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☆ Supreme Court Hears Biggest Tax Case in Decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Richard Rubin | Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Supreme Court doesn’t take many cases about the scope of federal taxing power. Photo: shawn thew/ShutterstockWASHINGTON—The Supreme Court’s oral arguments in a closely watched case Tuesday could signal whether the justices intend to rein in Congress’ power to tax income. The case, Moore v. U.S., stems from one piece of the 2017 tax law regarding accumulated overseas earnings of foreign corporations. But conservative groups are hoping the justices will reach much further and issue a ruling that could prohibit any future tax on billionaires’ wealth and unrealized capital gains.

Persons: shawn thew, WASHINGTON —, Moore Organizations: WASHINGTON Locations: .

☆ Supreme Court Wary of Remaking Income Tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jess Bravin | Richard Rubin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Supreme Court doesn’t take many cases about the scope of federal taxing power. Photo: Shawn Thew/ShutterstockWASHINGTON—The Supreme Court looked unlikely to impose strict new limits on Congress’s power to tax income, with some conservative and liberal justices alike signaling wariness about upending long-settled principles of the federal tax code. Tuesday’s arguments involved a relatively small payment required by a one-time charge under the 2017 tax overhaul. Challengers are seeking a ruling limiting income that can be taxed to money “realized” by taxpayers—that is, cash they receive or in some fashion control, as opposed to a mere increase in the value of their holdings.

Persons: Shawn Thew, WASHINGTON —, “ Organizations: WASHINGTON

☆ Supreme Court Weighs Purdue Pharma’s $6 Billion Opioid Settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Purdue Pharma headquarters in 2019; a Purdue lawyer said in court Monday that if a settlement with the company didn’t go forward, opioid-crisis victims might not see compensation. Photo: timothy a. clary/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—Supreme Court justices wrestled Monday with the uncomfortable bargain struck between most victims of the opioid crisis and the Sackler family, whose Purdue Pharma promoted the addictive painkiller OxyContin: providing timely compensation for survivors in exchange for granting the wealthy family immunity from future civil lawsuits. That settlement was reached before a bankruptcy judge and approved in May by a federal appeals court in New York. It would see the Sacklers pay $6 billion to individual victims and state governments in exchange for eliminating potential liability for additional claims, such as fraud—even though they, unlike Purdue, haven’t sought bankruptcy protection. The deal was made under a catchall provision of federal law authorizing bankruptcy judges to issue orders and judgments that may be “necessary or appropriate” to resolve cases.

Persons: timothy, clary, Sackler, haven’t Organizations: Purdue Pharma, Purdue, Agence France, Getty, WASHINGTON Locations: New York

☆ One Supreme Court Case Could Mess Up Chunks of the Tax Code
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Richard Rubin | Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A sweeping ruling by the Supreme Court could upend many rules affecting partnerships, multinational companies and bond investors. Photo: mandel ngan/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—A case that could punch holes in the federal tax code heads to the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The court will hear arguments in Moore v. U.S., which challenges a piece of the 2017 tax law that imposed a one-time levy on profits that companies had accumulated outside the U.S. But its implications could reach much further, providing the justices an opportunity to define what Congress can tax under the Constitution—and what it can’t.

Persons: mandel ngan, Moore Organizations: Agence France, Getty, WASHINGTON Locations: Moore v .

☆ Sandra Day O’Connor Defined a Supreme Court Era. We’re in a Vastly Different One.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

For nearly a quarter-century, Sandra Day O’Connor , who died Friday at age 93, was perhaps the most powerful woman in America, often casting the deciding vote when her Supreme Court colleagues divided 4-4 along ideological lines. Her decisions on issues including abortion, affirmative action, voting rights and the line between church and state often reflected a pragmatic middle ground that frequently aligned with mainstream public opinion. O’Connor’s retirement in 2006 sent the court in a new direction. Republican presidents selected justices devoted to formal theories that seek constitutional fealty regardless of contemporary social values. Where O’Connor took each case as it came, today’s majority views the litigation before it as part of a larger struggle over the Constitution’s meaning.

