Category: Federal
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Trump has appointed second-most federal judges through May 1 of a president’s fourth year
Donald Trump has appointed and the Senate has confirmed 194 Article III federal judges through May 1, 2020, his fourth year in office. This is the second-most Article III judicial appointments made through this point in all presidencies since Jimmy Carter (D). The Senate had confirmed 208 of Carter’s appointees at this point in his…
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SCOTUS grants review in two cases for October Term 2020-2021
On May 4, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) accepted two cases to its merits docket for its upcoming term scheduled to begin on October 5, 2020. The cases have not yet been set for argument. Edwards v. Vannoy came on a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the…
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Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for April
In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from April 3, 2020, to May 1, 2020. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS • Vacancies: There have been two new judicial vacancies since the March 2020 report. There are 77 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial…
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2,850 major party candidates filed for 2020 Congress elections
As of May 4, 2,850 major party candidates have filed to run for the Senate and House of Representatives in 2020. So far, 420 candidates are filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for U.S. Senate in 2020. Of those, 341—175 Democrats and 166 Republicans—are from one of the two major political parties.…
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President Trump announces two judicial nominees
On April 29, President Donald Trump (R) announced two nominees to Article III federal judicial positions. Article III federal judges are appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate, and serve for life. The nominees include: Aileen Mercedes Cannon, nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida James Wesley Hendrix, nominee…
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Federal Register weekly update; Trump administration’s largest weekly page total tops 3,100 pages
The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory activity. From April 27 to May 1, the Federal Register grew by 3,144 pages for a year-to-date total of 26,318 pages. Over the same…
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OIRA reviewed 43 significant rules in April
The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviewed a total of 43 significant regulatory actions issued by federal agencies in April 2020. The agency approved eight rules without changes and approved the intent of 31 rules while recommending changes to their content. Agencies withdrew two rules from the review process. One rule…
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New definition of “waters of the United States” reins in federal control of water pollution
On April 21, the Trump administration implemented its new definition of waters that fall within the scope of those regulated under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The new waters of the United States (WOTUS) definition narrows federal jurisdiction over intrastate waters as well as groundwater, roadside ditches, converted cropland, stormwater controls, and waste treatment systems.…
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U.S. Supreme Court to hear cases via teleconference
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in five cases on May 4, 5, and 6. The court announced new procedures for conducting oral arguments via conference call. The cases had been previously postponed in March and April. The Court will use a teleconferencing system to hear oral arguments. Several new procedures were announced, including…
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Extended candidate filing period for congressional races to end in Michigan
The statewide filing deadline to run for congressional offices in Michigan is on May 8, 2020. The filing period was originally set to end on April 21, but the deadline was extended by court order in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To qualify for the extended May 8 deadline, congressional candidates must have filed…