Financial disclosure filings have revealed that conservative Justice Samuel Alito sold shares of the beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev at the same time that the company faced a backlash from conservatives over its partnership with a transgender social media influencer.
Alito’s stock transactions have sparked fresh accusations that the justice is engaged in or aligned with partisan politics despite a recently adopted code of conduct that directs the justices to “refrain from political activity.”
According to a financial disclosure filing, Alito sold between $1,000 and $15,000 of A.B. InBev’s stock on Aug. 14, 2023. This coincided with a months-long campaign to boycott Bud Light (a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch) after the company partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a social media campaign. This partnership thrust the world’s largest beermaker into the center of a broader fight over transgender rights and acceptance in the United States. It drew criticism from both conservatives and supporters of Mulvaney.
Alito’s stock transactions have sparked fresh accusations that the justice is engaged in or aligned with partisan politics despite a recently adopted code of conduct that directs the justices to “refrain from political activity.”
According to a financial disclosure filing, Alito sold between $1,000 and $15,000 of A.B. InBev’s stock on Aug. 14, 2023. This coincided with a months-long campaign to boycott Bud Light (a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch) after the company partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a social media campaign. This partnership thrust the world’s largest beermaker into the center of a broader fight over transgender rights and acceptance in the United States. It drew criticism from both conservatives and supporters of Mulvaney.
- 5/23/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
The Supreme Court determined on Thursday that South Carolina Republicans did not engage in racial gerrymandering when redrawing the map of the state’s 1st Congressional district, overturning a lower court ruling by the District of South Carolina.
In a 6-3 ruling the conservative majority of the court, comprised of Justices Samuel Alito, John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, held that they saw no evidence that the Republican-controlled state legislature was motivated by racial bias when it removed 30,000 predominantly Black residents from the 1st...
In a 6-3 ruling the conservative majority of the court, comprised of Justices Samuel Alito, John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, held that they saw no evidence that the Republican-controlled state legislature was motivated by racial bias when it removed 30,000 predominantly Black residents from the 1st...
- 5/23/2024
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito flew an “Appeal to Heaven” flag at his New Jersey beach house. The flag’s close association with both far-right Christian nationalists and the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 raises serious questions about Alito’s ability to rule impartially. The conservative court on which Alito sits is largely the product of right-wing dark-money overlord Leonard Leo, and — wouldn’t you know it — Leo flew the same “Appeal to Heaven” flag outside of his house in Maine.
- 5/23/2024
- by Ryan Bort, Tessa Stuart and Andrew Perez
- Rollingstone.com
Multiple Senators have joined the chorus of Democrats in Congress calling on Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to recuse himself from cases relating to the 2020 election and Jan. 6 after a second flag associated with the insurrection was reported at his New Jersey residence.
Most prominently, Senate Judiciary Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin (D–Ill.) called for Alito’s recusal and the adoption of a code of ethics for justices amid the fallout from the Supreme Court’s ongoing controversies.
“This incident is yet another example of apparent ethical misconduct by a sitting justice,...
Most prominently, Senate Judiciary Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin (D–Ill.) called for Alito’s recusal and the adoption of a code of ethics for justices amid the fallout from the Supreme Court’s ongoing controversies.
“This incident is yet another example of apparent ethical misconduct by a sitting justice,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Jeremy Childs
- Rollingstone.com
Sam Alito — the arch conservative Supreme Court justice — now has two flag controversies to explain, and another striking reason to doubt his impartiality in cases involving Donald Trump and the Jan. 6 defendants.
Alito has already been in the news for an upside-down American flag that flew at his primary residence during the period surrounding Jan. 6, 2021. Alito has blamed the placement of that flag — which is typically only to be flown to signify national distress, including when the government has fallen — on his wife Martha-Ann. He characterized her action as the...
Alito has already been in the news for an upside-down American flag that flew at his primary residence during the period surrounding Jan. 6, 2021. Alito has blamed the placement of that flag — which is typically only to be flown to signify national distress, including when the government has fallen — on his wife Martha-Ann. He characterized her action as the...
- 5/22/2024
- by Tim Dickinson
- Rollingstone.com
Picture two protests involving the American flag.
In one of them, a star NFL quarterback kneels during the singing of the national anthem. The reason? To call attention to the true, real plight of Black Americans whose lives seem not to matter as much as white ones — part of the unfinished business of American democracy. For this, he is booed, vilified, and effectively banned from the NFL. He never works as a quarterback again.
Now picture a second protest. A sitting Supreme Court justice (or perhaps his wife, but with...
In one of them, a star NFL quarterback kneels during the singing of the national anthem. The reason? To call attention to the true, real plight of Black Americans whose lives seem not to matter as much as white ones — part of the unfinished business of American democracy. For this, he is booed, vilified, and effectively banned from the NFL. He never works as a quarterback again.
Now picture a second protest. A sitting Supreme Court justice (or perhaps his wife, but with...
- 5/22/2024
- by Jay Michaelson
- Rollingstone.com
The backlash is mounting after The New York Times reported last week that an upside-down flag flew outside the house of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito ahead of President Biden’s inauguration in January 2021. On Tuesday, a coalition of over 40 House Democrats sent a letter to Alito calling for the justice to recuse himself from cases pertaining to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. The letter was obtained by HuffPost.
“Even if you had ‘no involvement’ in the display yourself, the fact of such a political statement at your home creates,...
