News and HeadlinesNational Politics

Actions

The Supreme Court still needs to rule on social media, abortion, Trump immunity

The Supreme Court has about 20 opinions to issue before wrapping up its current term in the next few weeks.
Supreme Court
Posted

Covering opinions from the Supreme Court, this time of year can sometimes be a challenge.

You either have to be inside the court when the rulings come down or you have to be proficient with the Supreme Court's website on opinion days at 10 a.m. Eastern time.

Reporters from around the globe are constantly hitting refresh to see what big case has just received a ruling.

Right now, there are about 20 cases still in need of an opinion, and while it's always possible for the court to issue opinions in July, traditionally, the justices wrap up by the end of June.

The Supreme Court issued opinions on four cases Thursday. They included cases about a woman trafficking drugs and tax cuts.

Outstanding case 1: Trump immunity

Does former President Donald Trump have presidential immunity from some of the charges he is facing? The Supreme Court could agree, impacting presidents past present and future for years to come.

Justices could also say that he doesn't and agree with lower court rulings that state no person is above the law.

Outstanding case 2: Abortion and emergency care

The state of Idaho currently has a near-total ban on abortion. The Biden administration has challenged that law, saying federal regulations require hospitals to offer access to emergency treatment and Idaho's law illegally restricts that. The opinion could impact states beyond Idaho.

Outstanding case 3: Social media content moderation

There are multiple social media cases before the Supreme Court. Can content on social media sites be regulated, and how can social media companies go about doing that? The Supreme Court's forthcoming opinions could impact your feeds for years to come.

Outstanding case 4: January 6

A former Pennsylvania police officer is challenging some of the obstruction charges that he and other January 6 participants face.

If the Supreme Court throws out those charges, it would impact hundreds of Americans facing similar ones – including, potentially, Trump.

Outstanding case 5: Homelessness

This case could impact how your city or town combats homelessness, specifically, if there can be penalties for sleeping outside. If the Supreme Court expands rights for the unhoused, it could make it harder for cities to disperse any encampments.

Outstanding case 6: Future of government rulemaking

The Supreme Court could also deal a blow to the executive branch and the rules agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency issue. Right now, the Chevron doctrine gives great deference to agencies, themselves, to interpret ambiguous laws and issue rules.

Related: Supreme Court Justices appear skeptical of social media state laws