Loyola Law School
Justin Levitt is a professor of Lawat Loyola Law School. He specializes in election and constitutional law. He served as deputy assistant attorney general in the US Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division under President Obama.
How changing the Census affects representation and federal funding The Commerce Department has announced that the 2020 census will include a new question about whether or not you are a citizen. California has wasted no time suing the Trump administration, saying the change would lead to an inaccurate Census count. So what will the impact be on the ground, and will California’s challenges be successful?
US elections and 'voter fraud' President Trump claims that three million people voted illegally last year, and he's established a Commission on Election Integrity . Vice President Mike Pence is the Chair, but the major work is being done by Vice Chair Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary of State — and candidate for Governor next year. Its demands for massive amounts of information have led to reports that officials of 44 states claim violations of states' rights and protections of personal privacy. But Commission leaders insist that all's well -- even though Mississippi's Republican Secretary of State told them to "jump in the Gulf of Mexico."
Why James Comey fired for mishandling Clinton emails or investigating Trump and Russia? This afternoon, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, “The president has accepted the recommendation of the Attorney General and the deputy Attorney General regarding the dismissal of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” The bureau’s director was fired. Was he fired for mishandling the Clinton emails, or because he was investigating the Trump campaign’s Russia ties?
The Voting Wars: Who's Winning? Who's Losing? In North Carolina, it’s same-day registration; in Ohio it’s early voting; in Wisconsin and Texas, it’s Voter ID. In just 10 days, the US Supreme Court has intervened three times in voting wars between Democrats and Republicans. We’ll hear how court actions on Voter ID and other restrictions could make a big difference in Washington.
Gerrymandering Host Madeleine Brand looks at news, culture and emerging trends through the lens of Los Angeles, weekdays at noon.
Attorney General Eric Holder on Collision Course with Texas On Voting Rights Civil Rights leaders and Attorney General Eric Holder are scheduled for White House meetings later today. In the aftermath of the Court’s divided ruling on the Voting Rights Act, they’ll be discussing another case, which has led Holder’s intervention in Texas.
Race and Political Representation in Anaheim Fifty-three percent of the people in Anaheim are Latinos, but there's none on the City Council. That was the subject of a class-action lawsuit even before last year's days of rage over the police killing of two Latino men.
CA Counties Affected by Supreme Court's Voting Rights Decision With another split decision by the US Supreme Court, Chief Justice Roberts has created a political firestorm. One provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been ruled unconstitutional because the Court says it's based on voting patterns that are out of date. Some parts of California also will be affected. They won't have to report to Washington whenever they make even minor changes in voting laws.
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
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?
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.