Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Supreme Court Rules on Immigration and Affirmative Action
Two U.S. Supreme Court decisions out Thursday have major implications. The 4-4 tie on President Obama’s immigration plan effectively blocks the president’s actions protecting some 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. The court also decided to uphold affirmative action in a Texas case.
By Madeleine Brand • • 51m ListenTwo U.S. Supreme Court decisions out Thursday have major implications. First, the 4-4 tie on President Obama’s immigration plan effectively blocks the president’s actions protecting some 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. Then, the court’s decision to uphold affirmative action. In our regular web roundup, a look at how this week’s gun control sit-in by House Democrats played out on social media and more. Next up, the Oscar-winning filmmakers behind the new documentary “Unlocking the Cage” on the legal fight to give personhood to animals. And finally, Las Vegas is getting its first-ever professional, major league sports team. Photo: Demonstrators from the immigrant community advocacy group CASA carry signs as they march in the hopes of a ruling in their favor on decisions at the Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S. June 20, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
In this episode
5 storiesSupreme Court Deadlocked on Obama's Immigration Plan
Today the U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on President Obama’s immigration plan, effectively blocking it. Two years ago, Obama took executive action to protect millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation. That was challenged in court by Texas and about two dozen other states.
Read the story9 minSupreme Court Upholds Affirmative Action
In another case out of Texas, the Supreme Court today upheld affirmative action. The justices found that limited use of “race-conscious admission” does not violate the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Here in California, not much will change. Voters banned affirmative action in California 20 years ago.
Read the story7 minWeb Roundup: Democratic Sit-In Goes Viral
Democratic members of the House held a sit-in this week to demand gun control legislation. The the whole thing was broadcast live, but not on C-SPAN; rather on social media sites like Facebook and Periscope. We talk about that and more news of the web in our weekly Internet news roundup.
Read the story9 min'Unlocking the Cage'
In the last couple of years, a head-scratching headline has popped up from time to time: Can an animal be a person? That question is the subject of a new documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker.
Read the story12 minHockey in Vegas
Yesterday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman yesterday announced a new hockey team for Las Vegas. They’ll start playing in 2017. This is the first major league professional sports team of any kind to set up in Vegas. Why has it taken so long?
Read the story9 min
