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Playbook PM: Inside SCOTUS' big transgender ruling
Playbook PM: Inside SCOTUS' big transgender ruling

Politico

time2 days ago

  • Politics
  • Politico

Playbook PM: Inside SCOTUS' big transgender ruling

Presented by THE CATCH-UP SCOTUS WATCH: The Supreme Court this morning dropped one of the most anticipated rulings of its term, upholding a Tennessee law to block gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The details: The 6-3 decision, with all of the court's conservatives in the majority, ruled that the law doesn't violate the Equal Protection Clause and lowered the level of scrutiny courts should use to evaluate similar bans, POLITICO's Josh Gerstein reports. The context: It's a massive blow to trans rights activists and marks the high court's first major decision on an issue that has deeply polarized the country, CNN's Devan Cole and John Fritze write. Plenty of other Republican-led states have enacted their own laws on treating trans minors. Today's ruling means that judges considering similar challenges 'will do so under the lowest standard of judicial review, meaning those other laws are more likely to be upheld by courts.' Majority opinion: 'This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field,' Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. 'The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound. The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best.' Read the full 118-page decision A scathing dissent: Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan, said the law 'clearly draws sex-based distinctions and that Tennessee should have been required to prove in court the measure was necessary to advance an important state interest,' Josh writes. 'By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the Court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims,' Sotomayor said in her dissent, which she read from the bench, a rare step generally deployed to express profound disagreement. Three-box day: The Supreme Court ruled on a handful of other cases today. In a 6-3 ruling on NRC v. Texas, the court said plans to temporarily house nuclear waste in rural Texas and New Mexico could move forward, AP's Mark Sherman reports. It reversed a federal appeals court ruling that invalidated the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's license to private companies to operate their facilities in the area. An interesting split: The court also 'reached opposite conclusions in two cases considering where industry groups and states can sue the EPA over actions that have local and national effects,' Bloomberg's Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson reports. In a 7-2 ruling, the court said exceptions from renewable fuel standards should be petitioned in the D.C. Circuit for the U.S. Court of Appeals. But the justices also said in a unanimous opinion that challenges against state plans on air pollution should go to the regional court of appeals. Still to come: After releasing five today, there are 16 decisions left to announce before the term wraps up in the coming weeks. And we're still missing big cases, including the Trump administration's blockbuster bid to end birthright citizenship and the related question of nationwide injunctions. Another big EPA ruling: A federal judge ruled that the EPA had broken the law in refusing to spend $600 million in environmental justice grants from the Biden administration, POLITICO's Alex Guillén reports. Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. We'll be off tomorrow, but Playbook will still be in your inbox in the morning — and PM will return Friday. Drop us a line at abianco@ and eokun@ 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. WAR REPORT: Trump hasn't gotten the U.S. directly involved in the Israel-Iran conflict yet, but both Washington and Tehran kept talking tough today — far from any deescalation. 'I may do it, I may not do it,' Trump told reporters of bombing Iranian nuclear sites, per POLITICO's Jake Traylor. Asked about yesterday's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' Truth Social post, the president said, 'That means I've had it. OK, I've had it. I give up. No more.' The view from Iran: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remained just as bellicose. 