Today we talk about the Supreme Court case in Idaho and the Ten Commandments in classrooms in Louisiana. Sister Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking, The Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty That Sparked a National Debate, (Vintage Books, 2013), 218-219. Michael L. Radelet, Hugo A. Bedau, Constance Putnam, In Spite of Innocence: Erroneous Convictions in Capital Cases , (Boston, Northeastern University Press, 1992). Glenn L. Pierce and Michael L. Radelet, “Death Sentencing in East Baton Rouge Paris...
Jun 28, 2024•37 min
We recorded on Juneteenth so we talk about the history briefly. We also discuss the recent supreme court rulings. "The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth:" https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth Biden Executive Orders: Links: White House Fact Sheet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/18/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-keep-families-together/ Opinion | Is the Supreme Court Running Out the Clock on Trump’s Immunity Case...
Jun 21, 2024•36 min
We talk about the Appeal To Heaven flag on Justice Alito's vacation home and the new executive order on immigration. Craig's op-ed in the ACCU Update (Summer 2012), “The Messenger Matters” can be found at: https://works.bepress.com/craig_mousin/36/ Dina Nayeri's quote can be found in The Ungrateful Refugee, What Immigrants Never Tell You, (NY: Catapult, 2019), p. 262. NIJC National Policy Director Heidi Altman’s quote is in Michael Shear’s “To Restrict Migrants, Biden Leans on Trump’s Favorite I...
Jun 14, 2024•31 min
Today we talk about the election Interference / hush money case and the 34 felony counts against a former president. Here are the articles referenced: Trump Guilty on All Counts in Hush-Money Case - The New York Times May 31, 2024 - by Heather Cox Richardson This obscure N.Y. election law is at the heart of Trump's hush money trial Posts misrepresent New York judge’s instructions to jury in Trump hush money trial | AP News We urge you to comment on the proposed rule that would permit the federal...
Jun 07, 2024•36 min
We cover multiple stories this week here are the articles: Samuel Alito's snide denial of his Jan. 6 flag is just as ugly as flying it in the first place Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin Calls On Samuel Alito To Recuse From Jan. 6 Cases Key Senate Democrat doesn't plan to probe Justice Alito over upside-down flag Louisiana becomes 1st state to require the Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms As conservatives put religion in schools, Satanists want in, too Trump trial judge scolds attorney Robert ...
May 31, 2024•42 min
Today we talk about the protests on college campuses and Craig tells a story similar to today, when he protested the Vietnam War. Articles used: Report on some of the agreements negotiated on college campuses in Spring 2024. Report on all universities destroyed in Gaza during this war. MLK, Jr. "Beyond Vietnam" speech. NPR story on Dr. Orest Ranum's files burned Orangeburg Massacre Kent State Deaths Since the recording of this podcast on civil disobedience, we have learned that the Prisoners of ...
May 24, 2024•37 min
This week we talk about a proposed rule from the Biden Administration that may change asylum proceedures and allow adjudicators to turn away people without proper research on their background. Read the proposed rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/13/2024-10390/application-of-certain-mandatory-bars-in-fear-screenings Read the NIJC's breakdown: https://immigrantjustice.org/press-releases/nijc-denounces-new-biden-rule-adding-restrictions-already-compromised-asylum-system Contact...
May 17, 2024•34 min
We contiune to listen to the oral arguments from the supreme court on April 25th where they argued that the president is immune to prosecution for public acts. Craig reads some amicus curiae briefs to help us understand the arguments. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-939/307029/20240408130715170_No.%2023-939bsacRetiredFour-StarAdmiralsAndGenerals.pdf https://www.alabamaag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024.03.19-AL-Amicus-Br-ISO-Trump-FINAL.pdf https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/de...
May 10, 2024•51 min
We listen to the oral arguments from the supreme court on April 25th where they argued that the president is immune to prosecution for public acts. Craig reads some amicus curiae briefs to help us understand the arguments. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-939/307029/20240408130715170_No.%2023-939bsacRetiredFour-StarAdmiralsAndGenerals.pdf https://www.alabamaag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024.03.19-AL-Amicus-Br-ISO-Trump-FINAL.pdf Photo by: Michael Vadon...
