Category: Federal
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Supreme Court issues opinions on cases involving property fraud and immigration
On May 7, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued rulings in two cases argued during its October 2019 term. The court has issued 31 decisions this term. Kelly v. United States concerned a scheme to reduce local traffic lanes on the George Washington Bridge as retaliation after Fort Lee’s mayor refused to…
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SCOTUS declines to take up challenge against Pennsylvania order curtailing non-essential business operations
On May 6, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to intervene in a lawsuit over a Pennsylvania order curtailing the operations of non-essential businesses, allowing the state supreme court’s ruling, which upheld the order, to stand. On March 24, the plaintiffs (a number of Pennsylvania businesses) petitioned the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to vacate Governor Tom Wolf’s (D) March…
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Special election in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District to be held May 12
On May 12, Tom Tiffany (R) and Tricia Zunker (D) will face off in the special election for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District to fill the vacancy left by former Rep. Sean Duffy (R). During his daily COVID-19 briefing on April 29, Gov. Tony Evers (D) said the special election would proceed as planned. The candidates participated…
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In Michigan, federal appeals court partially overturns lower court order modifying candidate filing procedures
On May 5, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that a district court judge who ordered modifications to Michigan’s candidate filing procedures had erred in doing so. Although the appeals court agreed that the original requirements were unconstitutional, it found that the lower court had exceeded its authority in mandating…
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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…