Passing Judgment

It's a legal and political roundup! Jessica is joined by Joe.

Topics include -- abortion pills, and whether women in states that outlaw abortion will be able to obtain them; a terrible decision regarding the legality of federal mask mandates; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and whether a Civil War era provision of the 14th Amendment will prevent her from being on the ballot; and Rep. Kevin McCarthy's hypocrisy caught on tape.

Should Americans be required to vote?

E.J. Dionne and Miles Rapoport argue that they should in their new book, 100% Democracy.

Jessica interviews E.J. and Miles and asks them about the pros and cons of their proposal.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be sworn in as our country's first African American female Supreme Court justice.

Which big cases will the court tackle next term when she is on the court?

What do the confirmation hearings and vote say about our political processes?

This week federal district court judges from opposite sides of the country came out with two big decisions this week. A California district court judge ruled that John Eastman, former advisor to the former president, must turn over some emails to the January 6th Committee. But the big news from the ruling is the judge's conclusion that it is more likely than not that Eastman and Trump engage in criminal conduct. Will Trump and Eastman face criminal charges?

Next, a Florida district judge struck down a portion of Florida's restrictive voting law. The judge found that Florida intentionally discriminated against Black voters. Will the decision stand?

Jessica and Joe break it all down for you.

For more, here are Jessica's pieces on MSNBC.

Will Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson make history and become the first female African American Supreme Court justice? What happened during the four days of confirmation hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee?

Could Justice Clarence Thomas be impeached? Given his wife, Ginni Thomas', political activities, should he recuse himself from all cases dealing with January 6th or the 2020 presidential election?

And what did the Supreme Court just say about the religious rights of death row inmates?

Time to analyze President Joe Biden's SOTU address with CBS political contributor Joel Payne.

How did Biden do? Did he pivot and signal a change in his governing style? Are any concrete policies likely to result from the laundry list of wishes included in the speech? Will the speech help Democrats in the midterms?

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will make history later this year when she is expected to become the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court United States.

Jessica provides you with a quick biographical sketch of Judge Brown Jackson, how her appointment could change the court, and the big cases she'll be deciding next term.

Jessica talks with Tom Nichols, Tom is an expert on international affairs. His work deals with issues involving Russia. He is a contributing writer for the Atlantic and proprietor of “Peacefield” a newsletter at the Atlantic.  

He was a professor at the U.S. Naval War College and at the Harvard Extension School. He was previously a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. And he is the author of numerous books, including Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from Within on Modern Democracy.

Tom talks with Jessica about what precipitated Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, whether there was any way to prevent Russia's invasion, and what may happen next. Tom walks us through options that the U.S. and our international allies have to address Russia's acts of war.