Federal courts

A US judge has overturned President Trump's ban on certain media outlets from White House coverage. The ruling blocks the administration from excluding journalists from presidential events, a move critics called an attack on press freedom. Supporters of the president are expected to challenge the decision, and the case is likely to move through the appeals courts, keeping the fight over media access in the spotlight.

A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration's ban blocking certain journalists from White House press access, overturning the exclusion policy. The decision restores press credentials and access for affected outlets and is being widely covered by major news organizations including CNN. The ruling is seen as a significant check on the administration's control over media access to the presidency and is likely to be appealed.

The US Supreme Court has ruled that states may use the federal SAVE database to verify the citizenship status of voters. The decision allows state officials to cross-check voter registration records against the immigration database, a step several Republican-led states have sought. Critics argue such checks risk wrongly purging eligible voters, particularly naturalised citizens, while supporters frame the ruling as a victory for election integrity.

The Mexican government has filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing the company of human rights violations, in a federal court. The case was reported by Milenio and has drawn broad attention, as it marks an unusual direct legal challenge by Mexico against one of the world's largest technology companies over alleged rights abuses.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from a high-profile climate case before the Court, according to Politico. The withdrawal removes one justice from a closely watched dispute over climate regulation, potentially affecting how the Court rules on an issue with sweeping implications for federal environmental policy and the states and industries involved.

A coalition of news organizations has asked a federal court to bar the White House from enforcing a ban on access for certain journalists. The legal challenge argues the administration's restrictions violate press freedom protections, and the case is drawing wide attention as a test of limits on government control over media access.

A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration's attempt to make states adopt election-related changes as a condition for receiving anti-terrorism grant funding. The decision stops the administration from withholding homeland security money to pressure states over election policy. It is the latest judicial setback to White House efforts to link federal funding to its political priorities.

A federal judge has ordered the White House to respond by 12:30 PM regarding its non-compliance with a press-related court order. The development marks an escalation in an ongoing legal dispute over press access, and the deadline is expected to reveal whether the administration will comply with the court's directives.

A federal court has struck down conditions imposed by the Trump administration that tied anti-terrorism funding to election-related demands. The Brennan Center for Justice highlighted the ruling, which blocks the administration from leveraging security grants to influence how elections are run. Critics had argued the conditions amounted to improper federal pressure on state election administration.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is calling on the DC Circuit to vacate a federal drone flight restriction that effectively criminalized aerial recording of immigration enforcement agents. The group argues the restriction blocks First Amendment-protected documentation of federal operations. The case is drawing attention amid heightened public scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics across the United States.

The US Department of Justice has asked the Supreme Court to take up a case that could narrow legal protections for transgender people. The filing is being read as an effort to roll back established interpretations of sex discrimination protections. Civil rights groups warn the case could strip away safeguards in employment, healthcare and education, while supporters argue the current reading of federal law goes too far.

A U.S. appeals court has upheld the government's designation of AI company Anthropic as a supply chain risk, a decision with major implications for the Pentagon's ability to work with the firm. The ruling reinforces federal authority to restrict AI providers deemed security concerns from defense-related procurement, and is being closely watched across the tech and defense industries for what it signals about oversight of leading artificial intelligence companies.

The US Supreme Court has allowed states to use a federal database to verify the citizenship of voter registration applicants. The decision, reported by Route Fifty, clears the way for expanded vetting ahead of the midterm elections, though analysts say its practical effect on the upcoming contests will be limited because implementation timelines and coverage constraints restrict how widely the tool can be applied.

The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to allow restrictions on gender-affirming health care for transgender inmates in federal prisons. The request seeks to undo lower court rulings that blocked such limits, and it lands amid ongoing legal and political battles over transgender rights and the treatment of transgender people in the US justice system.

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to block a lower court order that halted its policy on transgender inmates, reportedly ending the housing of transgender women in women's federal prisons. The emergency application goes to the justices after a district court ruled against the policy. The request sets up another high-profile clash over transgender rights and presidential authority before the Court.

The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to let it enforce limits on gender-affirming care for transgender inmates in federal prisons. The request asks the justices to allow the policy to take effect while legal challenges proceed, and it lands amid ongoing national battles over transgender healthcare and prison rights.

A federal judge has reinstated a $7 billion solar energy program intended to help low-income families access solar power, after the Trump administration scrapped it. The ruling restores funding under the program, though the administration is expected to appeal, leaving the program's future uncertain. The case has become part of the broader legal fight over the administration's efforts to unwind climate and clean-energy funding approved under prior legislation.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have asked a federal judge to stop President Trump from reviving a ban on their reporters' access to the White House. The news organisations are seeking a court order to preserve their access, arguing the move restricts press freedom. The dispute reopens a running battle between the administration and major US news outlets over media access.

