archive

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The Two-Way

Supreme Court Declines Review Of Planned Parenthood Case

The Supreme Court declined to intervene in a case involving Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood.

May 28, 2013 The justices have refused to disturb a lower court decision that barred Indiana from stripping Medicaid payments to the organization. Six federal courts have ruled that targeted defunding is illegal. This was the first case to reach the Supreme Court.

Summary

Monday, May 20, 2013

The Two-Way

Supreme Court Takes Case On Prayer At Government Meetings

The Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., earlier this year.

May 20, 2013 Prayers said before meetings of the town board in Greece, N.Y., have predominantly been Christian. A lower court ruled that officials hadn't done enough to seek out prayers from other faiths. That violates the Constitution's Establishment Clause, the court said. Now the Supreme Court will weigh in.

Summary

Monday, May 13, 2013

The Two-Way

Supreme Court Rules For Monsanto In Case Against Farmer

Vernon Hugh Bowman, who took his case to the Supreme Court, lives outside the small town of Sandborn, Ind.

May 13, 2013 An Indiana farmer bought soybeans that he knew likely included some with genetic modifications developed by Monsanto. The agribusiness giant sued because it controls the patent on such soybeans. The Supreme Court says the farmer infringed on Monsanto's legal rights.

Summary

Saturday, April 27, 2013

The Two-Way

Justice Breyer Fractures Shoulder In (Another) Bike Accident

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer fell from his bike while riding along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Friday. He underwent surgery for a fractured shoulder on Saturday.

April 27, 2013 Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is recovering in a Georgetown hospital Saturday, following surgery for a fractured shoulder. The 74-year-old justice fell while riding his bike along Washington's National Mall on Friday.

Summary

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Two-Way

Supreme Court Backs Warrants For Blood Tests In DUI Cases

April 17, 2013 The state of Missouri contended that because alcohol naturally dissipates in the bloodstream, each passing moment means valuable evidence is being lost, and so a warrant is never required for a blood draw. In an 8-to-1 vote, the Supreme Court disagreed.

Summary

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The Two-Way

Votes May Be There To Strike Down DOMA, But There's A Big 'If'

Demonstrators gathered again outside the Supreme Court Wednesday as the time approached for another case to be heard about issues related to same-sex marriage.

March 27, 2013 It's not certain the justices will decide they should rule on the Defense of Marriage Act's constitutionality. But if they do, it looks as though Justice Anthony Kennedy might join the court's four "liberal" judges to strike down the law.

Summary

The Two-Way

Day 1 Didn't Tell Us Too Much About Day 2 Of Same-Sex Marriage Cases

An artist's sketch of the scene inside the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.

March 27, 2013 Although gay marriage is again on the docket, Wednesday's legal issue is different. Tuesday was about California's attempt to ban same-sex marriage. On Wednesday, the focus is whether the federal government can deny benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

Summary

ListenPlaylist

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The Two-Way

Outside the Supreme Court, The Arguments Continue

A member of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization (right) is confronted by a pro-gay-marriage activist outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

March 26, 2013 As oral arguments were held Tuesday in the first of two same-sex-marriage cases inside the Supreme Court, the steps and sidewalks outside were transformed into a public forum of sorts on the issue.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

The Two-Way

At First Of Gay-Marriage Cases, Skepticism About Whether Court Should Weigh In

The line was long Tuesday outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., as spectators came to hear the oral arguments about California's Proposition 8.

March 26, 2013 The justices began two days of high-profile oral arguments with many questions about whether they should even consider ruling on the merits of California's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in that state.

Summary

The Two-Way

'Monumental' Gay Marriage Cases Could Set Law For Centuries

Some have been lined up for days — including during Monday's snow and rain — to insure they'll be inside the Supreme Court when the justices hear oral arguments about two laws involving same-sex marriage.

March 26, 2013 Two days of historic arguments begin in cases on Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. How the justices rule, says lawyer and Supreme Court expert Tom Goldstein, will be foundational decisions likely to be cited for hundreds of years.

Summary

ListenPlaylist

Monday, March 25, 2013

The Two-Way

Anthony Lewis, Journalist Who Transformed Supreme Court Coverage, Dies

Journalist Anthony Lewis in 2003.

March 25, 2013 A longtime reporter, columnist and bureau chief for The New York Times, Lewis gained fame for his coverage of the court in the 1960s.

Summary

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The Two-Way

Supreme Court OKs Discounted Resale Of 'Gray Market' Goods

People stand in line outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday.

March 19, 2013 The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that U.S. companies that make and sell products abroad cannot prevent those items from being resold in the U.S., even at steep discounts. The decision could have repercussions that extend from U.S. trade policy to local yard sales.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Saturday, February 23, 2013

The Two-Way

Obama Administration Urges Supreme Court To Rethink DOMA

February 23, 2013 It argues that a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. Specifically, the administration points to a section that denies married same-sex couples access to federal benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples.

Summary

Monday, February 18, 2013

The Salt

Farmer's Fight With Monsanto Reaches The Supreme Court

Vernon Hugh Bowman lives outside the small town of Sandborn, Ind.

February 18, 2013 On its surface, the case is about whether farmers can use seeds derived from patented crops. But the bigger question is, how much control does a company have over its patented products once they're in the hands of consumers?

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Shots - Health News

'Roe V. Wade' Turns 40, But Abortion Debate Is Even Older

Forty years after Roe v. Wade --€” and nearly 50 years after the start of efforts toward legalizing abortion €-- the debate still carries on, with younger generations ready to take up the cause for both sides.

January 22, 2013 Abortion foes say the U.S. Supreme Court's aggressive decision set the issue on the path toward becoming intractable. Others say factors besides the landmark case — including doctors, lawyers, President Nixon and the Catholic Church — more strongly influenced the state of today's debate.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

NPR thanks our sponsors

Become an NPR Sponsor

Podcast + RSS Feeds

Podcast RSS

  • Supreme Court