The U.S. Supreme Court kicks off a new term on Monday with a history-making justice joining the bench and an environmental case set to be argued, with major cases due to be decided over the next nine months.
that could limit the scope of a landmark federal environmental law - the Clean Water Act of 1972 - as they consider for a second time a married Idaho couple's bid to build on property that the U.S. government has deemed a protected wetland.
There has been litigation and political debates over how much of a connection with a waterway a property must have in order to require such a permit. A 2006 Supreme Court ruling led to further uncertainty. The new case gives the conservative majority an opportunity to embrace an approach favored by business groups, with a ruling due by the end of June.
Alabama is appealing a lower court's ruling invalidating a map approved by its Republican-controlled legislature drawing the boundaries of the state's seven U.S. House of Representatives districts. The lower court ordered a new map after finding that the Republican-drawn version diluted the electoral clout of Black voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act. Black voters tend to support Democratic candidates.