A federal judge has blocked a Trump-era immigration rule that restricted eligibility for federally funded programs. The ruling stops the rule from being enforced while legal challenges proceed. Critics of the rule had argued it unfairly limited access to services for immigrant families, while supporters said it protected public resources. The decision is part of a broader wave of litigation over immigration policies introduced during the Trump administration.

A federal court ruling could call into question Wisconsin's law banning AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The case raises legal questions about whether computer-generated depictions fall under existing statutes targeting child exploitation. Observers are watching to see whether the state's prohibition survives constitutional scrutiny or requires legislative revision.

A federal court ruling has cleared the way for a Jewish charter school to open in Oklahoma. The decision is significant because charter schools are publicly funded, raising unresolved questions about the separation of church and state. The case is expected to draw further legal challenges as other states and religious groups watch closely for its implications on publicly funded religious education.

Maine Senator Susan Collins is running her first re-election campaign since voting to confirm Supreme Court justices who later helped overturn federal abortion rights. Her 2022 vote for Brett Kavanaugh has become a central issue, with opponents and voters revisiting her assurances that Roe v. Wade would remain settled law. Coverage from Spectrum News and PBS highlights how the abortion decision continues to shape her race.

The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to let it deny hormone therapy to transgender inmates in federal custody. The request escalates a legal fight over medical care for transgender prisoners, pitting claims of institutional discretion and public cost against court rulings that withholding such treatment violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The justices' response will shape how far correctional authorities must go in providing gender-affirming care behind bars.

A federal court has ruled that prediction market operator Kalshi is subject to Tennessee's gambling laws in relation to its sports event contracts. The decision means the company cannot treat its sports offerings as federally regulated derivatives exempt from state gambling regulation, and it could shape how states oversee sports prediction markets and similar platforms operating nationwide.

Immigrants' rights advocates, including the Asian Law Caucus, have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new executive order from President Trump on birthright citizenship. The suit argues the order is unlawful and targets efforts to end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States. Legal battles over the order are expected to move quickly through the courts.

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot withhold counterterrorism funding from states as a way to force changes to election procedures. The decision blocks an attempt to pressure states through federal homeland security grants. The ruling limits the administration's use of funding conditions to influence how states run elections.

Courts have ruled against prediction market operator Kalshi in a further setback, with judges finding that its event contracts must comply with state and federal gambling laws rather than being treated solely as regulated financial instruments. The decisions add to Kalshi's mounting legal defeats as regulators and states challenge its expanding sports and event betting markets.

The Supreme Court has reinstated a federal immigration database, a decision arriving just ahead of the November election. Attention is now turning to whether Arizona officials will deploy the database, a state long at the center of immigration enforcement battles. Observers are weighing how the ruling could affect state-level checks and enforcement practices, and what role immigration policy will play in campaign debates heading into the vote.

Recent court victories for the 'Solar for All' program are prompting discussion about what they mean for litigation brought by grantee organizations. The program, which funds solar projects in low-income communities, scored wins in legal challenges, but analysts are weighing how these outcomes shape future lawsuits involving program grantees and whether the legal strategy will continue to protect federal clean energy funding.

The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a climate-related case involving the City of Boulder, Colorado, on Monday. The case centers on the city's efforts to hold energy companies accountable for climate change damages, a dispute that could shape how similar local climate lawsuits proceed across the country. Observers are watching closely for implications on federal versus local authority over climate policy.

The Cato Institute argues that the Supreme Court's decision to reauthorize the SAVE student loan repayment program is being overstated by some commentators, and that its practical impact is smaller than claimed. The SAVE plan, an income-driven repayment scheme for federal student borrowers, has been a frequent target of litigation and political debate, making any court action on it headline-worthy.

A court has again rejected the Trump administration's effort to cut off funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The ruling blocks, for now, attempts to zero out the agency's budget, which is financed by the Federal Reserve rather than congressional appropriations. The decision preserves the consumer watchdog's operations while litigation over the administration's authority to reshape independent agencies continues.

An Illinois court has ruled that the Illinois Interest Act's preemption applies to federal credit unions, extending earlier preemption reasoning under the IFPA to those institutions. The decision clarifies that state law limits on interest and fees do not apply to federally chartered credit unions operating in Illinois, a point of significance for lenders and consumer finance compliance in the state.