CNN

By John Fritze, CNN

(CNN) — As the Supreme Court was barreling toward the final weeks of its term last year, Chief Justice John Roberts made a rare public appearance to defend his colleagues from criticism that they were all too eager to kick decades-old precedent to the curb.

Still bruising from anger on the left over the court’s monumental decision three years earlier to overturn Roe v. Wade, Roberts rattled off a series of stats underscoring that his court — the Roberts court — had taken aim at far fewer precedents than any of its modern predecessors, an average of less than two “overrulings” each year.

“I think people have a misunderstanding about how much the current court is overruling precedent,” Roberts told an audience at Georgetown University Law Center.

But just 10 days after he walked offstage, the Supreme Court let stand President Donald Trump’s firing of two senior labor officials despite a 1935 precedent known as Humphrey’s Executor that for decades has protected the leaders of independent agencies from dismissal by a president without cause.

Critics of the Supreme Court’s blockbuster decision Wednesday gutting a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and voiding a Louisiana congressional map say the court did the same thing: effectively overturned decades-old precedent while not explicitly saying it was doing so.

“The upshot is that the majority, without any good reason, has overturned Congress’s studied determination — along with this court’s precedents upholding it — about how to rectify racial inequalities in electoral politics,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a dissent for the three liberal justices.

The numbers Roberts cited were accurate, allowing him to argue the court is moving deliberately rather than leveling past cases. But those numbers don’t account for instances in which the court has pummeled a precedent without explicitly killing it. In just the past few years, the conservative majority has also veered from precedents involving religious freedom.

“To me, Callais is the latest example of a ruling from the Roberts court that, in the same breath, largely neuters a precedent without formally overruling it,” said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at Georgetown University Law Center, referring to Wednesday’s case by its title, Louisiana v. Callais.

The distinction between formally and practically overturning precedents is important, Vladeck said.

“When only the lawyers understand what is and isn’t left of a prior decision, that makes it much harder to build the case for why the court, Congress or any other actor should respond.”

Killing it softly

Both conservative and liberal justices ostensibly frown on overturning precedent because it can undermine stability in the law and can make the court appear political, willing to shift views based on which justice

By Oscar Holland, CNN

(CNN) — Ever wish your dog was more patriotic, better company during soccer games and sufficiently excited for this summer’s FIFA World Cup? No? Well, Adidas is here to help anyway.

Replica jerseys have become a staple part of World Cup summers. And on Friday, the German sportswear giant released a petwear range to help dogs and their owners “celebrate their love for the game together.”

The canine versions of four jerseys featuring at this year’s tournament — those of Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Japan — come complete with the brand’s signature three-stripe shoulders and official federation badges.

The real triumph, of course, is the gloriously silly campaign shoot.

Fittingly, Adidas chose a Shiba Inu to represent Japan. But other model choices may raise eyebrows. A Pomeranian is seen throwing its diminutive weight behind Mexico (despite originating in Central Europe), a Dachshund appears to be cheering for Argentina (despite Germany’s long-standing rivalry with the South Americans) and a chocolate labrador is rooting for Colombia (why not?).

And no luck for Spanish Mastiffs, Scottish Terriers and Swedish Vallhunds, whose respective nations’ Adidas-designed jerseys can only accommodate bipedal wearers — for now, at least.

The jerseys are being made available across North America, Latin American and some Asian markets. Adidas has also released an unofficial USA-themed dog jersey, although the USMNT’s official World Cup gear is produced by arch-rival Nike, which has a long-term deal with US Soccer. Nike is yet to announce any World Cup-related pet products.

The 100% polyester garments are described by Adidas as having a “soft feel and lasting durability” to “deal easily with everything your furry friends can put it through.” Whether the range of sizes can cater to everything from a Chihuahua to a Great Dane had not been announced at the time of writing.

Retailing for $35, the jerseys are significantly cheaper than the $100 being commanded by the human replicas — or the $150 that Adidas charges for “authentic” editions that use the same high-performance materials worn by the players themselves.

A recent University of Wisconsin study found that dogs enjoy watching other dogs on television. Whether this interest extends to seeing 22 men chase a ball (fetch!) for the best part of two hours has not been subjected to academic investigation.

Adidas has recently dipped its corporate paws into the pet clothing market, which is expected to be worth $10.6 billion by 2035, according research firm Future Market Insights. The German company recently unveiled canine versions of its viral “Tang” track jackets, as they were unofficially dubbed, complete with the original garment’s distinctive Chinese-inspired knotted toggles.

