On Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court was presented with oral arguments over the legitimacy of Trump’s travel ban in Trump v. Hawaii. The case is over the ban’s third iteration, which was struck down by lower courts. Justice Elena Kagan wanted to know what would happen if a really shifty, bigoted, terrible president…
It takes a lot to surprise me during these dark days of the Trump presidency but today somehow delivered two eye-poppers with one stone. On Monday, the Supreme Court struck down the congressional map of North Carolina, ruling that it unconstitutionally used race to determine districts. Perhaps even more surprising is…
Yesterday, the Supreme Court heard Whole Woman’s Health vs. Hellerstedt, a challenge to Texas’s HB2, a wide-ranging bill whose purpose is largely to regulate abortion providers into non-existence. From requiring clinics to abide by the same building codes as a surgical center, to requiring physicians to have admitting…
Today in About Damn Time: the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery uncloaked a portrait featuring the women of the United States Supreme Court, past and present. As of November 2, 2015, the painting hangs in the Washington, D.C. gallery.
Artist Maia Weinstock has created a set of Legos celebrating the four women who have served on the Supreme Court–Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan–and they are very cool. The only downside is that they are not available to preorder for the upcoming holiday season.
The frothingly anti-gay American Family Association is pushing Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan to remove themselves from the upcoming case that will decide whether same-sex marriage is protected under the Constitution. They're arguing that both women have officiated at gay weddings, making…
This weekend, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan officiated in the same sex nuptials between a former law clerk and his husband. Immediately after the ceremony, Kagan hopped on the phone and ordered your parents to get a divorce. You know how marriage is — one in, one out.
This morning, the press was given a chance to gaze upon a new portrait by Nelson Shanks featuring Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Close-up after the jump.
The appointments of Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor caused liberals to wring their hands with worry. What if they weren't liberal enough? What was the President doing? Liberals, breathe a sigh of relief for now. They're kicking ass.
Amanda Hess offers this compendium of Pulitzer-winning fashion critic Robin Givhan's underminery. "Kagan's version of middle-age seems stuck in a time warp, back when 50-something did not mean Kim Cattrall or Sharon Stone, Cougar Town or Sex and the City."
The Log Cabin Republicans are asking the Supreme Court to overrule the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which decided to keep "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in place while it prepares to hear arguments on the issue at a future date.
Today during her first real day on the job, Elena Kagan will meet privately with fellow justices to decide which cases will be heard. This first meeting with a new colleague is said to be anxiety-producing even for veteran justices.
[Washington, D.C., August 7. Image via AP.]
A Senate vote of 63-37 has confirmed President Obama's nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. (That included five Republicans, compared to nine for Sonia Sotomayor.) She'll be the fourth female Justice to serve.
Women — especially moms — are underrepresented in top corporate and government jobs. But is what looks like inequality actually a savvy choice by women themselves?
Nearly all Democrats and some Republicans are expected to vote to confirm Elena Kagan as a Supreme Court Justice — the fourth woman on the Court. The debate goes to the Senate floor starting today.
Yesterday, we learned that voters were polled on whether Barbara Boxer or Carly Fiorina has better hair. Even without the 2008 election's bombast (Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin), the past year has been rather rocky for women in politics. Some lowlights:
The Senate Judiciary Committee just voted 13-6 to confirm Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. Lindsey Graham was her only Republican supporter, and many others were worried she was a liberal "activist" who hated marriage and the military.
Evidently David Letterman feels like it's been long enough since all that hostile work environment stuff. Time to revert to "take my wife"-style humor about Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's reticence on her various stances!
Senator Dianne Feinstein asked Kagan whether she believes the constitution requires any abortion-related statute to protect the woman's health. Kagan replied that "putting [late-term] procedure[s] aside...the continuing holdings of the court" protect the woman's life and health. [RHRC]