former Assistant Attorney General and Solicitor General
Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard University and general partner at O'Melveny and Myers, where he heads its Appellate practice; Professor Emeritus at Duke Law School; former Assistant Attorney General and later Solicitor General in the Clinton Administration (1996-1997 term of the Supreme Court), he has argued more than a dozen cases before the Supreme Court
Has Same-Sex Marriage Lost Its Political Power? In 1996, Congress passed the " Defense of Marriage Act ," which limited marriage to a man and a woman. In 2004, state ballot measures on same-sex marriage helped turn out Republican voters. In the first few months of his administration, President Obama's Justice Department supported DOMA. But last month, Attorney General Eric Holder called the law indefensible on constitutional grounds. So, where are the Republicans now? Members of Congress and potential presidential candidates have focused almost entirely on enforcing the law, but not on same-sex marriage itself. Have they decided that "it's the Economy, stupid," after all? We look at the law---and the politics.
'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' on a Legal Rollercoaster Last month, Federal Judge Virginia Phillips declared that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" deprives gays and lesbians of equal rights under the Constitution, and further deprives the military of highly qualified officers. Ten days ago she ordered the Pentagon to stop enforcing the law, allowing openly gay and lesbian recruits to volunteer. Two days ago an appellate court temporarily suspended her order. Yesterday, the Pentagon said it would clear up the confusion by limiting the power of discharge to the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force. Will a President who says he opposes the law tell the secretaries what to do? Will the lame-duck session of Congress repeal the law before it gets to the US Supreme Court? We hear what it's like for gays, lesbians and their comrades who are serving now, with all three branches of government trying to decide what to do.
The Evolving Tactics of the Pro-Life Movement Since Roe v. Wade was decided 35 years ago, a woman's right to choose an abortion has been Issue Number One in the so-called "culture wars." But it's still the law. The next Supreme Court vacancies are likely to be filled by a President who's pro-choice. Ballot initiatives to limit abortion failed this month in South Dakota , Colorado and California . The pro-life movement won't go away, but it's changing its tactics. We hear about the search for common ground and the new issue of same-sex marriage.
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.
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
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.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?