Recent Updates
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Federal court issues new political maps for Texas
Legal News Feed 11/18/2011A federal court on Thursday issued temporary political maps for the 2012 election in Texas that some say will give Democrats a greater chance of winning seats in the Legislature. The maps, which still must be given final court approval, will remain i...
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Court says nothing about health care appeal
Legal News Feed 11/11/2011The Supreme Court is not immediately saying whether it will make an election-year determination on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Justices met in private conference Thursday to consider new cases to hear next ...
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Pensions the latest political risk for RI governor
Legal News Feed 10/30/2011In 10 months in office, Gov. Lincoln Chafee has managed to anger an impressive assortment of constituencies: business leaders and organized labor, medical marijuana advocates and critics of illegal immigration. It's been a bumpy ride for the nation's...
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GOP candidates would cut federal judges' power
Legal News Feed 10/24/2011Most of the Republican presidential candidates want to wipe away lifetime tenure for federal judges, cut the budgets of courts that displease them or allow Congress to override Supreme Court rulings on constitutional issues. Any one of those proposal...
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Senate rejects GOP effort on terrorist trials
Legal News Feed 10/21/2011The Senate voted early Friday to reject a Republican effort to prohibit the United States from prosecuting foreign terrorist suspects in civilian courts, handing a victory to President Barack Obama. By 52-47, senators turned aside a proposal by Sen. ...
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Obama sells jobs plan in Silicon Valley
Legal News Feed 09/26/2011President Barack Obama is on the road selling his jobs plan — and his re-election hopes — to plugged-in networkers in Silicon Valley and around the country. He was to appear Monday at a town hall-style event hosted by the career-focused social networ...
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Congressional debt reduction panel kicks off work
Legal News Feed 09/08/2011Republicans and Democrats on the special supercommittee warned of a financial crisis threatening future generations as the congressional debt reduction panel kicked off its work Thursday with an imperative to slash the deficit and lift the sluggish e...
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Obama Commerce pick hits fed fight with Boeing
Legal News Feed 06/22/2011President Barack Obama's pick to head the Commerce Department criticized a federal labor board's lawsuit against the Boeing Co. on Tuesday over the aerospace giant's decision to locate a new plant in South Carolina.The nominee, John Bryson, recently ...
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Senate confirms Obama lawyer as solicitor general
Legal News Feed 06/07/2011The Senate has confirmed White House lawyer Donald Verrilli Jr. to succeed Justice Elena Kagan as U.S. solicitor general.With the 72-16 vote, Verrilli will fill a post that has been vacant since the Senate voted Kagan to her Supreme Court seat last A...
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House passes $42.3B homeland security funding bill
Legal News Feed 06/03/2011The GOP-controlled House on Thursday passed a $42.3 billion budget for the government's homeland security efforts after a debate that demonstrated resistance for some of the spending cuts required under austere budget times.The measure passed 231-188...
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Bauer leaving, Ruemmler in as White House counsel
Legal News Feed 06/02/2011President Barack Obama's top lawyer at the White House is resigning to return to private practice and represent Obama as his personal attorney and as general counsel to Obama's re-election campaign. Bob Bauer will be replaced by his top deputy, Kathy...
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Court puts Carl Lewis back on NJ primary ballot
Legal News Feed 05/06/2011Track and field legend Carl Lewis finally found a court willing to help him get into the race for the New Jersey state Senate — but there's a chance his run will be fleeting.A three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appe...