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Smart Talk: Should the Supreme Court decide settled cases?

In this image from video, presiding officer Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts reads a question during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30 2020.

 Senate Television via AP

In this image from video, presiding officer Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts reads a question during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30 2020.

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In a rare court action, Chief Justice John Roberts filed a lone dissent, at the same time accusing the other Justices of expanding the court’s jurisdiction. 

Chief Justice Roberts went so far as to accuse his colleagues of “turning into advice columnists,” after the court decided to allow a review of a case that lower courts had already dismissed without precedent.

Michael R. Dimino, Professor of Law Widener University Commonwealth Law School shares his perspective and analysis of the recent SCOTUS action on Smart Talk Wednesday.

Dog licensing fees and puppy health directly linked

The Department of Agriculture, along with veterinarians from the Pennsylvania SPCA and Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA), are highlighting the need for a dog license fee increase to help pay for sick dogs housed in breeding operations.

Pennsylvania dog license fees help pay for dog wardens to perform unannounced inspections twice a year — inspections critical for maintaining healthy breeding kennels.

Legislators introduced legislation to raise the fees and Democratic state Representative Eddie Day Pashinski of Luzerne County will appear on Smart Talk Wednesday, along with Dr. Mary Jane McNamee, DVM, Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association to discuss the issue.

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