Factbox-Gun cases, transgender rights, porn, regulatory powers head to US Supreme Court By Reuters

(Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court is set to begin its new nine-month term on Monday, which has cases on guns, gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors, online pornography, federal regulatory powers involving nuclear waste storage and vapor products. , as well as securities fraud litigation involving Nvidia (NASDAQ: ) and Facebook (NASDAQ: ).

Here’s a look at some of the cases the justices are set to decide.

“Ghost Guns”

The issue of gun rights is up to the judges, who have agreed to decide the legality of a US regulation aimed at curbing homemade “ghost guns” as President Joe Biden’s administration battles the increasing use of such weapons in large unidentifiable extent, in crimes at national level. The administration appealed after a lower court found the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives exceeded its authority in issuing the rule aimed at parts and kits for ghost guns, which can be assembled at home in minutes. Arguments are set for October 8.

GUN TRIAL MEXICO

A request by US gunmaker Smith & Wesson and firearms wholesaler Interstate Arms to drop a lawsuit by Mexico that accuses them of aiding illegal arms trafficking to Mexican drug cartels will go to trial. They appealed a lower court’s refusal to dismiss Mexico’s lawsuit under a 2005 US law that broadly shields gun companies from liability for crimes committed with their products. The lawsuit accused the gun companies of knowingly maintaining a distribution system that leads to the trafficking of weapons to cartels in Mexico. No date has been set for arguments.

TRANSGENDER RIGHTS

The court is set to rule on the legality of a Republican-backed ban in Tennessee on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. The Biden administration has appealed a lower court ruling upholding Tennessee’s ban on medical treatments, including hormones and surgery, for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. This refers to the significant distress that can result from the incongruence between a person’s gender identity and the sex they were assigned at birth. No date has been set for arguments.

ONLINE PORNOGRAPHY

The justices will consider whether a Texas law requiring pornographic websites to verify the age of users in an effort to restrict access by minors violates the US Constitution’s First Amendment protection against government infringement of speech. A trade group representing artists and adult entertainment companies challenged a lower court’s decision upholding the Republican-led state’s age-verification measure, finding it likely did not violate the First Amendment. No date has been set for arguments.

STORAGE OF NUCLEAR WASTE

The court is set to consider whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has the authority to authorize nuclear waste storage facilities following a court ruling that overturned decades of practice by saying it does not. The Biden administration and a company that was granted a license by the NRC to build a landfill in Texas appealed the lower court’s decision. The license was contested by the states of Texas and New Mexico, as well as oil industry interests. The case is yet another test of the power of US regulatory agencies. No date has been set for arguments.

FLAVORED VAPE PRODUCTS

The court is set to hear the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s defense of the agency’s rejection of two companies’ requests to sell flavored vaping products it determined pose health risks to young consumers. A lower court ruled that the FDA did not follow proper legal procedures under federal law when it rejected applications to market their nicotine-containing products. The case is yet another test of the power of US regulatory agencies. No date has been set for arguments.

NVIDIA SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT

Judges will hear Nvidia’s request to drop a securities fraud lawsuit accusing the artificial intelligence chipmaker of misleading investors about how much of its sales went to the volatile cryptocurrency industry. Nvidia appealed after a lower court revived a class action brought by California shareholders against the company and its CEO. Nvidia has become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI ​​boom. Arguments are scheduled for November 13.

FACEBOOK SECURITY FRAUD PROCESS

Also on the docket is a bid by Facebook’s Meta to drop a private securities fraud lawsuit that accuses the social media platform of misleading investors about the misuse of user data by the company and third parties. A lower court allowed a shareholder lawsuit brought in California and led by Amalgamated Bank (NASDAQ: ) to continue. Arguments are scheduled for November 6.

DEATH PENALTY CASE

The court will hear Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip’s request for a new trial based on his claim that prosecutors wrongly withheld certain evidence favorable to his defense. A lower court ruled that the newly obtained evidence would not have changed the outcome of the case. In 2023, the Supreme Court stayed Glossip’s scheduled execution. Arguments are scheduled for October 9.