All Law & Courts
Can judiciary recover from political battles over Supreme Court seat?While Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has called for a filibuster, most expect that Judge Neil Gorsuch will eventually fill the vacancy left after Antonin Scalia's death. But, many ask, at what cost?
Gorsuch hearings: Should agencies – or courts – decide the law?Judge Neil Gorsuch is one of the most prominent critics of a legal doctrine that gives the power to federal agencies to interpret regulations. Scaling it back could also have significant repercussions for President Donald Trump.
In Gorsuch hearings, questions of religious liberty and the law'The balance of faith and freedom, the balance of free exercise rights and ... self-determination rights, are pretty fundamental questions,' says Sen. Chris Coons, a member of the committee that will question the high court nominee, in an exclusive interview.
New protest bills: Stamping out 'economic terrorism' or chilling free expression?Republican lawmakers in at least 18 states have proposed a spate of bills, including ones to make blocking streets a felony in North Carolina, to allow businesses to sue people protesting them in Michigan, and to force Minnesota protesters pay the costs of policing.
Federal judge in Hawaii puts Trump travel ban on holdJudge Derrick Watson issued the 43-page ruling came hours before the ban was supposed to go into effect, voicing skepticism that the executive order was motivated by national security concerns.
Who is Wayne Tracker? Tillerson's pseudonym puts Exxon emails at fore of investigation.While it is not unheard of for business leaders to have an email alias, the current investigation into Exxon's record on climate change has put Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a tricky spot.
Revised travel ban gets day in court: Will it be found constitutional?The revised executive order has more precision and legal rigor, experts say, but statements by administration officials on the ban’s intent may still be relevant. Judges on different sides of the country will hear arguments Wednesday.
First LookWhat new video reveals about the Michael Brown shootingThe documentary filmmaker who released the video says it shows Michael Brown had an agreement with the convenience store that involved mini-cigars, a claim an attorney for the store disputes.
First LookWhy Florida judge rejected the ‘stand your ground’ defense in movie shootingThe case is the latest to involve Florida's 'stand your ground' law, which entered the national radar in 2013 after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
First LookTrump fires 46 Obama-era Justice Dept. attorneys. Is that normal?On Friday, the Trump administration asked the remaining 46 US attorneys appointed by Obama to tender their resignations. Why the request surprised many.
What’s next for the prison at Guantánamo?The Trump administration is contemplating plans to expand detention at a site seen by some as notorious, and by others as symbolic of America's unwillingness to be ruthless enough to vanquish ISIS and other foes.
Why some worry Jeff Sessions' crime-fighting approach is out of dateTrump's new attorney general, who fought rampant crime as an Alabama prosecutor in the 1980s, has drawn parallels with rising rates of violent crime today.
First LookWhy Hawaii leads the legal challenge to Trump's latest travel banHawaii is revamping its challenge to President Trump's initial immigration order to reflect its opposition to the second iteration of the policy, bringing a suit against the new ban before the administration implements it.
First LookSupreme Court backs off transgender bathroom case. What’s next for Gavin Grimm?Many hoped a ruling from the Supreme Court would settle the issue, by answering a question that has arisen in several cities and states.
Undocumented immigrants: Will Trump administration separate parents from children?The Department of Homeland Security is weighing a proposal that would separate parents from children as they cross the border. Is it better for children or a 'Sophie's choice' for parents?
Trump recasts immigration by taking 'shackles off' border agentsThe story of Daniela Vargas shows how immigration agents have become more aggressive under President Trump.
Russia-Trump ties: Is Sessions' recusal enough?Still needed, some experts say, is a special prosecutor or bipartisan commission to investigate contacts between officials from Russia and the Trump campaign.
Forced to work? 60,000 undocumented immigrants may sue detention centerA lawsuit alleging that a privately owned immigrant detention center coerced detainees to work was granted class action status Monday. Plaintiffs say as many as 60,000 detainees could be eligible.
Five years after Trayvon Martin’s death: What’s changed?It has been half a decade since Trayvon Martin was shot by George Zimmerman. Since then, activist movements created in response to the shooting have exposed racial issues and tensions that had been ignored for decades by the mainstream.
First LookWhite House drops Obama-era discrimination claim against Texas voter ID lawThe Trump administration is dropping a claim against a Texas voter ID law, one of the nation's strictest. A federal appeals court has ordered the state to fix the law's discriminatory effects.
