Idaho
Supreme Court faces new leak as inside info on Idaho abortion ruling is released
The Supreme Court, long known for its tradition of confidential negotiations between justices about the outcome of its cases and reputation of staying above the daily political fray, has suffered another leak related to an important case.
An in-depth report from CNN, based on information from unnamed sources with knowledge of the high court’s internal dynamics, describes how a rotating coalition of justices first approved a controversial decision on an in-progress case about Idaho’s near-total abortion ban, then nearly changed course entirely.
It’s the latest piece of internal information to make it out of the Washington court after the high-profile 2022 leak of the court’s draft ruling in the case where it would eventually overturn the constitutional right to an abortion, a seminal scandal in the court’s history.
The Independent has contacted the Supreme Court for comment.
The first major decision in the Idaho case, Moyle v United States, came in January when the Supreme Court decided to allow the state to enforce its near-total abortion ban.
That ban contains an exception to prevent the death of the pregnant person, despite an ongoing challenge from the Biden administration playing out in federal appeals court, which argued federal emergency room protections should preempt the state ban in certain emergency situations.
At the time, the court merely described its conclusion on the matter, but the CNN report reveals the justices voted 6 – 3 to approve this course of action, splitting on predictable lines between the six Republican-appointed justices and the three from liberal administrations.
By April, however, when oral arguments were held at the Supreme Court in the case, the majority seemed to have evaporated, according to the court, as Justices Kavanaugh, Roberts, and Barrett reportedly considered ending the case without a resolution and deeming it “improvidently granted.”
That reportedly left the court with three different camps and no clear path to a decision: the three liberals on one side, the three ambivalent conservatives on the other, and Justices Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch part of the third camp, who sided with Idaho.
The alleged three-way split granted the liberals on the court a rare bit of leverage, and the final decision appeared to represent that compromise, preserving Idaho’s overall abortion policy, while carving out a minor exception.
In a June ruling, which saw the three liberals siding with Kavanaugh, Roberts, and Barrett, the court decided to reinstate a lower-court ruling that ensured hospitals in Idaho provide abortions in emergency medical situations but declined to issue a firm decision in the dispute.
The CNN report is the latest sign of trouble at the normally leak-proof court.
In addition to the Roe decision going public ahead of time, the court has also been under heavy scrutiny for the lavish gifts some of its justices have received from political donors and activists over the years, prompting the court to adopt a formal code of conduct at the end of last year.
Joe Biden has called for sweeping overhauls to the nation’s top appellate court, including terms limits instead of its current lifetime appointments, a binding ethics code, and no immunity before the court for former presidents for crimes committed in office.
The city of Boise is facing a potential lawsuit brought by the parents of a girl injured by shattered glass at this year’s Idaho Potato Drop held on New Years Eve.
The Idaho Statesman obtained a copy of the tort claim filed earlier this month, which is a precursor to a possible civil lawsuit.
Richard and Daryl Ratto filed the tort claim against the city and multiple other entities, according to the newspaper, after a shard of glass slashed their daughter’s face at the late-night celebration, which required surgery.
As Boise State Public Radio previously reported, police reports from that night said they couldn’t definitively conclude that concussive blasts from fireworks shattered windows on the AT&T building and the Idaho Capitol, which fell on spectators.
The Rattos are demanding $10 million from multiple public entities, saying they’ve known for years that Potato Drop organizers have diverted from plans submitted to city officials to obtain permits for the event.
Body cam footage from that night shows Dylan Cline, the event’s CEO, high fiving his pyrotechnics contractor and saying, “F— yeah…” after being told of the broken windows by police.
City officials have 90 days to respond to the tort claim before the Rattos could file a lawsuit.
Copyright 2026 Boise State Public Radio
Meridian, Idaho (CBS2) — High Desert Harley-Davidson is hosting its 16th annual Idaho Patriot Thunder Ride on Sunday, June 28th. It’s a summer tradition that brings hundreds of riders together to raise money for Idaho’s military families while also tipping a helmet to America’s upcoming 250th birthday.
