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[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden holds up a ghost gun kit while announcing new measures by his administration to fight ghost gun crime at the White House in, Washington, U.S., April 11, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File PhotoAug 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted a request by President Joe Biden's administration to reinstate - at least for now - a federal regulation aimed at reining in privately made firearms called "ghost guns" that are difficult for law enforcement to trace. A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Tuesday found that 70% of Americans support requirements that ghost guns have serial numbers and be produced only by licensed manufacturers. There were about 20,000 suspected ghost guns reported in 2021 to the ATF as having been recovered by law enforcement in criminal investigations - a tenfold increase from 2016, according to White House statistics. Biden's administration on July 27 asked the justices to halt O'Connor's ruling that invalidated a Justice Department restriction on the sale of ghost gun kits while it appeals to the New Orleans-based 5th U.S.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden's, District Judge Reed O'Connor, John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, O'Connor, Sellers, Alito, Andrew Chung, Will Dunham Organizations: White, REUTERS, U.S, Supreme, District, Conservative, Control, Bureau, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Gun Control, Justice, Coalition, Reuters, White House, Circuit, Appeals, Firearms Policy Coalition, Constitution, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Fort Worth , Texas, New Orleans, Texas, United States, U.S, New York

Prosecutors, in asking for the protective order, argued that Trump could otherwise improperly disclose confidential evidence before trial. In a reply brief filed late on Monday, prosecutors said that since they had asked for the protective order, Trump's attorneys had discussed the case on major U.S. television networks. Prosecutors said Trump had a "plan to litigate this case in the media." Prosecutors in their Friday filing said they are prepared to provide Trump with a "substantial amount" of evidence once a protective order is issued. Trump lawyer John Lauro has said he will seek to transfer the 2020 election case from Washington, D.C., to West Virginia.

Persons: Donald Trump, Sam Wolfe, Donald Trump's, Trump, Joe Biden, Tanya Chutkan, Chutkan, Barack Obama, John Lauro, Jacqueline Thomsen, Dan Whitcomb, Scott Malone, Howard Goller, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Constitution, Prosecutors, U.S . Constitution, Democratic, Trump, Saturday, Name, White, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Thomson Locations: Columbia , South Carolina, U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, U.S ., Washington ,, West Virginia

"She ignored the public trial right entirely. Scott Berry, Spearman's federal public defender, declined to comment, as did a Justice Department spokesperson. Five former federal judges -- four appointed by Democrats and one by a Republican -- said in interviews that Cannon’s errors likely reflect relative inexperience on the bench. A public trial also has been found to implicate First Amendment rights of freedom of assembly, speech and press. One of the pivotal Supreme Court cases on the right to a public trial is Waller v. Georgia.

Persons: Aileen Cannon, Donald Trump's, Cannon, Trump, William Spearman, Spearman's, Stephen Smith, Spearman, Jeremy Fogel, Scott Berry, Paul Grimm, Grimm, Brian Steel, Mark Bennett, It's, Waller, Berry, Greg Schiller, Schiller, Clara's Smith, Jacqueline Thomsen, Sarah N, Lynch, Will Dunham, Scott Malone Organizations: U.S ., Dirksen, Trump, WASHINGTON, Reuters, U.S, Constitution's, Santa Clara School of Law, Berkeley Judicial, Republican, Duke Law School, Supreme, Chief U.S, Northern, Northern District of, . Georgia, Senate, Circuit, Appeals, FBI, Trump's Mar, Thomson Locations: Florida, Washington , U.S, Alabama, Cannon, California, Maryland, Northern District, Northern District of Iowa, ., Atlanta, Trump's, Lago, Washington, New York, U.S

A defendant's right to a public trial is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution's Sixth Amendment. "She ignored the public trial right entirely. A public trial also has been found to implicate First Amendment rights of freedom of assembly, speech and press. Scott Berry, a federal public defender representing Spearman, declined to comment, as did a Justice Department spokesperson. LIMITED EXPERIENCEAs a judge, Cannon so far has presided over four criminal trials that resulted in jury verdicts.