“Even if you had ‘no involvement’ in the display yourself, the fact of such a political statement at your home creates,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
After The New York Times reported that the American flag outside Justice Samuel Alito’s home was flown upside down in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham criticized the conservative judge for failing to “think it through.”
“Emotions are apparently high in that neighborhood but no, it’s not good judgment to do that,” Graham told HuffPost on Monday. “I don’t know what role ― he said his wife was insulted and got mad ― I assume that be true, but he’s still a Supreme Court justice.
“Emotions are apparently high in that neighborhood but no, it’s not good judgment to do that,” Graham told HuffPost on Monday. “I don’t know what role ― he said his wife was insulted and got mad ― I assume that be true, but he’s still a Supreme Court justice.
- 5/21/2024
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
Lily Allen and Olivia Rodrigo: together again! On Friday, Rodrigo surprised her Guts world tour crowd in London by bringing out Allen for a duet of the British star’s 2006 classic “Smile,” reuniting the pair after they performed together at Glastonbury Festival in 2022.
“I think she’s the most clever songwriter. And the coolest girl in London,” Rodrigo said onstage Friday. “I think the best day of my whole career was when I got to sing with her at Glastonbury. I absolutely adore her. Will you please give it up for Miss Lily Allen.
“I think she’s the most clever songwriter. And the coolest girl in London,” Rodrigo said onstage Friday. “I think the best day of my whole career was when I got to sing with her at Glastonbury. I absolutely adore her. Will you please give it up for Miss Lily Allen.
- 5/17/2024
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
Following the Capitol riots in 2021, an upside-down U.S. flag flew outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.
The New York Times published a photo of the inverted flag, reporting that it was seen at the Alitos’ home in Alexandria, Virginia, on January 17, 2021, for several days, distressing neighbors.
“I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag,” Alito said in an emailed statement. “It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs.”
His wife, Martha-Ann Alito, fought with another family in the neighborhood about an anti-Trump sign placed on their lawn.
The neighbors perceived the flag as a political statement. In the weeks after the 2020 election, the upside-down flag had become a symbol of the “Stop the Steal” movement, in which Donald Trump’s supporters falsely claimed that Joe Biden’s victory...
The New York Times published a photo of the inverted flag, reporting that it was seen at the Alitos’ home in Alexandria, Virginia, on January 17, 2021, for several days, distressing neighbors.
“I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag,” Alito said in an emailed statement. “It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs.”
His wife, Martha-Ann Alito, fought with another family in the neighborhood about an anti-Trump sign placed on their lawn.
The neighbors perceived the flag as a political statement. In the weeks after the 2020 election, the upside-down flag had become a symbol of the “Stop the Steal” movement, in which Donald Trump’s supporters falsely claimed that Joe Biden’s victory...
- 5/17/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
United for Democracy, a coalition of progressive groups and labor unions, is gearing up to launch a $10 million persuasion and base activation campaign centered on “the Maga Supreme Court.” The coalition will spend $1 million on ads in Arizona and Pennsylvania, as well as in the Washington, D.C., area, and the campaign will also involve canvassing and events, officials tell Rolling Stone.
The United for Democracy coalition, which launched last year with a seven-figure ad buy, counts 140 member organizations, including major labor unions, reproductive rights advocates, environmental groups, and liberal think tanks.
The United for Democracy coalition, which launched last year with a seven-figure ad buy, counts 140 member organizations, including major labor unions, reproductive rights advocates, environmental groups, and liberal think tanks.
- 5/13/2024
- by Andrew Perez and Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
The U.S. Supreme Court has endorsed open-ended recovery of damages for copyright infringement, ruling that music producer Sherman Nealy can pursue over a decade’s worth of damages for an unlicensed sample of his work by Flo Rida in his 2008 tune “In the Ayer.”
The finding, in a 6-3 ruling issued on Thursday, could expand the scope of damages in cases in which plaintiffs were previously barred from recovering money for infringement that occurred more than three years before the filing of a lawsuit. In some cases, claimants could potentially get a bigger payout by waiting to sue and letting damages stack rather than trying to stop the alleged infringement as long as they bring a lawsuit within the statute of limitations.
“There is no time limit on monetary recovery,” wrote justice Elena Kagan in the majority opinion. “So a copyright owner possessing a timely claim for infringement is entitled to damages,...
The finding, in a 6-3 ruling issued on Thursday, could expand the scope of damages in cases in which plaintiffs were previously barred from recovering money for infringement that occurred more than three years before the filing of a lawsuit. In some cases, claimants could potentially get a bigger payout by waiting to sue and letting damages stack rather than trying to stop the alleged infringement as long as they bring a lawsuit within the statute of limitations.
“There is no time limit on monetary recovery,” wrote justice Elena Kagan in the majority opinion. “So a copyright owner possessing a timely claim for infringement is entitled to damages,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The consulting firm led by Leonard Leo, the architect of the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority, has worked for billionaire Charles Koch’s political advocacy network and a dark-money group that is currently arguing a Supreme Court case designed to preempt a wealth tax, according to documents obtained by Rolling Stone. The firm even worked to promote a book by Donald Trump cronies Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie.
Leo has played a central role in shifting the high court and its decisions far to the right. As former President Donald Trump’s judicial adviser,...
Leo has played a central role in shifting the high court and its decisions far to the right. As former President Donald Trump’s judicial adviser,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Andrew Perez and Adam Rawnsley
- Rollingstone.com
Update: Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism of Donald Trump’s argument that presidents enjoy broad immunity, but they wrestled with which certain official acts could be shielded from prosecution and which would not.
