Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Major cases before the Supreme Court deal with transgender rights, guns, nuclear waste and vapes

The Supreme Court’s new term is opening with a handful of important cases set to be heard and the possibility that the justices will be asked to get involved in election disputes

The Associated Press
Saturday 05 October 2024 08:36 EDT
Supreme Court Mexico Guns
Supreme Court Mexico Guns (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Supreme Court's new term begins Monday with a handful of important cases set to be heard and the possibility that the justices will be asked to get involved in election disputes.

Here are some of the top cases that will be argued in the coming months:

Transgender rights

The Biden administration and families of transgender minors in Tennessee are challenging a federal appeals court ruling that upheld the state's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Roughly half the states have enacted similar restrictions.

Ghost guns

The administration is appealing a federal appeals court ruling striking down a regulation aimed at reducing the proliferation of hard-to-trace ghost guns, which lack serial numbers.

Death penalty

Oklahoma's Republican attorney general has joined with death row inmate Richard Glossip in calling for the high court to throw out Glossip's conviction and death sentence in a 1977 murder-for-hire scheme.

Pornography

The adult entertainment industry is challenging a provision of Texas law, upheld by a federal appeals court, mandating that pornographic websites verify the age of their users.

Mexico's gun lawsuit

Leading U.S. gun manufacturers want the Supreme Court to overturn an appellate ruling keeping alive a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Mexico against over allegations that the companies' practices are responsible for violence in Mexico.

Nuclear waste

The Nuclear Regulatory Commissions wants the court to restore licenses it issued for temporary nuclear waste storage facilities in rural New Mexico and Texas after a federal appeals court invalidated them.

Job discrimination

A woman in Ohio is asking the court to revive her workplace discrimination lawsuit in which she claims she unfairly lost out on state jobs to LGBTQ people, in violation of federal law.

Flavored vapes

The Food and Drug Administration is asking the justices to overturn a decision that would allow the marketing of sweet e-cigarette products amid concern about a surge in youth vaping in recent years.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in