WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11391) on Feb. 2, 2026, by legislative attorney Joanna R. Lampe: * * * The "Interim Docket" or "Shadow Docket": Non-Merits Matters at the Supreme Court Over the past decade, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued approximately fifty to eighty decisions per year in merits cases - matters that receive full briefing and oral argument - as well as thousands of orders disposing of n more PR

PIERRE, South Dakota, Feb. 6 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Jackley Commends SD Supreme Court on "False Confession" South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley commends the South Dakota Supreme Court for reversing a circuit court's decision that allowed a psychiatrist to testify about "false confessions" because his opinions were not reliable or helpful enough under the rules for expert evidence. "The South Dakota Sup more PR

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Feb. 5 [Category: Sociological] -- Americans for Prosperity posted the following news release: * * * AFP-AL Celebrates Unanimous Senate Passage of Judicial Deference Bill SB167 * Feb 5, 2026 by AFP MONTGOMERY, AL - Today, Americans for Prosperity Alabama (AFP-AL) celebrates the unanimous Senate passage of SB167, which would end judicial deference. The bill now heads to the Alabama House of Representatives for final passage. The 2024 U.S. Supreme Court case Loper Bright more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (TNSrpt) -- The Alliance for Justice, an organization committed to fortifying the progressive movement through its focus on federal and state courts and building power by providing resources to maximize nonprofits' advocacy capacity, issued the following news release: * * * New Report Shows Disturbing Trends in Trump's Reshaping of the Judiciary The first year of the second Trump administration has served as a dire warning for the state of the federal courts. A new report f more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 [Category: Business] -- Open Markets Institute posted the following news release: * * * Amicus Brief Urges Third Circuit to Correct Misinterpretation of Clayton Act Provision on Exclusive Dealing * Read the brief Brief Concerning Reading Hospital v. Hill-Rom Holdings Argues Court Must Restore Distinct and Stronger Clayton Act Standard to Protect Fair Competition Washington, DC -The Open Markets Institute today filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, issued the following news release: * * * Barrasso Slams Democrats' List of 23 Demands * "Democrats want to abolish ICE. They want to abolish borders. And they want to turn America into a sanctuary country. If Democrats had their way, removing illegal immigrants from our communities would become nearly impossible." WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today blasted Democrats' new list of radical de more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: * * * Blackburn Calls on Chief Justice Roberts to Investigate Justice Jackson for Participating in Partisan & Inflammatory Grammy Awards * ' I urge you to initiate an investigation into Justice Jackson's attendance at this event and if her participation in any way would require recusal from matters that will come before the Court.' WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)  more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee released the following testimony by Brendan Bechtel, Chair of the Smart Regulation Committee of the Business Roundtable, and Chairman and CEO of Bechtel, from a Jan. 28, 2026, hearing entitled "Improving the Federal Environmental Review and Permitting Process, Part 2": * * * Chairman Capito, Ranking Member Whitehouse and Members of the Committee: My name is Brendan Bechtel, and I am the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer  more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 [Category: Sociological] -- The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws posted the following news release: * * * California: Supreme Court Rules Police Can't Search Vehicles Based on "Weed Crumbs" * Sacramento, CA: Police may neither charge a motorist with violating California's "open container law" nor search a person's vehicle solely upon the identification of a small quantity of marijuana "crumbs" on the floorboards, according to a ruling handed down by t more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Cato Institute issued the following news release: * * * Cato Legal Experts: Fourth Circuit Ruling Enables Perpetual Confinement Without Trial In 2015, Duane Berry was charged with a single federal count of conveying false information. After four years in custody and multiple competency evaluations, a judge found him incompetent to stand trial and dismissed the charge. However, instead of being released from custody, the government has unlawfully detained Berry for a deca more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Florida, issued the following news release: * * * Congressman Patronis Files the True Cost of Big Tech in the Congressional Record * WASHINGTON, D.C. \- Congressman Patronis filed the True Cost of Big Tech in the Congressional Record to inform the public and underscore the dangers of Section 230. This statement explains real stories from real families that have been hurt by this law. "Big Tech destroys our communities and the people in them," sa more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 [Category: Sociological] -- The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws posted the following news release: * * * Florida: DeSantis Administration Says Marijuana Legalization Won't Appear on November's Ballot, Petitioners Say Otherwise * Tallahassee, FL: Election officials and the state's Attorney General announced this week that petitioners behind a proposed ballot initiative legalizing adult-use retail marijuana sales had failed to gather the requisite numb more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: * * * Hagerty Implores Senate Colleagues to Confirm Brian Lea, Trump's Nominee to be District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee * Lea is set to be confirmed by the Senate today WASHINGTON- Yesterday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) spoke on the Senate floor imploring his Senate colleagues to confirm Brian Lea, President Donald Trump's nominee to be District Judge for the Western Dis more PR