'The Iranian nation will not surrender,' he vowed on television, per the WSJ. 'The Americans must know that any military intervention by the U.S. will undoubtedly lead to irreparable damage.' Trump claimed that he had spoken with an Iranian leader who suggested talks at the White House, but the Iranian Mission to the U.N. retorted on X, 'No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House.' Meanwhile, the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency warned that it can no longer assess precisely where Iran's enriched uranium is, Bloomberg's Jonathan Tirone and Annmarie Hordern scooped. The MAGA reaction: Despite his opposition to the U.S. getting involved, Steve Bannon predicted today that Trump's isolationist MAGA loyalists would nonetheless get in line behind Trump if he makes the decision to attack, per The Hill's Alex Gangitano. And CNN's Brian Stelter and Andrew Kirell break down how Fox News guests and hosts are consistently beating the drum for Trump to take action. 2. TRAIL MIX: Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink jumped into the Democratic primary for a competitive Michigan congressional race, per The Detroit News. She left her post in protest of Trump's policies in April, and is now angling to unseat GOP Rep. Tom Barrett. 'It's important to fight for democracy at home,' she tells NYT's Peter Baker of her shift to domestic politics. … In Florida, Josh Weil is the first significant Democrat to jump into the Senate race, POLITICO's Kimberly Leonard reports. The teacher came to public attention in March when he raised $14 million for a special congressional race, where he fell short in red territory but sliced into Republicans' margin. This will be an uphill battle for Dems. Ad it up: Fresh off officially securing the nomination, Democrat Abigail Spanberger is launching her first general-election ad, a biographical spot, CBS' Hunter Woodall and Fin Daniel Gómez scooped. 3. HURRICANE SEASON: 'Noem demands more control over FEMA and Homeland Security funding, which could slow disaster response,' by CNN's Gabe Cohen: 'Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is tightening her grip on her department's purse strings, ordering that every contract and grant over $100,000 must now cross her desk for approval … The sweeping directive issued last week adds an extra layer of review for billions of dollars in funding … It's the latest in a string of moves the Trump administration has billed as rooting out waste and fraud … [But] Noem's policy threatens to bog down FEMA's rapid-response efforts – and could choke off critical aid when every second counts.' 4. RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES: Despite some changes, the Senate text of the reconciliation bill would nonetheless be devastating for the clean-energy revolution, especially solar and wind, POLITICO's Timothy Cama reports. Industry advocates are still lobbying furiously to try to change the bill and save Inflation Reduction Act tax credits. Even Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), who supported the House bill (though missed the vote after he fell asleep, according to Speaker Mike Johnson), said the Senate didn't go far enough in changing it and saving the tax credits, POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill reports. SALT in the wound: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) still isn't budging on the state and local tax deduction — he emphasized again on Fox Business this morning that he'll demand a $40,000 cap to earn his vote, and that the Senate's $10,000 proposal is 'dead on arrival.' 5. BLEEDING CUTS: 'Thousands of young Americans at risk of homelessness if Job Corps ends,' by CNN's Sunlen Serfaty: 'In the last month, the program has been plunged into uncertainty after the Trump administration ordered its operations to be paused. … At least 21,000 students are now at risk of losing their places in Job Corps, 20% of whom would be homeless, according to program figures obtained by CNN. … Amid this turmoil, Job Corps programs have lost over 8,000 students.' 6. BILL OF HEALTH: After resigning her post as senior CDC scientist, Fiona Havers has given her first interview to NYT's Apoorva Mandavilli, decrying HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s series of moves to attack vaccines. 