Persons: Sandra Day O’Connor, O’Connor Locations: America

☆ Sandra Day O’Connor, First Woman on Supreme Court, Dies at 93
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sandra Day O’Connor , the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court and its most powerful justice for much of her tenure, died Friday at age 93. O’Connor, who retired in 2006 after 25 years on the court, died in Phoenix of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness, the court said in an announcement. Justice O’Connor was an Arizona state judge in 1981 when Republican President Ronald Reagan , fulfilling a campaign pledge to break the male monopoly on the high court, selected her to succeed retired Justice Potter Stewart. She ushered in a wave of women marking “firsts” in the early 1980s, along with America’s first woman astronaut, Sally Ride, and first woman on a major-party presidential ticket, Geraldine Ferraro.

Persons: Sandra Day O’Connor, O’Connor, Ronald Reagan, Potter Stewart, America’s, Sally Ride, Geraldine Ferraro Organizations: Supreme Locations: Phoenix, Arizona

☆ International Court Finds Evidence of Torture Violations in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Syria, led by President Bashar al-Assad, has been ordered to adhere to a global anti-torture treaty. Photo: Iranian Presidency/Zuma PressCiting extensive evidence of human rights abuses during Syria’s 12-year-long civil war, the International Court of Justice ordered the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to obey the global treaty prohibiting torture and preserve evidence of violations for future prosecution. Thursday’s 13-2 vote came in a case filed by Canada and the Netherlands against Syria under the Convention Against Torture, a major instrument of international law that has been ratified by more than 170 countries. The Russian and Chinese judges who sit on the ICJ—a judicial arm of the United Nations based in The Hague—dissented.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, The Hague — Organizations: International Court of Justice, United Nations Locations: Syria, Canada, Netherlands, The Hague

☆ Supreme Court Issues Code of Conduct After Scandals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Supreme Court said its new code of conduct largely compiles practices the justices informally followed. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/Associated PressWASHINGTON—The Supreme Court issued its first-ever code of conduct Monday, following months of scrutiny and criticism regarding ethical standards applying to the nine justices at the pinnacle of the nation’s legal system. The 15-page document said it largely compiled practices the justices informally followed anyway. But the lack of a formal document “has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,” it says. “To dispel this misunderstanding, we are issuing this Code, which largely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.”

Persons: Scott Applewhite, ” Organizations: Associated Press WASHINGTON

☆ Supreme Court Issues Code of Conduct
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Supreme Court said its new code of conduct largely compiles practices the justices informally followed. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/Associated PressThe Supreme Court issued its first-ever code of conduct on Monday following reports of undisclosed trips and other favors that sparked criticism and put pressure on the justices to adopt a set of ethical rules. The 15-page document said it largely compiled practices the justices informally followed. But the lack of a formal document “has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,” it says. “To dispel this misunderstanding, we are issuing this Code, which largely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.”

Persons: Scott Applewhite, ” Organizations: Associated

☆ A Skeptical Supreme Court Considers Whether Domestic Abusers Have Gun Rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court has some really controversial cases on its docket—including whether domestic abusers should have access to guns and whether the abortion pill should be legal. They all came from one lower court: the Fifth Circuit. WSJ explains why. Photo illustration: Madeline MarshallWASHINGTON—Supreme Court justices showed little sympathy Tuesday for a violent domestic abuser arguing he had a Second Amendment right to keep a semiautomatic rifle and a .45 caliber pistol at home, in arguments over the scope of a 2022 precedent holding gun regulations unconstitutional unless they are analogous to those in force in the founding era. “You don’t have any doubt that your client’s a dangerous person, do you?” Chief Justice John Roberts asked Matthew Wright, a federal public defender representing Zackey Rahimi, who was sentenced to more than six years for violating a federal law prohibiting people under domestic-violence protective orders from possessing firearms.

