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Supreme Court

The latest developments on the United States Supreme Court.

The legal theory that would make Trump the most powerful president in US history
Supreme Court

Meet the “unitary executive.”

By Ian Millhiser
The legal theory that would make Trump the most powerful president in US history
Supreme Court

Meet the “unitary executive.”

By Ian Millhiser
The anti-Trump lawsuits are hereThe anti-Trump lawsuits are here
Politics

The courts are the biggest remaining impediment to Trump’s power grab.

By Patrick Reis
Brett Kavanaugh has very bad news for Donald TrumpBrett Kavanaugh has very bad news for Donald Trump
Supreme Court

A federal judge just blocked Trump’s domestic spending freeze. His opinion relies heavily on another one by Justice Kavanaugh.

By Ian Millhiser
The one big question looming over Trump’s power grabsThe one big question looming over Trump’s power grabs
Supreme Court

No one knows if the Supreme Court will enforce the law against Trump.

By Ian Millhiser

The latest in Supreme Court

This obscure budget procedure could be Trump’s biggest weaponThis obscure budget procedure could be Trump’s biggest weapon
Trump 2.0, explained

How Trump could attempt to cut Medicaid, school funding, and more — without Congress.

By Dylan Matthews
A new Supreme Court case would force the government to create religious public schools A new Supreme Court case would force the government to create religious public schools 
Supreme Court

The Roberts Court’s slash-and-burn approach to the separation of church and state is unlikely to end any time soon.

By Ian Millhiser
A federal judge already blocked Trump’s single most unconstitutional actionA federal judge already blocked Trump’s single most unconstitutional action
Immigration

The president cannot unilaterally repeal parts of the 14th Amendment.

By Ian Millhiser
Biden’s last-minute preemptive pardons, explainedBiden’s last-minute preemptive pardons, explained
Criminal Justice

The outgoing president pardoned Anthony Fauci and the January 6 committee — but the pardons give only limited protection.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court’s decision upholding the TikTok ban, explainedThe Supreme Court’s decision upholding the TikTok ban, explained
Supreme Court

Nothing in the Court’s TikTok opinion should surprise anyone who has followed the case.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court seems eager to curb First Amendment protections for pornThe Supreme Court seems eager to curb First Amendment protections for porn
Supreme Court

A major free speech argument about pornographic websites went disastrously for the porn industry.

By Ian Millhiser
A new Supreme Court case seeks to make it harder to get screened for cancerA new Supreme Court case seeks to make it harder to get screened for cancer
Supreme Court

Becerra v. Braidwood Management threatens to make your health insurance worse.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court doesn’t seem likely to save TikTokThe Supreme Court doesn’t seem likely to save TikTok
Supreme Court

If you’re a professional TikTok creator, it’s probably time to get a new job.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court hands Trump a loss in his bid for legal immunityThe Supreme Court hands Trump a loss in his bid for legal immunity
Supreme Court

The Court’s order is exceedingly narrow, but it is still a loss for Trump.

By Ian Millhiser
Trump asks the Supreme Court to place him even further above the lawTrump asks the Supreme Court to place him even further above the law
Supreme Court

Trump is appealing to the same six Republicans who already ruled that he has broad immunity from the law. So he’s probably going to win.

By Ian Millhiser
Biden’s DOJ just asked the Supreme Court to do a huge favor for Donald TrumpBiden’s DOJ just asked the Supreme Court to do a huge favor for Donald Trump
Supreme Court

The Court has a chance to resolve a years-long fight over “nationwide injunctions,” just days before Trump takes office.

By Ian Millhiser
TikTok should lose its big Supreme Court caseTikTok should lose its big Supreme Court case
Supreme Court

The Supreme Court case asking if the government can ban TikTok is easier than it looks.

By Ian Millhiser
The huge stakes in a new Supreme Court case about pornographyThe huge stakes in a new Supreme Court case about pornography
Supreme Court

Texas asks the justices to abandon longstanding First Amendment protections for sexual speech.

By Ian Millhiser
The long decline of the American death penalty, explainedThe long decline of the American death penalty, explained
Criminal Justice

President Biden’s latest move against the death penalty is part of a much larger nationwide trend.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court’s new abortion case should be an easy win for Planned ParenthoodThe Supreme Court’s new abortion case should be an easy win for Planned Parenthood
Supreme Court

Although nothing is ever certain in this Supreme Court.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court will race to decide whether the government may ban TikTokThe Supreme Court will race to decide whether the government may ban TikTok
Supreme Court

The federal law targeting TikTok takes effect January 19. The Supreme Court appears likely to resolve this case by then.

By Ian Millhiser
A new Supreme Court case about religion has a hidden trap for workersA new Supreme Court case about religion has a hidden trap for workers
Supreme Court

Catholic Charities v. Wisconsin has a sympathetic plaintiff, and alarmingly high stakes for workers.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court wades into the Israel-Palestine conflictThe Supreme Court wades into the Israel-Palestine conflict
Supreme Court

What could possibly go wrong?

