Justice
Witnesses pro and con testify on Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation
WASHINGTON — A family physician and a former law clerk were among those who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday as the panel wrapped up its consideration of whether Judge Amy Coney Barrett should be confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Dr. Farhan Bhatti was tapped by Democrats who have portrayed Barrett’s appointment […]
Ernst highlights Supreme Court nominee Barrett’s decision upholding abortion clinic buffer zones
After Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett fielded repeated questions throughout Tuesday’s confirmation hearing about her personal views on abortion, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst asked Barrett to once more explain how she would approach the issue as a judge. Barrett, a devout Catholic conservative, told Ernst — an Iowa Republican who described herself as “pro-life” […]
Supreme Court nominee Barrett to Grassley: No one has asked me to rule against the health care law
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley asked Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Tuesday whether she has made any promises to vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as he sought to counter arguments from Democratic senators that she would unravel the landmark health care law. Barrett told the Iowa Republican that no one in the […]
Michigan governor kidnap plot shows danger of vigilantes
My closest friend spent his working life in law enforcement. He handled everything from minor traffic violations to homicides, with assorted robberies, break-ins, vandalism and domestic assaults in between. Sadly, Denny has been gone for three years. Among his family’s treasured possessions are his sheriff’s badges, the shoulder patches from his uniforms and the large, […]
Supreme Court confirmation hearings to plow ahead amid COVID-19 infections
Federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett will face the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee beginning Monday for what’s expected to be an unusual and contentious four days of hearings on her nomination for the Supreme Court. Democrats sought unsuccessfully to block those hearings, raising concerns about the short time frame before Election Day, the urgent need to […]
Supreme Court hears arguments over states’ ability to regulate drug costs
How much leeway states have to control drug middlemen was at the heart of arguments this week before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case, Rutledge v Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, pits 47 state attorneys general — including Iowa’s — and the U.S. Solicitor General against an industry group representing three of the 20 largest corporations […]
Could COVID-19 delay the Supreme Court confirmation hearings?
One of the few obstacles that could prevent Amy Coney Barrett from being confirmed as a Supreme Court justice this year is the coronavirus. That potential threat was on display Friday, when news of President Donald Trump’s positive COVID-19 test was followed by a similar announcement from U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican who […]
Debate: Trump tells far-right group to ‘stand back and stand by’
President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Tuesday night’s chaotic and messy presidential debate were each asked how they would deal with the nation’s institutional racism. Trump directly addressed a far-right group, the Proud Boys, telling them to “stand back and stand by,” and failed to answer a question about why Americans should […]
Judge upholds law prohibiting auditors from correcting or completing absentee ballot applications
An Iowa judge has denied a temporary injunction and upheld a Republican-backed law that prohibits county auditors from correcting or completing portions of voter-submitted absentee ballot applications, according to court documents released on Monday. In July, League of United Latin American Citizens and Majority Forward filed a lawsuit alleging the measure impeded Iowans’ fundamental right […]
Planned Parenthood of Iowa reacts to Barrett nomination
The executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa said Saturday that the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the U.S. Supreme Court could have “a lasting effect on our rights for generations to come.” In a written statement issued shortly after Trump’s announcement of Barrett as his nominee, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa noted […]
Trump picks Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court, and D.C. girds for a fight
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump at the White House on Saturday introduced federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee, setting off a confirmation battle that could secure a conservative court for generations. “She is a woman of unparalleled achievement, towering intellect and sterling credentials and unyielding loyalty to the […]
Trump reportedly ready to choose judge with anti-abortion views for Supreme Court
President Donald Trump plans to nominate federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, according to several media reports. Barrett, 48, is a judge for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, Ill. She was appointed to the position by Trump […]