May 03, 2024•41 min
Here is Craig's opening paragraph framework: Although this unscripted podcast began as a discussion of difficult conversations, it soon veered into how to engage in conversations about racism and war. We soon realized that the tools needed to engage fully may differ when conversations occur with friends, within a family, a community, a library board, a university, or a national dialogue. We acknowledge that the tragedy of slavery in this nation and the ongoing debates on how to resolve the legac...
Apr 26, 2024•45 min
Today we talk about the documents case and the judge overseeing it, and the judge appointed by Donald Trump in 2019, Judge Cannon. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/22/us/politics/trump-trial-documents-cannon.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/us/politics/trump-documents-witnesses.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/us/politics/judge-trump-dismissal-classified-documents.html...
Apr 19, 2024•39 min
We talk about the tension between states rights and federal power. How does a court decide which to lean more heavily on? Articles referenced: Valor The myth of ‘open borders’ For additional description of how state laws impacted the travel and work of African-Americans or freed slaves in the years before the Civil War, see e.g. , Kate Masur, Until Justice Be Done, America's First Civil Rights Movement From the Revolution to Reconstruction, (N.Y.: W. W. Norton & Company, 2021), 123-126 and 1...
Apr 12, 2024•36 min
We answer several listener questions this week. We talk about a lot of different issues and here are some of the links we suggested in the episode: https://immigrantjustice.org/ https://cmsny.org/ https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/ https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/...
Apr 05, 2024•37 min
Today we talk about lying in the political discourse. We used the following news articles for reference “Can’t make it up”: Experts say transcript shows special counsel Robert Hur “lied” about Biden | Salon.com Biden special counsel Robert Hur’s resignation from DOJ makes his testimony “even more problematic” | Salon.com Anti-sex trafficking advocate accuses GOP Sen. Katie Britt of distorting her story Journalist says Katie Britt’s story about child sex abuse ‘out-and-out lie’ | Republicans | Th...
Mar 29, 2024•40 min
For more information on antebellum state migration laws, see, " The myth of ‘open borders .’ Even before the U.S. government regulated migration, states did. Here’s why" by Anna O. Law, the Herbert Kurz Chair in Constitutional Rights and associate professor of political science at CUNY Brooklyn College. (September 21, 2021), The Washington Post Heidi Altman, the Director of Policy at the National Immigrant Justice Center (https://immigrantjustice.org/ ) presents ten points of humane border solut...
Mar 22, 2024•31 min
The supreme court listened to oral arguments on the bump stock ban and we talk about those arguments and the briefs submitted to the court. https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/22-976.html https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/22-976
Mar 15, 2024•42 min
Today we talk about 10 points to reshape and improve immigration policy in the USA. We used the National Immigrant Justice Center's 10 points as a backdrop for our discussion: https://immigrantjustice.org/staff/blog/humane-solutions-work-10-ways-biden-administration-should-reshape-immigration-policy https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-02-29/immigration-crisis-border-migrants-united-states-mexico-election-biden-trump...
Mar 08, 2024•39 min
Both Craig and Cecil are religious separationists, meaning religion should have no role in government, Here they discuss several topics and cover some groundwork on the subject. Craig directed the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center for six years, the pro bono program that later became the National Immigrant Justice Center: https://immigrantjustice.org/ . If you would like more information on Craig's work at MIRC, check out his digital story at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9VTkjhzIcI...
Mar 01, 2024•42 min
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/299107/20240129171610494_23-719_Amici%20Brief.pdf https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/23-719 http://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/295761/20240116095552269_23-719%20tsac%20Lash.pdf http://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/298122/20240118165315506_Trump%20v.%20Anderson-Amici%20Brief%201.18.24.pdf http://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/295994/20240118094034746_Trump%20v%20Anderson.pdf https://www.citizens...
Feb 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Articles referenced: Judicial Vacancies | United States Courts Opinion | A Republican senator smeared a Biden nominee — and Democrats cowered - The Washington Post Most of Biden’s judge appointees are women, racial or ethnic minorities | Pew Research Center Senate confirms Biden's 150th judge Biden has successfully appointed 166 federal judges through January 1 of his fourth year Opinion | Biden is filling the federal bench as promised - The Washington Post...
Feb 16, 2024•40 min
Trump warns of ‘big trouble’ as Supreme Court agrees to hear Colorado ballot case | The Hill “Unprofessional”: Experts blast Trump lawyer for saying Brett Kavanaugh “quid pro quo part out loud” | Salon.com CHICAGO TONIGHT Terrorism Expert on Dangers Facing American Democracy...
