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April 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday refused to let West Virginia enforce a state law banning transgender athletes from female sports teams at public schools, one of many Republican-backed measures across the country targeting LGBTQ rights. The justices denied West Virginia's request to lift an injunction against the law that a lower court had imposed while litigation continues over its legality in a challenge brought by a 12-year-old transgender girl, Becky Pepper-Jackson. West Virginia said in a court filing that it can lawfully assign athletic teams by sex rather than gender identity "where biological differences between males and females are the very reason those separate teams exist." Pepper-Jackson, who attends a middle school in the West Virginia city of Bridgeport, sued after being prohibited from trying out for the girls' cross-country and track teams. Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Former U.S. VP Pence will not appeal ruling requiring his testimony in Jan. 6 probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 5 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will not appeal a judge's ruling that requires him to testify to a grand jury about conversations he had with former President Donald Trump leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, a spokesman for Pence said on Wednesday. In a March ruling, the judge also said Pence can still decline to answer questions related to Jan. 6. Pence spokesman Devin O'Malley said in a statement on Wednesday that Pence's argument that the subpoena violated the U.S. Constitution's "Speech or Debate Clause" had been vindicated by the court. "The Court’s landmark and historic ruling affirmed for the first time in history that the Speech or Debate Clause extends to the Vice President of the United States," O'Malley said. "Having vindicated that principle of the Constitution, Vice President Pence will not appeal the Judge’s ruling and will comply with the subpoena as required by law.”(This story has been refiled to remove extraneous words in paragraph 3)Reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

April 5 (Reuters) - A Planned Parenthood affiliate and two doctors on Wednesday filed a lawsuit seeking to block Idaho authorities from punishing healthcare providers for referring patients to get abortions in other states. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, a Republican, said in a legal opinion last week that the state's near-total abortion ban, enacted last August, "prohibits an Idaho medical provider from ... referring a woman across state lines to access abortion services." In their lawsuit, filed in federal court in Boise, Planned Parenthood and the doctors said Labrador's interpretation of the law violates the U.S. Constitution by prohibiting protected free speech and attempting to extend Idaho law beyond its borders. "Attorney General Labrador is violating the boundaries of our constitution to further deny Idahoans the freedom to decide what is best for their own bodies and futures," said Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies Fox Corp FollowRupert Murdoch FollowWILMINGTON, Del, April 5 (Reuters) - Fox Corp (FOXA.O) executives Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch can be called to testify at this month's defamation trial over a $1.6 billion lawsuit claiming the media company lied about voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, a judge said on Wednesday. Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old chair of Fox Corp, and his son, Lachlan Murdoch, its CEO, were not on the list of witnesses that Fox intends to make available for the trial, in a case brought by Dominion Voting Systems. Davis said Fox board member Paul Ryan, a former Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, could also be issued a trial subpoena. The judge said there was an objection by Fox to Rupert Murdoch's testimony which would probably have to be resolved at trial. The trial already features a parade of Fox's biggest on-air personalities, including Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Maria Bartiromo.

☆ Alvin Bragg’s Pro-Biden Prosecutorial Discretion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Holman W. Jenkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In 1787, with the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, a republic was born. Alvin Bragg , the Manhattan district attorney, saw a squiggly, strained path to bring a case against Donald Trump related to the Stormy Daniels matter. It isn’t an obligatory case. It isn’t a case a prosecutor would be failing in his job not to bring. He asked what would the Democratic Party and party leadership, from Joe Biden on down, want him to do.

☆ Fox News says Carlson, Hannity, Bartiromo set to testify at defamation trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Fox personality Tucker Carlson speaks at the 2017 Business Insider Ignition: Future of Media conference in New York, U.S., November 30, 2017. Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old chair of Fox's parent Fox Corp (FOXA.O), is not on Fox's witness list. The Denver-based company has said emails, texts and depositions show that Fox aired false election claims to boost profit and keep viewers from defecting to the right-wing outlets Newsmax and OAN, which also embraced Trump's claims. "The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that (it) is CRYSTAL clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true," he wrote. Fox faces a similar lawsuit by another voting technology company, Smartmatic, which is seeking $2.7 billion in damages.

☆ Trump indictment, arraignment and gag order explained in hush money case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 3 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to be arraigned at a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday following his indictment on criminal charges after a probe into hush money paid to a porn star. INDICTMENTAn indictment is a court document containing charges that were voted on by a grand jury, a group of people who decide whether a prosecutor has enough evidence to pursue criminal charges. An indictment formally charges a defendant with a crime and provides a basis for legal prosecution. BAILJudges in New York state criminal court have three options for bail: They can set bail, order a defendant released without bail, or order a defendant's detention. GAG ORDERA gag order is when a judge prohibits lawyers, parties and witnesses from talking about a case in public.

Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis denied motions from Fox and partially granted Dominion motions to resolve the issue of defamation liability ahead of the scheduled April 17 trial date. The ruling puts the high-profile case in the hands of a jury that will determine whether Fox acted with actual malice and whether Dominion suffered any damages. The judge ruled in Dominion's favor on some elements of defamation including that the allegedly defamatory statements by Fox concerned Dominion, that the statements had been published by Fox and were false. Davis, however, said in his ruling the doctrine would not shield Fox from liability, because the network did not conduct disinterested reporting. Fox faces a similar lawsuit by voting-technology company Smartmatic, which is seeking $2.7 billion in damages from Fox Corp, the cable network, Fox hosts and guests.

Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis denied motions from Fox and partially granted Dominion motions to resolve the issue of defamation liability in each side's favor - summary judgment - ahead of the scheduled April 17 trial date. A jury will determine whether Fox acted with actual malice and whether Dominion suffered any damages, according to the ruling. The judge ruled in Dominion's favor on some elements of defamation including that the allegedly defamatory statements by Fox concerned Dominion, that the statements had been published by Fox and were false. Fox faces a similar lawsuit by voting-technology company Smartmatic, which is seeking $2.7 billion in damages from Fox Corp, the cable network, Fox hosts and guests. Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delawared; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The state's 21-year age minimum, enacted as part of a 2003 gun control law, had been challenged in a 2021 lawsuit by three gun rights groups - Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation - and three individuals. The plaintiffs argued in their lawsuit that the age minimum violated the Second Amendment because 18- to 20-year-olds were permitted to possess guns at the time of the United States' founding. Menendez wrote that she had "reservations" about the historical analysis demanded by the Supreme Court, noting that "judges are not historians." Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a 21-year age minimum for handgun purchases in Florida, based on 19th-century laws, but said those laws only concerned gun sales, not the right to carry guns. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US Justice Dept appeals Obamacare ruling blocking coverage mandate- White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is appealing a decision by a Texas judge that blocked Obamacare's mandate that health insurance plans cover preventive care at no cost to patients, the White House said on Friday. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday blocked the federal government from enforcing requirements that insurance plans cover preventive care, including screenings for certain cancers and pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV (PrEP). If O'Connor's ruling is not paused or overturned on appeal, insurers will be able to charge patients copays and deductibles for such services in new insurance plans. "The president is glad to see the Department of Justice is appealing the judge's decision," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "Preventive care saves lives, saves families money, and protects and improves our health," she said.

☆ After school shooting, some trans Tennesseans face backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Mykul Coscia, who performs drag as Eazy Love at Play, a night club, poses for a portrait after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 29, 2023. Even before the shooting, many transgender Tennesseans felt villainized by their state's efforts to regulate the lives of gay and trans people, and were increasingly fearful for their safety. Police identified the Nashville shooter as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, and initially referred to Hale as female. Every time there is a school shooting, Story VanNess said she has sleepless nights: she was a special education teacher in a Knoxville school for several years before becoming the director of trans and non-binary programs at Knox Pride. "We've had another school shooting but, because this shooter was trans, that's taken a back seat so politicians can demonize trans people.

☆ Idaho bill would ban minors from travel for abortions without parental consent
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bill would also allow a man who impregnates a woman - including rapists - as well as other family members to sue abortion providers. Idaho already bans almost all abortions, but the state borders Washington, Oregon and Montana, which allow them. "There's no way this bill is constitutional," Gibron said, citing protections in the U.S. constitution for interstate travel. Adults who help girls obtain surgical or medication abortions without parental consent would face a minimum of two years in prison if convicted. The bill initially excluded cases where the pregnancy was the result of rape, but was later amended to remove that language.

☆ Exclusive: Biden would veto Republican bill blocking Washington, D.C., police reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will veto a Republican-backed bill to overturn police reforms in Washington, D.C., if it passes in Congress, a White House official said on Thursday. Some Republicans say the Washington, D.C., law is hostile towards the police. Biden took heat from within his own party for signing a Republican-led bill last week that blocked a D.C. law lowering penalties for some crimes. Congressional oversight of Washington, D.C., is written into the U.S. Constitution, and the city's 700,000 residents do not have voting representation in Congress. Tensions often flare between Republican lawmakers and the heavily Democratic city, including over policing, criminal code and voting reforms just this year.

☆ Factbox: Who is Stormy Daniels and what did she say happened with Trump?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Trump has denied the relationship and has said the payment was made to stop her "false and extortionist accusations." loadingHere are facts about the Daniels and her alleged relationship with Trump. STORMY DANIELS, ADULT FILM STARDaniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is 44 years old and from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She said Trump asked her about herself and whether she would like to appear on his TV show "Celebrity Apprentice." Trump responded on Twitter to the release of the sketch, writing: "A sketch years later about a nonexistent man.

