American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast

Tennessee Enacts Voting Rights Restoration for Citizens Returning from Incarceration for Common Felonies

May 6, 2025May 6, 2025

Returning Tennessee citizens convicted of most felonies can now have their voting rights returned by a court order, rather than a pardon from the governor, under a law enacted May 2nd. It also removed the requirement that all fees be paid prior to those rights being restored.

President Trump’s Crypto Conflicts Compound as United Arab Emirates Investment Fund Uses $2B in Trump-Backed Cryptocurrency for Deal

May 5, 2025May 5, 2025

A new Trump-backed crypto currency company launched last September got a credibility boost when a United Arab Emirates investment fund used it to make a $2 billion dollar investment in another company. This raises more conflicts of interest for President Donald Trump, still named as World Liberty Financial’s “Chief Crypto Advocate.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Warns Judges, ‘The threats and harassment are attacks on our democracy – on our system of government’

May 4, 2025May 4, 2025

At a Puerto Rico conference May 1st, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned judges that recent threats from the White house are “attacks on our democracy.” We read a portion of her speech and have a link to her full remarks.

Updates from North Carolina: Fed Court Stays Retroactive Registration Cures; State Court Upholds Shifting Control of Elections Board

May 1, 2025May 1, 2025

We’re in North Carolina today with updates on the partisan attempt to overturn the 2024 state supreme court election, and the legislature’s attempt to strip the governor’s power to appoint the state election board.

What is a ‘Baby FARA’ and Why are States Enacting It?

April 30, 2025April 30, 2025

The federal version of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, has been in place since 1938, but recently, states are passing their own versions, nicknamed “baby FARAs.” What are they, and how do they relate to American Democracy?