Persons: Aileen Cannon, Donald Trump's, Cannon, Trump, William Spearman, Stephen Smith, Jeremy Fogel, Fogel, Mark Bennett, It's, Scott Berry, Spearman, Paul Grimm, Grimm, Berry, Greg Schiller, Schiller, Spearman's, Clara's Smith, Jacqueline Thomsen, Sarah N, Lynch, Will Dunham, Scott Malone Organizations: U.S ., Dirksen, Trump, WASHINGTON, Reuters, Constitution's, Santa Clara School of Law, U.S, Supreme, Democratic, Republican, Berkeley Judicial, Chief U.S, Northern, Northern District of, Senate, Circuit, Appeals, FBI, Trump's Mar, Duke Law School, Thomson Locations: Florida, Washington , U.S, Alabama, U.S, California, Fort Pierce , Florida, Northern District, Northern District of Iowa, Atlanta, Trump's, Lago, Maryland, North Carolina

REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman/File PhotoAug 4 (Reuters) - A divided federal appeals court on Friday ruled that Mississippi cannot strip the right to vote from thousands of convicts after they complete their sentences, calling that a "cruel and unusual punishment" that disproportionately affected Black people. Circuit Court of Appeals faulted a provision of Mississippi's state constitution that mandates lifetime disenfranchisement for people convicted of a set of crimes including murder, rape and theft. Siding with a group of convicts who sued in 2018 to regain their right to vote, U.S. Circuit Judge James Dennis wrote that the state's policy violated the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment, which bars cruel and unusual punishments. Circuit Judge Carolyn Dineen King in reversing a lower-court judge's ruling.

Persons: Jonathan Bachman, James Dennis, Dennis, Carolyn Dineen King, Mississippians, Jonathan Youngwood, Lynn Fitch, disenfranchisement, Edith Jones, Ronald Reagan, Jones, Nate Raymond, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Circuit, U.S ., Washington , D.C, U.S, Democratic, Republican, Supreme, Thomson Locations: Ridgeland , Mississippi, U.S, Mississippi, New Orleans, U.S . Civil, Washington ,, Constitution's, Boston

[1/2] The entrance to the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial on the 10th anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, U.S., December 14, 2022. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File PhotoAug 3 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday rejected a gun rights group's challenge to an assault weapons ban the state of Connecticut adopted after a gunman in 2012 killed 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) filed a lawsuit in September, arguing the 2013 ban violated the right to bear arms under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment, citing a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that expanded gun rights. But U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven in a 74-page ruling rejected those claims, saying the group failed to establish that assault weapons and large capacity magazines are commonly bought and used for self-defense. Arterton, an appointee of former Democratic President Bill Clinton, cited "persuasive" evidence by the state that assault weapons are instead more often sought out for their militaristic characteristics and are often used in crimes and mass shootings.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, NAGR, Janet Bond Arterton, Bill Clinton, William Tong, Hannah Hill, Nate Raymond, David Gregorio, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Sandy, Sandy Hook Elementary, REUTERS, National Association for Gun Rights, U.S, Supreme, New York, Democratic, National Foundation for Gun Rights, Thomson Locations: Newtown , Connecticut, U.S, Connecticut, Sandy, Newtown, New Haven, Bruen, Boston

District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill of the District of Idaho agreed with a challenge led by Planned Parenthood that Republican Attorney General Raul Labrador's interpretation of the state's criminal abortion law was "chilling" to providers' First Amendment rights. Idaho's abortion ban calls for revoking the license of any healthcare professional who assists in performing an abortion. Labrador interpreted the word "assists" as prohibiting an Idaho medical provider from referring a woman across state lines for an abortion. But the judge found Labrador's interpretation went too far and enjoined him from prosecuting such cases until an underlying legal challenge to the abortion law is settled in court. "The Court finds that the Medical Providers have established that there is a genuine threat of prosecution.

Persons: Lynn Winmill, Raul Labrador's, Bill Clinton, Daniel Trotta, Brendan Pierson, Lincoln Organizations: of, Planned, Republican, Providers, Medical Providers, Democratic, Medical, U.S, Supreme, Thomson Locations: U.S, Idaho, of Idaho, Labrador