Feb 09, 2024•47 min•Ep. 9
Pro-Trump anti-immigrant ad makes it seem as if Haley coddles ‘criminals’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Texas Gov. Greg Abbott rebuffed his plea to pause migrant transports to Chicago area during freeze Supreme Court Backs Biden in Dispute With Texas Over Border Barrier - The New York Times Nobody is Protected: How the Border Patrol Became the Most Dangerous Police Force in the United States Photo by Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com...
Feb 02, 2024•37 min•Ep. 8
Justice Department sues Texas over law that would let police arrest migrants who enter US illegally Here is the lawsuit: https://www.justice.gov/media/1330861/dl?inline=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Haley had a good point about immigration — but no one wants to hear it right now | Opinion A Clear View from the Prairie: Harold Washington and the People of Illinois Respond to Federal Encroachment of Human Rights 29 S. Ill. L. J. 285 (Fall, 2004/Winter, 2005). https://papers.ssrn...
Jan 26, 2024•42 min•Ep. 7
Donald Trump is removed from the ballot in Colorado and other states. Your Questions About the Colorado Trump Ruling, Answered | TIME Takeaways from Colorado’s historic ruling that Trump is ineligible for office based on 14th Amendment’s ‘insurrectionist ban’ | CNN Politics What to Know About the Efforts to Remove Trump From the 2024 Ballot Opening music, "Don't Fade Away" from the Voices CD Dare the Untried written by Matt Yanny-Tillar and Chris Inserra and arranged and performed by Voices: htt...
Jan 19, 2024•46 min•Ep. 6
We discuss the former president's plans for office in 2024 and the possible immigration implications. We used this article: How Trump and His Allies Plan to Wield Power in 2025 - The New York Times Opening music, "Don't Fade Away" from the Voices CD Dare the Untried written by Matt Yanny-Tillar and Chris Inserra and arranged and performed by Voices: https://open.spotify.com/track/1wc0BD0aPLT2jbeYpKYSim Closing music: "Green Leaf Rain" arranged and performed by Matt Yanny-Tillar from the Voices C...
Jan 18, 2024•41 min•Ep. 5
We discuss Rudy Giuliani's defamation lawsuit, the decision and what it is like to be an election worker. Articles discussed: Giuliani defamation trial live updates: Jury awards election workers nearly $150 million - ABC News ‘How evil’: Ruby Freeman describes violent threats after false Trump, Giuliani attacks - POLITICO Rudy Giuliani concedes he made false statements against 2 Georgia election workers Georgia Election Workers Sue Giuliani Again - The New York Times The fall of Rudy Giuliani: H...
Jan 18, 2024•42 min•Ep. 4
We talk about the influx of asylum seekers sent to Chicago via bus from red states. Articles referenced: Chicago struggles to house migrants as winter weather slams the city Illinois warned to prepare for up to 25 buses of migrants a day as state pleads for federal help REVEALED: Texas has bused almost 52,000 migrants to Dem-run cities, including 18,500 to NYC and 13,500 to Chicago - as Gov. Greg Abbott says many more will follow | Daily Mail Online In Chicago, a Neighborhood of Immigrants Is Co...
Jan 18, 2024•31 min•Ep. 3
We discuss the supreme court and their new ethics code of conduct. Articles referenced: The Supreme Court’s new ethics code is an unenforceable joke - Vox Opinion | The Supreme Court’s New Ethics Code: ‘Worthless’ Clarence Thomas Secretly Accepted Luxury Trips From GOP Donor — ProPublica Clarence Thomas loan report spurs new ethics criticism of US Supreme Court | Reuters Clarence Thomas accepted even more gifts from billionaires, new report finds : NPR Justice Alito accepted Alaska resort vacati...
Jan 18, 2024•50 min•Ep. 2
We review the Proposed Lankford-Cotton Bill and discuss the implications to international law: https://humanrightsfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Intl-Law-Analysis-of-Lankford-Cotton_Nov-202312.pdf Take Action: Call Senators to Reject Harmful Immigration Proposals Opening music, "Don't Fade Away" from the Voices CD Dare the Untried written by Matt Yanny-Tillar and Chris Inserra and arranged and performed by Voices: https://open.spotify.com/track/1wc0BD0aPLT2jbeYpKYSim Closing music: "Green ...
Jan 18, 2024•48 min•Ep. 1
