American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast

What is the Equal Protections Clause and How Have Interpretations of It Changed?

January 27, 2025January 27, 2025

The Equal Protection Clause, embedded in the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, is now being used to dismantle the 1965 Voting Rights Act, opening the door to even more voter suppression. What’s its history, and why is it being used now?

Trump’s DOJ Reverses Position on Pending Voting Rights Act Case, Signaling Further Attacks on Fair Voting Districts for Minority Voters

January 26, 2025January 26, 2025

The Biden administration’s solicitor general submitted a Supreme Court brief in 2024, supporting fair Congressional voting maps in Louisiana under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. January 24th, a Trump DOJ official rescinded that brief, saying it no longer represented the U.S. Government.

Updates on Two Consequential State Supreme Court Cases in North Carolina and Pennsylvania

January 23, 2025January 23, 2025

We have updates on important state supreme court cases involving the outcome of a November 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election, and whether Pennsylvania can count mail ballots with missing dates.

While We Were Distracted with DC Discord, States Advance New Voting Regulations

January 22, 2025January 22, 2025

While President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6th pardons and executive orders have dominated the news, state legislatures have been hard at work on both pro-voter and anti-voter legislation. Democracy legislation tracker Voting Rights Lab counts 432 election bills pending in 32 states, with 100 of those bills restricting voter access, while 205 expand it.

Executive Orders Can Also Terminate Previous Orders; One of Trump’s Day-1 Orders Ended a Federal Policy to Promote Voting

January 21, 2025January 21, 2025

We recently reported on presidential orders, including executive orders, and how they’re used. Executive orders can also be used to revoke previous orders, and among President Donald Trump’s day-one orders was removing a policy of the federal government to promote access to voting.