Author: Sam Hananel
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Supreme Court rules that granting citizenship based on gender is unconstitutional
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday struck down part of an unusual law that treats fathers and mothers differently when it comes to conferring citizenship on children born outside the U.S. The 8-0 ruling affects a law that applies to children born abroad to one parent who is an American and one who isn’t.…
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Gorsuch dives into the fray at first Supreme Court arguments
WASHINGTON — Justice Neil Gorsuch dived into the public side of his new job Monday, piping up early and often as he took his seat on the Supreme Court bench for the first time to hear arguments. The new justice waited just 11 minutes before asking questions in the first of three cases the court…
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Supreme Court bolsters rights of learning-disabled students in ruling on Colorado case
WASHINGTON — A unanimous Supreme Court on Wednesday bolstered the rights of millions of learning-disabled students in a ruling that requires public schools to offer special education programs that meet higher standards. Chief Justice John Roberts said that it is not enough for school districts to get by with minimal instruction for special needs children. The…
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Justice Ginsburg praises media and the role of free press
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is praising the media at a time when the Trump administration has accused reporters of being dishonest and delivering “fake news.” Ginsburg told the BBC’s “Newsnight” program in an interview Thursday that she reads The Washington Post and The New York Times every day, and that “reporters…
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Judge denies request to halt Dakota Access pipeline work
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday rejected a request by two American Indian tribes for an emergency order halting construction of the remaining section of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, in Washington, D.C., said that as long as the oil isn’t flowing through the pipeline, there is no immediate…
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Justices sympathetic to girl suing school over service dog
WASHINGTON — A fluffy white goldendoodle named Wonder waited patiently outside the Supreme Court Monday while the justices inside debated the legal rights of disabled children who want to bring their service dogs to school. The court was considering the case of Ehlena Fry, a 12-year-old Michigan girl with cerebral palsy who was barred from…
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Court upholds net neutrality rules on equal internet access
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the government’s “net neutrality” rules that require internet providers to treat all web traffic equally. The 2-1 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is a win for the Obama administration, consumer groups and content companies such as Netflix that…
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Justice Thomas asks questions in court, 1st time in 10 years
WASHINGTON — Justice Clarence Thomas broke 10 years of courtroom silence Monday and posed questions during a Supreme Court oral argument, provoking gasps from the audience. And it wasn’t just one question; it was a string of them in an exchange that lasted several minutes. It was only the second week the court has heard…
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More Americans exercise while they work
Glued to your desk at work? Cross that off the list of reasons not to exercise. A growing number of Americans are standing, walking and even cycling their way through the workday at treadmill desks, standup desks or other moving workstations. Others are forgoing chairs in favor of giant exercise balls to stay fit. Walking…
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House OKs bill to change overtime pay law
WASHINGTON The Republican-led House on Wednesday approved a measure that would give private sector workers the option of trading overtime pay for extra time off weeks or months later. The bill, approved on a 223-204 vote, would allow employees who work more than 40 hours a week to save up to 160 hours of earned…