The US Supreme Court on Monday is hearing a case that could have major implications for the independence of federal agencies long shielded from the White House.
The case, called Trump v Slaughter, stems from President Donald Trump’s firing in March of Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, alongside another Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The court is hearing arguments on whether Trump had the authority to fire a member of the FTC despite a law that says a commissioner can only be fired for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office”.
Ms Slaughter sued Trump after she was ousted for being “inconsistent with [the] Administration’s priorities”.
A lower court ruled that Ms Slaughter had been illegally removed from the FTC, leading the Trump administration to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. In a 6-3 decision, the conservative-majority court in September issued an emergency order maintaining her firing until the case could be heard.
Trump has argued a president should be able to have full control over government agencies, even those set up by Congress to be shielded from presidential interference.
When the FTC was established in 1914 – to protect the public from deceptive business practices and unfair competition – Congress passed a law saying a president could only remove commissioners for cause and that the five-member commission can have no more than three members of the same political party.
Trump appointed Ms Slaughter in 2018 to fill a Democratic position on the FTC, and she was later reappointed by former President Joe Biden.
Similar firing rules exist for other independent agencies like the National Labor Relations Board.
The law was put to the test in 1935, when President Franklin Roosevelt tried to remove a member of the FTC, leading the Supreme Court to uphold the independence of certain federal agencies like the trade commission.
In the 90-year-old ruling known as Humphrey’s Executor, the court found that, while the president has the ability to remove executive officers without cause, such a power does not apply to agencies like the FTC that are “neither political nor executive, but predominantly quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative”.
The Supreme Court is also set to take up a separate case on whether Trump had the power to remove Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
President Trump hosts the Kennedy Center Honors
President Trump took a central role in the annual Kennedy Center Honors on 7 December, moving away from tradition by taking on the hosting duties for the night.
The awards, which went to stars including Sylvester Stallone and Gloria Gaynor, were handed out by the president in a ceremony the day before in the Oval Office.
Previous hosts of the awards show have included Walter Cronkite, Steven Colbert and Caroline Kennedy – John F Kennedy’s daughter – but Trump is the first president to host.
Earlier this year, Trump ousted the Kennedy Center’s leadership and replaced much of the board of trustees with Republican supporters. President Trump was then elected chair of the institution which he said he would rename ‘the Trump-Kennedy Center’.
Thousands flee Thai-Cambodia border after deadly clashes
Residents on both sides of Thailand’s and Cambodia’s border evacuated in droves on Monday as fresh clashes erupted, killing at least five people.
Both sides have each accused the other of starting the violence, which is the most serious confrontation between the two countries since they agreed to a ceasefire in July.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says his country “never wanted violence” but will “use necessary means to preserve its sovereignty”, while Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen accused Thai “invaders” of provoking retaliation.
Since May, escalating tensions between the neighbours have led to more than 40 deaths, as well as import bans and travel restrictions.