SCOTUS

The late Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court and an unwavering voice of moderate conservatism for more than two decades, laid in repose at the court's Great Hall. O'Connor, an Arizona native, died December first, at the age of 93. Flags in Alabama will fly at half-staff on the day of her funeral.

Obstacles to obtaining an abortion are more common since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. This applies to Alabama, as well. Doctors and researchers say it's causing delays that can lead to abortions that are more complex, costly and in some cases riskier.

The Senate in a single stroke approved over four hundred military promotions after Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama ended a monthslong blockade of nominations over his opposition to a Pentagon abortion policy. APR News focused on his retreat in a preview feature on "All Things Considered" ahead of today’s GOP Presidential Primary Debate in Tuscaloosa.

Senator Tommy Tuberville said that he's ending his blockade of hundreds of military promotions, following heavy criticism from many of his colleagues about the toll it was taking on military families and clearing the way for hundreds of nominations to be approved soon. Alabama Public Radio focused on Tuberville retreat during its preview feature for NPR’s All Things Considered on the GOP Debate at the University of Alabama.

A divided federal appeals court on Monday ruled that private individuals and groups such as the NAACP do not have the ability to sue under a key section of the federal Voting Rights Act, a decision that contradicts decades of precedent and could further erode protections under the landmark 1965 law. This part of the law enabled Alabama voters to sue successfully for second black majority district.

A federal judge and the U.S. Department of Justice this week said that states are going too far by trying to block people from helping others cross state lines for abortion.

An appellate court ruling may mean abortion providers in Arizona may rejoin Alabama in lawsuits against State bans on the procedure. This week’s ruling could revive a challenge against Arizona’s law that halts abortions over genetic abnormalities in the fetus.

A federal judge ruled that some of Georgia's congressional, state Senate and state House districts were drawn in a racially discriminatory manner, ordering the state to draw an additional Black-majority congressional district. This follows similar actions against Alabama which were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

A three-judge panel are preparing to approve new congressional districts for Alabama after ruling that state lawmakers flouted their finding the state should have a second district where Black voters are the majority of the electorate or close to it.

Three new versions of Alabama’s Congressional map will go under the scrutiny of a three-judge federal panel on Tuesday. The stated goal of this process is to create a second African American majority district in the state. Alabama’s Republican Attorney General opposes all three plans.