supreme Court — and America (Mark Sherman, The Associated Press)
  • Will the Supreme Court Preserve the Rule of Law? Chief Justice Roberts May Have
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Supreme Court to consider death row plea for DNA testing

Supreme Court to consider death row plea for DNA testing

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The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Feb. 24 in the case of a man on Texas death row who has long tried to obtain postconviction DNA testing on evidence that he says would exonerate him. Ruben Gutierrez was sentenced to death for the 1998 murder of 85-year-old Escolastica Harrison in Brownsville, Tex. Gutierrez has maintained his innocence and says DNA from several pieces of evidence — such as a hair and nail scrapings from Harrison’s finger and … Read the rest

The morning read for Tuesday, Feb. 11

The morning read for Tuesday, Feb. 11

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

  • Trump, Vance and Musk take aim at the courts as judges halt some of 2nd term agenda (Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News)
  • State v. state battles over abortion laws are coming to a head – and likely will end up at the Supreme Court (Tierney Sneed, CNN)
  • SCOTUS case involving St. Isidore, state charter school board will be
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