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Texas Families Petition Supreme Court to Challenge Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms

Texas Families Petition Supreme Court to Challenge Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms

More than two dozen Texas families are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a state law, Senate Bill 10, which mandates the display of a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom from kindergarten through 12th grade. The families, represented by organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, filed a joint petition for a writ of certiorari. This action follows an April decision by the en banc U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which narrowly ruled that S.B. 10 does not violate the Establishment or Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment. The petitioners argue that the law infringes upon students' and parents' religious freedom by promoting a state-favored religious belief and interfering with parental rights to guide their children's religious instruction.
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D.C. Circuit Grapples with Personal Jurisdiction in 'Foreign-Cubed' Cases Post-Fuld Decision

D.C. Circuit Grapples with Personal Jurisdiction in 'Foreign-Cubed' Cases Post-Fuld Decision

The D.C. Circuit Court, specifically Judge Patricia Millet, recently addressed the complexities of federal personal jurisdiction in a case involving foreign parties and events outside the United States. The case, Gligorov v. Nation of Brunei, saw the court affirm the dismissal of RICO claims against three corporate defendants due to a lack of personal jurisdiction. This decision follows the Supreme Court's 2025 ruling in Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization, which stated that the Fifth Amendment's personal jurisdiction analysis is 'necessarily... more flexible' than that of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Gligorov case presented a scenario where the Fourteenth Amendment's minimum contacts test would not be satisfied, forcing the court to navigate the implications of Fuld. The plaintiff, Goce Gligorov, a Slovenian national, sued Brunei and affiliated corporations, alleging corruption and terrorism financing, with the only U.S. connection being a single meeting in a Beverly Hills hotel. The district court...
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Civil Rights Advocates Urge Supreme Court to Review Texas Ten Commandments Law in Public Schools

Civil Rights Advocates Urge Supreme Court to Review Texas Ten Commandments Law in Public Schools

Civil rights advocates have formally requested the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Texas law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. This action sets the stage for a potential new legal challenge concerning state-sponsored religious expression within educational settings. The Texas law, signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott and effective since last September, requires school districts to display the Ten Commandments if donated. Consequently, conservative groups and individuals have been distributing these posters to campuses across the state. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously upheld the Texas law in a 9-8 ruling, overturning lower federal court decisions that had blocked some Texas school districts from implementing the displays. Similar laws have also been enacted in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama, making this a matter of nationwide importance, according to Heather Weaver, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). T...
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Supreme Court Rejects President Trump's Appeal in E. Jean Carroll Sexual Abuse and Defamation Case

Supreme Court Rejects President Trump's Appeal in E. Jean Carroll Sexual Abuse and Defamation Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has for a second time rejected President Trump's request to review a $5 million civil judgment against him. This judgment stems from a 2023 jury verdict that found him civilly liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll and then defaming her. President Trump had previously paid the $5 million to Carroll in July, shortly after the Supreme Court initially denied his appeal. His subsequent request for reconsideration, which had low chances of success, has now been formally refused by the court. The justices did not provide reasons for their decision, which is standard practice for such rulings, and no dissenting votes were recorded. This marks another setback for President Trump in his ongoing legal challenges against Carroll's accusations.
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SCOTUSblog Proposes Delegation of Chief Justice's Powers to Associate Justices

SCOTUSblog Proposes Delegation of Chief Justice's Powers to Associate Justices

SCOTUSblog has published a proposal advocating for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to delegate some of their traditional powers to associate justices. The proposal suggests that the Chief Justice should allow other members of the court to preside over public argument sessions and private conferences. This delegation is presented as a constitutional possibility, as Article III of the Constitution is largely silent on the specific role of the Chief Justice, and statutory law does not prohibit such transfers of authority. The article highlights that many of the Chief Justice's powers have been acquired through tradition rather than explicit constitutional or statutory grants. Historically, such delegations have occurred out of necessity, such as during vacancies in the Chief Justice position or when a Chief Justice was incapacitated. For instance, Justice John Paul Stevens presided over oral arguments and conferences when Chief Justice William Rehnquist was ill. The proposal aims to promote trust among...
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Texas Families Petition Supreme Court to Challenge Ten Commandments Display Law in Public Schools

Texas Families Petition Supreme Court to Challenge Ten Commandments Display Law in Public Schools

