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Here’s the highlight reel of last week’s posts and events. Grab a cup of coffee and get ready to catch up on anything you missed—links to all of last week’s columns below.
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The Week Ahead: We began the week with a look at what was likely to come in the White House ballroom case from SCOTUS, in addition to the release of the Court’s summer order list; technical legal developments in DOJ's attempts to dismiss the indictment against Steve Bannon, making it as if it never happened; the president’s ongoing quest to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook—and her attorney’s checkmate of a response; a Hail Mary case brought by more than 30 Epstein survivors against the FBI over the bureau’s failure to investigate; and more hearings before Judge Talwani in the mail-in voting cases.
Why Can’t the Supreme Court Tell Trump No?: Monday night, we turned our attention to the White House ballroom case, after the Supreme Court issued an opinion saying that construction could continue. We went through the history of the case and analyzed the Court’s opinion as well as the dissent written by Chief Justice Roberts, who, for once, seemed to be on the right side of history.
I Doubt You’re Surprised: On Tuesday, we looked to revelations in a whistleblower complaint about what is happening inside USPS as it pushes forward to implement Trump’s executive order on mail voting in a manner that will throw Americans’ ability to cast a mail-in ballot into jeopardy in November. We went through the claims in the letter, what it means for November, and what we can do now to be prepared to protect our vote.
Live with Meteorologist John Morales: My conversation with John was part science and part common sense, and as I told him when we finished, I wasn’t sure I felt better, but I felt better informed. Scientists are heroes too.
About Liam Ramos: Everyone remembers Liam Ramos. Blue bunny hat. Spider-Man backpack. Sure, we were all safer with that dangerous kid off of American streets. Another Liam, a five-year-old from Austin, Texas, was deported to Mexico last week, according to the family’s attorney. One of the horrors of this administration is that with so much bad all around us, it’s hard to stay focused. And outraged. When it comes to the Trump administration’s actions on immigration and deportation, it’s important that we don’t forget, and this piece is a reminder for us all.
Voter Fraud and Voter Suppression: Republicans have historically used false claims of voter fraud to justify restrictive measures that make it more difficult, or entirely prevent, eligible citizens from voting. Donald Trump has mastered the art of using these kinds of fake narratives, and Thursday, as he went to the Supreme Court to ask it to lift the temporary restraining order a judge has put in place against its efforts to throw the 2026 elections into chaos by inserting last-minute changes into the rules for mail voting, we took a close look at Trump’s claims of voter fraud and what he is actually trying to do—interfere with citizens’ right to vote.
Five Questions with Nevada Secretary of State Francisco “Cisco” Aguilar: Cisco Aguilar is the first Latino elected to be Nevada's Secretary of State and chief elections officer. He also serves as Chair of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State and was recognized by TIME as one of the nation’s “Democracy Defenders.” He joined us to discuss a letter he received from DHS demanding Nevada’s voter rolls and claiming almost 16,000 non-citizens were registered to vote in the state—and how he pushed back. You’ll want to read this one if you missed it. It’s a master class in what we should expect from our elected officials.
Elections and Authoritarians: In Conversation with Ruth Ben-Ghiat: Watch or read the transcript of Ruth’s and my conversation if you missed us live Saturday afternoon.
These are complicated legal times, and it’s easy for the truth to get lost in the chaos. Civil Discourse doesn’t just track today’s headlines—it connects them to the legal and political history that explains why they matter. We don’t forget what’s at stake. We don’t let Trump and his allies rewrite the past.
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We’re in this together,
Joyce