Category: Federal
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U.S. Supreme Court limits judicial review in patent cases
On April 20, the U.S. Supreme Court limited when people may challenge in court certain agency decisions related to patents. In _Thryv, Inc. v. Click-To-Call Technologies, LP_ the court ruled 7-2 that judges may not review decisions made by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) about whether the time limit had passed for challenging…
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HHS will not penalize telehealth providers for HIPAA violations during coronavirus emergency
On April 21, the Office of Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule announcing that it would not penalize health care providers using telehealth services in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), some…
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2,810 major party candidates filed for 2020 Congress elections
As of April 27, 2,810 major party candidates have filed to run for the Senate and House of Representatives in 2020. So far, 417 candidates are filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for U.S. Senate in 2020. Of those, 340—174 Democrats and 166 Republicans—are from one of the two major political parties.…
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New York cancels Democratic presidential preference primary
On April 27, 2020, the New York State Board of Elections canceled the Democratic presidential preference primary, which had been scheduled to take place on June 23, 2020. The Republican presidential preference primary had already been canceled. The statewide primary election is scheduled to proceed as planned on June 23, 2020. Earlier in April, the…
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SCOTUS issues opinions in cases concerning immigration, trademark use, and the Clean Water Act (CWA)
On April 23, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued rulings in three cases argued during its October Term 2019-2020. 1. Barton v. Barr, a case that concerned immigration law, originated from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and was argued on November 4, 2019. The issue: “Whether a lawfully admitted…
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SCOTUS issues opinions in three cases
The U.S. Supreme Court issued decisions in three cases on April 20 during its October 2019 term. 1. Ramos v. Louisiana originated from the Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeal and was argued on October 7, 2019. It concerned the right to a unanimous verdict in a jury trial. The issue: “Whether the Fourteenth Amendment…
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Candidate filing period passes for congressional races in Florida
The filing deadline to run for congressional office in Florida is April 24. Neither of Florida’s two U.S. Senate seats are up for election in 2020. All 27 of Florida’s U.S. House seats are up for election. The incumbents filed for re-election in 25 of those 27 districts, leaving two seats open. The incumbents who…
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Special election for Maryland’s 7th Congressional District to be held April 28
The special general election for Maryland’s 7th Congressional District is on April 28, 2020. The election will be conducted primarily via mail. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Maryland Board of Elections sent mail-in ballots to all eligible active voters. Three polling places will be open on April 28 for those who cannot vote by…
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Joe Biden outraises Donald Trump in March while Trump retains cash on hand advantage
Joe Biden outraised Donald Trump by more than three-to-one last month, while Trump had a nearly four-to-one advantage in cash on hand, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission Monday. The Biden campaign raised $46.7 million in March, 110% more than the Trump campaign’s $13.6 million. Biden’s campaign spent 109% more…
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Federal judge orders transfer of some inmates from federal prison
On April 22, U.S. District Court Judge James Gwin for the Northern District of Ohio ordered the transfer or release of certain vulnerable inmate populations from Elkton prison, a federal prison in Ohio, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Inmates who are older with underlying health conditions are considered for transfer out of the prison through,…