July 31 (Reuters) - A group of Democratic state attorneys general has urged a federal appeals court to lift an order sharply curbing the ability of government officials to push social media companies to moderate content they deem harmful. Circuit Court of Appeals that the order hampers efforts by government officials to stop the spread of false information. They alleged that U.S. government officials, under both Democratic President Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, effectively coerced social media companies to censor posts over concerns they would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections. The office of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; editing by Deepa Babington and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Letitia James, Terry Doughty, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Andrew Bailey, Jeff Landry, Edith Brown Clement, Jennifer Walker Elrod, Don Willett, Brendan Pierson, Deepa Babington, Leslie Adler Organizations: Democratic, District of Columbia, New York, New, Circuit, Appeals, District, Republican, U.S, Facebook, YouTube, Department of Health, Human Services, Federal Bureau of, Missouri, Thomson Locations: New Orleans, U.S, Louisiana, Missouri, New York

The Texas Bankers Association (TBA), American Bankers Association (ABA) and a small Texas bank sued in April, saying the CFPB had no authority to issue the rule because an appeals court found the regulator's funding structure unlawful. U.S. District Court Judge Randy Crane in McAllen, Texas, granted a preliminary injunction blocking the CFPB from enforcing the rule against members of both groups and McAllen-based Rio Bank. Crane blocked the rule pending a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on the CFPB's funding structure. The law also required the small business loan rule. 23-00144, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas.

Persons: Randy Crane, Crane, Dodd, Frank, Jody Godoy, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Supreme, Texas Bankers Association, American Bankers Association, ABA, U.S, Rio Bank, Circuit, Appeals, Federal Reserve, Congress, U.S . Constitution, Consumer Financial, Court, Southern District of Texas, Thomson Locations: Texas, U.S, McAllen , Texas, McAllen, U.S ., Southern District, New York

July 31 (Reuters) - Healthcare providers and an abortion rights group on Monday sued Alabama in an effort to block the state from criminally prosecuting people who help others travel out of state to get abortions. In a lawsuit filed in Montgomery, Alabama federal court, the West Alabama Women's Center, the Alabama Women's Center and its medical director Yashica Robinson said any such prosecutions would violate a basic right to travel between states under the U.S. Constitution. Alabama in 2019 passed the Human Life Protection Act, a law banning nearly all abortions. The healthcare providers said the threat of prosecution prevents them from advising patients about where they could travel to get abortions, and the Yellowhammer Fund said it had been forced to shut down its abortion funding in Alabama. "That includes abortion providers conspiring to violate the Act."

Persons: Yashica Robinson, Wade, Steve Marshall, Alabamans, Robin Marty, Marshall, Amanda Priest, Brendan Pierson, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Healthcare, Monday, Alabama, West Alabama Women's Center, Alabama Women's Center, U.S, U.S . Constitution, Yellowhammer, Supreme, Yellowhammer Fund, West Alabama Women's, Thomson Locations: Montgomery , Alabama, U.S ., Alabama, Roe, New York

☆ Alito says Congress lacks authority to regulate US Supreme Court, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( John Kruzel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - Conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said that Congress lacks the power to regulate the court, in an interview published by the Wall Street Journal on Friday a week after Senate Democrats advanced a bill to impose an ethics code. The Democratic-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee last week approved the bill, which would mandate a binding code for the court following revelations that some justices - including Alito - had failed to disclose luxury trips funded by wealthy benefactors. "I know this is a controversial view, but I'm willing to say it," Alito said in the interview published in the Journal's opinion section. "No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court — period." That bill, which cleared the committee on an 11-10 party-line vote, is unlikely to gain the Republican support needed to pass Congress.

Persons: Samuel Alito, Alito, John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, preemptively, ProPublica, Thomas, Harlan Crow, Sheldon Whitehouse, John Kruzel, Andrew Chung, Scott Malone, Alistair Bell Organizations: Conservative U.S, Supreme, Wall, Democrats, Democratic, Republicans, Republican, Thomson Locations: Alaska

July 28 (Reuters) - Here is a list of legal troubles facing former U.S. President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Trump said his attorneys met on Thursday with U.S. Justice Department officials, in a sign charges could come soon. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the Department of Justice had not told his attorneys when action was likely. Officials have testified that during his final months in office, Trump pressured them with false voter fraud claims. Legal experts said Trump may have violated at least three Georgia criminal laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, JAN, General Merrick Garland, Trump's, Smith, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira, De Oliveira, Fani Willis, Brad Raffensperger, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, reimbursing Cohen, Cohen, Jean Carroll, Carroll, Letitia James, James, Donald Jr, Eric, Joseph Ax, Luc Cohen, Karen Freifeld, Susan Heavey, Sarah N, Lynch, Jonathan Stempel, Jacqueline Thomsen, Noeleen Walder, Howard Goller, Daniel Wallis Organizations: CAPITOL, U.S, Capitol, U.S . Justice Department, Department of Justice, White, Trump, Prosecutors, Republican Georgia, U.S . Constitution, Trump's, CNN, NEW, GENERAL, New York, Trump Organization, Thomson Locations: Miami, Lago Florida, New Jersey, GEORGIA, Fulton County, Georgia, U.S ., York, Manhattan, Lago, Florida, New York

