Federal Judge

Trump ordered data collection after raising concern about race being used as factor in college admissionsA federal judge on Friday halted efforts by the Trump administration to collect data that proves higher education institutions aren’t considering race in admissions.The ruling from the US district court judge F Dennis Saylor IV in Boston granting the preliminary injunction follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general. It will only apply to public universities in plaintiffs’ states. Continue reading...

• A New York federal judge dismissed Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni related to the film It Ends With Us on April 3, 2026. • The ruling comes amid ongoing disputes from the movie's production. • This decision impacts Hollywood's #MeToo era accountability efforts.

Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including claim of sexual harassmentSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA federal judge has thrown out the majority of Blake Lively’s claims against Justin Baldoni.In a court ruling on Thursday, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of the 13 claims in Lively’s lawsuit against her co-star and director of the domestic violence film It Ends With Us. Continue reading...

Trump administration claims list is part of an EEOC investigation into antisemitic discrimination at universityA federal judge on Tuesday ordered the University of Pennsylvania to hand over records about Jewish employees on campus to a federal agency as part of an investigation into antisemitic discrimination but said it did not have to reveal any employee’s affiliation with a specific group.US district judge Gerald Pappert said employees can refuse to take part in the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigation but the agency “needs the opportunity to talk to them directly to learn if they have evidence of discrimination”. Continue reading...

Citing the first amendment, judge says president’s executive order is unlawful and unenforceableSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxCiting the first amendment, a federal judge on Tuesday agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), two media entities that the White House has said are counterproductive to American priorities.The operational impact of US district judge Randolph Moss’s decision was not immediately clear – both because it will probably be appealed and because too much damage to the public-broadcasting system has already been done, both by the president and Congress. Continue reading...

• U.S. District Judge Rita Lin ruled in favor of AI firm Anthropic, temporarily blocking the Pentagon from branding it a supply chain risk after failed defense contract talks. • The ruling also halts President Trump's directive for federal agencies to stop using Anthropic's Claude AI, following a hearing on March 24 in San Francisco federal court. • Judge Lin criticized the measures as punitive rather than protective, noting the government could simply cease using Claude without broader actions.

Face-off is over company’s refusal to let defense department use its Claude AI model in autonomous weapons systemsA federal judge in California sided with Anthropic in its case against the Department of Defense on Thursday, ordering a temporary pause on the government’s punitive measures against the artificial intelligence firm.Judge Rita Lin granted Anthropic’s request for a temporary injunction while the northern district court of California hears the company’s case. Anthropic argued that the Department of Defense and Donald Trump violated its first amendment rights in declaring the company a supply chain risk and ordering government agencies to cease using its technology. Continue reading...

• A federal judge blocked sweeping changes to U.S. vaccine recommendations, including reductions in childhood immunizations and removal of COVID-19 guidance for certain groups, in a lawsuit brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups. • The ruling paused a reconstituted vaccine advisory committee and signals a forthcoming decision on broader legal questions, with the case expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court soon. • Changes were driven by RFK's authority over federal vaccine policy, which critics argue lack scientific basis and threaten public health.

• U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled on Friday to block the Pentagon's policy mandating media outlets pledge not to gather information without defense officials' formal authorization, siding with The New York Times. • Friedman wrote, 'Those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation’s security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech.' • The decision upholds First Amendment principles amid tensions over government transparency during the shutdown and foreign policy escalations.

• A federal judge on Friday ruled against the Pentagon's press access overhaul that had withdrawn accreditations from prominent media outlets, ordering the restoration of media access. • The decision represents a significant legal victory for press freedom advocates challenging the Defense Department's restrictions on journalist credentials and Pentagon facility access. • The ruling underscores ongoing tensions between the Trump administration's approach to media access and constitutional protections for a free press.