— The Daily Show host Jon Stewart claims he found video footage for why peace talks between the US and Iran have stalled. You’ve gotta pick your battles, JD.
Order in the Court
A Bit of Gavel-Gazing
What’s going on: The Supreme Court is counting down to summer break. But before the justices can put their pencils down, they still need to decide 12 cases in the next two weeks — including some of the term’s biggest blockbusters. With a battery of rulings expected by the end of the month (or early July at the latest), they’re making slow progress. Yesterday, it delivered one with major implications for religious freedom. Here’s what’s still on the docket:
Will birthright remain a right?: Since 1868, nearly all babies born on US soil have automatically become US citizens, regardless of their parents' immigration status. But on the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump took aim at that guarantee with an executive order. Now, a case that challenges the order could redefine what it means to be an American. Every lower judge has found Trump’s push unconstitutional, and SCOTUS may lean the same way.
Does Trump trump oversight?: A pair of cases will define the reaches of presidential power. In Trump v. Slaughter, SCOTUS considers whether the executive branch can fire the heads of independent agencies without just cause. If the ultra-conservative majority backs the president as expected, it may spell trouble for Trump v. Cook, which addresses whether or not he can remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Board.
Will trans athletes be sidelined?: The court will decide two cases — one at the college level, one in high school — to determine if state laws that ban transgender athletes are constitutional, or if it’s gender-based discrimination that violates Title IX. The outcome will affect athletes across 27 states, including a 15-year-old plaintiff in West Virginia who says she just wants to have fun with her friends.
