The Supreme Court Friday ruled Friday that the Navy is allowed to consider vaccination status when planning deployments or assignments for SEALS and other special operations personnel.
Why it matters: The Biden administration had asked the Supreme Court to allow the Department of Defense to enforce its vaccination requirement after a federal judge sided with 35 unvaccinated Navy SEALs in January, and said they had a right to refuse the vaccine because of their religious beliefs.
Utah lawmakers voted to ban transgender youth from playing school sports on Friday, overriding Gov. Spencer Cox, who vetoed the bill earlier this week.
Why it matters: The bill, which goes into effect July 1, effectively prohibits transgender athletes from participating on girls' sports teams.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will close the Etowah County Detention Center in Alabama and will limit the use of three other detention facilities in other states, the agency announced Friday.
Why it matters: The Etowah County Detention Center has been the subject of numerous complaints, including food that did not meet safety standards, unsanitary conditions and overcrowding, per Al.com.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Friday called on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from any cases related to the investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the 2024 election if former President Trump runs.
Driving the news: Wyden's statement comes less than one day after text messages obtained by the Washington Post and CBS News revealed that Thomas' wife, Ginni Thomas, repeatedly urged Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to take measures to overturn the 2020 election results.
Justice Clarence Thomas was released from a hospital in Washington, D.C. on Friday, a week after he was admitted for an infection, according to a Supreme Court spokesperson.
Catch up fast: The Supreme Court said last Sunday that Thomas was hospitalized after experiencing "flu-like symptoms," which are "not COVID-related." His discharge Friday was first reported by CNN.
In new U.S. census data showing migration from July 2020 to July 2021, five of the top 10 counties in numeric growth were in Texas — Collin, Fort Bend, Williamson, Denton and Montgomery counties.
The others were in Arizona (Maricopa County) ... California (Riverside County) ... Florida (Polk and Lee counties) ... and Utah (Utah County).
COVID is killing more people per 100,000 in red states than in blue states, a reflection of GOP resistance to vaccines.
Why it matters: "The COVID-19 pandemic removed any doubt that state policies can affect health outcomes," Virginia Commonwealth University professor Steven Woolf recently argued in JAMA.
The Supreme Court keeps getting more powerful, but confirmation hearings for new justices consistently fail to match the gravity of what's at stake.
Why it matters: Nine people have the final say on all the biggest and most controversial issues in America — abortion, marriage, health care, immigration, voting rights, the boundaries of free speech.
Why it matters: The families had sued the state over a law that gives parents the right to exempt their children from mask-wearing in schools without providing a reason.
Why it matters: The verdict marks a stunning fall from grace for Fortenberry, who is likely to resign or be expelled from the House after serving for nearly two decades in Congress.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) told a group of climate activists and energy executives he's open to supporting revised Build Back Better legislation narrowly addressing three issues: climate change, prescription drug prices and deficit reduction.
Why it matters: Manchin’s private comments during a closed-door dinner Monday are a clear indication he’s serious about returning to the negotiating table, but for a much smaller version of President Biden's initial $3.5 trillion proposal, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
The Justice Department said Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against a Texas county, alleging its redistricting map discriminates against Black and Hispanic voters.
Why it matters: The lawsuit is part of the DOJ's efforts to strike down redistricting maps that dilute voting power among people of color. It's the Biden administration's third legal challenge against voting procedures adopted by Texas Republicans since November.
With Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court all but a foregone conclusion, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee used their time in the spotlight to play their party's greatest hits and stoke the culture wars.
Why it matters: As far as congressional hearings go, Supreme Court confirmations are prime time. They afford committee members a golden opportunity to push pet issues or sharpen their images before the national electorate — often while ignoring the actual nominee.
President Biden on Thursday waved off concerns about facing off against former President Trump in 2024, saying he'd be "very fortunate" if Trump ran again, CNN reports.
Why it matters: Trump has not formally made a bid for president, but he remains a pivotal figure in the GOP. A recent Wall Street Journal poll found that registered voters were split 45% to 45% in a hypothetical rematch between the two.