July 26 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has asked a federal appeals court to lift an order sharply curbing government officials' communications with social media companies as a lawsuit accusing U.S. officials of seeking to censor certain views about COVID-19 and other topics online makes its way through the courts. Circuit Court of Appeals, the administration argued that a lower court judge's July 4 decision was overly broad and would hurt the government's ability to fight misinformation on platforms in a crisis. "The government cannot punish people for expressing different views," lawyers for U.S. President Joe Biden's administration wrote. The government must be allowed to seek to persuade people of its views, even where those views are the subject of controversy." His preliminary order came in a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden's, Terry Doughty, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Brendan Pierson, Susan Heavey Organizations: U.S, New, Circuit, Appeals, District, Facebook, YouTube, Democratic, Republican, Department of Health, Human Services, Federal Bureau of, Thomson Locations: New Orleans, U.S, Monroe , Louisiana, Louisiana, Missouri, New York

A spokesperson for Covington said the firm will "review the decision carefully and consider any next steps in consultation with our affected clients." Any final outcome could make it easier for the government to get information on law firm clients in the future, and law firms warn it could chill cooperation between the private sector and authorities investigating cyberattacks. The SEC had sought the names of all the nearly 300 companies affected, but Covington resisted identifying any clients. The agency said it needed the names to probe for securities law violations associated with the attack, arguing that Covington’s law firm status did not shield it from cooperating. Covington told the court a law firm’s clients are part of a “zone of privacy” protected by the U.S. Constitution and legal ethics rules.

Persons: Burling, Judge Amit Mehta, Covington, cyberattacks, Mehta, Andrew Goudsward, David Bario, Susan Heavey Organizations: Covington, Burling, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, U.S, SEC, Circuit U.S, of, Thomson Locations: Covington, Washington

4 House Republican Elise Stefanik and hardline Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene last month introduced a bill aimed at expunging Trump's historic two impeachments, from 2019 and 2021. It is a move, however, that could make more moderate House Republicans squirm. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, called the idea of an expungement vote "a disgrace." If such a measure were to pass, the historical record of those impeachments would remain, as would the Senate trials that were triggered by the House impeachments. In return for delaying that endorsement, according to Politico, McCarthy promised to work to pass the legislation.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Trump's, Jack Smith, Republican Elise Stefanik, Marjorie Taylor Greene, impeachments, Greene, Republicans squirm, Trump, Nancy Pelosi, Smith, Joe Biden, McCarthy, impeaching Trump, McCarthy's, Politico, Moira Warburton, Josephine Walker, Nathan Layne, Richard Cowan, Scott Malone, Will Dunham, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Republican, U.S . House, NBC, Politico, Trump, Democratic, Republicans, Democrat, Capitol, U.S . Constitution, White, Thomson Locations: U.S, Fulton County , Georgia, Ukraine, U.S ., Washington, Wilton , Connecticut

☆ Biden asks aides for options preventing future debt limit crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] US President Joe Biden addresses the nation on averting default and the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, June 2, 2023. JIM WATSON/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoWASHINGTON, July 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden asked a group of aides to explore "all legal and policy options" to prevent another debt limit standoff, the White House said on Thursday. The group includes Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Attorney General Merrick Garland, White House budget director Shalanda Young and Council of Economic Advisers chair Jared Bernstein. This year's bipartisan debt ceiling deal keeps fiscal 2024 spending flat at this year's levels, allowing a 1% increase for fiscal 2025. The deal was approved by 149 House Republicans - a strong party majority - along with 165 Democrats.

Persons: Joe Biden, JIM WATSON, Kevin McCarthy, Stuart Delery, Lael Brainard, Biden, Janet Yellen, General Merrick Garland, Shalanda Young, Jared Bernstein, Laurence Tribe, Morgan Stanley, Seth Carpenter, Trevor Hunnicutt, Leslie Adler, Stephen Coates Organizations: White, WASHINGTON, Democratic, Republican, National Economic, U.S . Constitution, Economic, Harvard Law School, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Washington , DC, United States, U.S .