There were some suggestions of sending the case base to lower courts to decide, on an individual basis, which of the charges against Trump could be deemed as private acts and subject to criminal liability. That is a prospect that could lead to further delay in Trump’s election conspiracy case, perhaps until after the 2024 election.
A number of the justices expressed concerns that their decision in the case would impact future presidents after they leave office and the extent to which they could be subject to criminal prosecution. Justice Samuel Alito hypothesized about political rivals being prosecuted and “a cycle that destabilizes the functioning of our country.”
Justice John Roberts in particular seemed to find troubles...
There were some suggestions of sending the case base to lower courts to decide, on an individual basis, which of the charges against Trump could be deemed as private acts and subject to criminal liability. That is a prospect that could lead to further delay in Trump’s election conspiracy case, perhaps until after the 2024 election.
A number of the justices expressed concerns that their decision in the case would impact future presidents after they leave office and the extent to which they could be subject to criminal prosecution. Justice Samuel Alito hypothesized about political rivals being prosecuted and “a cycle that destabilizes the functioning of our country.”
Justice John Roberts in particular seemed to find troubles...
- 4/25/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
As Donald Trump sat through another day of damning testimony in his criminal hush-money trial, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in his bid to establish widespread presidential immunity from criminal prosecution over “official” acts committed in office.
The case before the Supreme Court stems from Trump’s ongoing efforts to delay or dismiss the Justice Department’s case against him over his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 riot. The court’s decision will have profound implications on the criminal indictments currently on the former president’s rap sheet.
The case before the Supreme Court stems from Trump’s ongoing efforts to delay or dismiss the Justice Department’s case against him over his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 riot. The court’s decision will have profound implications on the criminal indictments currently on the former president’s rap sheet.
- 4/25/2024
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
The women on the Supreme Court appeared to band together Wednesday during oral arguments in a case out of Idaho that could shape how hospitals in Republican-led states respond to life-threatening pregnancy complications.
Even conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Catholic abortion opponent, had some fierce inquiries for Idaho Solicitor General Joshua Turner, who refused to specify what medical conditions qualify for emergency abortions.
“Counsel, I’m kind of shocked actually because I thought your own expert had said below that these kinds of cases were covered. And you’re now saying they’re not?...
Even conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Catholic abortion opponent, had some fierce inquiries for Idaho Solicitor General Joshua Turner, who refused to specify what medical conditions qualify for emergency abortions.
“Counsel, I’m kind of shocked actually because I thought your own expert had said below that these kinds of cases were covered. And you’re now saying they’re not?...
- 4/25/2024
- by Jeremy Childs
- Rollingstone.com
Conservative activist Leonard Leo was hit with a subpoena from Senate Democrats on Thursday as part of a probe into Supreme Court ethics and whether individuals or groups used luxury gifts to access justices.
The subpoena from the Senate Judiciary Committee arrives months after it was authorized, CNN reported. “Mr. Leo has played a central role in the ethics crisis plaguing the Supreme Court and, unlike the other recipients of information requests in this matter, he has done nothing but stonewall the committee,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the committee’s chairman,...
The subpoena from the Senate Judiciary Committee arrives months after it was authorized, CNN reported. “Mr. Leo has played a central role in the ethics crisis plaguing the Supreme Court and, unlike the other recipients of information requests in this matter, he has done nothing but stonewall the committee,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the committee’s chairman,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Charisma Madarang and Andrew Perez
- Rollingstone.com
Donald Trump — the man most responsible for triggering the end of a federal right to abortion — announced Monday that if he wins the presidential election in November, he does not plan to support further federal restrictions on the practice and would allow it to remain a state issue.
“My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint,” Trump began. (The word “everybody” is being used liberally here: Roughly two-thirds of voters disapprove of the Supreme Court’s decision overruling Roe v. Wade, according to a recent survey.
“My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint,” Trump began. (The word “everybody” is being used liberally here: Roughly two-thirds of voters disapprove of the Supreme Court’s decision overruling Roe v. Wade, according to a recent survey.
- 4/8/2024
- by Tessa Stuart and Asawin Suebsaeng
- Rollingstone.com
The GOP’s assault on reproductive rights isn’t too popular — not even in Alabama.
Democrat Marilyn Lands won a special election for a state House seat on Tuesday, flipping a district that a Republican had previously controlled. Lands ran largely on reproductive rights, particularly as a proponent of in vitro fertilization in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos created during IVF treatments are people. The ruling sparked nationwide condemnation of the Republican Party’s attacks on reproductive care and led at least one local hospital...
Democrat Marilyn Lands won a special election for a state House seat on Tuesday, flipping a district that a Republican had previously controlled. Lands ran largely on reproductive rights, particularly as a proponent of in vitro fertilization in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos created during IVF treatments are people. The ruling sparked nationwide condemnation of the Republican Party’s attacks on reproductive care and led at least one local hospital...
- 3/27/2024
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas are just asking questions about the Comstock Act, a 150-year-old obscenity law that anti-abortion activists believe could be revived as a national abortion ban.
The Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a case that centers on access to mifepristone, a critical component in the abortion pill protocol, the most widely used method of abortion nationwide. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 63 percent of abortions in the U.S. last year were medication abortions.
The Court...
The Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a case that centers on access to mifepristone, a critical component in the abortion pill protocol, the most widely used method of abortion nationwide. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 63 percent of abortions in the U.S. last year were medication abortions.
The Court...