Luxury labels are also vying for a slice of the dog market. For posher pooches, Ralph Lauren currently lists puffer jackets ($185), cable-knit cashmere sweaters ($225) and canvas raincoats ($225). Since 2019, a California-based parody dog fashion magazine, Dogue, has offered readers glossy spreads of dolled-up doggies — although Vogue publisher Condé Nast has recently filed a lawsuit against the publication, arguing that the magazine “obviously intended” to confuse readers and was “likely to damage Condé Nast irreparably.”

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The po

Por Emma Tucker y Alaa Elassar, CNN

Chris Dell ya había pagado para ir el próximo mes a un crucero con sus dos hijas cuando se despertó, conmocionada, el sábado al enterarse de que Spirit Airlines —con la que tenían previsto volar para el viaje— había cerrado sin previo aviso.

Corrió al aeropuerto más cercano, el Aeropuerto Internacional Hartsfield-Jackson de Atlanta, para buscar vuelos alternativos, pero sin un reembolso por sus boletos de Spirit hasta el momento, tendría que pagar más dinero de su bolsillo, dijo.

Cuando Dell llamó al servicio al cliente de Spirit, la línea “se corta de inmediato… no puedes hablar con nadie”, contó.

“Estoy molesta”, dijo Dell. “Y además me pone nerviosa porque ya pagué dinero para ir a un crucero… no puedo dejar que eso se desperdicie. Y tampoco quiero manejar hasta Miami. Son como diez horas. Solo estamos yo y mis dos hijos. Por eso estamos volando”.

Dell es una de miles de personas frustradas que han tenido que cambiar sus planes de viaje —o quedaron varadas— después de que la aerolínea cesara operaciones a nivel mundial, marcando la primera vez en 25 años que una gran aerolínea estadounidense quiebra por problemas financieros. El colapso se produce después de que la compañía cayera en su segunda bancarrota tras años de dificultades y no lograra asegurar un acuerdo de rescate de último minuto con la administración Trump.

Los efectos dominó del fin de la aerolínea pionera de bajo costo, que transformó los viajes económicos, tras 34 años de operación, han sido rápidos: se cancelaron todos sus vuelos de color amarillo brillante, se suspendió el servicio al cliente y se les dijo a los viajeros que tenían previsto volar que no fueran al aeropuerto.

Aquí está todo lo que necesitas saber sobre el cierre de Spirit:

La aerolínea de bajo costo se acogió dos veces al Capítulo 11 de bancarrota en los últimos dos años, la más reciente en agosto.

Pero los problemas financieros de la aerolínea se remontan a la pandemia de covid-19. Desde entonces no ha sido rentable y, en los últimos años, dijo repetidamente que había “dudas sustanciales” sobre su capacidad para seguir volando.

Aunque la compañía dijo en febrero que había alcanzado un acuerdo con los acreedores para salir de su más reciente bancarrota y continuar operando, la guerra en Irán comenzó apenas tres días después, lo que hizo que el costo del combustible para aviones se disparara, al igual que las tarifas aéreas.

Después de la mano de obra, el combustible para aviones es el segundo mayor costo para las aerolíneas. Las aerolíneas más grandes han podido mitigar el impacto aumentando algunas tarifas y precios y recortando vuelos, pero el negocio de aerolíneas más pequeñas como Spirit se resiente cuando aumentan sus tarifas ultrabajas destinadas a atraer clientes.

Aunque una luz de esperanza para el futuro de Spirit llegó de un abogado de aerolíneas que dijo la semana pasada ante un tribunal de bancarrota que estaba en “conversaciones muy avanzadas” con la administración Trump sobre un paquete de rescate, un grupo clave de acreedores rechazó ese plan, según una fuente familiarizada con las negociaciones. El plan habría dado al Gobierno el control de la gran mayoría de las acciones de Spirit, una perspectiva que provocó rechazo por parte de la industria aérea y de republicanos en el Congreso.

El presidente Donald Trump dio señales de aprobación la semana pasada, pero el viernes reconoció que quizá no sea posible llegar a un acuerdo.

Un promedio de 300 vuelos y 60.000 pasajeros potenciales al día, solo en el próximo mes, se verán afectados por el colapso de Spirit.

Los pasajeros que estén en medio de un viaje ahora deben volver a reservar con otra aerolínea, probablemente enfrentando tarifas más altas mientras se apresuran a encontrar nuevos boletos a última hora. Spirit dijo que no puede ayudar a reprogramar vuelo

CNN

By Emma Tucker, Alaa Elassar, CNN

(CNN) — Chris Dell had already paid to go on a cruise next month with her two daughters when she woke up shocked Saturday to learn Spirit Airlines, which they were set to fly with for the trip, had shut down without prior notice.

She rushed to the nearest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, to find alternative flights, but without a refund for her Spirit tickets so far, she’d have to pay more money out of pocket, she said.