☆ Senate panel set to vote on US Supreme Court ethics reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( John Kruzel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 20 (Reuters) - A Senate panel on Thursday was set to debate and vote on Democratic-backed legislation that would mandate a binding ethics code for the U.S. Supreme Court following revelations that some conservative justices have failed to disclose luxury trips and real estate transactions. It would require the justices to adopt a code of conduct as well as create a mechanism to investigate alleged violations. Unlike other members of the federal judiciary, the Supreme Court's nine life-tenured justices have no binding ethics code of conduct. The legislation would face long odds to win passage on the Senate floor, where it would need some Republican support to advance. Democratic senators have said these reports show that the court cannot be trusted to police itself.

Persons: Sheldon Whitehouse, Clarence Thomas, Harlan Crow, ProPublica, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: Democratic, U.S, Republican, Representatives, Dallas, Politico, Thomson Locations: Alaska, Colorado

☆ US House Speaker McCarthy denies deal with Trump to expunge impeachments
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The second time it charged Trump with inciting an insurrection, relating to the attack on the Capitol by his supporters. McCarthy voted against impeaching Trump both times. McCarthy's remarks came after Politico reported that Trump was outraged at the speaker for withholding his endorsement of Trump's third run for the White House in 2024. In return for delaying that endorsement, according to Politico, McCarthy promised to work to pass legislation to "expunge" both impeachments. Politico said McCarthy had promised to do so before Congress leaves for an August recess.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, McCarthy, Trump, Joe Biden, impeaching Trump, McCarthy's, Politico, Jack Smith, Richard Cowan, Josephine Walker, Moira Warburton, Nathan Layne, Will Dunham, Scott Malone Organizations: . House, Republican, Politico, Trump, Democrats, Capitol, U.S . Constitution, White House, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.S .

☆ US Senate Democrats pursue Supreme Court ethics legislation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( John Kruzel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Unlike other members of the federal judiciary, the Supreme Court's nine life-tenured justices have no binding ethics code of conduct. "The Supreme Court does a good job of that on their own," Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Reuters, referring to ethics rules. Senator John Kennedy, another Republican panel member, questioned whether lawmakers possess the power to impose ethics standards on the court. The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Supreme Court ethics concerns in May, but conservative Chief Justice John Roberts rebuffed Durbin's invitation to testify, citing "the importance of preserving judicial independence." That code, binding to lower federal court judges but not the justices, requires judges to avoid even the "appearance of impropriety."

Persons: Sheldon Whitehouse, Whitehouse, Dick Durbin, Clarence Thomas, Harlan Crow, ProPublica, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Mike Lee of, John Kennedy, I'm, Kennedy, John Roberts, Roberts, they're, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: Democrats, U.S, Democratic, Republican, Representatives, Dallas, Politico, Reuters, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Alaska, Colorado, Mike Lee of Utah

☆ Louisiana lawmakers reassert ban on gender-affirming care, overriding veto
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 19 (Reuters) - A ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender children is due to take effect in Louisiana on Jan. 1, after the state legislature overrode Governor John Bel Edwards' veto of the bill, according to state officials. The legislature, which acted late on Tuesday, becomes the latest Republican-led state to ban trans-focused healthcare. Louisiana's House Bill 648 - called the "Stop Harming Our Kids Act" - bans hormone treatments and puberty-blocking drugs, gender-affirming surgeries and other related care for anyone under the age of 18. The House voted 75 to 23 in favor of overriding the Democratic governor's veto, while the Senate voted 28 to 11 to override. Judges have said laws banning such care violate a parent's right to make healthcare decisions on behalf of their children.

Persons: John Bel Edwards, Edwards, Gabe Firment, Rachel Nostrant, Howard Goller Organizations: Republican, Democratic, U.S . Constitution, Louisiana House, Thomson Locations: Louisiana, Alabama , Arkansas, Florida , Indiana , Kentucky, Tennessee, U.S ., Montana, Georgia, Oklahoma

The winning candidate must receive at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes. Each of the 50 states is assigned a number of electoral votes that match the size of their congressional delegation. In all but two states, the winner of the popular vote receives all of the state's electoral votes. In most elections, the winner of the national popular vote has also won the Electoral College vote. Those electors met on Dec. 14, 2020, to cast their votes for Trump - the same day when legitimate electors cast their ballots for Biden.

