Key takeaways: At least 38 destination vacations funded by conservative benefactors, including a trip to the Galapagos Islands Gifts including a $15,000 Bible, a $19,000…
Posts tagged as “the Supreme Court”
A recently revealed memo authored by a Trump-allied attorney has shed light on the origins of an alleged scheme to install slates of fake electors in swing states in an attempt to keep Trump in power after his electoral loss. The memo proposed a "bold" and "controversial" plan, which was circulated among Trump campaign lawyers and associates, but ultimately failed. The memo provides insight into the strategy that the Trump campaign was pursuing in the wake of the 2020 election, and further developments in the ongoing investigation are expected.
The Supreme Court has granted a temporary pause to the Biden administration's efforts to regulate so-called ghost guns, which are firearm-making kits available online. The regulations require background checks and registration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and are intended to protect public safety. Opponents of the regulations argue that they infringe on the Second Amendment right to bear arms, and the legal battle over the regulations is likely to continue in the lower courts.
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan has expressed her support for an ethics code for the court, while noting that the justices are divided on the issue. This follows a series of controversial rulings and ethical controversies, and Kagan has suggested that Congress could take action to address the issue. It remains to be seen what action Congress will take.
The Supreme Court has temporarily intervened in a legal battle over the Biden administration's restrictions on so-called "ghost guns," reviving a regulation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that requires anyone who manufactures or assembles a firearm for personal use to obtain a serial number from the ATF and be subject to a background check before they can be sold or transferred. A group of gun owners, manufacturers and firearms advocacy organizations challenged the rule in court, but the Biden administration has sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court to put on hold the lower court's ruling while it appeals the decision. The court's decision is a temporary victory for the Biden administration, freezing the litigation until the justices decide whether to hear the case.
Democrats have pushed a Supreme Court ethics legislation through a Senate committee, which has been met with opposition from Justice Alito, who is the first member of the court to take a public stand against it. The legislation is in response to Justice Alito's interview with two Wall Street Journal writers, including one who is an attorney representing plaintiffs in a key case before the Supreme Court. Its prospects in the full Senate remain uncertain.
The Supreme Court has granted an emergency request from Mountain Valley Pipeline, allowing construction of the 303.5 mile natural gas pipeline to resume. The project, which will transport natural gas from West Virginia to Virginia, has been entangled in numerous legal challenges from environmental groups, but Congress recently stripped courts of authority to review approval of the pipeline. The project is expected to create thousands of jobs and provide an economic boost to the region, and is now expected to be completed by the end of 2021.
Israel's Knesset has passed a controversial law that limits the power of the Supreme Court, allowing a simple majority in parliament to overturn its decisions. The law has been met with strong opposition from many in Israel, leading to months of protests from tens of thousands of demonstrators. The law is a major step in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to overhaul the judiciary and weaken the Supreme Court, and its long-term effects remain to be seen.