- 3/26/2024
- by Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
Conservative activist and Supreme Court puppetmaster Leonard Leo recently outlined his pitch for billionaires on how they can help move the United States government and society to the right.
“It’s really important that we flood the zone with cases that challenge misuse of the Constitution by the administrative state and by Congress,” Leo said in a new podcast interview, calling on the ultra-wealthy to support these litigation efforts.
“We have a great Overton window in the next couple of decades to really try to create a free society,” Leo said of the Supreme Court.
“It’s really important that we flood the zone with cases that challenge misuse of the Constitution by the administrative state and by Congress,” Leo said in a new podcast interview, calling on the ultra-wealthy to support these litigation efforts.
“We have a great Overton window in the next couple of decades to really try to create a free society,” Leo said of the Supreme Court.
- 3/18/2024
- by Andrew Perez
- Rollingstone.com
Olivia Rodrigo handed out free condoms and morning-after pills at her St. Louis Guts world tour stop, while a portion of her tour’s total ticket sales will go to abortion funds across the country through her new initiative Fund 4 Good.
Through her fund, which she launched in collaboration with the tour, the Grammy-winning artist will partner up with local chapters of the National Network of Abortion Funds. Together, they will work to “ensure those most impacted by systemic racism, misogyny, and healthcare barriers can get the reproductive care they deserve,” according to its page on the Entertainment Industry Foundation website.
At her St. Louis stop on Tuesday, Rodrigo worked with the Missouri Abortion Fund to pass out Julie morning-after pills. The brand launched in September 2022 after the overturning of Roe v. Wade and was built to change the conversation around emergency contraception, expanding access to communities that need it the most.
Through her fund, which she launched in collaboration with the tour, the Grammy-winning artist will partner up with local chapters of the National Network of Abortion Funds. Together, they will work to “ensure those most impacted by systemic racism, misogyny, and healthcare barriers can get the reproductive care they deserve,” according to its page on the Entertainment Industry Foundation website.
At her St. Louis stop on Tuesday, Rodrigo worked with the Missouri Abortion Fund to pass out Julie morning-after pills. The brand launched in September 2022 after the overturning of Roe v. Wade and was built to change the conversation around emergency contraception, expanding access to communities that need it the most.
- 3/13/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that states could not remove Donald Trump from their ballots using the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause.
However, the Supreme Court justices were divided about how broadly this decision would end up sweeping. A five-to-four majority wrote that no state could exclude a federal candidate from any ballot – but four justices argued that the court should have kept its opinion limited.
A five-justice majority – Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh – wrote that states cannot remove any federal officer from the ballot, especially the president, unless Congress first passes legislation.
“We conclude that States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office. But States have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency,” these justices said.
“Nothing in the Constitution delegates to the States any...
However, the Supreme Court justices were divided about how broadly this decision would end up sweeping. A five-to-four majority wrote that no state could exclude a federal candidate from any ballot – but four justices argued that the court should have kept its opinion limited.
A five-justice majority – Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh – wrote that states cannot remove any federal officer from the ballot, especially the president, unless Congress first passes legislation.
“We conclude that States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office. But States have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency,” these justices said.
“Nothing in the Constitution delegates to the States any...
- 3/6/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
The internet could look vastly different depending on how the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the question of whether tech companies’ curation of posts and users can be protected under the First Amendment.
The court heard oral arguments Monday for a pair of lawsuits challenging laws passed in Texas and Florida that barred social media sites from curating political speech. Both laws were inspired by conservative backlash claiming Big Tech platforms censored posts and users with right-wing viewpoints.
The fundamental question at the center of both lawsuits is whether...
The court heard oral arguments Monday for a pair of lawsuits challenging laws passed in Texas and Florida that barred social media sites from curating political speech. Both laws were inspired by conservative backlash claiming Big Tech platforms censored posts and users with right-wing viewpoints.
The fundamental question at the center of both lawsuits is whether...
- 2/26/2024
- by Jeremy Childs
- Rollingstone.com
Update: Supreme Court justices have been grappling all morning on the question of whether social media platforms are neutral gatekeepers, or whether their content moderation practices count as expressive activity protected by the First Amendment.
The justices raised a series of questions over the broadness of the Florida law, which restricts the content moderation practices of tech platforms. Some of the justices were skeptical of the law when it came to content decisions, but also wondered whether why it should not apply to the activity of Etsy or Uber.
Paul Clement, attorney representing the industry group NetChoice, offered the court a prediction of what will happen if the Florida law were allowed to stand.
“What some of these companies might do is say, ‘Let’s just do puppy dogs in Florida,'” Clement said, suggesting that platforms would default to featuring only non-controversial content “so no one can say we are not being consistent.
The justices raised a series of questions over the broadness of the Florida law, which restricts the content moderation practices of tech platforms. Some of the justices were skeptical of the law when it came to content decisions, but also wondered whether why it should not apply to the activity of Etsy or Uber.
Paul Clement, attorney representing the industry group NetChoice, offered the court a prediction of what will happen if the Florida law were allowed to stand.
“What some of these companies might do is say, ‘Let’s just do puppy dogs in Florida,'” Clement said, suggesting that platforms would default to featuring only non-controversial content “so no one can say we are not being consistent.
- 2/26/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito continued his criticism of the high court’s landmark same-sex ruling in a five-page statement that gave a detailed explanation as to why the court declined to hear a case that involved a Missouri lawsuit.
The case, Missouri Department of Correction v. Jean Finney, involved a dispute when jurors who voiced religious concerns about same-sex marriage were dismissed from an employment discrimination case.
