TODAY IN HERSTORY | RBG’s Killer Workout | Facebook Friends On Trial
February 27, 2017
DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT
|People always think D.C. gets a bad rap, but the woes of La La Land (literally) was on full display last night as the Hollywood community experienced a made-for-TV meltdown at the Academy Awards. Although its name wasn’t called first, “Moonlight” won best picture and stole the show. In other news, best actress nominee RUTH NEGGA made a fashion statement in support of the ACLU, the organization that represented Richard and Mildred Loving in the Supreme Court case that did away with bans on interracial couples. Negga portrayed Mildred Loving in the Oscar-nominated film, “Loving.”
THE YEAR OF THE UNDERDOG
|Only two months into his presidency and DONALD TRUMP faces a big week ahead. Tomorrow, he will deliver a speech to a joint session of Congress just after his fellow Republicans return to town after weeks of heated town hall meetings. Trump will have to address two major items on his shared agenda with Congress: health care and the Supreme Court. Hearings for JUDGE NEIL GORSUCH have been scheduled for March 20 and floor action on the nomination is expected before Easter.
SUGGESTED FRIENDS? NOT SO FAST
|Today at SCOTUS, the justices hear arguments on whether a North Carolina law violates the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. The state law bars registered sex offenders from “accessing” certain social media sites, including Facebook, Spapchat and Instagram. The case — Packingham v. North Carolina — was brought forth by Lester Packingham who was convicted of the crime of having a Facebook account after having to register as a sex offender. Even after his FB was discovered, there was no evidence found that he was committing any sex crimes.
CITE YOUR SOURCES, KIDDO
|SCOTUS upheld a requirement today that forces groups to say who paid for issue advertising directed at candidates in an approaching election. The justices affirmed that ads mentioning candidates — but don’t necessarily call for the election or defeat of one — must still note who’s footing the bill.
SCOTUS CASE DEAD ON ARRIVAL
|“The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a direct challenge to the constitutionality of the death penalty as cruel and unusual punishment, rejecting an appeal by a Louisiana death row inmate convicted of killing three brothers. Liberal JUSTICE STEPHEN BREYER objected to the court’s decision not to hear the appeal.”
WORK IT OUT
|“Many conservatives hail Neil Gorsuch for sticking to the letter of the law and not letting personal views influence his rulings. Detractors note that he has, more often than not, sided with employers.” The Associated Press shares a list of notable employee rights cases on which Supreme Court nominee JUDGE NEIL GORSUCH has ruled.
SWEAT BABY SWEAT
|“I did RUTH BADER GINSBURG’S workout. It nearly broke me.” That’s POLITICO’s Ben Schreckinger who “set out to investigate the world’s most important workout” and work with Ginsburg’s trainer to re-create the justice’s workout.
TODAY IN HERSTORY
|On this day in 1922, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Leser v. Garnett, unanimously upheld the 19th Amendment which guaranteed the right of women to vote.
SCOTUS VIEWS
Courts can be undermined in these 3 ways. This is how to protect them.
The Washington Post“Courts’ powers rely on more than laws. Even if U.S. courts now serve as bulwarks of democracy, they are only as powerful as politicians and the public want them to be. A democracy can take down one wall as it builds another. Let’s look at how courts’ ability to check the government can be eroded — and, conversely, how it can be shored up.”
OTHER NEWS
Understanding Transgender Access Laws
The New York Times“The highly charged debate over transgender rights has resulted in a tangle of contradictory laws governing access to public bathrooms and locker rooms across the country…Here are some milestones in the national debate.”
Intel, Yahoo and Amazon join Supreme Court brief supporting transgender rights
Axios“Intel, Yahoo, Amazon, Pandora and Spotify are the latest big-name tech companies to sign on to a legal brief supporting transgender rights, a source told Axios.”
Computers Have Revolutionized Gerrymandering. The Supreme Court Should Take Notice.
Mother Jones“The Supreme Court will have a chance to revisit the issue later this year, and they should think very hard about how technology has affected the ancient art of gerrymandering.”