Supreme Court ruling may narrow one of Trump cases

+ anti-DEI laws have LGBTQ+ ramifications US Edition - Today's top story: Supreme Court makes prosecution of Trump on obstruction charge more difficult, with ruling to narrowly define law used against him and Jan. 6 rioters [View in browser]( US Edition | 29 June 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( If Thursday’s presidential debate sparked an avalanche of news coverage, Friday’s opinions released by the U.S. Supreme Court unleashed a tsunami of news stories, and justifiably. One ruling will dramatically affect how government agencies regulate industries, from health care to the environment. Another decision, analyzed for us by legal scholar Riley T. Keenan, “[may lead to the dismissal of obstruction charges](, or reversal of obstruction convictions,” for hundreds of defendants charged in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Keenan, who teaches constitutional law and federal courts at the University of Richmond School of Law, walks readers through the case known as Fischer v. United States, which turned on the court’s definition of a catch-all term in the law. The case concerns three men charged in the Capitol riot, but it has a much larger significance. “The Supreme Court held that a federal statute that prohibits obstructing an official proceeding may not apply to three defendants who were charged with participating in the U.S. Capitol riot,” Keenan writes. “Although former President Donald Trump is not a defendant in the case, special counsel Jack Smith has charged him separately with violating the same statute.” Will Trump’s prosecution survive the court’s opinion in Fischer? “The ruling may … undermine special counsel Jack Smith’s case,” Keenan writes, adding that the former president may soon seek dismissal of the obstruction charge brought by Smith. But Trump may not succeed, Keenan says – because his actions in attempting to overturn the 2020 election results may well fit into the narrowed scope of the law just articulated by the court. The Supreme Court released other major decisions yesterday, which we’ve covered in these articles: • [Supreme Court rules cities can ban homeless people from sleeping outdoors – Sotomayor dissent summarizes opinion as 'stay awake or be arrested']( • [How camping bans − like the one the Supreme Court just upheld − can fit into ‘hostile design’: Strategies to push out homeless people]( This week we also liked stories about the marketing of [menthol-flavored e-cigarettes](, the mechanics of [how hail forms]( and the importance of [humor in Catholic life](. [ [The latest on philanthropy and nonprofits. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, Giving Today.](] Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy Today's newsletter supported by [readers like you.]( The Supreme Court faced a decision in a case involving participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. AP Photo/John Minchillo, File [Supreme Court makes prosecution of Trump on obstruction charge more difficult, with ruling to narrowly define law used against him and Jan. 6 rioters]( Riley T. Keenan, University of Richmond Government prosecutors, ruled the Supreme Court, stretched the meaning of a law that’s been used to prosecute those alleged to have participated in the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol. Pope Francis meets with comedians at the Apostolic Palace on June 14, 2024, in Vatican City. Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Image [Pope Francis may have surprised many by inviting comedians to the Vatican, but the value of humor has deep roots in Catholic tradition]( Joanne M. Pierce, College of the Holy Cross Catholic theologians and monastics have always encouraged humor, emphasizing its power to heal and bring cultures together. Getting hit by solid ice the size of a baseball would hurt. Gregory Dubus/iStock/Getty Images Plus [How does hail grow to the size of golf balls and even grapefruit? The science behind this destructive weather phenomenon]( Brian Tang, University at Albany, State University of New York An atmospheric scientist explains how hail forms and what to do if you’re suddenly being pelted by giant ice chunks falling from the sky. - [5 ways anti-diversity laws affect LGBTQ+ people and research in higher ed]( Abbie E. Goldberg, Clark University Laws that scrap diversity, equity and inclusion programs on campus are likely to result in less support for LGBTQ+ students, a psychology professor explains. - [FDA authorized the sale of menthol-flavored e-cigarettes – a health policy expert explains how the benefits may outweigh the risks]( Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, UMass Amherst It’s a conundrum: While vaping can help some adults stop cigarette smoking, it also appeals to young people who may take up the habit. - [US charitable giving dipped to $557B in 2023, but outlook is getting brighter]( Anna Pruitt, Indiana University; Jon Bergdoll, Indiana University Grants from foundations are gradually growing as a share of all the donations Americans make. - [Supreme Court rules cities can ban homeless people from sleeping outdoors – Sotomayor dissent summarizes opinion as 'stay awake or be arrested']( - [For many Olympic medalists, silver stings more than bronze]( - [Kidneys from Black donors are more likely to be thrown away − a bioethicist explains why]( - [AI companies train language models on YouTube’s archive − making family-and-friends videos a privacy risk]( - [The science behind splashdown − an aerospace engineer explains how NASA and SpaceX get spacecraft safely back on Earth]( - [Genetic testing cannot reveal the gender of your baby − two genetic counselors explain the complexities of sex and gender]( - [How the surrealists used randomness as a catalyst for creative expression]( The Conversation News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( Wang Hongquanxing, AKA "China's Kim Kardashian," is one of many influencers who have run afoul of Chinese regulations that ban flaunting what on social media? - A. 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