Biden says it would be ‘a mistake’ to expand Supreme Court – despite ruling on affirmative action
President Joe Biden has said it would be a mistake to expand the Supreme Court, despite its recent rulings against affirmative action in higher education, LGBT+ rights, and student loan debt forgiveness. The high court overturned decades of policies when it ruled this week that race-based admissions were not constitutional, preventing universities from considering race as a factor in student applications. Mr Biden hit out at the ruling on Thursday, commenting: “We cannot let this decision be the last word. “Discrimination still exists in America,” he added. “This is not a normal court.” Despite his strong reaction to the decision, the president ruled out the idea of “packing” the Supreme Court with additional justices in order to change the balance of opinion on the bench. “I think if we start the process of trying to expand the court, we’re going to politicise it maybe forever in a way that is not healthy,” Mr Biden told MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace. It was a question Mr Biden was asked regularly during his last presidential campaign when a worried Democratic electorate expressed concern that there were few liberal justices left on the bench which would allow for the decisions handed down over the past year. Although it would not be unprecedented to change the number of justices in the Supreme Court — as the Constitution does not specify how many justices there should be — the number has remained at nine since not been changed since 1868. The court currently consists of nine justices — three of whom were chosen during Donald Trump’s only term as president, tipping the balance over to more conservative judges. Indeed, just three of the current nine justices were appointed by Democratic presidents — Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was appointed by Mr Biden, and Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor were appointed by President Barack Obama. Clarence Thomas was appointed by President George HW Bush, and President George W Bush appointed Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts. Since Mr Trump’s appointment of justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, the court has weighed in with a conservative hand on landmark rulings — including the overturning of the historic abortion 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade, giving the decision on abortion provision over to individual states. In addition to the ruling on affirmative action, on Friday 30 June, the court also struck down President Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debts for millions of Americans, reversing his campaign-trail promise as borrowers prepare to resume payments this summer. The court also ruled that a wedding website designer may refuse to create work for people in the LGBT+ community if it conflicts with their religious beliefs. The case was unique in that it asked justices to rule on a question that was solely based on a hypothetical scenario. Read More Supreme Court allows Colorado designer to deny LGBT+ customers in ruling on last day of Pride Month Supreme Court strikes down Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debts The Supreme Court will decide if some judges have gone too far in striking down gun restrictions How the Supreme Court student loan decision affects you
2023-07-01 01:47
Blinken to consult on Haiti force on Caribbean trip
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Haiti's embattled prime minister and Caribbean nations next week on calls for an international force in...
2023-07-01 01:47
Mason Mount will take his Man United medical on Monday
Mason Mount will take his Man United medical on Monday
2023-07-01 01:46
Fed paper: Financial conditions tightest since crisis over a decade ago
By Michael S. Derby The financial sector is taking the biggest bite out of U.S. economic activity since
2023-07-01 01:29
Here's when your student loan payments will start again
After a more than three-year pause, borrowers will have to restart paying their federal student loan bills in October.
2023-07-01 01:28
Supreme Court leaves in place Mississippi law that critics say disenfranchises Black voters
The Supreme Court declined Friday to take up a challenge to a Mississippi statute that bars individuals convicted of certain felonies from voting. Critics say the law is unconstitutional because it was enacted in 1890 with the intent to disenfranchise Black voters.
2023-07-01 01:28
New York official was bribed and let chicken contaminated with metal be served in school lunches, jury finds
A top official overseeing school lunches in New York City’s sprawling public school system took bribes and allowed dangerous chicken products contaminated with shards of metal and plastic to be served to children, a jury concluded on Wednesday. Eric Goldstein, who oversaw the city’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services, was convicted in a Brooklyn court of conspiracy, extortion, wire fraud, and taking bribes. Prosecutors said he was bribed with cash and an ownership stake in a food company by the owners of food supply company Somma – Blaine Iler, Michael Turley, Brian Twomey – in exchange for his cooperation facilitating lucrative contracts with the city. The trio of men were convicted of conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery. “Eric Goldstein was for sale,” prosecutor Laura Zuckerwise said in her closing statemnets. “And Michael Turley, Blaine Iler and Brian Twomey, they bought him.” Goldstein could face up to 20 years in prison, according to The New York Post. The former school official, who previously started a food company of his own alongside Turley, Iler, and Twomey called Range Meats Supply, helped fast-track Somma to get contracts supply nearly 2,000 schools in 2015, leading to a huge spike in demand and millions of dollars of food orders. “I’m going to buy a lot of f***ing chicken from you guys, let’s do the beef,” Goldstein allegedly told Iler at a 2015 meeting, according to prosecutors. By September of 2016, people were complaining that Somma chicken contained pieces of wire-like metal and plastic, according to school incident logs shown to jurors. The chicken caused people to bleed and in one case choke on a bone in a supposedly boneless dish, according to officials. As complaints mounted, Turley, Iler, and Twomey allegedly offered Goldstein ownership of Range Meats and $66,000. The trio also sent money to Goldstein’s divorce lawyer and took the school official on trips around the world. The group used the code name “Roger Rabbit” to refer to Goldstein, according to law enforcement. During the trial, prosecutors showed jurors emails between the now-convicted conspirators, and showed photos of one of the tainted drumsticks, which had a bright red liquid oozing out of it. A lawyer for Goldstein told The New York Times has was “extremely disappointed” and would appeal the verdict.
2023-07-01 01:25
NBA Rumors: Fred VanVleet stepping on free agency red carpet for 2 teams
On the eve of NBA free agency, Fred VanVleet only has two teams in mind. Fred VanVleet has spent his entire seven-year NBA career with the Toronto Raptors. The former undrafted guard out of Wichita State has made the All-Star game, won a championship, and built a genuine home in the North.No...
2023-07-01 01:25
Australia extends lead over England to 221 runs before rain ends Day 3 at Lord's
Australiah has dug out a hefty lead of 221 runs against England before drizzle prematurely ended day three of the second Ashes test at Lord’s
2023-07-01 01:21
Prince Harry seeks $406,000 in phone hacking lawsuit against British tabloid publisher
Prince Harry is seeking 320,000 pounds ($406,000) in his phone hacking lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror tabloid
2023-07-01 01:18
Santos appears in court for first time since pleading not guilty in criminal fraud case
Embattled Rep. George Santos appeared in federal court on Friday, where prosecutors unveiled they had delivered the defense roughly 80,000 pages of documents earlier this week.
2023-07-01 01:17
Ruben Loftus-Cheek joins AC Milan from Chelsea
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has signed for AC Milan from Chelsea on a four-year contract, bringing to an end a 19-year association with the Blues.
2023-07-01 01:16