Persons: Madeline Marshall WASHINGTON, John Roberts, Matthew Wright, Zackey Rahimi Organizations: Fifth Circuit, Madeline Marshall WASHINGTON —

☆ Texas Man With History of Wantonly Firing AR-15 Could Gut Gun Laws Nationwide
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Supreme Court will consider a federal law that an appeals court struck down for violating the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Photo: shawn thew/ShutterstockWASHINGTON— Zackey Rahimi pulled a gun on his ex-girlfriend in a parking lot and shot at a witness who saw them arguing, prompting a Texas family court to issue a protective order in 2020 temporarily forbidding him from possessing firearms. Rahimi ignored the order, authorities say, going on to threaten another woman with a gun, fire an AR-15 into the house of one of his narcotics customers, and shoot into the air at a Whataburger drive-through after his friend’s credit card was declined. That led to his conviction under a 1994 federal law prohibiting people under domestic-violence orders from possessing guns—and set up the latest chapter in the modern history of the Second Amendment.

Persons: shawn thew, Rahimi Organizations: WASHINGTON Locations: Texas

☆ Supreme Court Adds Two More Gun Cases to Docket
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether federal law prohibiting individuals under domestic-violence protective orders from possessing firearms violates the Second Amendment. Photo: Mariam Zuhaib/Associated PressWASHINGTON—The Supreme Court said Friday it would decide two gun-related cases, adding to a docket that already includes a major follow up to its 2022 opinion curbing gun regulations under an expanded view of the Second Amendment. In brief unsigned orders, the court said it would hear the Biden administration’s appeal of a circuit court ruling that so-called bump stocks, which can convert semiautomatic weapons to function automatically, can’t be regulated as machine guns under the Gun Control Act of 1968. The court also agreed to hear the National Rifle Association’s appeal of a circuit court decision throwing out its lawsuit against a New York state official the gun group alleges discouraged insurance companies from doing business with it.

Persons: Mariam Zuhaib, Biden Organizations: Associated Press WASHINGTON, Gun Control, Rifle Locations: New York

☆ Is ‘Trump Too Small’ Entitled to a Registered Trademark?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on First Amendment issues. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersWASHINGTON—Donald Trump looms large over the Supreme Court’s arguments this week, but not for any of the criminal cases or civil suits pending against the former president. Instead, Wednesday will see the justices consider a slightly smaller controversy: Does the First Amendment entitle a political slogan —“Trump too small”— featured on T-shirts sold by an anti-MAGA attorney to trademark registration? The trademark case follows Tuesday’s arguments in another free-speech dispute trail-blazed by Trump, who as president prompted lawsuits after blocking critics from following him on the microblogging site then known as Twitter. Trump left office before the Supreme Court could rule on whose rights took priority: those of a politician to police his followers or of a citizen to follow and comment on a public official.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Donald Trump, “ Trump, MAGA, Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, Trump, Twitter

☆ Why Trump’s Drastic Plan to Slash the Government Could Succeed
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Andrew Restuccia | Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—For decades, conservatives have tried—and largely failed—to fundamentally reshape the federal government. If Donald Trump retakes the White House, they might succeed. In campaign speeches and statements, the former president has promised to eliminate the independence of key federal agencies, reduce protections for civil servants, deny citizenship to tens of thousands of people born in the U.S. and wrest control of some authority over spending from Congress. If implemented, those measures and others Trump has proposed would amount to the most sweeping overhaul of the government in modern times, legal scholars said.

Persons: Donald Trump retakes, Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON Locations: U.S

☆ Senate Democrats Plan to Subpoena Wealthy Figures Who Paid for Thomas’s and Alito’s Luxury Trips
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas Alito didn’t disclose the gifts on legally mandated annual financial reports. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press (2)WASHINGTON—Senate Democrats intensified their investigation into the ethics of Supreme Court justices, announcing plans to subpoena documents from three wealthy figures who helped provide trips to Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito . “The Supreme Court is in an ethical crisis of its own making,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin of Illinois and Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who heads a courts subcommittee, said in a Monday statement. By accepting “lavish, undisclosed gifts, the justices have enabled their wealthy benefactors and other individuals with business before the court to gain private access to the justices while preventing public scrutiny of this conduct.”