In his statement, Alito agreed with the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the Missouri lawsuit. However, he said he believed it “exemplifies the danger” he anticipated in the 2015 Obergell v. Hodges case.
He further explained, “Namely, that Americans who do not hide their adherence to traditional religious beliefs about homosexual conduct will be “labeled as bigots and treated as such by the government.”
Alito wrote that the way Obergefell v. Hodges written in 2015 “made it clear that the...
The case, Missouri Department of Correction v. Jean Finney, involved a dispute when jurors who voiced religious concerns about same-sex marriage were dismissed from an employment discrimination case.
In his statement, Alito agreed with the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the Missouri lawsuit. However, he said he believed it “exemplifies the danger” he anticipated in the 2015 Obergell v. Hodges case.
He further explained, “Namely, that Americans who do not hide their adherence to traditional religious beliefs about homosexual conduct will be “labeled as bigots and treated as such by the government.”
Alito wrote that the way Obergefell v. Hodges written in 2015 “made it clear that the...
- 2/21/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
Conservative activist and judicial puppetmaster Leonard Leo is building out his dark-money network.
A counsel at one of Leo’s primary nonprofits recently registered two new dark-money organizations with subsidiaries whose names just so happen to be very similar to groups through which Leo has run some of his most effective activism campaigns.
“The network’s infrastructure is expanding to keep up with new projects, and there will be more to come,” a person close to the network tells Rolling Stone.
The move comes amid increased scrutiny on Leo and...
A counsel at one of Leo’s primary nonprofits recently registered two new dark-money organizations with subsidiaries whose names just so happen to be very similar to groups through which Leo has run some of his most effective activism campaigns.
“The network’s infrastructure is expanding to keep up with new projects, and there will be more to come,” a person close to the network tells Rolling Stone.
The move comes amid increased scrutiny on Leo and...
- 2/21/2024
- by Andrew Perez
- Rollingstone.com
Comedian John Oliver is offering Clarence Thomas $1 million a year and a luxury motor coach to resign his post on the Supreme Court.
The wild — and Oliver claims, “somehow legal” — offer was made at the end of the 11th-season premiere of Last Week Tonight, the long-running HBO comedy series.
Oliver spent much of the show lampooning the corruption of the Supreme Court. Investigations over recent months — in particular, painstaking reporting by ProPublica — have revealed that conservative justices are living high on the hog thanks to the patronage of right-wing billionaires,...
The wild — and Oliver claims, “somehow legal” — offer was made at the end of the 11th-season premiere of Last Week Tonight, the long-running HBO comedy series.
Oliver spent much of the show lampooning the corruption of the Supreme Court. Investigations over recent months — in particular, painstaking reporting by ProPublica — have revealed that conservative justices are living high on the hog thanks to the patronage of right-wing billionaires,...
- 2/19/2024
- by Tim Dickinson
- Rollingstone.com
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the Biden administration has the authority to remove razor wire installed by the state of Texas across swaths of the state’s border with Mexico.
The 5-4 ruling overturned a December 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that placed an injunction on a lower court order allowing federal agents to cut through the wires, which have been linked to hundreds of reported injuries of migrants attempting to cross the border.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett, both conservative, joined...
The 5-4 ruling overturned a December 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that placed an injunction on a lower court order allowing federal agents to cut through the wires, which have been linked to hundreds of reported injuries of migrants attempting to cross the border.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett, both conservative, joined...
- 1/22/2024
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
America’s wealthiest families held an astounding $8.5 trillion in untaxed profits in 2022. According to a report from the nonprofit Americans for Tax Fairness, which analyzed Federal Reserve data, “one in every six dollars (18 percent of the nation’s unrealized gains is held by these roughly 64,000 ultra-wealthy households, who make up less than 0.05 percent of the population.” The report comes as the Supreme Court gears up to decide a case that could preemptively block any efforts to tax the wealth of billionaires.
The data looks at “quiet” income generated by “centi-millionaires,...
The data looks at “quiet” income generated by “centi-millionaires,...
- 1/5/2024
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
When notorious pedophile and wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein died in a jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors, he left conspiracy theorists with a tangled web of lurid mysteries that would keep them busy for years to come. Suspicions that Epstein hadn’t really hanged himself soon gave way to claims of a vast coverup — the man supposedly murdered to prevent him from revealing the worst secrets of the global elite.
Now, four years later, far-right politicians and commentators are again fixated on Epstein’s personal connections,...
Now, four years later, far-right politicians and commentators are again fixated on Epstein’s personal connections,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Miles Klee
- Rollingstone.com
Leslie Jones is disappointed by the near fight that occurred in the Senate on Tuesday, but not because anything Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin did. No — the comedian’s displeasure has to do with Bernie Sanders breaking things up.
“Back off, Bernie! Bernie, shut up, they was about to fight! I wanted to see that!” Jones said on her second night guest hosting “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. “Is that what America has come to, people fighting in the Senate? Because if it is, I want in.”
“Lindsey Graham, I want you in the ring. Ted Cruz, bring your weird ass beard so I can beat your ass. Mitch! Mitch! Mitch!” Jones yelled while snapping at the widely shared video of McConnell freezing. “Aw, somebody already hit him.”
On Tuesday, Mullin challenged president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Sean O’Brien to a fight over a series of posts on...
“Back off, Bernie! Bernie, shut up, they was about to fight! I wanted to see that!” Jones said on her second night guest hosting “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. “Is that what America has come to, people fighting in the Senate? Because if it is, I want in.”