By Ian Millhiser
The horrifying implications of today’s Supreme Court argument on trans rightsThe horrifying implications of today’s Supreme Court argument on trans rights
Supreme Court

The Court appears likely to uphold bans on gender-affirming care, and may gut the rules barring all forms of sex discrimination in the process.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court seems likely to reverse a ridiculous decision about vapingThe Supreme Court seems likely to reverse a ridiculous decision about vaping
Supreme Court

The justices spent Monday morning reminding us that the Court can always get worse under Trump.

By Ian Millhiser
The huge stakes in a Supreme Court case about vapingThe huge stakes in a Supreme Court case about vaping
Supreme Court

The justices face the awkward task of reviewing some very shoddy work by Judge Andy Oldham, a potential future colleague.

By Ian Millhiser
A GOP Supreme Court will now decide the fate of transgender AmericansA GOP Supreme Court will now decide the fate of transgender Americans
Supreme Court

The legal question in United States v. Skrmetti is whether the word “all” means “all.” There’s no guarantee that this Court will say that it does.

By Ian Millhiser
Trump’s tariffs could tank the economy. Will the Supreme Court stop them?Trump’s tariffs could tank the economy. Will the Supreme Court stop them?
Trump 2.0, explained

President-elect Trump is his own worst enemy, unless his fellow Republicans on the Supreme Court intervene.

By Ian Millhiser
The criminal cases against Donald Trump are now basically deadThe criminal cases against Donald Trump are now basically dead
Donald Trump

Turns out all of those indictments were pointless.

By Ian Millhiser
The strange case that the Supreme Court keeps refusing to decideThe strange case that the Supreme Court keeps refusing to decide
Supreme Court

A mysterious Supreme Court case could change everything about criminal punishment.

By Ian Millhiser
The big stakes in the Supreme Court’s new, absurdly messy gerrymandering caseThe big stakes in the Supreme Court’s new, absurdly messy gerrymandering case
Supreme Court

Several federal courts are fighting over Louisiana’s congressional maps.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court decides not to toss out thousands of Pennsylvania ballotsThe Supreme Court decides not to toss out thousands of Pennsylvania ballots
Supreme Court

One of the worst ideas in US constitutional law will remain dead.

By Ian Millhiser
The Republican Supreme Court just blessed an illegal voter purgeThe Republican Supreme Court just blessed an illegal voter purge
Supreme Court

This is the latest in a string of favors this Court has done for the Republican Party.

By Ian Millhiser
The Trumpiest judges in America want to toss out thousands of lawfully cast ballotsThe Trumpiest judges in America want to toss out thousands of lawfully cast ballots
2024 Elections

It’s probably not going to work, though.

By Ian Millhiser
A new Supreme Court case could change the result of the presidential electionA new Supreme Court case could change the result of the presidential election
Supreme Court

Republicans ask the Supreme Court to disenfranchise thousands of Pennsylvania voters.

By Ian Millhiser
If Harris wins, will the Supreme Court steal the election for Trump?If Harris wins, will the Supreme Court steal the election for Trump?
Supreme Court

It depends on how much Harris can run up the score.

By Ian Millhiser
Why it’ll be even harder for Trump to steal the election this timeWhy it’ll be even harder for Trump to steal the election this time
Donald Trump

Three reasons Trump’s lawyers have less to work with in 2024 if they attempt a coup.

By Ian Millhiser
The Democratic Party’s longshot plans to deal with a Republican Supreme Court, explainedThe Democratic Party’s longshot plans to deal with a Republican Supreme Court, explained
Supreme Court

Top Democrats understand that the Supreme Court is a problem, but fixing this problem is nightmarishly difficult.

By Ian Millhiser
The entire Texas government is fighting over whether to save a man’s lifeThe entire Texas government is fighting over whether to save a man’s life
Criminal Justice

Robert Roberson was sentenced to die on a theory that’s now widely viewed with skepticism by medical experts.

By Ian Millhiser
The nightmare facing Democrats, even if Harris winsThe nightmare facing Democrats, even if Harris wins
America’s faultlines

If Harris wins, the Republican Party will almost certainly be able to veto anything she does, thanks to our broken Constitution.

By Ian Millhiser
Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett seem unsure whether to save a man’s lifeBrett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett seem unsure whether to save a man’s life
Supreme Court

It’s unclear how the Supreme Court will resolve an unusually messy death penalty case.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court appears to have found a gun regulation it actually likesThe Supreme Court appears to have found a gun regulation it actually likes
Supreme Court

The justices appear skeptical of “ghost guns.”

By Ian Millhiser
We should call the Republican justices “Republicans” and not “conservatives”We should call the Republican justices “Republicans” and not “conservatives”
Supreme Court

Supreme Court journalists should tell the truth about what’s going on at the Court.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court will decide if Oklahoma must execute a man it doesn’t want to killThe Supreme Court will decide if Oklahoma must execute a man it doesn’t want to kill
Supreme Court

The state’s Republican attorney general took the rare step of asking the Supreme Court to set aside Richard Glossip’s capital conviction.

By Ian Millhiser
The Supreme Court will decide whether to let criminals get guns without a background checkThe Supreme Court will decide whether to let criminals get guns without a background check
Supreme Court

The Court considers legalizing “ghost guns,” untraceable weapons that evade laws intended to keep guns away from criminals.

By Ian Millhiser