TWO BIG DECISIONS HANDED DOWN BY THE HIGH COURT:
Court Upholds Trump Travel Ban, Rejects Discrimination Claim
(Mark Sherman – AP) The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld President Donald Trump’s ban on travel from several mostly Muslim countries, rejecting a challenge that it discriminated against Muslims or exceeded his authority.
The 5-4 decision Tuesday is the court’s first substantive ruling on a Trump administration policy, and the president quickly tweeted his reaction: “Wow!”
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by his four conservative colleagues.
Roberts wrote that presidents have substantial power to regulate immigration. He also rejected the challengers’ claim of anti-Muslim bias.
Supreme Court Sides With Calif. Pregnancy Centers Challenging Law Requiring Provision of Info on Govt. Abortion Programs
(Heather Clark – Christian News) The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 5-4 decision that a California law requiring pro-life pregnancy centers to provide information to clients regarding how they can take part in government programs that would allow them to obtain an abortion at little or no cost “likely violates the First Amendment.”
“California could inform low-income women about its services ‘without burdening a speaker with unwanted speech,’” wrote Justice Clarence Thomas on behalf of the majority. “Most obviously, it could inform the women itself with a public information campaign. California could even post the information on public property near crisis pregnancy centers.”