The US Supreme Court ruled in a split decision Tuesday that a provision in the 1855 Treaty between the Yakama Nation of Indians and the US preempts Washington state’s fuel tax. The case before the court involved Cougar Den, a wholesale fuel importer incorporated under Yakama law. Cougar Den obtains fuel in Oregon and transports [...]
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed into law a bill legalizing smoking medical marijuana. In a statement, the governor said that in 2016 over 70 percent of Florida voters approved medical marijuana. He went on to thank his colleagues in the legislature for ensuring the will of the voters is upheld. DeSantis also signed [...]
The US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday released a redacted version of the warrants used to raid Michael Cohen’s home. This release follows Judge William Pauley granting a request by multiple media outlets for the documents to be made public. Hundreds of pages of documents were released. The documents [...]
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and former Bishop Michael Bransfield for knowingly employing child sexual abusers. The Diocese operates six high schools and 19 elementary schools in the state. The Diocese published a report in November that listed 18 priests who have been credibly accused of [...]
Oregon’s House of Representatives approved a bill Monday that would ban the use of hydraulic fracturing for the exploration of or production of oil and gas in Oregon. The bill was passed by a vote of 42-12. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, the bill would ban fracking until January 2, 2030. [...]
The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in Nielsen v. Preap that immigrants who have committed certain crimes are not entitled to a bond hearing and once detained can be held in federal custody until their removal proceedings are resolved. In an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, the Supreme Court overturned two Ninth Circuit decisions (Preap v. [...]
The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that maritime tort law permits manufacturers to be sued for modifications to their products made by a third party when those modifications are known by the manufacturer. The suit was brought by two veterans, Kenneth McAfee and John DeVries, who alleged that they were exposed to asbestos while enlisted [...]
The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from a Hawaii bed and breakfast owner who turned away a lesbian couple due to her Christian beliefs, thus leaving open the question of what protections are afforded public business owners who act in violation of anti-discrimination laws but in accordance with closely held religious [...]
The US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) told a federal judge on Monday that Elon Musk’s tweet concerning Tesla Inc.’s production targets violated the settlement agreement with the SEC and an unambiguous court order approving the terms of the settlement. The SEC filed a motion in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in February, requesting to [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled Monday that Alabama cannot keep its lethal injection protocol secret from the public. At issue was the failed execution of Doyle Hamm in February 2018. After several failed attempts to insert a needle into his veins, the execution was called off. The Associated Press and [...]
