Cases and Controversies

The Supreme Court wrapped up its term after issuing decisions in July for the first time in more than two decades. Chief Justice John Roberts continued to dominate the direction of the court he leads, authoring landmark opinions on presidential power in the cases over subpoenas for President Trump’s financial records. He was also in the majority for two big cases handing victories to religious emp...

For the first time since Chief Justice John Roberts took the helm in 2005, the Supreme Court is going into overtime—that is, going beyond the final week in June to issue all of its decisions in argued cases. The justices were able to clear their decks of five cases this week, in which the chief justice took a starring role. From his swing vote in a Louisiana abortion case to his vote in favor of a...

The Supreme Court issued just two opinions this week heading into the final days of June, with 13 argued cases still undecided as we near what is usually the end of the term. Cases and Controversies hosts Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin break down those two divided decisions, on SEC enforcement and the rights of immigrants facing expedited removal. They also talk about what the rest of the term...

It was a historic week for the Supreme Court as the justices split among themselves while delivering victories for LGBT and immigrant rights, not to mention major defeats for the Trump administration. Justice Neil Gorsuch and Chief Justice John Roberts faced backlash from Republicans for siding with Democratic appointees in the closely-watched employment discrimination and DACA disputes, both of w...

With just one opinion and one grant coming out of the Supreme Court this week, Bloomberg Law takes a step back to look at how the term has shaped up and what to expect in the final weeks. The court's newest member, Brett Kavanaugh, has quickly become the median justice. He's the only one to be in the majority in 100% of the argued cases that he's participated in this term. Chief Justice John Rober...

The Supreme Court issued five opinions in a range of cases on June 1, including the much-anticipated decision over the fate of Puerto Rico’s financial oversight and management board. This week’s Cases and Controversies episode breaks down that ruling as well as decisions on immigration, arbitration, and more. Hosts Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin also look at what’s ahead and note that the term...

It's time for the justices to buckle down, with approximately two dozen cases outstanding and the end of the term approaching. Lyle Denniston has covered the court for nearly six decades, and he joins Cases and Controversies to review the big pending cases and the pandemic's implications for the future of the Supreme Court. He'll also disclose what he's been up to during his third shot at "retirem...

Supreme Court justices are hammering out their final opinions of the term, fielding emergency litigation, and contemplating which new cases to add to their docket for next term. The latest Cases and Controversies episode highlights an issue that’s been piling up on the high court’s docket: qualified immunity, the legal doctrine that shields law enforcement from liability even after the most egregi...

The Supreme Court finished up its first livestreamed arguments with blockbuster cases involving subpoenas for the president's financial information and so-called "rogue" members of the electoral college. Bloomberg Law's Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin discuss the historic sitting, from an all-female lineup to taciturn Justice Clarence Thomas's multiplicity of questions to, once again, The Flush...

Supreme Court justices survived their first week of livestreamed arguments mostly unscathed, and now they’re ready to bring it home with the final week of phone arguments in this special May session. Headlining this upcoming week are the May 12 arguments over congressional and prosecutorial efforts to get President Trump’s private financial records from third-party banks and accounting firms. In a...

The Supreme Court is going to kick off its historic May argument sitting by hearing four cases the week of May 4. Two female advocates will kick off the first one, which is being argued over by phone and livestreamed to the public—both a first for the famously technophobic court. Bloomberg Law's Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin breakdown that case as well as the three others being argued during...

The Supreme Court issued six opinions the week of April 20, including one that got at the issue of precedent. It's a hot topic for court watchers, especially with an abortion rights case from Louisiana still to be decided. Cases and Controversies hosts Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin unpack the ruling in Ramos v. Louisiana. It was a stare decisis throwdown in which Justice Elena Kagan joined so...

The Supreme Court continued to adapt to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, allowing media outlets to live-stream arguments for the first time in its 230-year history. In another first, the court also said it will hear those arguments over the phone. Among the case to be argued is the subpoena fight for President Trump's financial records, which will be argued May 12. Former acting Solicitor General...

