The Supreme Court kicks off a new term Monday without

Scalia's absence haunts Supreme Court's new term The late justice's impact will be felt on cases accepted, denied and delayed Check out this story on HometownLife.com: http://usat.ly/2dTrUxb The Supreme Court kicks off a new term Monday without Justice Antonin Scalia, whose absence will have a major impact. WASHINGTON - Justice Antonin Scalia will be missing when the Supreme Court opens its 2016 term Monday, but his influence lives on in the cases the court has granted, denied and delayed.

UPDATE 1-Obama power plant rules face key test in U.S. court

The centerpiece of President Barack Obama's climate change strategy faced a key test on Tuesday as conservative appeals court judges questioned whether his administration overstepped its legal authority under an air pollution law to make sweeping changes to the U.S. electric sector. Twenty-seven states led by coal-producer West Virginia and industry groups are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan rules before 10 judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Obama power plant rules face key test in U.S. court

The centerpiece of President Barack Obama's climate change strategy, federal rules curbing greenhouse gas emissions mainly from coal-fired power plants, faces a key test on Tuesday when opponents try to convince a U.S. appeals court to throw out the regulations. Twenty-seven states led by coal-producer West Virginia and industry groups are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan rules before 10 judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

En banc panel for Clean Power Plan expands

On Thursday, in a brief order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit announced that all but one of the court's active judges will be participating in the en banc review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan regulations. What this means is that the case will now be heard by 10 judges instead of nine.

Court halts construction of another section of pipeline

A federal appeals court has ordered a halt to construction of another section of the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said in a ruling late Friday that it needs more time to consider the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's request for an emergency injunction.

Appeals court blocks proof-of-citizenship voting requirement

A federal appeals court on Friday blocked Kansas, Georgia and Alabama from requiring residents to prove they are U.S. citizens when registering to vote using a national form. The 2-1 ruling is a victory for voting rights groups who said a U.S. election official illegally changed proof-of-citizenship requirements on the federal registration form at the behest of the three states.

Stone-walling of Garland nomination dereliction of duty

As President Barack Obama's second and final term winds down, commentators consider each decision, each foreign trip and each utterance, along with the unfolding presidential campaign, in terms of what it all means in terms of his legacy. The Senate Republican leadership's legacy, as the congressional session winds down, is already clear.

Backpage.com loses bid to claim freedom of press shield against Congress

Backpage.com, one of the Internet's largest sex-service websites, lost its bid Friday to claim protection under the First Amendment when a federal appeals court ruled the company must turn over internal files to Congress . Senate investigators have been looking into whether Backpage does enough to screen out human trafficking victims, but company CEO Carl Ferrer has fought a subpoena, arguing he and his fellow employees are protected under the Constitution as online publishers.

Appeals court refuses to halt trial in USS Cole attack

A federal appeals court has refused to halt the military commission trial of a Saudi national charged with orchestrating the 2000 attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 on Tuesday that Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri can't challenge the commission's authority to hear his case until the proceeding has run its course.

Where do Trump and Clinton stand on keeping the internet open?

When the Federal Communications Commission voted to approve net neutrality rules last year, many people saw it as a done deal. Supporters cheered the decision as a victory for the free and open internet, where the deep pockets of big companies couldn't buy faster web speeds over struggling startups.

Court puts GHG 2 on hold for trailers

A federal court has made it official, putting off indefinitely the implementation date for trailers under the federal government's heavy-duty truck fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions standards . Whether the decision to stay the Jan. 1 deadline eases or compounds uncertainty for trailer manufacturers and freight carriers remains to be seen, however.

Feds Must Study Wind Farm’s Harm to Bats

Wind-turbine opponents convinced the D.C. Circuit that the government issued a permit to an Ohio wind farm without fully considering ways to reduce the deaths of endangered Indiana bats. Ohio-based Union Neighbors United brought the 2013 complaint in Washington, D.C., taking issue with the U.S. government's approval of a permit for the Buckeye Wind Power Project.

Appeals court clears way for Cowlitz Tribe casino

A federal appeals court has upheld the Interior Department 's decision to grant a reservation to the Cowlitz Tribe in southwestern Washington, rejecting efforts to block the construction of a $510 million casino and resort on the land. The Columbian newspaper reports that the ruling, handed down Friday by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, affirmed a 2014 ruling by U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein in Seattle.

Wireless group urges U.S. court to reverse ‘net neutrality’ rules

A wireless trade association on Friday urged the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to reverse a ruling upholding the Obama administration's landmark rules barring internet service providers from obstructing or slowing down consumer access to web content. A three-judge panel in June, in a 2-1 decision, backed the Federal Communications Commission's so-called net neutrality rules put in place last year to make internet service providers treat all internet traffic equally.

UPDATE 1-Trade groups urge U.S. court to reverse ‘net neutrality’ rules

Several wireless, cable and broadband trade associations on Friday urged the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to reverse a ruling upholding the Obama administration's landmark rules barring internet service providers from obstructing or slowing consumer access to web content. A three-judge panel in June, in a 2-1 decision, backed the Federal Communications Commission's so-called net neutrality rules put in place last year to make internet service providers treat all internet traffic equally.