Voting has always been hard for some Americans, and it’s getting harder

For as long as we’ve had a democracy in this country, we’ve fought about who gets to vote and how. But this longstanding fight has taken on a new intensity since the 2020 election: At least 14 states have passed more than 20 laws so far this year restricting voting, and money is pouring in both to fight and enact them. On today’s show, the Brennan Center’s Daniel Weiner gives us the lay of the land and tells us why there’s reason to be hopeful about the state of voting in this country.

Here’s everything we talked about today (if you can’t click these links on your podcast app, try the episode page at makemesmart.org):

“Voting Laws Roundup” from the Brennan Center

“The DOJ has a plan to protect voting rights. It might not be enough” from Vox

Read and watch Garland’s speech on voting rights

“Voting rights issue sparks huge fundraising across political spectrum” from Marketplace

The story Kimberly mentioned about notaries in St. Louis

“Lumber Prices Are Falling Fast, Turning Hoarders Into Sellers” from The Wall Street Journal

“The Drug That Could Break American Health Care” from The Atlantic

“Aduhelm, Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s drug, won FDA approval. Now doctors, patients, and insurers face tough decisions about care and cost.” from The Philadelphia Inquirer

“The FDA’s hasty approval of an unproven Alzheimer’s drug is bad news for everyone” from the Los Angeles Times

Maggioncalda’s interview on “Marketplace Tech”

Finally, here’s the link to join the fan-run Make Me Smart discord server