Category: Federal

  • New SCOTUS case scheduled for argument in October 2019-2020 term

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    The case of Nasrallah v. Barr has been scheduled for argument before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) during the court’s October 2019-2020 term. The case came to the court on a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.   A Lebanese citizen, Nidal Khalid Nasrallah, pleaded…

  • SCOTUS to determine constitutionality of CFPB structure

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    On Oct. 18, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Seila Law v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a case challenging the constitutionality of the bureau’s structure.   The CFPB is an independent agency created by the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010. Unlike other independent agencies of the federal government, which are generally headed by multi-member commissions,…

  • U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney (R) announces 2020 retirement

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    On October 19, Rep. Francis Rooney (R) announced that he would not seek re-election in Florida’s 19th Congressional District in 2020. He was first elected to Congress in 2016; he won an open-seat race to replace Rep. Curt Clawson (R). Rooney won his second term in 2018 with 62.3% of the general election vote.  …

  • Williamson is first 2020 presidential candidate to complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

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    Author Marianne Williamson is the first 2020 presidential candidate to complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey, answering questions about her personal beliefs, professional background, and political priorities.   Williamson describes the effect A Course in Miracles had on her life and why she thinks the United States needs “a season of moral repair.” She also discusses…

  • Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) dies

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    Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) died October 17 due to complications from longstanding health challenges, according to a statement from his congressional office. He was first elected to Congress in 1996. Before that, Cummings served 14 terms in the Maryland House of Delegates and was the first African American in Maryland to be named Speaker Pro…

  • U.S. Senate confirms four U.S. District Court nominees

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    The U.S. Senate has confirmed four nominees to U.S. District Court judgeships. Overall, the Senate has confirmed 156 of President Trump’s Article III judicial nominees—two Supreme Court justices, 43 appellate court judges, 109 district court judges, and two U.S. Court of International Trade judges—since January 2017. At the end of the 115th Congress in January…

  • New federal court vacancy after judge assumes senior status

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    On October 15, U.S. District Court Judge Joan Ericksen assumed senior status in the District of Minnesota, which created a vacancy on that court. Ericksen had first joined the court in 2002 after being nominated by President George W. Bush (R).   As of October 18, there were 98 Article III vacancies in the federal…

  • O’Rourke is second 2020 presidential candidate to respond to Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

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    Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke is the second 2020 presidential candidate to complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey, answering questions about his personal beliefs, professional background, and political priorities.   In his response, O’Rourke lists the first actions he would take in the Oval Office and explains his policy focus on strict gun regulations. He also describes…

  • Federal district judges issue injunctions blocking public charge rule

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    Three federal district judges in New York, California, and Washington issued temporary injunctions on October 11 blocking the Trump administration’s public charge rule from taking effect on October 15. A fourth federal judge in Chicago issued a similar injunction on October 14.   The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration…

  • Largest presidential primary debate in U.S. history takes place Tuesday, dates set for 2020 general election debates

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    Twelve Democratic presidential candidates will meet on stage Tuesday in the fourth primary debate of the 2020 election cycle:   • Joe Biden • Cory Booker • Pete Buttigieg • Julián Castro • Tulsi Gabbard • Kamala Harris • Amy Klobuchar • Beto O’Rourke • Bernie Sanders • Tom Steyer • Elizabeth Warren • Andrew…