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College of William and Mary
Professor of Law at the College of William and Mary and Director of its Institute of Bill of Rights Law
PROFILE
Neal Devins
Guest
FROM Neal Devins
To the Point
The US Supreme Court: Politics or the Rule of Law? This month, the US Supreme Court is expected to decide cases on the limits of speech during abortion protests, organized labor and when police can search your cell phone. Those are cases with important potential consequences for many Americans. They'll be decided by a Court more divided than ever between Democrats and Republicans. Even Justice Stephen Breyer has worried aloud that he and his colleagues are now viewed as "junior varsity politicians." Rulings are supposed to be based on the Constitution and acts of Congress. They can affect the lives of many Americas now and for years to come. Is the Court led by Chief Justice John Roberts pursuing its own agenda? What would that mean for confidence in democracy and the rule of law?
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To the Point
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.
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?
To the Point
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.
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?