Common Cause
Vice President for Programs at Common Cause
PROFILE
Arn Pearson
Guest
FROM Arn Pearson
Which Way, L.A.?
The Supreme Court: Big Business and the First Amendment As the US Supreme Court recessed this week until next October, John Roberts completed his sixth term as Chief Justice of the United States. He continued to lead the court in a conservative direction, and this was a good term for big business, including Wal-Mart, AT&T and power companies. It was also a term dominated by the First Amendment. Is the Court more business-friendly under Roberts and the conservative majority? Is it liberal when it comes to the First Amendment?
To the Point
The Supreme Court: Big Business and the First Amendment As the US Supreme Court recessed this week until next October, John Roberts completed his sixth term as Chief Justice of the United States. He continued to lead the court in a conservative direction. The US Chamber of Commerce openly claims more influence with the US Supreme Court than any litigator except the US Solicitor General . Sure enough, big business has been winning 61 percent of its cases. Does it have better lawyers? Are the justices on its side ideologically? They often recognized the free-speech rights of business. Is that because they're dedicated to defending the First Amendment? What did the Wal-Mart case mean for women's employment rights? Why don't Supreme Court justices use the same ethics rules as other federal judges?
Recommended
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
Left, Right & Center
The week that wouldn't quit Will next week get even weirder? (Special one-hour episode)
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.