“Lindsey Graham, I want you in the ring. Ted Cruz, bring your weird ass beard so I can beat your ass. Mitch! Mitch! Mitch!” Jones yelled while snapping at the widely shared video of McConnell freezing. “Aw, somebody already hit him.”
On Tuesday, Mullin challenged president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Sean O’Brien to a fight over a series of posts on...
- 11/15/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
The Supreme Court has adopted its first-ever code of ethics, the justices announced Monday. The move comes in the wake of increased scrutiny into Justice Clarence Thomas’ close relationship with Nazi-obsessed billionaire and GOP donor Harlan Crow, including gifts and trips funded by Crow that Thomas failed to disclose.
The court has faced public pressure to implement a code of ethics after news about Thomas’ ethically dubious relationship broke, followed by reports of other justices failing to disclose certain benefits.
In a 14-page document, the court outlined the code, which...
The court has faced public pressure to implement a code of ethics after news about Thomas’ ethically dubious relationship broke, followed by reports of other justices failing to disclose certain benefits.
In a 14-page document, the court outlined the code, which...
- 11/13/2023
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
On Thursday, November 9th, Gmg Group CEO Jim Spanfeller announced that he was shutting down the women-centric website Jezebel, after failing to find a buyer. After 16 years, six editors-in-chief, four presidential administrations, tens of thousands of posts, hundreds of internet shitstorms, and at least one gallery of digital illustrations of the penises of Walt Disney princes, one of the internet’s last remaining stalwarts of Web Feminism was to fall silent.
Jezebel gave me my first shot at being a writer, and so its demise feels especially unmooring, like learning...
Jezebel gave me my first shot at being a writer, and so its demise feels especially unmooring, like learning...
- 11/11/2023
- by Erin Gloria Ryan
- Rollingstone.com
Fox Corp. has tapped Adam Ciongoli as its chief legal and policy officer, succeeding Viet Dinh, who in August announced he was departing the company.
Ciongoli is currently executive vice president and general counsel for Campbell Soup Company. He also has had the title of chief sustainability, corporate responsibility and governance officer.
In his role at Fox, Ciongoli will oversee legal, compliance, and regulatory matters, as well as lobbying and government affairs. He will report to CEO Lachlan Murdoch.
“Adam’s extensive legal experience across various industries and government will be a tremendous asset to our company,” Murdoch said in a statement.
Before Campbell Soup, Ciongoli was executive vice president and general counsel of Lincoln Financial Group, group general counsel and secretary for Willis Group Holdings and senior vice president and general counsel for Time Warner, Europe. He served as counselor to John Ashcroft when he served as attorney general,...
Ciongoli is currently executive vice president and general counsel for Campbell Soup Company. He also has had the title of chief sustainability, corporate responsibility and governance officer.
In his role at Fox, Ciongoli will oversee legal, compliance, and regulatory matters, as well as lobbying and government affairs. He will report to CEO Lachlan Murdoch.
“Adam’s extensive legal experience across various industries and government will be a tremendous asset to our company,” Murdoch said in a statement.
Before Campbell Soup, Ciongoli was executive vice president and general counsel of Lincoln Financial Group, group general counsel and secretary for Willis Group Holdings and senior vice president and general counsel for Time Warner, Europe. He served as counselor to John Ashcroft when he served as attorney general,...
- 11/8/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
John Oliver once again dedicated the main segment of his show to abortion rights on Sunday night, shredding the Supreme Court for the fallout since last year’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. But the HBO host was pretty impressed by a satanic group that’s still offering abortion help, all while specifically invoking the name of the man who led Roe’s reversal.
The Satanic Temple, based out of Salem, Massachusetts, first announced back in February that they’d be opening a new reproductive health clinic in New Mexico, protecting women’s access to healthcare they want or need. The name of that particular clinic? “The Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic.”
For those who don’t recall, Justice Samuel Alito wrote the court’s majority opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
“Incredible,” Oliver said with a grin. “Very well played. Now, is that gonna fix everything?...
The Satanic Temple, based out of Salem, Massachusetts, first announced back in February that they’d be opening a new reproductive health clinic in New Mexico, protecting women’s access to healthcare they want or need. The name of that particular clinic? “The Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic.”
For those who don’t recall, Justice Samuel Alito wrote the court’s majority opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
“Incredible,” Oliver said with a grin. “Very well played. Now, is that gonna fix everything?...
- 11/6/2023
- by Andi Ortiz
- The Wrap
Showtime’s four-part docuseries on the Supreme Court, Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court, will premiere its first episode on September 22, amid a period of intense concern over the impact and integrity of the high court.
From director Dawn Porter, the project delves into the modern era of the court, going back to the Earl Warren court of the 1950s and 1960s, when the justices established a series of landmark progressive precedents, to today, with the conservative majority upending abortion rights and affirmative action. With it has come increasing distrust of the court itself, as well as the internal intrigue given the unprecedented leak last year of the Dobbs abortion decision.
“I wanted to give people an understanding of how the court works,” Porter told Deadline. “…You don’t pay attention until something you love is gone, until a right you cherish has been overturned. So I felt like...
From director Dawn Porter, the project delves into the modern era of the court, going back to the Earl Warren court of the 1950s and 1960s, when the justices established a series of landmark progressive precedents, to today, with the conservative majority upending abortion rights and affirmative action. With it has come increasing distrust of the court itself, as well as the internal intrigue given the unprecedented leak last year of the Dobbs abortion decision.
