The Scariest Court in America feat. Steven Monacelli & Dr. Michael Phillips

During the Civil Rights Era, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans was one of the most liberal courts in the United States. It became an ally of the Civil Rights Movement that knocked down Jim Crow laws across the Deep South. But because of a string of appointments by conservative presidents starting with Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, it has transformed into one of the country’s most reactionary judicial bodies, with rulings that banned drag shows, endangered nationwide access to the so-called “abortion pill,” and threatened to give domestic abusers access to handguns. This episode looks at how the Fifth Circuit turned into the scariest court in America -- and in particular the career of one extremist judge, James Ho, who one day might end up on the United States Supreme Court.

Sources:

Jack Bass, “John Minor Wisdom, Appeals Court Judge Who Helped to End Segregation, Dies at 93,” New York Times, May 16, 1999, https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/16/us/john-minor-wisdom-appeals-court-judge-who-helped-to-end-segregation-dies.html

Jonathan Entin, “The Surprising History of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals,” Governing, January 23, 2024, https://www.governing.com/policy/the-surprising-history-of-the-5th-circuit-court-of-appeals.

Eleanor Klibanoff, “Again and again, U.S. Supreme Court slaps down 5th Circuit,” The Texas Tribune, July 3, 2024, https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/supreme-court-5th-circuit-court-rulings-texas-overturned/

Mattathias Schwartz, “This Federal Judge Is the ‘Tip of the Spear’ of Trump-Era Conservatism,” New York Times, August 9, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/us/judge-ho-trump-border.html

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(1623)

CZM Book Club: The Storming of the Bastille, by Alexandre Dumas

Margaret reads you a story about the French Revolution and the destruction of a prisonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 Elo 44min

It Could Happen Here Weekly 245

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file. The Gen Z Protests that Shook India's Fascist Government GlobeCon: The New Liberals Take on DSA GlobeCon: Can Tech...

15 Elo 4h 6min

Executive Disorder: Flock Sabotage, Tariff Refunds for Corporations, Wisconsin Election

The gang discuss sabotage of Flock cameras across the country, immigration judge training documents, DOJ lawsuits over state tuition assistance for immigrants, Trump’s new anti-vax executive order, co...

14 Elo 1h 22min

How Ken Paxton Became The Most Corrupt Man In Texas Politics

Our Robert sits down with Texas journalist Robert Downen to discuss the rise and hopeful fall of Texas AG Ken Paxton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 Elo 28min

GlobeCon: Can Technocratic Neoliberalism Save Us? Um no wtf?

Garrison talks with sociology professor Ben Rose Porter about the Center for New Liberalism’s anti-populist vision of "technocracy, cynical maneuvering, and liberal nationalism.” Sources: https://www...

12 Elo 54min

GlobeCon: The New Liberals Take on DSA

Garrison travels to Washington D.C. to attend the New Liberal Action Summit, an annual conference put on by a group of young center-left policy wonks who went from posting memes about neoliberalism to...

11 Elo 49min

The Gen Z Protests that Shook India's Fascist Government

Robert and Mia discuss the recent Cockroach Janta Party protests against crises in India's education system and how they threaten India's ruling fascist government. Sources: https://www.hindustantimes...

10 Elo 33min

CZM Book Club: What We Want, What We Believe, by Alex Smith, Part Two

Prince Shakur returns to finish reading Margaret a story about revolution, repression, and survival for Black AugustSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Elo 44min