Persons: John Eastman, Donald Trump's, Rudy Giuliani, Read, Dana Nessel, Republican Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Kenneth Chesebro, Trump, Biden, Mike Pence, Congress's, Pence, JAN, Jeffrey Clark, Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone, Grant McCool Organizations: Trump, U.S, Congress, Michigan, Republican, Democrat, U.S . Constitution, of Columbia, Senate, Electoral, Trump's, U.S . Capitol, White, Capitol, U.S . Justice, Washington . Eastman, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, U.S ., California, Vermont, Wyoming, Maine, Nebraska, The Michigan, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, New York, Washington

July 18 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, becoming the latest drugmaker seeking to block a program that gives the Medicare government health insurance plan the power to negotiate lower drug prices. The pharmaceutical industry says the drug price negotiation program under President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act law will curtail profits and compel drugmakers to curb development of groundbreaking new treatments. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in September is expected to select the first 10 drugs to target for negotiations with settled prices set to take effect in 2026. The law is on our side," a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. It broadly follows the other related lawsuits, arguing that the program is unconstitutional and amounts to "confiscation of constitutionally protected property."

Persons: Johnson, Joe Biden's, drugmakers, Biden, Janssen, Bhanvi, Michael Erman, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Susan Heavey Organizations: Johnson, U.S, drugmakers Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck & Co, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Pharmaceutical Research, Manufacturers of America, Commerce, U.S . Centers, Medicare, Medicaid Services, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, District of New Jersey, Bengaluru, New Jersey

☆ Johnson & Johnson sues Biden administration over Medicare drug price negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday sued the Biden administration over Medicare's new powers to slash drug prices, making it the third pharmaceutical company to challenge the controversial provision of the Inflation Reduction Act. The lawsuit filed in federal district court in New Jersey argues the Medicare negotiations violate the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. J&J also argues that the new provision forces the company to agree that the federal government is negotiating fair drug prices. The company believes the provision doesn't involve true negotiations since the government "unilaterally dictates" drug prices. HHS said in a statement it will "vigorously defend the President's drug price negotiation law, which is already helping to lower health care costs for seniors and people with disabilities."

Persons: Johnson, drugmakers Merck, Joe Biden's, J, Xavier Becerra Organizations: Biden, U.S . Constitution, Bristol Myers Squibb, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, PhRMA, . Health, Human Services Department, Medicare, Services, HHS Locations: New Jersey, U.S ., United States, Xarelto

July 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked a lower court order that had sharply limited certain Biden administration officials' and agencies' contacts with social media companies. The 5th Circuit on Friday ruled that the administration's appeal of Doughty's order will be heard as soon as possible by a three-judge panel. Doughty's order itself was a temporary injunction, meant to remain in place while the judge considers the case more fully. The social media companies mentioned in the lawsuit include Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), Twitter and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube. Legal experts have said Doughty's order will likely face tough scrutiny on appeal, thanks to its breadth and the lack of clear precedents supporting it.

Persons: Terry Doughty, Doughty, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Brendan Pierson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Biden, New, Circuit, U.S, District, Democratic, Republican, Facebook, Inc, Twitter, YouTube, Department of Health, Human Services, FBI, Thomson Locations: New Orleans, Monroe , Louisiana, Louisiana, Missouri, New York

Last month, U.S. District Judge David Hale found that the ban likely violated the U.S. Constitution. However, he said he had to put his order on hold because the federal appeals court hearing the case recently paused a similar order in Tennessee. The law is being challenged by families of transgender children who say they will be irreparably harmed by losing access to medical treatments. The now-reinstated Kentucky and Tennessee laws were both blocked by federal judges on June 28 in response to lawsuits by families of transgender children. The families say the laws discriminate against transgender people and take away parents' right to make medical decisions for their children.

Persons: David Hale, Daniel Cameron, Corey Shapiro, Hale, Brendan Pierson, David Gregorio Our Organizations: District, . Constitution, Republican, Civil Liberties Union, Kentucky, U.S, Circuit, Appeals, Thomson Locations: Kentucky, U.S, ., Tennessee . Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas , Alabama, Florida, Indiana, New York

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