“I wanted to give people an understanding of how the court works,” Porter told Deadline. “…You don’t pay attention until something you love is gone, until a right you cherish has been overturned. So I felt like...
- 8/1/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
After a week of decisions that struck down affirmative action at universities, ruled against President Biden’s college debt cancellation and loosened protections for LGBTQ persons, the Supreme Court has drawn the ire of many – including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who says the Court “has not been receiving adequate oversight.”
Appearing on CNN on Sunday, Aoc called attention to the controversies concerning Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas and said a subpoena for Chief Justice Roberts isn’t out of the question.
“We have a senate judiciary committee that is beginning the process of investigating the entanglements and conflicts of interest. Just one to two weeks before the student loan ruling, the country learned that Justice Samuel Alito was accepting gifts from billionaires who were lobbying before the Supreme Court against student loan forgiveness,” she said. “I believe that if Chief Justice Roberts will not come before Congress for an investigation voluntarily,...
Appearing on CNN on Sunday, Aoc called attention to the controversies concerning Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas and said a subpoena for Chief Justice Roberts isn’t out of the question.
“We have a senate judiciary committee that is beginning the process of investigating the entanglements and conflicts of interest. Just one to two weeks before the student loan ruling, the country learned that Justice Samuel Alito was accepting gifts from billionaires who were lobbying before the Supreme Court against student loan forgiveness,” she said. “I believe that if Chief Justice Roberts will not come before Congress for an investigation voluntarily,...
- 7/2/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Reacting to the Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruling that affirmative action in higher education and President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan are unconstitutional, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-ny) warned Sunday that the court is “beginning to assume the power of a legislature.”
“They are expanding their role into acting as though they are Congress itself and that, I believe, is an expansion of power that we really must be focusing on,” Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN’s State of the Union.
In striking down affirmative action in helping determine admissions decisions,...
“They are expanding their role into acting as though they are Congress itself and that, I believe, is an expansion of power that we really must be focusing on,” Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN’s State of the Union.
In striking down affirmative action in helping determine admissions decisions,...
- 7/2/2023
- by William Vaillancourt
- Rollingstone.com
It’s payback time.
For two decades, social conservatives, Christian Nationalists, and the Religious Right held their noses and voted for Republicans, no matter what. They often disagreed with both the party as a whole and with candidates individually (the Mormon Mitt Romney, for example) And they often didn’t get what they wanted, from prayer in schools to the abolition of the death penalty.
But the Christian Right knew one thing. While many on the Left said that there’s no difference between the two major parties, the Right...
For two decades, social conservatives, Christian Nationalists, and the Religious Right held their noses and voted for Republicans, no matter what. They often disagreed with both the party as a whole and with candidates individually (the Mormon Mitt Romney, for example) And they often didn’t get what they wanted, from prayer in schools to the abolition of the death penalty.
But the Christian Right knew one thing. While many on the Left said that there’s no difference between the two major parties, the Right...
- 6/30/2023
- by Jay Michaelson
- Rollingstone.com
Maga had its day in court Tuesday — and thankfully, it lost.
By a vote of 6-2, the Supreme Court rejected one of the most bizarre theories to make it to its hallowed halls: that in setting the terms of elections — maps, polling places, voting rules, even review of election results — state legislatures can’t be reviewed by state courts.
But the fact that it even got this far, and that two justices voted in favor of it (with one more voting that the case was moot), should keep you awake at night.
By a vote of 6-2, the Supreme Court rejected one of the most bizarre theories to make it to its hallowed halls: that in setting the terms of elections — maps, polling places, voting rules, even review of election results — state legislatures can’t be reviewed by state courts.
But the fact that it even got this far, and that two justices voted in favor of it (with one more voting that the case was moot), should keep you awake at night.
- 6/27/2023
- by Jay Michaelson
- Rollingstone.com
Add Samuel Alito to the list of conservative Supreme Court justices with questionable (at best) ethics, according to a new report from ProPublica.
In 2008, two years after he joined the nation’s highest court, Alito went on a pricey Alaskan fishing trip with a Republican billionaire named Paul Singer. Singer even flew Alito out on his private jet. Alito didn’t report the trip, nor did he recuse himself when Singer’s hedge fund had a case come before the court.
ProPublica sent Alito a series of questions about the trip.
In 2008, two years after he joined the nation’s highest court, Alito went on a pricey Alaskan fishing trip with a Republican billionaire named Paul Singer. Singer even flew Alito out on his private jet. Alito didn’t report the trip, nor did he recuse himself when Singer’s hedge fund had a case come before the court.
ProPublica sent Alito a series of questions about the trip.
- 6/21/2023
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court restricted the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate water pollution in the nation’s wetlands. The court determined that the 1972 Clean Water Act only applies to “wetlands with a continuous surface connection to bodies that are waters of the United States in their own rights.”
“Wetlands that are separate from traditional navigable waters cannot be considered part of those waters, even if they are located nearby,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court’s majority opinion.
The justices, ruling on Sackett v.
“Wetlands that are separate from traditional navigable waters cannot be considered part of those waters, even if they are located nearby,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court’s majority opinion.
The justices, ruling on Sackett v.
- 5/25/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
With fewer than 700 undergraduates, New College of Florida’s student body is small enough that most of it fits on one reply-all email thread. On Jan. 6, the day news broke that Gov. Ron DeSantis had installed a knot of culture-war veterans to the school’s board of trustees, that student-moderated email forum lit up. Sam Sharf, a second-year student, remembers the emails flying back and forth: “What the hell is going on?” “How are we going to fight back?” “This is crazy.” Almost as quickly, screenshots of those messages began gleefully circulating on right-wing Twitter,...