'If it isn't stopped, and some of this isn't reversed, like, immediately, a lot of Americans are going to die as a result of vaccine-preventable diseases,' Havers warned. 'C.D.C. processes are being corrupted in a way that I haven't seen before.' Digging into the backgrounds of the eight new members Kennedy chose for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices after he dismissed the previous panel, NBC's Aria Bendix and colleagues find that multiple lack expertise and hold views more skeptical of vaccines. The NIH cuts: Beyond HHS' new approach undermining vaccines, sweeping staff cuts throughout the agency have imperiled clinical trials that depend on lab personnel. WaPo's Carolyn Johnson has the story of one Georgia man who depends on custom cancer therapy — and has now had his treatment postponed. Bottoms up: In the upcoming Dietary Guidelines from HHS and the Agriculture Department, the U.S. plans to do away with a longtime recommendation that adults limit themselves to one or two drinks daily, Reuters' Emma Rumney and Jessica DiNapoli scooped. That would be a big victory for the beverage industry. 7. MARK YOUR CALENDARS: 'Social Security, Medicare finances worsen, bringing funding cliffs sooner,' by POLITICO's Michael Stratford: 'Annual reports released by the Treasury Department on Monday show that Social Security's reserve funds, if combined, would run out of money to fully pay beneficiaries in 2034 — a year sooner than projected last year. And the trust fund that pays Medicare's hospital bills would be depleted in 2033 — three years earlier than expected.' TALK OF THE TOWN Bryan Bedford admitted he doesn't have a commercial pilot's license as he'd previously claimed, though he does have a private one. Joe Biden will go to a Juneteenth church celebration in Galveston, Texas, tomorrow. Jason Smith met with Alexander Stubb. MEDIAWATCH — 'Megyn Kelly Expands Digital Network With Emily Jashinsky 'After Party' Aimed at Fans of Politics, Comedy,' by Variety's Brian Steinberg OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at an event for JPMorganChase Institute's 10-year anniversary yesterday at the bank's D.C. office: Jamie Dimon, Heather Higginbottom, Tim Berry, Cecilia Rouse, Sarah Rosen Wartell, David Wessel, Mark Zandi, Marisa Calderon, Jim Poterba, Diana Farrell, Margaret Spellings, Chris Wheat and Jed Kolko. — SPOTTED at a Mozilla mixer held yesterday on the Glen Echo Group office's rooftop: Linda Griffin, Jenn Taylor Hodges, Joel Burke, Brandon Samuel, Phillip Berenbroick, Halie Craig, Katie Barr, Halley Roth, Chris Lewis, Ali Sternburg, Colin Crowell, Joseph Coniglio, Khloe Greenwood, Ali Guckes, Keir Lamont, Beth Do, Justine Gluck, Nathalie Maréchal, Simone Shenny, Brian Smith, Peter Chandler, Marshall Erwin, Christine Bannan, Tricia McCleary, Tim Lynch, Jessica Jones and David Peluso. TRANSITIONS — Kendra Wharton will leave her post as top senior ethics official at the Justice Department and associate deputy AG next month, Reuters' Sarah Lynch reports. The former personal attorney for Trump will go back to her law firm. … Varun Jain is joining K&L Gates as an of counsel in its public policy and law practice. He previously was deputy general counsel at the Biden Transportation Department. … … Saul Hernandez is now VP for government affairs at Charter Communications. He previously was a principal at theGROUP, and is an NCTA alum. … Carolyn Davis is now director of comms at Better Markets. She previously was director of external comms at Leadership for Educational Equity. … Karen Davis is now VP of business development and marketing at the American Society for Radiation Oncology. She most recently was chief development and external affairs officer for the National Council on Aging. WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Christina Thompson, a correspondent for Newsmax, and Adam Pearson, an assistant VP at Golub Capital, got married Saturday at Chateau de Varennes in Burgundy, France. The couple met in college at Wake Forest. Pic, via Courtney Linden Photography … Another pic — Claire Trokey, a policy adviser for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and John Thomas, an associate at Arnold & Porter, got married Saturday at the Goodstone Inn in Middleburg, Virginia. They met in early 2021. Pic, via Hana Gonzalez Photography … Another pic BONUS BIRTHDAY: Daniel Bronstein Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.

