PROFILE
FROM Kris Miccio
State Laws, Federal Laws and the Institution of Marriage The federal Defense of Marriage Act was cobbled together in 1996, after the Supreme Court of Hawaii suggested there might be a right to same-sex marriage. Because of DOMA, more than 1100 rules and regulations limit taxes and benefits only to heterosexual couples. Bill Clinton now says he regrets having signed it. Lesbian plaintiff, 83-year old Edith Windsor, challenged the law, and today the US Supreme Court considered arguments that it violates the rights of gays and lesbians in states that recognize same-sex marriage. We hear about the arguments and ask whether this week's disputes are all about a declining institution — with fewer Americans getting married than ever before.
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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.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.