Category: Federal
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Federal Register weekly update: Lowest weekly page total since March
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 overall regulatory activity, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions. From June 14 through June 18, the Federal Register grew by 934 pages for a…
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U.S. Supreme Court issues opinions in three cases on June 21
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued opinions in three cases on June 21 and released orders in pending cases from its June 17 conference. The court did not accept any new cases for the upcoming 2021-2022 October term. United States v. Arthrex Inc. (Consolidated with Smith & Nephew Inc. v. Arthrex Inc.…
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Eighteen congressional incumbents not running for reelection in 2022
As of June 2021, 18 members of Congress—five members of the U.S. Senate and thirteen members of the U.S. House—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2022. Ten members—five senators and five representatives—have announced their retirement. All five retiring Senate members are Republicans, and of the retiring House members, three are Democrats and two…
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U.S. Supreme Court: Constitution requires more supervision over administrative patent judges from Patent and Trademark Office director
In United States v. Arthrex, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Appointments Clause does not allow administrative patent judges (APJs) to resolve patent disputes without more supervision from higher-level agency officials. In its June 21 decision, the court decided to sever the parts of the patent statute that prevented the director of the Patent…
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U.S. Supreme Court issues three rulings on June 17
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued rulings in three cases on June 17. Two of the cases, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and California v. Texas, were argued during the court’s November 2020 sitting. The third case, Nestlé USA v. Doe I, was argued during the court’s December 2020 sitting. Fulton…
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President Biden nominates six to Article III courts; two to D.C. local courts
President Joe Biden (D) nominated six individuals to Article III judgeships with lifetime terms on June 15: • Myrna Pérez, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit • Jia Cobb, to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia • Sarah A.L. Merriam, to the United States District Court…
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Melanie Stansbury sworn in to Congress on June 14
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D) was sworn in to represent New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District on June 14. Stansbury defeated Mark Moores (R), 60% to 36%. to win a special election for the seat on June 1. The seat became vacant when former Rep. Debra Haaland (D) left office to become secretary of the interior. …
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Sen. Ron Johnson temporarily suspended from YouTube for violating platform’s medical misinformation policy
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) was suspended from YouTube for seven days on June 11, 2021, for promoting hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 during a virtual event hosted by the Milwaukee Press Club. A YouTube spokesperson said in a statement, “We removed the video in accordance with our COVID-19 medical misinformation policies, which…
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U.S. Supreme Court decides three cases in two rulings on June 14
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued rulings in three cases on June 14. Two of the cases, Greer v. United States and United States v. Gary, were decided in one consolidated opinion, though they were argued separately. The cases were argued during the court’s April sitting. The third case, Terry v. United…
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Federal judge rules California’s ban on assault weapons is unconstitutional
Federal District Court Judge Roger Benitez ruled on June 4 that California’s Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989, which banned all assault weapons in California, violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and unlawfully restricts the kinds of firearms protected under previous U.S. Supreme Court rulings. He wrote, “Like the Swiss Army Knife, the…