Sunday Morning Wrap-Up
Here’s your Sunday morning wrap-up, so you can make sure you didn’t miss out on any of the past week’s columns. Grab your coffee—or something stronger, if necessary.
The Week Ahead: We discussed the start of the new Supreme Court and what some of the major cases the Court has already agreed to hear this term are.
Thank You!: Five Taylors. That’s how long it took me to sign all of the book preorders you all made with my local bookstore, Little Professor. 2300 copies to be precise. (Five listen throughs of Taylor Swift’s new album). I love shopping local, and I’m overwhelmed by your support for my friends. Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual For Keeping A Democracy will be available wherever you buy your books on October 21 (you can preorder it now). If you’re in one of the cities on my book tour, I hope you’ll join me and say hi! I’d love to get to sign your copy of the book in person.
Portland and Beyond: Donald Trump was asked about invoking the Insurrection Act: “I’d do it if it was necessary. … If I had to enact it, I’d do that.” It’s not necessary, but we are headed this direction. This piece lays out the legal and political landscapes so we can understand their intersection.
A Thing You Can Do Right Now To Help Protect The Right To Vote: It feels good to be able to take action. Republicans are trying to impose the requirement that people prove they are citizens before they can register to vote, which will make it difficult if not impossible for millions of Americans to participate in the political process. The independent commission that has this ploy in front of it is the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and they are accepting public comments on this issue. Anti-voter advocates have flooded their website with one-sided and misleading comments. We can fight back with comments of our own. Click here.
The Supreme Court Case That Could Change Voting Rights for Generations: Fair Fight’s Amir Badat hosted Dr. Carol Anderson and me for a livestream about the upcoming Supreme Court argument in Louisiana v. Callais, the gerrymandering case the Supreme Court will hear argument in on October 15. If you’re not already familiar with Dr. Anderson, she’s an American treasure, and I suspect you’ll appreciate the historians’ perspective on efforts to strip voters of their rights and learn as much as I did.
Oversight: Pam Bondi’s oversight hearing in the Senate this week was an exercise in futility. She refused to answer questions. In an era where outrage is so frequent that it becomes mundane, it’s worth taking a moment to understand how badly Trump has corrupted the Justice Department with figures like Bondi in charge.
The Slow Death Facing The Comey Prosecution: Some cases take on an outsized importance, with issues that transcend the case itself. This is one of them. The stakes are high: the integrity of the Justice Department and the ability of a president to corrupt the rule of law.
What You Need To Know About The Tish James Indictment: Preet Bharara and I discuss the federal indictment against the New York Attorney General. Listen, and you’ll be up to speed. There are rumors of more revenge indictments coming next week.
Five Questions with Lauren Groh-Wargo: Fair Fight’s CEO, Lauren, explains new data they’ve just released, underscoring Republican efforts to strip people of their right to vote by gerrymandering. More importantly, we talk about what we can all be doing about it right now.
When They Bukele The Courts: El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, tweeted about the need to impeach “corrupt” judges in order to fix a country—our country—earlier this year. Instead of telling him to mind his own business, MAGA figureheads have joined in, most recently with Elon Musk retweeting right-wing media personality Eric Daughterty, who suggested, “We need to Bukele our court system.” What does that mean? This piece discusses why this is a critical pressure point in democracy that we all need to stay focused on.
These are complicated legal times, and it’s easy for the truth to get lost in the chaos. Civil Discourse doesn’t just track today’s headlines—it connects them to the legal and political history that explains why they matter. We won’t forget what’s at stake, or let Trump and his allies rewrite the past. You can subscribe to Civil Discourse for free and get clear analysis that helps you see the whole picture, delivered straight to your inbox. If you’re in a position to, your paid subscription helps me devote the time and resources it takes to write the newsletter. That means everyone has access to information they can share with friends and family—a constructive act we can all participate in right now, helping more Americans understand how critical this moment is.
We’re in this together,
Joyce