Birthright citizenship order challenged
Birthright citizenship order challenged

The Hill

time15-05-2025

  • Politics
  • The Hill

Birthright citizenship order challenged

Happy Thursday. Good luck to the Caps tonight in a crucial Game 5! How's everyone in D.C. feeling? In today's issue: Today is the first day of Supreme Court opinions before the court's summer break. But even more importantly, the Supreme Court is hearing last-minute oral arguments in what may be one of the most highly anticipated cases of the term. Let's break it down: First, the birthright citizenship case: The justices are hearing oral arguments on a challenge to President Trump's birthright citizenship executive order, which would block automatic citizenship for children born on U.S. soil to noncitizens. There's an open question as to what exactly the court will be deciding with this case. The New York Times reports this case is fairly narrow, arguing it's not about the full legality of the policy, but whether a judge can single-handedly halt a nationwide policy. However, Politico's Josh Gerstein reports that the justices could go either way. Read his reporting From Gerstein: 'Most cases that come to the court have a precise 'question presented' that tees up the legal issue to be resolved. But the birthright citizenship cases arrived as a trio of expedited appeals on the court's emergency docket, not through the customary briefing process. And when the court took the rare step of ordering special oral arguments on those appeals, it was silent on what question or questions should be addressed.' Either way, this case could have wide-ranging implications for Trump's executive agenda. Isn't this kinda late for oral arguments?: Usually, yes. Most oral arguments wrap by April, but this was an emergency ask added to the docket. This morning — Trump bashed birthright citizenship: Trump argued that the United States is a 'STUPID Country' for allowing birthright citizenship. Read Trump's full post 🗨️ Follow today's live blog OK, now onto the court's first ruling today: The court issued its first opinion, unanimously deciding to make it easier to bring unreasonable force claims against police. More on the ruling ➤ WHICH CASES ARE STILL ON THE DOCKET?: There are a lot of pending cases still left for the term. The Hill's Zach Schonfeld and Ella Lee break down the top cases to watch. Here are a few big cases: ➤ Gender-affirming care➤ Parent opt-outs for LGBTQ schools➤ South Carolina's bid to defund Planned Parenthood➤ Reverse discrimination➤ Ghost guns 📝Explainer for all the top cases left for the term Another way I like to follow the cases: SCOTUSblog goes live on TikTok to give live analysis of the decisions. They usually begin at 10 a.m. EDT. President Trump is wrapping up his Middle East trip today, but he has left the door open to extending it by another day. Why would he extend it?: Trump floated the possibility of stopping in Turkey for the Ukraine-Russia peace talks. Backstory: Russian and Ukrainian officials are meeting in Turkey to negotiate amid their ongoing war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended, but Russian President Vladimir Putin was a no-show. Trump was asked this morning about Putin's absence, and he attributed it to himself. 'I actually said, 'Why would he go if I'm not going?'' Trump told reporters in Qatar. 'I would go, but I wasn't planning to go, and I said, 'I don't think he's going to go if I don't go.'' 'If something happened, I would go on Friday if it was appropriate,' Trump said. The Hill's Amie Parnes reports on the uptick of Democrats making stops at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to meet with the president in recent weeks. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) stopped by last week, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) visited in April. It's not *just* at the White House: Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) traveled to Mar-a-Lago earlier this year, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) met with Trump at the airport during the wildfires. Plus: Democratic Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York and Phil Murphy of New Jersey also met with him. And some Democrats seem more open to working with him: Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), who represents a Republican-leaning district, defended Trump's tariff policies. Why this matters: Democrats have been trying to rebuild since the 2024 election. While some Democrats flatly refuse to work with the new administration, others acknowledge the meaning behind November's election results. There is some political risk to working with Trump, though, as some strategists warn. Read more: 'Trump gets unlikely visitors at White House: Democrats' ➤ MORE READS: The Washington Post: Trump wants a new plane. Now, so does Homeland Security Secretary Noem. The Wall Street Journal: How Qatar Spent Billions to Gain Influence in the U.S. Walmart says it will raise prices this month due to increasing costs driven by President Trump's trade war. Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told The Wall Street Journal: 'The magnitude and speed at which these prices are coming to us is somewhat unprecedented in history.' (WSJ) Keep in mind: Walmart's profit dropped during the first quarter, per AP. The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (All times EST) 1:50 p.m.: Trump arrives at the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi. 1:45 p.m.: A Senate vote. 📆Today's agenda 4 p.m.: First and last House votes. 📆Today's agenda Saturday night: The season finale of NBC's 'Saturday Night Live.' Actor Scarlett Johansson will host. Sunday, May 18: Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend Pope Leo XIV's first Mass of his papacy. 🍪 Celebrate: Today is National Chocolate Chip Day. To celebrate, I'm making brown butter chocolate chip banana bread today. Here's the recipe if anyone wants to join me! 🦠 That is … not safe to do: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. swam in Rock Creek on Mother's Day. Rock Creek has alarmingly high levels of bacteria, so people are advised against swimming there. 📸 Photos — yes, he's fully submerged. 🐊 Rest in peace to an alligator legend: Morris, an 80-year-old alligator that has appeared in lots of TV shows and movies over the years — including the Adam Sandler classic 'Happy Gilmore' — has died. 🤖 This is a fascinating observation about AI: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman discussed how different generations use AI. He notices that older people tend to use it as a Google replacement, and younger people tend to use it as a life adviser. 📹 Watch the Fortune clip Because I always want to leave you with a smile, watch this angel appear from the sky.

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