- 5/19/2023
- by Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
The Supreme Court has stepped in to stay a lower court decision that would have imposed nationwide restrictions on access to mifepristone, a widely used abortion medication, but the court battle isn’t over. The high court’s order keeps mifepristone available as a fight over nationwide access continues to work its way through the legal system. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments in the case on May 17.
A majority of justices voted in favor of keeping mifepristone available, though it’s not clear which or how many.
A majority of justices voted in favor of keeping mifepristone available, though it’s not clear which or how many.
- 4/21/2023
- by Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
The Supreme Court has so far been unable to identify the source of the leak to Politico of a draft opinion earlier this year that revealed that a majority of justices were poised to overturn Roe Vs. Wade.
“At this time, based on a preponderance of the evidence standard, it is not possible to determine the identity of any individual who may have disclosed the document or how the draft opinion ended up with Politico,” according to a report from the court’s marshal. “No one confessed to publicly disclosing the document and none of the available forensic and other evidence provided a basis for identifying any individual as the source of the document.”
The report did not completely rule out the possibility of a hack, or that the opinion was “inadvertently or negligently disclosed – for example, by being left in a public space either inside or outside the building.
“At this time, based on a preponderance of the evidence standard, it is not possible to determine the identity of any individual who may have disclosed the document or how the draft opinion ended up with Politico,” according to a report from the court’s marshal. “No one confessed to publicly disclosing the document and none of the available forensic and other evidence provided a basis for identifying any individual as the source of the document.”
The report did not completely rule out the possibility of a hack, or that the opinion was “inadvertently or negligently disclosed – for example, by being left in a public space either inside or outside the building.
- 1/19/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Whoopi Goldberg had some pointed words for Justice Samuel Alito during Tuesday’s episode of “The View,” questioning why he’s still sitting on the Supreme Court, after making a quip in a recent case about a hypothetical scenario in which a Black man playing Santa Claus had to encounter a child wearing a Ku Klux Klan uniform.
The topic came as the women were discussing the case of a graphic designer in Colorado, who has revealed that she plans to refuse to work on same-sex weddings — no one has asked her to yet — because she feels it violates her religious and artistic freedom. The case is currently being tried before the Supreme Court, with arguments beginning on Monday.
For the most part, Whoopi disagreed with the woman’s stance, saying that she doesn’t have to believe in gay marriage personally, but she shouldn’t get the right to refuse others because of it.
The topic came as the women were discussing the case of a graphic designer in Colorado, who has revealed that she plans to refuse to work on same-sex weddings — no one has asked her to yet — because she feels it violates her religious and artistic freedom. The case is currently being tried before the Supreme Court, with arguments beginning on Monday.
For the most part, Whoopi disagreed with the woman’s stance, saying that she doesn’t have to believe in gay marriage personally, but she shouldn’t get the right to refuse others because of it.
- 12/6/2022
- by Andi Ortiz
- The Wrap
“The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion,” Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the Supreme Court’s majority opinion striking down 50 years of federal protection for abortion earlier this year. The words unleashed chaos across the U.S., casting innumerable patients and providers into legal limbo. By election day, abortion was inaccessible in more than a quarter of the country, thanks to pre-exsisting laws that went into effect following the Court’s decision.
Now, the citizens have finally had their say: in...
Now, the citizens have finally had their say: in...
- 11/9/2022
- by Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
During his administration, former President Donald Trump referred 334 classified leaks for criminal investigation, setting a record. And at his rally Saturday night, he said that the journalists who published the Supreme Court’s preliminary decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would reveal their sources under threat of rape in prison. And the crowd loved it.
“You know in this country they leak all over the place even on the Supreme Court,” Trump said. “By the way, you have to find the leaker of the Supreme Court. You have to find the leaker.
“You know in this country they leak all over the place even on the Supreme Court,” Trump said. “By the way, you have to find the leaker of the Supreme Court. You have to find the leaker.
- 10/23/2022
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
Click here to read the full article.
Did Andy Warhol violate copyright law when he based a portrait of Prince on a prominent photographer’s work? That question was before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, as it grappled with the potentially massive consequences of a case that could change the landscape for art that’s created using other art.
Several justices observed the possible implications. “Why can’t we imagine that Hollywood can take a book and make a movie about it without paying?” Justice Clarence Thomas asked a lawyer for the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Justice Elena Kagan raised the opposite concern, mainly how a ruling against Warhol could chill artistic expression. “The purpose of all copyright law is to foster creativity,” she said. “Why shouldn’t we ask if the thing we have here is new and entirely different.”
The justices often turned to ramifications in forms...
Did Andy Warhol violate copyright law when he based a portrait of Prince on a prominent photographer’s work? That question was before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, as it grappled with the potentially massive consequences of a case that could change the landscape for art that’s created using other art.
Several justices observed the possible implications. “Why can’t we imagine that Hollywood can take a book and make a movie about it without paying?” Justice Clarence Thomas asked a lawyer for the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Justice Elena Kagan raised the opposite concern, mainly how a ruling against Warhol could chill artistic expression. “The purpose of all copyright law is to foster creativity,” she said. “Why shouldn’t we ask if the thing we have here is new and entirely different.”
The justices often turned to ramifications in forms...
- 10/12/2022
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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