Supreme Court of the United States

The U.S. Supreme Court, currently with a 6–3 conservative majority, is the final arbiter of constitutional disputes, including the meaning of the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause. - Oral arguments scheduled for April 1, 2026, in Trump v. Barbara

On January 20, 2025, the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14160, "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship," directing federal agencies to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born on U.S. soil if their mother was in the country unlawfully or only on a temporary visa and the father was neither a citizen nor a lawful permanent resident. The order directly challenges more than 125 years of legal consensus, grounded in the 14th Amendment and the Supreme Court's 1898 decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, that nearly everyone born in the United States is a citizen at birth regardless of parental status.

Updated Yesterday

The Court heard arguments in November 2025 on whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act authorizes the president to impose tariffs—the same legal mechanism underlying Trump's Cuba order. - IEEPA tariff ruling anticipated post-February 20 recess

The United States has imposed economic pressure on Cuba for 64 years. Now, for the first time, Washington is threatening to punish any country that sells oil to the island. President Trump's January 29 executive order creates a tariff mechanism targeting third countries that supply Cuban fuel—a significant escalation that goes beyond traditional bilateral sanctions to coerce allies and trading partners into joining an energy blockade. Nearly two months later, the UN has warned of a potential humanitarian collapse as oil dwindles, blackouts persist nationwide, and tensions boiled over with Cuban border guards killing four on a US-registered speedboat on February 25.

Updated 2 days ago

The nation's highest court, which resolved a circuit split over whether federal restitution qualifies as criminal punishment. - Issued ruling

For decades, federal courts disagreed on a fundamental question: Is court-ordered restitution a criminal punishment or a civil remedy? The distinction matters because the Constitution's Ex Post Facto Clause bars retroactive increases in criminal punishment—but not civil obligations. On January 20, 2026, the Supreme Court unanimously answered: restitution under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act is plainly criminal punishment, and defendants cannot be held to payment terms that didn't exist when they committed their crimes.

Updated Jan 21

The nation's highest court, which fundamentally reshaped Second Amendment law in 2022. - Set Bruen precedent; hearing two more gun cases in 2026

The Ninth Circuit just struck down California's ban on openly carrying guns in urban areas, ruling that a law affecting 95% of the state violates the Second Amendment. Judge Lawrence VanDyke wrote that open carry was widely protected at America's founding—exactly the kind of historical analysis the Supreme Court demanded in its 2022 Bruen decision. The ruling creates a circuit split with the Second Circuit, which said states can ban one form of carry as long as they allow the other.

Updated Jan 21

Hearing arguments on whether WWII contracts allow federal court removal. - Deciding jurisdictional question

A Louisiana jury ordered Chevron to pay $745 million in April 2025 for wrecking coastal wetlands through decades of oil drilling. Now the Supreme Court will decide if that verdict stands—or if Chevron can escape to federal court by claiming it was acting under federal orders when it refined aviation fuel during World War II. The catch: the lawsuit concerns oil production, not refining, and much of the damage happened decades after the war ended.

Updated Jan 14

The highest court in the federal judiciary, currently weighing whether IEEPA grants presidential authority to impose tariffs. - Reviewing IEEPA tariff authority

For three months, the world's two largest economies operated under a fragile ceasefire. The Trump-Xi trade deal struck in South Korea last October reduced U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from a peak of 145% to 47%, while China suspended its rare earth export controls. On January 12, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on all countries doing business with Iran—a measure that primarily targets China, which purchases over 90% of Iran's oil exports.

Updated Jan 14

The nation's highest court, with a 6-3 conservative majority that ruled against transgender rights in the Skrmetti medical care case in June 2025. - Hearing oral arguments; decision expected by June 2026

The Supreme Court heard over three hours of oral arguments on January 13, 2026, in two cases that will determine whether states can bar transgender students from competing on sports teams matching their gender identity. During the proceedings, the Court's conservative majority signaled strong support for upholding state restrictions, though several justices appeared wary of issuing an overly broad ruling. The cases—Little v. Hecox from Idaho and West Virginia v. B.P.J.—challenge laws under both Title IX and the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.

Updated Jan 13

The highest court in the United States, with final appellate jurisdiction over federal and state courts. - Issued 5-4 ruling expanding federal prisoner habeas rights

The Supreme Court just handed federal prisoners a major win, ruling 5-4 that they can challenge their convictions repeatedly—something most courts have blocked for decades. Michael Bowe, serving 24 years for armed robbery, asked to revisit his case based on new legal precedent. The Eleventh Circuit said no. On January 9, 2026, the Supreme Court said yes, declaring that a key provision of the 1996 anti-terrorism law applies only to state prisoners, not federal inmates.

Updated Jan 11