Headlines

• Four Supreme Court Cases That Could Curb the Administrative State.
• Supreme Court Rulings Curb Executive Power. Decision in Loper Bright upended decades of precedent while both cases raised questions about the separation of powers. 
• Rules in favor of Jan. 6 Defendant Who Challenged Obstruction Charge. 

 Washington DC, June 28.– The Supreme Court released major decisions yesterday that upended the decades-old Chevron deference doctrine and narrowed the way courts could apply a financial reform law the Biden administration used to prosecute Jan. 6 defendants. In doing so, the justices raised questions about the Justice Department’s response to Jan. 6 and the future of administrative power.

Another case, City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, saw the 6-3 conservative majority holding that a city law against public camping didn’t violate the constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. A dissent authored by Justice Sonia Sotomayor accused the city of punishing people for their status as homeless—something she described as “unconscionable and unconstitutional.”

Strasbourg, June 18.– A joint debate on the legal and human rights aspects of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, on the role of sanctions, and on the erasure of cultural identity will be among the highlights of the summer plenary session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE).

An urgent debate on challenges to democracy in Georgia has been requested, as well as a current affairs debate on the following issue: “Can the Council of Europe step up its efforts to counter threats to the freedom of expression?”.

A ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe is planned, with a statement by Wolfgang Sobotka, President of the National Council of Austria. A chamber orchestra will play the Ode to Joy under his direction.

The Assembly will also award the first ever Vigdís Prize for Women’s Empowerment, which rewards outstanding initiatives to promote the empowerment of women in all their diversity in Europe and beyond.

May 31.– In a compelling alert highlighting the threat posed by state-sponsored Chinese hackers of America’s critical infrastructure, FBI Director Christopher Wray has issued a stark warning. At a security conference in Nashville, he cautioned that China is strategically positioned to disrupt the American grid and is awaiting the opportune moment.

Speaking at Vanderbilt University, Wray detailed Beijing’s relentless cyberespionage campaign orchestrated through a group known as Volt Typhoon. Intelligence officials had raised concerns about the group nearly a year ago. News from Axios noted the group’s uncommon persistence even after recent sanctions imposed after another Beijing-linked hacking operation targeting lawmakers, defense contractors and anyone criticizing Xi Jinping’s party line.

May 31.– The United States Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act today, May 23, 2024.

Also known as the Resolve Tibet Act, this bill will strengthen US efforts to push the Chinese government to resolve the longstanding Tibet-China dispute through dialogue with Tibetan leaders.

In a statement, International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) President Tencho Gyatso lauded the advance of the bill and emphasized that China must resume dialogue with the Tibetans, saying, “I hope Beijing will now see that this dispute must be resolved through negotiation, instead of an assault on Tibet’s unique and ancient civilization.”
Steady advance through Congress

The House version of the Resolve Tibet Act was passed earlier this year with overwhelming bipartisan support. Although additional procedural hurdles remain, passing the Senate is a crucial step forward for the bill.