Supreme Court News

In-depth reporting and commentary on the Court’s rulings and their influence on law, politics, and society.
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  • opinion

    6 Key Exchanges From Major Union Case at the Supreme Court

    On Monday morning, the Supreme Court heard arguments in one of the most anticipated cases of the year, Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31. This case involves forcing public employees who opt out of union membership to pay a fee for the “fair share” of costs associated with collective…
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  • news

    The Supreme Court Just Issued Its Decision on Trump’s DACA Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court Monday declined to review a lower court ruling requiring the federal government to continue administering the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The decision is a blow to the Trump administration, which hopes to solidify its prerogative to revoke DACA as soon as possible. “It is assumed that the Court of Appeals will proceed…
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  • opinion

    4 Cases to Watch at the Supreme Court This Month

    The Supreme Court is scheduled to return to Washington next week after nearly a month off. The justices will hear a number of important oral arguments, including cases involving free speech, public employee unions, and digital privacy. Here are four cases to watch. Public Employee Unions and the First Amendment On Feb. 26, the Supreme…
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  • opinion

    Why the Supreme Court Shouldn’t Bow to Government Agencies

    Many Americans would be surprised to learn that a series of Supreme Court decisions allow officials in administrative agencies—rather than judges—to have the final say in interpreting statutes and rules. Administrative agencies touch on nearly every aspect of Americans’ daily lives—from highways to electricity to health, and often with limited supervision from the other branches…
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  • opinion

    Supreme Court Tellingly Rejects Lower Court Roadblock to Elimination of DACA Program

    On Dec. 20, in an unsigned, four-page opinion, the Supreme Court struck down a lower court order that severely burdened efforts by the Trump administration to end the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has shielded certain younger illegal aliens from deportation. This is good news, a helpful sign that the Supreme…
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  • opinion

    We Hear You: Jack Phillips’ Fight at the Supreme Court ‘Is a Fight for All of Us’

    Editor's note: With the case of Jack Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop going before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, we thought we'd highlight some of the responses The Daily Signal has received, including to the latest video profile on the story produced by Kelsey Harkness, Lauren Evans, and Michael Goodwin. Be sure to write us at [email protected].—Ken…
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  • opinion

    Supreme Court Asks New Questions About Privacy and Phone Tracking Technology

    The Supreme Court held oral argument in Carpenter v. United States on Wednesday, a significant case involving the Fourth Amendment and technology. The question facing the justices is: Does the government have to get a search warrant in order to obtain a cellular service provider’s business records of the location of a customer’s cellphone, and…
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  • news

    After Declining to Make a Wedding Cake, He’s Going to the Supreme Court. Here’s How That Journey Challenged His Faith.

    LAKEWOOD, Colorado—”How did we end up at the Supreme Court? It’s a long story,” Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, told The Daily Signal. The story began in 2012, when two men walked into his family-run bakery, and asked Jack to create a custom cake for their same-sex wedding ceremony. Because of his Christian faith,…
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  • opinion

    What the Supreme Court Is Up to Ahead of Christmas

    The Supreme Court’s final sitting of 2017 begins this week, and the justices will hear oral arguments in a number of high-profile cases involving the Fourth Amendment, free speech and religious liberty, federalism, and property rights. Here’s a look at the cases coming up. Property Rights of Patent Holders On Nov. 27, the Supreme Court…
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  • opinion

    The Supreme Court’s Next Term Will Be One for the Books. Here’s Why.

    Monday, Oct. 2 marks the start of a new Supreme Court term. While the arrival of Justice Neil Gorsuch made major headlines, the cases last term did not gain much attention. The court’s 2017-2018 term, however, promises to be one for the history books. In their first few weeks back, the justices will tackle several…
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  • opinion

    Missouri Tried to Discriminate Against a Church for No Good Reason. How the Supreme Court Leveled the Playing Field.

    In a 7-2 decision on Monday in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer, the Supreme Court overturned a Missouri policy that discriminated against a church simply because of its religious character. Citing a provision in its constitution that bars aid to religious organizations, Missouri had disqualified Trinity Lutheran Church’s preschool from a competition…
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  • opinion

    The Supreme Court Will Review Trump’s Revised Travel Ban. Why That’s Good News for the President.

    On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the government’s appeal of the so-called travel ban shortly after it reconvenes on Oct. 2. The court tipped its hand, indicating that it is likely to side with the administration and uphold the traditional deference that it has accorded the other branches of government when it…
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  • opinion

    Supreme Court to Review Case of a Baker Told He Must Bake Gay Wedding Cake

    Today was a good day for religious freedom at the Supreme Court. In a 7-2 decision, the court upheld religious liberty by saying that a state cannot exclude a church from a public program just because it’s a church. That was the big case at the court. In a less-noted move, the court also agreed…
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  • opinion

    What This Supreme Court Ruling Means for the Washington Redskins, Other Brands Deemed ‘Offensive’

    Should “offensive” brand names be allowed to get a federal trademark? The Supreme Court answered “yes” on Monday, handing a decisive win to Simon Tam and his band, The Slants. Tam had tried to register a trademark for his band’s name, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied his application, citing a provision of…
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  • opinion

    2 Cases Threaten to Shut Down Public Prayer. Why the Supreme Court May Need to Act.

    Two federal appeals courts are considering whether elected leaders throughout the Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions must abandon the 200-year-old practice of opening local meetings with an invocation. Both cases could end up before the Supreme Court by Christmas time. In one case, a self-described pagan sued the board of commissioners of Jackson County, Michigan, arguing…
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  • opinion

    North Carolina Strikes Out a Fifth Time at the Supreme Court Over Redistricting

    The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the latest redistricting plan from North Carolina on Monday, holding that the state Legislature had impermissibly used race in the redistricting process for two congressional districts. The decision in Cooper v. Harris was confusing and did not clarify what states can and can’t do to comply with the Voting…
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  • news

    All Sitting Supreme Court Justices Have Been Involved With Federalist Society, Labeled a ‘Front’ Group by Democrats

    Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court choice, came under fire from Democrats Monday because of his involvement with the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization. “I don’t know what Donald Trump’s judicial philosophy [is] as president, but we sure do know the judicial philosophy of the Federalist Society, which was given the responsibility…
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  • opinion

    Supreme Court’s Pass on Transgender Case Will Ignite Further Lawsuits

    For the past few months, the legal community has been preparing for a grand showdown before the Supreme Court on student privacy rights. The central question at hand: Must schools allow a student into sleeping facilities, locker rooms, and restrooms reserved for the opposite sex if that student subjectively identifies with that sex? The prospects…
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  • opinion

    Chuck Schumer’s Hypocrisy on Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee

    This weekend, President Donald Trump criticized U.S. District Judge James Robart for his halt of the president’s immigration order—a ruling issued without any accompanying legal analysis. Now, key Senate Democrats are threatening to use the remark against Judge Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wants to use…
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  • news

    Conservatives Pressure 12 Democrats on Supreme Court Pick

    Two conservative advocacy organizations hope to stop Senate Democrats from blocking President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. “The focus is to put pressure on Democratic senators to decide between following the will of American people and the voters in their state or to follow Sen. Chuck Schumer and the radical left down a path of…
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