Supreme Court to review FDA’s power to regulate e-cigarettes and hear First Amendment case on age limits for porn sites

CNN —

The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to review the US Food and Drug Administration’s strict regulations for e-cigarettes, a multibillion-dollar industry that has come under scrutiny for its popularity among young people.

The court’s decision means the justices will once again be tasked with assessing the federal agency’s decisions and scientific expertise after they heard a case this term concerning the FDA’s regulation of a key abortion drug.

President Donald Trump talks with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts as Associate Justice Elena Kagan looks on before the State of the Union address in the House chamber on February 4, 2020 in Washington, DC.

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The high court also said it would hear a hear a lawsuit over Texas’ age-verification requirements for sexually explicit web sites, granting an appeal from the adult entertainment industry challenging the prohibition on First Amendment grounds.

Texas’ law requires any website that publishes a substantial amount of content that is “harmful to minors” to verify the age of users. The challengers said the law also forces adults to identify themselves before accessing pornography, which the group’s lawyers said violates access to free speech online.

The decisions to take or deny cases came a day after the Supreme Court handed down the final opinions of a contentious term, including the decision to grant sweeping immunity to former President Donald Trump. After the final opinions, the court issues what’s known as a “clean up” conference list that provides insight into the next term that will begin in October. Many of the cases granted on Tuesday will likely be heard later this year or in