The Supreme Court’s first coronavirus-related ruling sparked a contentious 5-4 split, with the high court’s five Republican-appointed justices siding with Republicans over dissent form the four Democratic-appointees who sided with Democrats. Cases and Controversies hosts Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin break down the heated dispute and all of the latest Supreme Court news, coronavirus-related a...

U.S. Supreme Court justices worked for the second straight week without taking the bench. But this time, there was a technological hitch. Cases and Controversies hosts Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin recap the snafu and how the coronavirus is changing the way the justices themselves stay in shape. They’re joined by the lawyer who won the court’s latest decision, SCOTUSblog’s Tom Goldstein. The...

The U.S. Supreme Court building is closed to the public and the March arguments are postponed indefinitely. But, as they say, the show must go on. The court issued four opinions Monday March 23, including a closely watched racial discrimination case that could make it harder to bring such suits. Bloomberg Law's Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin also give an update on the latest coronavirus news o...

The U.S. Supreme Court's two-week argument sitting scheduled for March 23 is postponed indefinitely over the coronavirus threat. But the announcement leaves more questions than answers. Bloomberg Law's Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin break down the impact of the pandemic on the court's business and what cases are up in the air. Supreme Court watchdog Gabe Roth of Fix the Court highlights routes...

Investigations into President Donald Trump will be front and center at the U.S. Supreme Court on March 31, when the justices are scheduled to hear arguments over whether Congressional committees and Manhattan prosecutors can get their hands on the president’s financial records—including his tax returns. The much-anticipated dispute comes to the high court as coronavirus concerns sweep the nation,...

The Supreme Court justices just wrapped up the latest action-packed argument session which featured heated disputes on the fate of both abortion access and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The two-week session included arguments over challenges to a Louisiana law requiring hospital admitting privileges for abortion providers and a challenge to the structure of the bureau that’s long been...

This week will be action packed at the Supreme Court, with cases on abortion access and the fate of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau taking center stage. The justices will also hear immigration disputes, continuing a theme of the term where such cases have dominated the docket. Cases and Controversies hosts Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin preview these hot-button arguments in this lates...

Could a grandma go to prison for urging her grandson to overstay his visa? The Trump administration says that hypothetical is far-fetched, but it'll be on the justices' minds this week as they take on a law that punishes encouraging illegal immigration at oral argument Feb. 25. It's just one of the disputes up for argument at the U.S. Supreme Court over the next few days, and "Cases and Controvers...

Two energy companies, Dominion and Duke, want to build a pipeline underneath the famed Appalachian Trail, but environmentalists want them to go take a hike. On this episode of Cases and Controversies, we head out to the trail with Bloomberg Environment's Ellen M. Gilmer and find out what this dispute is about and why it's heading all the way to the Supreme Court.

This week, we're sharing an episode of the newest weekly podcast from Bloomberg Industry Group, Downballot Counts. It's a podcast about the 2020 U.S. House and Senate elections and the fight to control Congress. The series is hosted by Bloomberg Government Senior Elections Reporter Greg Giroux and Elections Team Leader Kyle Trygstad. Subscribe to Downballot Counts wherever you get your podcasts.

'Bridgegate' and Electors: SCOTUS Deep Dive The U.S. Supreme Court kicked off 2020 with blockbuster grants and notable oral arguments, and Chief Justice John Roberts presided over an impeachment trial. In this deep dive episode of "Cases and Controversies," Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin get you current with the latest Obamacare case and the challenge to "faithless electors." They also highlig...

The Supreme Court will hear two days of arguments on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Chief Justice John Roberts will be there, but then he crosses the street in the afternoon to preside over President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate. Bloomberg Law's Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin break down Roberts' role in Trump's trial as well as three argued cases: disputes over career crimina...