SCOTUS Rules on Jan. 6, Homelessness, and Chevron Doctrine; Takeaways From First Presidential Debate

The Supreme Court ruled on June 28 in favor of Jan. 6 defendant Joseph Fischer, 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 closely watched because the Supreme Court’s decision could affect hundreds of Jan. 6 prosecutions, including the Jan. 6-related case against former President Donald Trump.

The high court also overturned a 1984 decision colloquially 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 one more decision, the justices decided that cities can enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outdoors, even in West Coast areas where shelter space is lacking. The decision reversed a ruling by a San Francisco-based appeals court that found outdoor sleeping bans amount to cruel and unusual punishment.

A CNN poll taken after the first presidential debate showed former President Donald Trump outperforming President Joe Biden 67% to 33%. Immigration, abortion, and economics were among the top policies that the candidates highlighted in the high-stakes debate.