Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins has resigned, per @AP. Hawkins' name was conspicuously absent last month when Texas AG Paxton asked Supreme Court to overturn election results in four other states. dfw.cbslocal.com/2021/01/13/tex…
Since then, Paxton has spoken at the Trump rally that preceded the raid on the Capitol, and he was one of 3 state AGs who didn't sign a letter condemning the Capitol riot. Paxton also has multiple criminal allegations hanging over his head.
Hawkins argued for Texas at the Supreme Court in November seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act. AP story says it's not clear why he resigned or when he will leave office.
Paxton makes it official, says Hawkins leaving, Judd Stone becoming SG.
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Supreme Court asks Democrats to respond by Thursday at 5 to Trump bid to challenge late-arriving Pennsylvania ballots. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
These are just the ballots (tens of thousands, maybe) that arrive after Election Day but before Friday. Trump asking court to let him intervene in (take over) pending GOP challenges to those ballots. Supreme Court previously refused to block extension or expedite case.
Penn. Sup Ct, citing its state constitution, extended the statutory received-by deadline because of pandemic, mail delays. GOP and Trump say that violates U.S. Constitution, which gives state legislature, not state courts, power to set presidential election rules.
Not a bad time to re-listen to Al Gore's concession speech the day after the 2000 Bush v. Gore ruling. The Supreme Court had arguably left tiny lane for Gore to try to fight on, but he saw the writing on the wall and opted to exit graciously. c-span.org/video/?161263-…
"Now the U.S. Supreme Court has spoken. ...While I strongly disagree with the court's decision, I accept it. I accept the finality of this outcome. ... And tonight for the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession."
"Our disappointment must be overcome by our love of country. And I say to our fellow members of the world community: Let no one see this contest as a sign of American weakness. The strength of American democracy is shown most clearly through the difficulties it can overcome."
BREAKING: Supreme Court puts Trump administration on track to resume federal executions as soon as July 13, rejecting an appeal and stay application by inmates who challenged the lethal injection protocol the government plans to use.
Scotus also turns away legal attack on Trump’s border wall, refusing to question law that let his administration waive more than 40 federal statutes to start construction.
No action on Trump administration bid to keep from having to give a House committee sealed materials from Mueller investigation. We could get news on Thursday, possibly a grant that would keep info sealed through the election.
One thing I've learned this Supreme Court term: Be really, really careful about presuming how Roberts will vote based on his questions at argument. In the two LGBT cases, every one of his questions went to the workers' lawyers. But he voted with them in the end. 1/4
Likewise with DACA. I was one of many Scotus reporters who produced an argument story saying the court seemed inclined to let Trump cancel it, based in part what Roberts said and asked at argument. We were wrong. 2/4
Roberts isn't Kennedy, who always seemed to express his deepest concerns during argument. On occasion, Roberts does that (e.g., his fear that gerrymandering cases would pull the court into partisan politics). But those are the exceptions. 3/4
2-1 decision says ban is warranted to prevent depletion of personal protection equipment. "In the unprecedented circumstances now facing our society, even a minor delay in fully implementing the state’s emergency measures could have major ramifications."
Dissenting Judge Dennis: "In a time where panic and fear
already consume our daily lives, the majority’s opinion inflicts further panic and fear on women in Texas by depriving them, without justification, of their constitutional rights ... "