Persons: Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas Alito didn’t, Scott Applewhite, Clarence Thomas, “, Dick Durbin of, Rhode Island Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, ” Organizations: Associated Press, WASHINGTON —, Democrats, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Rhode Locations: Rhode Island

☆ Clarence Thomas Didn’t Fully Repay $267,230 Loan for Luxury Motor Home, Senate Report Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Justice Clarence Thomas hasn’t disclosed his tax returns, so it isn’t publicly known whether he reported any income related to the vehicle. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersWASHINGTON—Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas didn’t report on required financial disclosure forms that a friend forgave some or all of a $267,230 loan, according to a report released Wednesday by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden . “The new evidence obtained by the Committee raises a number of potentially serious tax questions for Justice Thomas,’’ said the report prepared by the committee’s Democratic staff.

Persons: Clarence Thomas hasn’t, Evelyn Hockstein, Clarence Thomas didn’t, Ron Wyden, Justice Thomas, ’ ’ Organizations: WASHINGTON —, Senate Finance, Democratic

☆ Supreme Court to Review Biden Administration Communications With Social Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Jess Bravin | Jacob Gershman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The White House has been barred in lower-court rulings from putting pressure on social-media platforms. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/APWASHINGTON—The Supreme Court is stepping into the debate over speech rights and misinformation online, agreeing Friday to review lower-court rulings barring White House aides and other officials from pressuring social-media platforms to take down content disfavored by the government. The brief order, which put the lower-court decisions on hold until the Supreme Court rules on the issue, was unsigned, as is typical. The court’s three most-conservative justices dissented, warning that “government censorship of private speech” could result.

Persons: Manuel Balce Ceneta Organizations: WASHINGTON —, White

☆ How the Israel-Hamas War Tests International Law
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Israel is preparing a ground assault in Gaza following Hamas’s attack. Retired Brigadier Gen. Mark Kimmitt explains where the invasion could take place and how it could reshape the region politically. Photo Illustration: JJ Lin/WSJ“Even wars have rules,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said last week, repeating a maxim of international law that experience has shown to be more aspirational than operational. Hamas mocked the most sacrosanct of those rules when it intentionally targeted Israeli civilians in early October in an operation that killed more than 1,000 Israelis and took about 200 people hostage.

Persons: Mark Kimmitt, JJ Lin, António Guterres Organizations: ” United Nations Locations: Gaza

☆ South Carolina Congressional Map Comes Under Supreme Court Scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones Locations: carolina

☆ Supreme Court Case Could Upend Rules for Mortgages, Credit Cards and More
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Andrew Ackerman | Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/finance/regulation/supreme-court-case-could-upend-rules-for-mortgages-credit-cards-and-more-2f96be03

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Supreme Court Takes Case on Social-Media Content Moderation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/supreme-court-to-decide-whether-laws-regulating-social-media-companies-content-decisions-are-constitutional-a46cb894

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Supreme Court Rejects Alabama Bid to Scrap Black-Majority Congressional District
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/supreme-court-rejects-alabama-bid-to-scrap-black-majority-congressional-district-in-alabama-58c34e4f

Persons: Dow Jones Locations: alabama

☆ A 1997 Motel Murder Puts a Convict’s Life on the Line in the Supreme Court—Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/a-1997-motel-murder-puts-a-convicts-life-on-the-line-in-the-supreme-courtagain-c5408406

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Russia, Ukraine Clash Over Genocide Charges at World Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russia-ukraine-clash-over-genocide-charges-at-world-court-c386b34c

Persons: Dow Jones Locations: russia, ukraine

☆ Biden Administration Asks Supreme Court to Maintain Abortion-Pill Access
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Laura Kusisto | Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/biden-administration-asks-supreme-court-to-maintain-abortion-pill-access-69882ed3

Persons: Dow Jones, biden

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