Published: June 29, 2009 04:51 pm      

Summary of actions by the Supreme Court on Monday

By The Associated Press

The Supreme Court on Monday:

— Bade farewell to Justice David Souter, who is retiring.

— Ruled that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, a decision that could alter employment practices nationwide and make it harder to prove discrimination where there is no evidence it was intentional. The ruling reverses an opinion that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

— Ruled that state attorneys general can investigate national banks for discrimination and other crimes in the states where they operate as long as they can convince a judge that investigations are needed.

— Failed to reach a decision in a campaign finance case and scheduled more arguments on whether a scathing documentary about Hillary Rodham Clinton that was shown during the 2008 presidential race should be regulated as if it were a campaign ad.

— Agreed to hear arguments in a child custody dispute between a Texas mother and a British father that tests the boundaries of an international treaty.

— Agreed to hear arguments from the National Football League and its 32 teams for an exemption from federal antitrust laws.

— Agreed to hear an appeal from Bruce Weyhrauch, an Alaska state lawmaker who was caught up in a corruption investigation.

— Refused to allow victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to pursue lawsuits against Saudi Arabia and four of its princes over charitable donations that allegedly were funneled to al-Qaida.

— Refused to block the use of a new digital video recorder system that could make it cheaper and easier for viewers to record shows and watch them when they want, without commercials. Hollywood studios and television networks argued that Cablevision Systems Corp.’s remote-storage DVR violates copyright laws.

— Left in place an appeals court ruling that an autistic child from Ohio is not entitled to private education at taxpayer expense.

— Declined to interfere with school officials in Washington state who are blocking a group of Christian students at Kentridge High School from forming a Bible club on campus.

— Declined to interfere with a New Hampshire law that keeps doctors’ prescription-writing habits confidential. IMS Health Inc. Verispan LLC claimed wanted to collect, analyze and sell prescription information to drug marketers.

— Refused to hear arguments from Missouri officials who want to restrict protests near funerals. A lower court order bars the state from enforcing its law aimed at a Topeka, Kan., church whose members have picketed outside funerals of people killed during the Iraq war.