“Idaho Patriot Thunder ride is a big ride for us every year. We’ve been doing it now for 16 years — first year was back in 2010 when we started this whole ride,” said Mark Dukes, General Manager of High Desert Harley-Davidson.
Registration begins at 7am on Sunday at High Desert Harley Davidson, kickstands are set to go up at 10 a.m., with hundreds of riders escorted by law enforcement down to Carl Miller Park in Mountain Home. After the ride, riders will head back to the dealership, where the event continues with food trucks, live bands, a bike wash and raffles, including a Harley-Davidson bike giveaway.
Organizers say the fundraising is straightforward: Every dollar raised goes directly to two military nonprofits, with donations split evenly between Operation Warm Heart and the Idaho Guard and Reserve Family Support Fund.
“100% of the proceeds go to Idaho Guard and Reserve Family Support Fund and Operation Warm Heart, and we’ve been doing this for years,” Dukes said.
Dukes said the money helps cover needs that can pop up unexpectedly for service members and their loved ones.
“If somebody were to get injured or get hurt for deployment, if they need food or shelter, airline tickets, toys for their families — it’s all about taking care of military people that take care of us so well,” he said.
This year also comes with extra flair: High Desert Harley-Davidson built two custom bikes — one Indian and one Harley-Davidson — both honoring America’s 250th anniversary. Dukes said the bikes will feature Idaho Patriot Thunder badging, 250th anniversary details and American flags, and they’ll be ridden at the front of the pack before being put up for sale after the ride.
“We have one Indian motorcycle and one Harley-Davidson. They’re gonna have Idaho Patriot Thunder badging, 250th anniversary, American flags — they’re gonna be custom done. Both Bruce and myself are gonna ride those bikes in the front, and when we get back from the Patriot Thunder ride, we’re gonna put those up for sale,” Dukes said.
Over the past 16 years, the event has raised up to $75,000 each year. Registration is open now through High Desert Harley-Davidson’s website, with organizers encouraging community members to get involved whether they ride or not.
POCATELLO, Idaho — A wildfire sparked in Bannock County Sunday afternoon has burned 200 acres and is threatening structures, according to fire officials.
The fire is burning in an area between Pocatello and Inkom known as the Portneuf Gap, according to a news release from the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM is managing firefighting operations for the Gap Fire.
The release says some structures are threatened in “a small area west of Inkom” but did not say how many. Bannock County spokeswoman Emma Iannacone said an evacuation order for residents on Canyon Road was in place for a short time but was lifted about 7 p.m.
Evacuations have been ordered in the area, but a precise location was not immediately available.
Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire, though the BLM said it is burning through grass and brush. The agency did not have an estimated time of containment as of 5:15 p.m.
Several agencies, including U.S. Wildland Fire Service Great Basin Unit 3 -Idaho Falls and the U.S. Forest Service, are assisting with the effort to get control of the blaze. Watch Duty reported that the Forest Service is contributing its Helicopter Bucket Crew to the fight.
The wildfire was first reported at about 1:45 p.m. near the 6000 Block of W. Old Highway 91, fire officials said.
-
Sports5 minutes agoDodgers defeat Twins, but lose Kyle Tucker and catcher Dalton Rushing
-
World15 minutes agoBelgium issues visas to Taliban delegation for EU migration talks
-
News45 minutes agoTrump says proof of his allegations that vandals cut Reflecting Pool paint will be provided in court
-
New York2 hours agoVideo: Historic Brooklyn Church Destroyed in Fire
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours ago2 killed in high-speed crash on Mulholland Highway
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoMan armed with gun shot by police in downtown Detroit ahead of fireworks show, police say
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoSan Francisco home with a history of squatters hits the market for $1.3 million
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoMiami Heat slip behind Boston Celtics in Giannis Antetokounmpo race
