USA –  In a crushing blow to the White House, the Supreme Court announced Thursday it was evenly divided in a case concerning President Barack Obama’s controversial executive actions on immigration.

The one-sentence ruling, issued without comment or dissent, means that the programs will remain blocked from going into effect, and the issue will return to the lower court. It is exceedingly unlikely the programs will go into effect for the remainder of the Obama presidency. Obama, speaking at the White House, lamented the ruling. “For more than two decades now our immigration system, everybody acknowledges, has been broken,” Obama said. “(CNN.COM/photo: www.japantimes.co.jp)…[+]