To the Point

Voting may be the lynchpin of democracy, but it’s not a right guaranteed by the Constitution. The Founding Fathers set the stage for the dirty tricks and legal discrimination we see today. Just weeks before the November elections, two experts update voter suppression strategies and the role played by the US Supreme Court.

Judge Brett Kavanaugh did what no Supreme Court nominee had ever done before. He defended his reputation in public--on Fox News. Meantime, male Republican Senators said they’d hired a “female assistant.” She’ll question the woman accusing the judge of sexual assault while he was in prep school. What’s in store for Kavanaugh’s confirmation-- and the prestige of the highest court in the land?

Senate confirmation looked like a done deal, but gender politics are disrupting the process. Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s unblemished record is up against a woman’s lifetime of trauma--depending on who you believe. What are the options for Senate Republicans less than two months before this year’s elections?  

President Trump has famously violated traditional rules of presidential behavior. Now Barack Obama has broken the studied silence maintained by former presidents. He’s even attacked Trump by name. Warren explores the historical context and future implications with Tim Naftali, who once ran the Richard Nixon Library and Museum.

California leads the nation in reducing greenhouse emissions, but Governor Jerry Brown concedes that’s just the beginning. Will his global conference on climate change make any difference? Not without trillions of dollars, which will have to come from private investors. We’ll hear about some exotic technologies attracting that kind of money.      

Senate confirmation for SCOTUS nominees has become a political circus. That’s because unelected judges have seized legislative powers--when Congress fails to take action. Ruth Bader Ginsburg says Roe v. Wade is bad constitutional law, even though she agrees with the outcome. Should abortion have been left to the voters? Will Brett Kavanaugh make a difference?