In a major ruling with far-reaching consequences, the U.S. Supreme Court has torn down most of the protections that had been built up over time to keep federal regulatory agencies operating independently.
Those safeguards had been established by both Congress and the courts, and they formed a foundational part of how much of the federal government functions on a day-to-day basis.
With this decision, the high court has effectively removed the legal barriers that previously insulated regulatory bodies from outside control, a move that critics say fundamentally reshapes the balance of power within the federal government.