More than two dozen Texas families have formally requested the Supreme Court to review a state law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. This petition, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and other advocacy groups, argues that a lower court ruling upholding the law infringes upon the religious freedom rights of public-school children and parents. The filing contends that the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals disregarded a 1980 Supreme Court decision that deemed a similar Kentucky statute unconstitutional. The families, representing diverse religious and nonreligious backgrounds across 22 school districts, assert that the Texas law violates both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment.
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Supreme Court Rejects President Trump's Rehearing Request in E. Jean Carroll Lawsuit

Supreme Court Rejects President Trump's Rehearing Request in E. Jean Carroll Lawsuit

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined President Trump's request to reconsider its previous denial of review in a civil lawsuit brought by journalist E. Jean Carroll. This decision, announced on a Monday morning as part of the court's 'summer order lists,' pertains to a case that resulted in a $5 million verdict against President Trump. The court, consistent with its general practice, did not provide an explanation for denying the petition for rehearing in 'Trump v. Carroll.' Petitions for rehearing are rarely granted by the Supreme Court, with the last instance occurring in 2018. Carroll filed the lawsuit in 2022, alleging that President Trump sexually assaulted her in 1996 and then defamed her in 2022 after she publicly disclosed the allegations. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit upheld the jury's verdict, leading President Trump to appeal to the Supreme Court in November 2025. He argued that the introduction of testimony from other women alleging assault and the 2005 'Access Hollywood' tape was...
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Lawmakers Introduce Patients Before Monopolies Act to Address PBM Ownership of Pharmacies

Lawmakers Introduce Patients Before Monopolies Act to Address PBM Ownership of Pharmacies

Representatives Diana Harshbarger and Jake Auchincloss, alongside Senators Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley, have co-sponsored the Patients Before Monopolies Act. This proposed legislation aims to prevent parent companies of insurers or pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning pharmacy businesses. The bill specifically targets major entities like CVS Health, Cigna, and UnitedHealth, which currently operate both PBMs and pharmacies. If enacted, it would mandate that these companies divest either their PBM operations or their retail pharmacies. The legislation grants explicit authority to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and state attorneys general to enforce these divestitures. This initiative comes amidst ongoing concerns regarding the market power of PBMs, particularly their alleged role in inflating prescription drug prices, such as insulin, by incentivizing higher list prices for rebates rather than promoting lower-cost a...
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Texas Families Petition Supreme Court to Block Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Classrooms

Texas Families Petition Supreme Court to Block Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Classrooms

Civil liberties groups, representing several Texas families, have submitted a legal filing to the Supreme Court, formally requesting the overturning of a lower court's decision that permits the state to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. Last year, Texas Republican lawmakers passed Senate Bill 10, which requires a poster-sized display of the religious doctrine. This law was challenged by families from various religious and nonreligious backgrounds, arguing it violates the First Amendment's religious freedom principles. While a federal district judge initially found the law unconstitutional, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals narrowly overturned that ruling in an en banc decision in April, asserting that Texas lawmakers could require such displays.
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Bloomington Assistant Police Chief Placed on Leave Following Federal Lawsuit Alleging Wrongful Arrest and Civil Rights Violations

Bloomington Assistant Police Chief Placed on Leave Following Federal Lawsuit Alleging Wrongful Arrest and Civil Rights Violations

Bloomington Assistant Police Chief Paul Williams has been placed on administrative leave after a federal lawsuit was filed against him and the city government. The lawsuit, brought by Garrett Chubb and Lenelle Higgins, alleges that Williams illegally arrested them and confiscated their cellphones during a traffic stop. According to the plaintiffs, Williams, who was reportedly not in uniform and driving an unmarked vehicle, blocked their car in a parking space. He then used his police badge to make contact with their vehicle, alarming them. When Chubb and Higgins began recording the incident on their cellphones, Williams allegedly retreated to his truck, locked the doors, and called other officers. The lawsuit claims that Williams then directed on-duty officers to arrest the pair for disorderly conduct and seize their phones, despite lacking probable cause. Although Chubb and Higgins were given notices to appear in court, prosecutors ultimately decided not to file charges. The city of Bloomington has confir...
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Amazon Revises Terms of Service to Bar New Class-Action Lawsuits from Customers

Amazon Revises Terms of Service to Bar New Class-Action Lawsuits from Customers

Amazon Revises Terms of Service to Bar New Class-Action Lawsuits from Customers
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Supreme Court again rebuffs Trump’s push to toss out $5 million verdict in E. Jean Carroll case

Supreme Court again rebuffs Trump’s push to toss out $5 million verdict in E. Jean Carroll case

The Supreme Court has again rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn a $5 million jury verdict in favor of writer E