federal courts

A US judge has overturned President Trump's ban on certain media outlets from White House coverage, ruling the exclusion unlawful. The decision restores press access and is being widely discussed as a significant moment for press freedom and the limits of presidential power over media access to the administration.

The US Supreme Court has ruled that states may use the federal SAVE database to verify the citizenship status of voters. The decision clears the way for states conducting voter roll checks to rely on the federal immigration records system, a move that has drawn attention amid ongoing national debates over election integrity and voter eligibility verification.

A federal judge has temporarily paused the Trump administration's ban barring CNN from the White House, allowing the network's reporters back into the building. CNN covered its own return in a live broadcast. The ruling is being closely watched as part of the broader legal fight over press access to the administration.

A legal challenge brought with the Brennan Center for Justice has succeeded in striking down conditions imposed by the Trump administration that tied federal anti-terrorism funding to election-related demands. The ruling means recipients of counterterrorism grants are no longer subject to those election-linked requirements. Critics had argued the conditions improperly mixed national security funding with electoral politics, and the decision is being closely watched as the 2024 election cycle intensifies.

The Mexican government has filed a lawsuit against Meta in federal court, accusing the company of human rights violations. The case was reported by Mexican news outlet Milenio and is drawing wide attention, as it marks an unusual legal challenge by a national government against one of the world's largest technology companies over rights-related claims.

The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to allow it to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender inmates in federal prisons. The request seeks to lift lower-court rulings that blocked the policy, and the case adds to ongoing legal battles over transgender rights and executive authority that are drawing national attention.

A federal judge has ordered the White House to respond by 12:30 PM to allegations it is not complying with a court order concerning press access. The ruling escalates a legal standoff between the administration and journalists over the enforcement of press freedom protections, with observers watching closely for how the White House responds to the tight deadline.

The US Supreme Court has approved the use of a federal citizenship verification tool for checking voter registrations, in a decision welcomed by voting-integrity advocates. However, analysts note the ruling's practical effect on upcoming midterm elections will be limited, since most states are unlikely to implement new verification procedures in time to affect November's contests.

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.

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 asks the justices to permit the government to limit such care while litigation over the policy continues, adding to a series of legal battles over transgender rights that have reached the nation's highest court.

A federal judge has blocked Utah's law targeting VPN use, part of the state's efforts to enforce age verification for adult content. The ruling halts enforcement of provisions that critics said would restrict access to privacy tools. Supporters of the law argue it protects minors, while digital rights advocates welcome the decision as a win for online privacy and free expression.

A federal judge has blocked FEMA from conditioning antiterrorism grant funding on changes to election rules. The ruling stops the agency from using homeland security money as leverage over state election administration. The decision lands amid ongoing legal fights over federal authority over elections and conditions attached to federal funding, and is drawing attention from government, law and politics observers.

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift a court block on its policy concerning transgender inmates, reportedly involving housing or treatment rules in federal prisons. The emergency request asks the justices to allow the policy to take effect while litigation continues. The move is drawing attention from civil rights groups and supporters of the administration's prison policies.

A federal court has ruled that Washington, D.C.'s parole and supervised release system discriminates against people with disabilities. The decision means the District's system for supervising people returning from incarceration fails to accommodate disabilities, and it is expected to force changes to how parole and supervision are administered. Advocates, including the ACLU of the District of Columbia, have highlighted the ruling, which could prompt reforms to ensure disabled people are not disadvantaged in reentry and supervision proceedings.

A U.S. appeals court has upheld the government's designation of AI company Anthropic as a supply chain risk. The ruling, reported by CNBC, keeps in place a Pentagon-related classification that flags the company over concerns tied to federal supply chains. The decision is a significant setback for Anthropic, one of the leading developers of large language models, and raises questions about how AI firms will navigate national security scrutiny going forward.

A recent federal court ruling could pose a legal challenge to Wisconsin's law banning AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The case raises questions about whether statutes targeting computer-generated imagery that involves no real child can survive First Amendment scrutiny. Legal observers are watching to see whether the ruling prompts challenges to similar laws in other states as AI-generated content becomes more widespread.

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.

A judge has ruled that immigrants in Wisconsin can continue using community clinics, Head Start programs and adult education services, halting an effort to restrict their access. Multiple Wisconsin outlets report the decision, which preserves federal and state-funded services for immigrant families. Supporters see it as protecting families and children, while it marks a setback for officials attempting tighter limits.

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.

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.

A recent court ruling is being described as cementing a retreat from enforcement of the disability integration mandate, the requirement to serve people with disabilities in community settings rather than institutions. Commentators in the senior living sector say the decision leaves operators facing uncertainty over their obligations, as federal support for community-based placement enforcement appears to be winding down.

A federal court has ruled that prediction-market platform Kalshi must comply with Tennessee's gambling laws in relation to its sports event contracts. The decision means Kalshi cannot treat its sports offerings as federally regulated financial products exempt from state gambling regulation in Tennessee. It adds to ongoing legal battles between prediction-market operators and state regulators across the United States over whether sports contracts amount to gambling.

A federal court ruling has cleared the way for the establishment of a Jewish charter school in Oklahoma. The decision is significant because charter schools are publicly funded, and the case touches on ongoing debates over the separation of church and state in American education. Supporters say the ruling expands school choice and religious freedom, while critics warn it could open the door to publicly funded religious schools 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.

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.

A federal judge has blocked efforts to remove bison from public lands in Montana, halting planned removal actions that would have affected wild bison herds on those lands. The ruling is significant for wildlife advocates who have long pushed to protect bison in the state, while also drawing attention from ranchers and land managers concerned about bison management.

An Illinois court has ruled that the Illinois Interest Act's preemption framework, as applied under the IFPA, extends to federal credit unions, reinforcing that federally chartered institutions are shielded from certain state-law claims. The decision is significant for consumer finance litigation in Illinois, clarifying that federal credit unions can invoke the same preemption protections previously applied to national banks and other federally chartered lenders.