Abortion

Performing an abortion in Oklahoma would be a felony under bill passed by legislature

Oklahoma lawmakers have passed a bill that makes it a felony to perform an abortion unless it is necessary to save the life of the mother. The bill provides for a penalty of up to three years in prison, report CNN, the Washington Post, the Associated Press, Reuters and the…

May 19, 2016 1:13 PM CDT

Some see value in split Supreme Court’s minimalist approach to cases

The U.S. Supreme Court decision on Monday to remand the contraceptive opt-out case is an example of the narrow rulings being issued by a court seeking to avoid 4-4 ties. And that’s a good thing, according to a law professor who spoke with the New York Times. The case, Zubik…

May 18, 2016 7:57 AM CDT

Court OKs wrongful death case for child whose father died three months before she was born

A child whose father died before she was born can sue for loss of companionship in a wrongful death case, the Iowa Supreme Court found Friday. The opinion was a matter of first impression for the state, and the court cautioned that the finding should not be used in forthcoming…

May 9, 2016 6:15 AM CDT

10 great novels about the Supreme Court

At the U.S. Supreme Court, a single vote can alter the outcome of the country’s most hot-button disputes—abortion, affirmative action, campaign finance, gun control and immigration, to name a few. So it’s no surprise that within minutes after the announcement of Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, members of Congress began drawing…

Apr 13, 2016 8:35 AM CDT

Will this GOP senator get nominated to the Supreme Court if a Republican becomes president?

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is getting attention as a potential Supreme Court nominee if Republicans win the White House. According to the Washington Post, conservatives are “quietly touting” Lee, who is already mentioned as a potential candidate by Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz. Prominent conservatives are pushing Donald…

Apr 8, 2016 8:10 AM CDT

After Scalia: The Supreme Court goes back to work amid uncertainty

Antonin Scalia was a force on the Supreme Court for nearly 30 years, both for his conservative judicial outlook and his sheer strength of personality. His unexpected death on Feb. 13 at a ranch resort in Texas has plunged the court into a period of uncertainty—one that could last well…

Apr 1, 2016 3:10 AM CDT

Supreme Court hears arguments today on religious objection to contraceptive-coverage opt out

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Wednesday on a challenge to the opt-out procedure offered to nonprofits with religious affiliations that allows them to avoid providing contraceptive coverage required by the Affordable Care Act. The death of Justice Antonin Scalia raises the possibility of a 4-4 split in…

Mar 23, 2016 7:34 AM CDT

Will liberals oppose Srinivasan if nominated for SCOTUS? He would be court’s first Hindu

Liberal groups are unlikely to oppose federal appeals Judge Sri Srinivasan if he is nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, despite some misgivings when he was nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. In 2013, liberals had pointed to Srinivasan’a defense of international companies accused of…

Mar 11, 2016 7:47 AM CST

Supreme Court blocks enforcement of Louisiana abortion clinic restrictions

Last month, a federal appeals court in New Orleans refused to block a Louisiana law that could close three of the state’s four abortion clinics, staying an injunction issued by a trial court. But on Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively reversed that 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling…

Mar 4, 2016 4:55 PM CST

SCOTUS justices appear ‘sharply and perhaps evenly divided’ in abortion case

Protesters gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday as justices considered the constitutionality of Texas abortion-clinic regulations. The justices “appeared sharply and perhaps evenly divided” during the oral arguments, the New York Times reports. The four liberal justices suggested the regulations served no medical purpose while more conservative justices…

Mar 2, 2016 12:47 PM CST

First person in line to watch SCOTUS abortion arguments arrived on Monday

About 40 people were in line at midnight to hear Wednesday’s oral arguments in an abortion case before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday. The first person in line arrived at 11 a.m. on Monday, the Washington Post reports. The story describes her as “an older woman, armed with a…

Mar 2, 2016 6:58 AM CST

Supreme Court to consider abortion regulations and the contraception-coverage mandate

In a U.S. Supreme Court term full of hot-button issues—voting rights, affirmative action, union fees and immigration, to name a few—the month of March will stand out.

Mar 1, 2016 2:50 AM CST

5th Circuit allows Louisiana abortion law to take effect; three of state’s four clinics could close

A federal appeals court on Wednesday refused to block a Louisiana law that requires abortion doctors to have admission privileges at hospitals within 30 miles from abortion clinics. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a judge’s injunction that had prevented the law from taking effect. The…

Feb 25, 2016 11:22 AM CST

Appeals court strikes down Ohio laws banning political lies

A federal appeals court has struck down Ohio laws that ban political lies in a challenge filed by conservative groups that objected to a congressman’s vote on health care. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the laws violate the First Amendment, the Columbus Dispatch and…

Feb 25, 2016 9:49 AM CST

Republican governor, a former federal judge, is possible SCOTUS nominee

Nevada’s Republican governor, a former federal judge, is being considered for a nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is among several candidates being considered, report the Washington Post, Reuters, the Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.). The Post describes Sandoval as a centrist…

Feb 25, 2016 7:29 AM CST