Senate GOP aim to give Trump another victory on judges

The Senate on Tuesday is poised to confirm one of President Donald Trump's legal advisers to serve on a powerful appellate court. Gregory Katsas has worked on some of the president's most high-profile and contentious decisions, including his executive orders restricting travel for citizens of predominantly Muslim countries and his decision to end a program protecting some young immigrants from deportation.

25 Dem lawmakers file court brief backing English over Trump consumer bureau pick

Over two dozen Democratic lawmakers on Monday filed a brief with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in support Leandra English's authority to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over President Trump's appointment of John Michael Mulvaney Top CFPB lawyer sides with Trump over Mulvaney appointment CFPB deputy director sues Trump to block Mulvaney as interim leader GOP senator: We shouldn't play games with dueling CFPB appointments MORE Twenty-five current Senate and House lawmakers filed an amicus brief arguing that English, who was elevated by the CFPB's director on his last day, should serve as acting director of the consumer bureau until a permanent director, nominated by the president, is confirmed by the Senate.

Trump announces five more judges to be considered for Supreme Court

Already well on his way to reshaping the federal judiciary, President Trump announced Friday the names of five more conservative jurists that he will consider for the next Supreme Court vacancy. The new list of candidates for the high court includes Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative stalwart on the high-profile U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Trump adds 5 judges to list of potential Supreme Court nominees

U.S. President Donald Trump has added federal appellate Judge Brett Kavanaugh and four other jurists to his list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court, the White House said Friday. The most notable new name, Kavanaugh is a judge on the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and once clerked for Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

US court hears case involving impersonation of AP journalist

A federal appeals court heard arguments Monday in a case that developed after an FBI agent pretended to be an Associated Press journalist as part of an investigation into bomb threats at a high school in Washington state. When the ruse became public in 2014, the AP and a press freedom organization attempted to get government records about the case and any other times FBI agents have impersonated journalists.

Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline construction to resume: ruling

That was the comment from Williams Partners on Wednesday night after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia dissolved the administrative stay it had issued Monday. The court's one-page order states the seven environmental groups that wanted to stop the pipeline project had not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay.

New flight paths lead to airplane noise complaints across US

Airliners began flying over Twila Lake's bungalow-style house in a historic district three years ago, taking off every one to two minutes from the Phoenix airport and roaring over her neighborhood. It was a sudden change after rarely hearing jets in her previous 13 years in the downtown neighborhood.

U.S. court blocks illegal immigrant teen’s bid to obtain abortion

A U.S. appeals court on Friday prevented an illegal immigrant teenager detained by the government from immediately obtaining an abortion, although it left open the possibility she could undergo the procedure within days. A U.S. appeals court on Friday prevented an illegal immigrant teenager detained by the government from immediately obtaining an abortion, although it left open the possibility she could undergo the procedure within days.

Drone victim asks Supreme Court to check Trump’s use of lethal powers

A Yemeni man whose relatives were killed in a US drone strike has asked the Supreme Court to exercise its powers of oversight over President Trump's use of lethal force. Engineer Faisal bin Ali Jaber is seeking justice for his brother-in-law, Salem, a local religious leader who had preached against terrorism, and nephew, Waleed, a policeman.

D.C. weighs gun law appeal, with fate of restrictions nationwide in the balance

D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine, center, will decide this week whether the District will appeal a federal court's ruling against one of its gun laws to the Supreme Court. D.C. officials say they will decide this week whether to ask the Supreme Court to review a ruling striking down the city's restrictions on carrying concealed guns - a choice that could determine the fate of similar laws in cities such as New York and Los Angeles and that is being closely watched by national gun-control activists.

Leftover Indian farmer settlement money plan left alone

One of the two men who objected to the arrangement said he plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, and attorneys for the second man said they're considering it. The money is left over from a $680 million fund approved by President Barack Obama's administration in 2011 to settle claims by Native American farmers who said they were denied loans for decades because of government discrimination.

Ruling overturns FAA rerouting of Phoenix departure paths

A court ruling overturns the Federal Aviation Administration's 2014 order that set new flight paths and procedures for aircraft departing Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. The 2-1 ruling Tuesday by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agrees with claims by Phoenix and a historic neighborhood association that the FAA's action was "arbitrary and capricious."

AOPA Files Court Brief Over Santa Monica Settlement

Separate amicus, or Friend of the Court briefs, have been filed by AOPA and GAMA in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit over the conditions included in the settlement between the FAA and the city that will allow the airport to close in 2028. AOPA reports that in its brief it holds that the settlement would not allow the public to file complaints with the FAA concerning issues at the airport that the agency would be required to resolve "fairly and fully" in accordance with Part 16 of the FARs.

Sabal Trail pipeline under construction in Dougherty County.

Opponents of an underground natural gas pipeline that runs through Southwest Georgia claim victory in a federal court order this week. In a 2 to 1 ruling Tuesday, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agreed with the Sierra Club, an environmental group, that the assessment of an environmental impact study on the Sabal Trail pipeline was "inadequate."

Does NEPA Require Assessment of Downstream GHG Emissions Resulting From Gas Pipelines?

Last week, a divided panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that FERC violated NEPA in failing to assess downstream greenhouse gas emissions resulting from construction of the Sabal Trail pipeline, part of the Southeast Market Pipelines Project. If the decision stands, it is going to have a very significant impact on review and development of gas pipelines.

Appeals court: Energy officials missed in pipeline review

A Washington appeals court says federal energy regulators fell short in evaluating the environmental impact of a natural gas pipeline that's carrying gas through Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday agreed with the Sierra Club in ruling that officials needed more detail in their environmental study of the Southeast Market Pipelines Project.

Clean Power Plan Still In Limbo After Appeals Court Ruling

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has decided to put off making a decision about the Clean Power Plan for two more months - on top off the delay it had issued in April. Now, though, the US Environmental Protection Agency must file monthly updates with the court, meaning that its patience is wearing down with regard to how many more delays it will issue.