The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jan. 6 defendant Joseph Fischer on June 28. Mr. Fischer was a former police officer charged under an accounting reform law after he entered the U.S. Capitol for four minutes on Jan. 6, 2021. The case was being watched closely because the Supreme Court’s decision could affect hundreds of Jan. 6 prosecutions—including a related case against former President Donald Trump.
The high court also overturned a 1984 decision known as “Chevron” that has instructed lower courts to defer to federal agencies when laws passed by Congress are not crystal clear. The 40-year-old decision has been the basis for upholding thousands of regulations by dozens of federal agencies, but has long been a target of conservatives and business groups who argue that it grants too much power to the executive branch, or what some critics call the administrative state.
In a further decision, the justices decided that cities can enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outdoors, including in West Coast cities where shelter space is lacking. The decision reversed a ruling by a San Francisco-based appeals court that found outdoor sleeping bans amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
A CNN poll taken after the first presidential debate showed former President Donald Trump outperforming President Joe Biden by 67 percent to 33. Immigration, abortion, and the economy were among the main topics the candidates highlighted in the high-stakes debate.
