Nightly Brief

Your Wednesday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News

Top CNS stories for today including the Supreme Court refused to overhaul the standard by which courts defer to agency interpretations of their own ambiguous regulations; The House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena White House counselor Kellyanne Conway for violating federal ethics rules; Officials from Google, Twitter and Facebook testified on strategies for countering misinformation and terrorist propaganda on their platforms, and more.

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National

1.) Shielding one of the most fundamental tenets of administrative law, the Supreme Court refused Wednesday to overhaul the standard by which courts defer to agency interpretations of their own ambiguous regulations.

2.) Invoking the so-called dormant commerce clause, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a Tennessee law that imposed residency requirements on companies seeking a liquor license.

3.) In an opinion that aligns Justice Neil Gorsuch with his liberal colleagues, the Supreme Court overturned a law that imposes heightened punishments on sex offenders who are caught with child pornography.

4.) In a bid to compel Kellyanne Conway’s testimony before Congress, the House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to subpoena the White House counselor for violating federal ethics rules.

5.) Officials from Google, Twitter and Facebook testified Wednesday before a House committee on strategies for countering misinformation and terrorist propaganda on their platforms, amid President Donald Trump claiming they are trying to rig the 2020 election.

6.) The Senate on Wednesday passed a nearly $4.6 billion emergency spending package, most of which will go towards giving federal agencies more resources to care for immigrant families and children seeking to enter the United States through the southern border.

Regional

7.) Defeating the Democratic Party machine, defense attorney Tiffany Cabán landed one step closer to fundamentally reshaping criminal justice in Queens. The insurgent candidate for district attorney wants to end the drug war and decriminalize sex work in a borough known for the harsh prosecution of petty crimes.

8.) In California, the world of judicial appointments can seem murky and secretive to the public. But on Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom made the process a little more transparent by releasing the names of the 111 advisers who will help him vet judicial candidates.