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ARGUMENT ANALYSIS

Supreme Court skeptical of ban on TikTok

At oral arguments on Friday, the justices were divided over the constitutionality of a law passed in April that would force TikTok to shut down in the United States unless its Chinese parent company sells the app by Jan. 19. The law cites national security concerns about China’s ability to manipulate content and harvest U.S. data through the app. But TikTok and a group of creators told the justices that the law violates their First Amendment rights and that there are other, less draconian ways to address the government’s concerns.

Supreme Court building in this snow

The court heard nearly two-and-a-half hours of arguments in TikTok v. Garland on Friday. (Katie Barlow)

EMERGENCY DOCKET

Supreme Court allows Trump’s New York criminal sentencing to go forward

Over the objection of four of its most conservative members, the Supreme Court on Thursday night allowed Donald Trump’s criminal sentencing in his New York hush money case to go forward on Friday. Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide reimbursements made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The judge in his case has said he will not face jail time. 

RELIST WATCH

Holding prison officials accountable for COVID measures

 at 9:23 a.m.

A regular round-up of “relisted” petitions. This week: Michigan asks the justices to consider whether prison officials are entitled to qualified immunity after they failed to follow social-distancing and isolation protocols to protect prisoners during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CASE PREVIEW

Heir to Chicago political dynasty brings his “false statement” charges to Supreme Court

Patrick Daley Thompson, a member of Chicago’s most famous political dynasty, will bring his case over charges that he made “false statements” to influence a financial institution before the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Thompson was charged over statements he made to the FDIC about three loans he had taken out from a neighborhood bank and failed to pay.

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