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Feb. 5 -- The Pennsylvania House Democrats posted the following news release: * * * House passes Davidson, Kinkead bill to strengthen Protection from Abuse Orders * Legislation increasing accountability for PFA violations advances to Senate HARRISBURG, Feb. 5 - State Reps. Nate Davidson and Emily Kinkead announced their bill to protect survivors of domestic violence by strengthening enforcement of Protection from Abuse orders passed the House 104-94 with bipartisa more PR

SALEM, Oregon, Feb. 5 [Category: Education] -- The Oregon School Boards Association posted the following news: * * * Immigration bills reflect urgency of current public school concerns * We typically don't see a ton of policy bills in the short session, especially bills that create a fiscal requirement because the short session is the time to rebalance the budget. This year, legislators introduced a number of bills to address the ongoing tensions Oregonians and people across the nation are f more PR

RICHMOND, Virginia, Feb. 6 -- McGuireWoods, a law firm, issued the following news release: * * * McGuireWoods Launches in Seattle With Elite Litigation Team Partners Advise Global Companies in Major Commercial and Product Liability Disputes * McGuireWoods is expanding into the Pacific Northwest with the launch of a Seattle office led by a nationally recognized team of litigators and appellate advocates, including two former U.S. Supreme Court clerks. The group counsels global companies in b more PR

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Feb. 6 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release on Feb. 5, 2026: * * * Drummond continues fight for Oklahoma homeowners in State Farm response Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a response yesterday opposing State Farm Fire and Casualty Company's petition asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to block his intervention to protect Oklahoma homeowners. The filing includes a letter from Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, issued the following news release: * * * Pelosi Warns First Amendment Under Siege: "Democracy Does Die in Darkness" * Washington, D.C. - Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks at the Washington Press Club Foundation's 80th Annual Congressional Dinner, honoring the contributions of women in journalism and underscoring the essential role of a free press in a democracy. Pelosi warned that the First Amendment is under siege, more PR

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Feb. 6 -- The Florida Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement on Feb. 5, 2026: * * * Statement from Mark Wilson, President & CEO, Florida Chamber on Recreational Marijuana Ballot Initiative Mark Wilson, President & CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement regarding the news that the Florida Supreme Court has dismissed the request for an advisory opinion on whether recreational marijuana should be on the 2026 ballot: "Even after more PR

PLANO, Texas, Feb. 5 [Category: Sociological] -- The First Liberty Institute, an organization that says it is dedicated to defending liberty for all Americans, issued the following news release: * * * Statement Regarding Trump Administration's Proposed Rules for Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Schools * Washington, DC -The following statement regarding "Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools" issued by the T more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, issued the following news release: * * * Subcommittee on Energy Holds Hearing on the Oversight of FERC Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled Oversight of FERC: Advancing Affordable and Reliable Energy for All Americans. "Now, as our nation stands at the precipice of substantial change in the global economy, it is imperative  more PR

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Feb. 5 -- The Pennsylvania House Democrats posted the following news release: * * * Sunshine Act 24-hour notice bill approved by House committee * HARRISBURG, Feb. 5 - The state House Local Government Committee has approved legislation sponsored by Chairman Rep. Robert Freeman that would clarify the exceptions to the 24-hour rule for meeting agendas under the Sunshine Act in response to a November decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. "My legislation would s more PR

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 5 [Category: Think Tank] -- The Buckeye Institute, an independent research and educational institution that says its mission is to advance free-market public policy, posted the following news release: * * * The Buckeye Institute Calls on SCOTUS to Revive Judicial Review * Columbus, OH - On Thursday, The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Carbin v. Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the cas more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- The U.S. Department of Education issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Department of Education Issues Guidance on Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Schools * Today, the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) issued guidance on constitutionally protected prayer and religious expression in public elementary and secondary schools. The guidance, required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to be updated periodically, makes clear th more PR