Passing Judgment

United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed away. Our country has lost a champion of gender equality.

What does her death mean for the future of our country both legally and politically?

With only weeks to go before the election, will President Trump nominate someone to fill the seat and will Senator Mitch McConnell hold confirmation hearings?

What happened to AG Bill Barr?

He compared COVID-19 restrictions to slavery.

He has talked about protecting protesters under the Sedition Act.

The DOJ has intervened to get favorable treatment for friends of President Trump -- think Michael Flynn and Roger Stone.

Is Bill Barr acting to protect the American president or the American people?

Join host and Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson as she talks with New York Times reporter Matt Stevens about what it is like to be a political reporter in 2020. 

A cyber attack? A contingent election decided by the House of Representatives? Law enforcement at the polls? The closing of polling places? The invocation of the Presidential Succession Act?

Join host and Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson and producer Joe Armstrong for a rundown of the top election 2020 nightmares.

Happy Labor Day everyone.

On this special Labor Day episode, host and Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson and producer Joe Armstrong talk about a issue near and dear to many workers -- whether they are independent contractors or employees. Jessica and Joe unpack the current legal wrangling surrounding rules for gig economy workers. Starting January 1, 2020, California changed the law to categorize many gig economy workers as employees, not independent contractors.

But the law, known as AB 5, cast a wide net and covered some freelancers who lost jobs as a result. Joe shares his story of work that he lost. In addition, one of those famous freelancers is former San Francisco Mayor and Speaker of the Assembly, Willie Brown. As Politico's Carla Marinucci wrote, just this week his regular Sunday op-ed column for the San Francisco Chronicle was temporarily put on hold as a result of the law. https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/09/04/former-sf-mayor-willie-brown-ensnared-by-ab5-gets-assist-from-newsom-1315782

A few days ago, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that narrows AB 5, and exempts many freelance workers, like Willie Brown.

But wait, there's more. There is a measure on the ballot, sponsored by companies like Uber and Lyft, to undo the California law which treats most gig workers as employees.

Where does the law stand and what could happen next?

Join host and Loyola Law School professor Jessica Levinson and guest Elex Michaelson, anchor and host of the only statewide political show in California -- The Issue Is.

Jessica and Elex talk about how social media has changed news consumption and coverage, whether reporters have an obligation to be real-time fact checkers, why we are so polarized, how to deal with campaigns of disinformation and misinformation, why we should all be taking media literacy classes, and the importance of cookies in a greenroom.

Host Jessica Levinson explains whether the president has the power to send law enforcement officers to polling places on Election Day. She is joined by producer Joe Armstrong to walk through the legal and political limits on the president.

Jessica and Joe discuss who typically observes a polling place, whether Trump can send federal or state law enforcement, what power states have over their polling places, and what recourse voters have if they feel intimidated at the polls.

Host and Loyola Law School professor Jessica Levinson is joined by television and radio legend Steve Edwards. Steve has been a member of the media for more than four decades, covering every major news event in that time.

Steve talks with us about the changing role of the media and why we are more polarized than ever.

What is the Hatch Act? A law that prohibits certain government employees from engaging in political activities. The purpose is to ensure that civil servants are serving the public and not working as political operatives while engaging in official duties or using public facilities or vehicles.

Have members of the Trump administration violated this federal law in front of our eyes? Probably! Let's talk about what is happening the Republican National Convention.

What recourse is there for violations of the Hatch Act? It looks like not much right now. This is arguably an existential crisis in our democracy -- we have a federal law that looks like it is being violated but ignored.

Join host Jessica Levinson and producer Joe Armstrong to walk through these issues.