To the Point

Civil Rights Under Threat?

A 5-to-4 decision by the US Supreme Court has revised 35 years of civil rights law and practice. The decision makes it more difficult to prove racial discrimination on the part of public agencies or private groups that use federal money by requiring them to prove injurious intent rather than mere adverse impact. Will the judgement shrink minority rights or clarify federal law? We hear from Eric Schnapper who argued the case before the Supreme Court, author Shelby Steele, constitutional law expert Eddie Lazarus, and civil rights attorneys Constance Rice, Linda Chavez, and John Findley. Newsmaker: FAA Reports Airport Schedules Beyond Capacity - The Federal Aviation Administration has reported that airlines schedule more flights at busy airports than runways can handle, especially in bad weather. Business Week's Michael Arndt says congestion is unlikely to abate with airlines responding to increased travel demands and neighbors blocking much needed airport expansion. Reporter's Notebook: Election Reform - After last year's presidential election spectacle in Florida, legislators all over the US introduced reform bills. There was even talk of a uniform national ballot. Today, Thomas Mann, of the Brookings Institution, calls prospects for immediate national election reform unlikely because of shared governance of state, local and federal authorities.