To the Point
Judicial Independence, Elections and Provocative Rulings
Different states select their judges in different ways, including appointment and a variety of election systems. When three Supreme Court justices were rejected last week, the decision of Iowa voters was celebrated as a rebuke of judicial overreach and decried as a threat to judicial independence. We hear about same-sex marriage and judicial selection. Also, GM posts largest quarterly profit in 11 years, and how America's top achievers in math compare to the rest of the world.
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenDifferent states select their judges in different ways, including appointment and a variety of election systems. When three Supreme Court justices were rejected last week, the decision of Iowa voters was celebrated as a rebuke of judicial overreach and decried as a threat to judicial independence. We hear about same-sex marriage and judicial selection. Also, ahead of its IPO, GM posts largest quarterly profit in 11 years, and America’s top math students are no better than average when compared to the rest of the world.
Banner image: Justices of the Iowa State Supreme Court. Chief Justice Marsha K. Ternus (C), Justice Michael J. Streit (5th R) and
Justice David L. Baker (far R) were rejected in last week's retention election.
In this episode
3 storiesAhead of IPO, GM Posts Largest Quarterly Profit in 11 Years
After bankruptcy and a federal bailout, General Motors has made its largest quarterly profit in 11 years. What's good for General Motors may be good politically for Barack Obama. David Welch writes for Bloomberg BusinessWeek .
Read the story8 minShould Judges Be Elected?
In April of last year, the seven-member Supreme Court of Iowa ruled unanimously that the state law against same-sex marriage was a violation of equal rights. Last week, three of the justices faced a retention election and all three were thrown out by the voters. What's the message to other judges whose decisions might be unpopular?
Read the story37 minUS High School Math Students Score 31st Out of 56 Countries
In the first-ever study of its kind, the US is 31st among 56 countries, from Taiwan to the Czech Republic, in the performance of top students in math.
Read the story7 min