☆ Who is Stormy Daniels and how is she involved in Donald Trump indictment?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Exclusive: Biden would veto Republican bill blocking Washington, D.C., police reform -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden has said he will sign the measure if it passes both the Senate and House and reaches his desk. Supporters of repeal also said it recognized that Iraq is no longer an adversary but has become a U.S. security partner. The resolution also would repeal the Gulf War AUMF approved in 1991 after Saddam's Iraq invaded Kuwait. The Iraq AUMFs have been labeled "zombie" authorizations because they never expire but their original purpose no longer applies. In 1971, Congress voted to repeal the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which had provided authority for the Vietnam War.

[1/2] The White House is seen from the top of the Washington Monument April 3, 2003. REUTERS/Molly RileyWASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - The White House made an emotional plea on Wednesday for Republican action to curb mass shootings, criticizing conservative lawmakers for saying nothing can be done after the nation's latest high-profile mass shooting at a school in Tennessee this week. "It's unacceptable that Republicans are saying there is nothing that we can do," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday. He told reporters this week he has done what he could through executive action but needs Congress to step up. Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who has often been a harsh critic of his administration, according to the White House.

NEW YORK, March 27 (Reuters) - A newly fired Fox News producer is seeking to recant testimony she said network lawyers coerced her into providing as Fox defends against Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit. Grossberg said Fox fired her on Friday, four days after she originally sued and was put on administrative leave. Fox, part of Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corp (FOXA.O), said Grossberg "ignored" its warning that she might lose her job if she revealed privileged communications with lawyers. The cases are Grossberg v Fox Corp et al, Delaware Superior Court, No. N23C-03-180; and Grossberg v Fox Corp et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday appeared inclined to uphold a federal law that made it a crime to encourage illegal immigration, signaling agreement with President Joe Biden's administration that the measure does not violate constitutional free speech protections. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out Hansen's conviction for violating the provision, which bars inducing or encouraging noncitizens "to come to, enter or reside" in the United States illegally, including for financial gain. The 9th Circuit upheld Hansen's convictions on mail and wire fraud charges. The 9th Circuit decision applies in the group of western states over which it has jurisdiction including Arizona and California, which border Mexico. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction of a group of other states, also ruled against the law in a separate case.

Donziger's lawyers argued that this appointment violated separation-of-powers principles set out in the Constitution delineating the authority of the three branches of the U.S. government. In 2011, an Ecuadorian court entered an $18 billion judgment that was later reduced to $9.5 billion against Chevron for contamination resulting from oil production. In 2014, Kaplan concluded in that case that the Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron in Ecuador was obtained fraudulently through a corrupt process, rendering it unenforceable in the United States. When Chevron suspected Donziger was violating a related ban on trying to monetize or profit from the judgment, Kaplan ordered him to turn over electronic devices and email accounts for examination. After federal prosecutors in Manhattan declined to take the case, Kaplan in an unusual move tapped a private lawyer, Rita Glavin, to lead the prosecution of Donziger.

The 9th Circuit upheld Hansen's other convictions and ordered that he be resentenced. The 9th Circuit decision applies in the group of western states over which it has jurisdiction including Arizona and California, which border Mexico. Circuit Court of Appeals also ruled against the law in a separate case. The Justice Department told the justices that the 9th Circuit decision wrongly relied on "hypothetical scenarios that the statute would not encompass." These groups argued that the law threatens attorneys, doctors, scholars and anyone else who speaks in support of immigration.

March 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding structure is constitutional, a Manhattan appeals court ruled on Thursday, as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to consider the issue next term. Circuit Court of Appeals finding the CFPB's funding unconstitutional. Circuit Court Judge Richard Sullivan said the constitution only requires that expenditures be authorized by an act of Congress. U.S. Supreme Court decisions and historical principles of congressional spending support that conclusion, he wrote. Circuit Court of Appeals, No.

Some 65% of respondents - including 46% of Republicans and 68% of independents - said they were less likely to vote for a presidential candidate in 2024 who supports laws banning or severely restricting abortion access. DeSantis last year signed a Florida law banning abortions after 15 weeks, saying the measure would protect "the rights of unborn children." The online Reuters/Ipsos poll had a credibility interval of between around two and four percentage points. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found 61% of respondents nationwide, including 66% of independents, prefer a candidate who opposes allowing medical treatment for minors related to gender identity. Reuters GraphicsThe Reuters/Ipsos poll found that nationwide, women were more likely than men to oppose severe abortion restrictions and permitless concealed guns.

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