Kate Scanlon

The Supreme Court has overturned the Chevron deference, reducing the regulatory power of federal agencies — some of which have led to major disputes with the Catholic Church and Catholic entities.

The Supreme Court on June 27 dismissed a case concerning abortions for medical emergencies in Idaho, sending the case back to a lower court without resolving the central question of whether a conflict exists between Idaho's abortion restrictions and federal law governing emergency health care.

The Supreme Court June 26 ruled in favor of the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over the government's effort to restrict misinformation on social media on topics including COVID-19.

The Supreme Court on June 24 agreed to hear a challenge to a Tennessee state law banning certain types of medical or surgical gender reassignment procedures for minors who identify as transgender, the high court's first major step toward weighing in on the controversial issue.

After the Supreme Court June 14 struck down a Trump-era federal ban on bump stocks June 14, the U.S. Senate tried to pass a ban on the devices by unanimous consent, a procedure in which the Senate considers a matter agreed to if no senator objects.

The Biden administration June 18 announced an executive action that allows certain noncitizen spouses and children of U.S. citizens to apply for lawful permanent residency without first having to leave the country, as they were previously required to do.

A lawyer representing Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, a Catholic nonprofit serving migrants, told reporters shortly after a June 17 hearing in the case that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's attempt to shut down that ministry is an "attack on religious liberty."

Arizona voters in November will consider a measure to make unauthorized crossings of the state's international border a state crime separate from a federal one after state lawmakers approved its inclusion on the general election ballot.

Catholic immigration advocates expressed concern about the impact Biden's order could have on asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Lawmakers on the House and Senate agriculture committees released differing frameworks for the 2024 farm bill, with one version praised by a Catholic aid group.

The study found that a majority — 63% — of Americans said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, an increase of four percentage points from 2021, the year prior to the Dobbs ruling. That includes 59% of Catholics surveyed.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton revived his attempt to shut down El Paso's Annunciation House, a Catholic nonprofit serving migrants, just a couple of months after his previous effort was blocked by a state judge.

At a ceremony to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom President Joe Biden said Jesuit Fr. Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, "changed countless lives" through his former gang member rehabilitation ministry. 

The Supreme Court on April 24 weighed a potential conflict between Idaho's abortion restrictions and federal law governing emergency health care.

The Supreme Court on April 22 heard a case concerning the constitutionality of local laws that ban public camping and their impact on people who are homeless.

A bipartisan coalition the U.S. House of Representatives, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., voted April 20 to approve a $95 billion package providing aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and other U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific region, over the objections of some far-right lawmakers who indicated they would attempt to remove Johnson from his role over the deal.

The concept of Christian nationalism is not compatible with Catholic teaching, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said on a recent episode of his 'Walk Humbly' podcast.
 

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments March 26 in a case concerning mifepristone, a pill commonly used for abortion. It is the first major case involving abortion on its docket since the high court overturned its previous abortion precedent in 2022.

Catholic and Christian groups joined together March 20 to discuss a faith-driven approach to solving problems associated with climate change in a panel discussion on Capitol Hill.