When Dell called Spirit’s customer service, the line “hangs straight up … you can’t get anybody,” she said.

“I’m upset,” Dell said. “And then it makes me nervous because I have already paid money to go on a cruise … I can’t let that go to waste. And then I don’t want to drive all the way to Miami. That’s like ten hours. It’s only me and my two kids. This is why we’re flying.”

Dell is one of thousands of frustrated Spirit customers who have been forced to change travel plans — or were left stranded — as the airline ceased operations globally, marking the first time in 25 years a major US airline has gone out of business due to financial trouble. The collapse comes as the company had plunged into its second bankruptcy after struggling for years and failed to secure a last-minute rescue deal with the Trump administration.

The ripple effects of the pioneering budget airline that reshaped low-cost travel coming to an end after 34 years in operation have been swift: All of its bright-yellow flights were canceled, customer service was halted and travelers who were set to fly were told not to come to the airport.

Here’s everything you need to know about Spirit’s shutdown:

Why did Spirit Airlines shut down?

The budget carrier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice in the last two years, most recently in August.

But the airline’s financial troubles stem back to the Covid-19 pandemic. It hasn’t been profitable since then and said repeatedly in recent years there was “substantial doubt” over its ability to continue flying.

While the company said in February it had reached a deal with creditors to emerge from its latest bankruptcy and stay in operation, the war in Iran started just three days later, causing the cost of jet fuel to soar and as well as airfares.

After labor, jet fuel is the second-biggest cost for airlines. Larger airlines have been able to mitigate the impact by increasing some fees and fares and cutting flights, but business for smaller airlines like Spirit suffers when they increase their ultra-low fares intended to attract customers.

While a glimmer of hope for Spirit’s future came from an airline attorney who told a bankruptcy court last week it was in “very advanced discussions” with the Trump administration on a rescue package, a key group of creditors rejected that plan, according to a source familiar with negotiations. It would have given the government control of the overwhelming majority of Spirit’s shares, a prospect that sparked backlash from the airline industry and Republicans in Congress.

Pres

By Emma Tucker, Alaa Elassar, CNN

(CNN) — Chris Dell had already paid to go on a cruise next month with her two daughters when she woke up shocked Saturday to learn Spirit Airlines, which they were set to fly with for the trip, had shut down without prior notice.

She rushed to the nearest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, to find alternative flights, but without a refund for her Spirit tickets so far, she’d have to pay more money out of pocket, she said.

When Dell called Spirit’s customer service, the line “hangs straight up … you can’t get anybody,” she said.

“I’m upset,” Dell said. “And then it makes me nervous because I have already paid money to go on a cruise … I can’t let that go to waste. And then I don’t want to drive all the way to Miami. That’s like ten hours. It’s only me and my two kids. This is why we’re flying.”

Dell is one of thousands of frustrated Spirit customers who have been forced to change travel plans — or were left stranded — as the airline ceased operations globally, marking the first time in 25 years a major US airline has gone out of business due to financial trouble. The collapse comes as the company had plunged into its second bankruptcy after struggling for years and failed to secure a last-minute rescue deal with the Trump administration.

The ripple effects of the pioneering budget airline that reshaped low-cost travel coming to an end after 34 years in operation have been swift: All of its bright-yellow flights were canceled, customer service was halted and travelers who were set to fly were told not to come to the airport.

Here’s everything you need to know about Spirit’s shutdown:

Why did Spirit Airlines shut down?

The budget carrier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice in the last two years, most recently in August.

But the airline’s financial troubles stem back to the Covid-19 pandemic. It hasn’t been profitable since then and said repeatedly in recent years there was “substantial doubt” over its ability to continue flying.

While the company said in February it had reached a deal with creditors to emerge from its latest bankruptcy and stay in operation, the war in Iran started just three days later, causing the cost of jet fuel to soar and as well as airfares.

After labor, jet fuel is the second-biggest cost for airlines. Larger airlines have been able to mitigate the impact by increasing some fees and fares and cutting flights, but business for smaller airlines like Spirit suffers when they increase their ultra-low fares intended to attract customers.

While a glimmer of hope for Spirit’s future came from an airline attorney who told a bankruptcy court last week it was in “very advanced discussions” with the Trump administration on a rescue package, a key group of creditors rejected that plan, according to a source familiar with negotiations. It would have given the government control of the overwhelming majority of Spirit’s shares, a prospect that sparked backlash from the airline industry and Republicans in Congress.

President Donald Trump signaled his approval last week but acknowledged Friday a deal may not be possible.

What should you do if you booked a Spirit flight?

An average of 300 flights and 60,000 potential passengers a day just in the next month will be impacted by Spirit’s collapse.<