The Sunday Morning Wrap-Up
As we head into Tuesday, it’s no surprise the past week has been an overwhelming flood of legal news as the administration set out to interfere with what looks like solid Democratic pick-ups in the midterm elections. Here’s the highlight reel of last week’s posts and events. Grab a cup of coffee—or maybe something stronger this week—and let’s catch up on anything you missed; links to all of last week’s columns are below.
The Week Ahead: We started the week with Trump, still planning to build his stupid arch—more on that tonight. We were also watching developments in the case brought to intimidate Californians during the election and a new First Amendment case that seeks to protect the rights, not only of the press, but of American citizens.
Live with Ami Fields-Meyer on Democracy Developments Worldwide: Ami Fields-Meyer helped us get up to speed on the elections in Brazil and Serbia, and how they can help us understand the pro-democracy movement in the U.S. and what it needs to succeed.
The Day Every Judge Ruled: You should probably go back and read this one if you missed it. By the end of the day, I was laughing with former DOJ friends as we predicted which judge would rule next, and they all did. Alaska; Maurene Comey; new charges against her father, Jim Comey; California; and the East Potomac Park Golf Course were all in the mix.
Live from the Deep South with Cliff Albright: Cliff, one of the founders of Black Voters Matter, joined to give us the view from the Deep South, and it turned out to be uplifting and inspirational.
Another Really Bad Day in Court for Trump: A D.C. grand jury refused to indict Cassidy Hutchinson. Perhaps trying to avoid that problem, we learned the U.S. Attorney charged Jim Comey in an information, rather than even attempting the grand jury. And because I knew we were all a little bit overwhelmed at this point in the week, I ended with pictures of a runaway chicken who got a bath, just in case you still need them.
Calling Institutions Broken When They Aren’t: The Republic Revisited, Essay Three: This is the third essay in my series revisiting my book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual For Keeping A Democracy.
An Epic Opinion from Judge Carter: Another must-read piece. Judge Carter held that the federal government could not interfere in California’s conduct of its own elections, especially after they were already underway and given the government’s lousy track record at compiling lists of who is and who isn’t an American citizen.
Trump Administration Extends Losing Streak in Court, Live with Scott MacFarlane: It’s always a good day when I join Scott MacFarlane for a new update.
Five Questions with Democracy Defender Norm Eisen: One of the lawyers we depend on to defend democracy, Norm shared updates about preparedness to defend election results and why he believes we’re ready. His message to each of us: Go Vote.
A Year Ago, Trump Bet You’d Forget This. Did You?: We have long memories here at Civil Discourse. Exactly a year ago, the Trump administration was willing to cut SNAP benefits, designed to make sure Americans in need had enough food to eat, just to score political points. Make sure you share this one with friends who haven’t voted yet. It’s a good reminder.
These are complicated legal times. It’s easy for the truth to get lost in the chaos. Here at Civil Discourse, our goal is to do more than just track headlines. We connect them to the legal precedent and political context that explains why they matter. We don’t forget what’s at stake. We don’t let Trump and his allies rewrite the past.
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We’re in this together,
Joyce
