As the Supreme Court term kicked off in October, the justices received a new batch of petitions in a range of business cases, controversial policy fights and criminal matters.

Several dealt with the ongoing legal saga over a recent horse-racing safety law passed with bipartisan support in Congress, which the Supreme Court reinstated in late October. Another centers around Oklahoma's bid to preserve nearly $5 million in federal funds for family planning services withdrawn over the state's refusal to give patients the number of an abortion hotline.