The coal industry won a reprieve at the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday as the nation’s highest court refused to back the Environmental Protection Agency’s new power plant emissions standards. In a 5-4 ruling, the court argued that the Obama administration “unreasonably” interpreted its authority under the Clean Air Act by failing to account for…
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued a historic 5-4 ruling that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states, sparking instant celebration and declarations of triumph, as well as reminders from many in the LGBTQ community that the road to freedom is long, and this issue is just “the tip of the iceberg.” Friday’s…
A former United Parcel Service delivery driver demanding restitution for discrimination she allegedly faced while pregnant just won a favorable ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 6-3 decision on Wednesday, the justices tossed out a lower court ruling that had dismissed the case of the plaintiff, Peggy Young. The decision effectively sends the…
Attorney General Eric Holder, the nation’s senior law enforcement officer, said on Tuesday that he is “opposed to the death penalty” and said a national moratorium would be appropriate while the U.S. Supreme Court reviews a pending challenge to the practice brought by death row inmates in Oklahoma. During an event at the National Press…
Senator Joe Donnelly has come out in support of a constitutional amendment that seeks to curtail the massive amounts of campaign spending that now dominate federal elections in the United States. “I am concerned about how recent Supreme Court decisions, including Citizens United, are impacting our elections and electoral process,” Donnelly said. “In the wake…
2014 will go down in history as the year of marriage equality. Same-sex marriage bans have fallen like dominoes across the United States since the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional. Lower courts have used the rationale in the Windsor v. United States ruling to throw out marriage…
The Obama administration has allowed Colorado and Washington state to implement their recreational marijuana laws since being approved by voters in their respective states in 2012. The Justice Department outlined in 2013 guidelines that geared enforcement to eight specific areas. The memo requires federal prosecutors to focus their resources on preventing the growing of marijuana…
Despite BP’s public relations blitz and high-priced team of lawyers, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected the oil giant’s challenge to a settlement of billions of dollars for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion oil spill. The challenge was just the latest attempt by the company to avoid paying those impacted by the disaster. Agreed…
Honoring the legacy of the late campaign finance reform crusader known as Granny D, 81-year-old Rhana Bazzini on Wednesday completed an over 400-mile trek from Sarasota to the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee in a crusade calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. “There seems to be general agreement that money has corrupted our…
A federal appeals court has ruled that the gay marriage bans in four states are constitutional. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed rulings from lower courts that had legalized gay marriage in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. It is the first time since the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act that…
