The US Supreme Court on Friday (Saturday AEST) sharply curtailed the power of federal agencies to regulate vast parts of American life, sweeping aside a 40-year-old legal precedent that the government relied on to defend thousands of rules on everything from the environment to banking to drugs.

The 6-3 opinion along ideological lines was a victory for conservatives, who have long said federal agencies wield too much power to impose regulations that burden business and stifle innovation. Legal experts said the decision will lead to a flood of challenges to regulations.

Washington Post