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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 may have missed.
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The Week Ahead: On Easter Sunday, we looked into a week that began with violent and aggressive rhetoric from the president, along with other developments from the chaotic administration, including the rise of Harmeet Dhillon, reportedly in line for the #3 spot at DOJ, the government’s appeal in the anthropic case, the death through neglect of a Burmese refugee “released” by ICE, and the continued partial shutdown.
Understanding Hungary’s Upcoming Election: Live with Professor Kim Scheppele: My good friend, Princeton Professor Kim Scheppele, walks us through what’s happening in Hungary ahead of the election that is happening today. The risks there mirror our own in many ways, but heading into this election, the polls suggest reason for optimism, which may well carry over into our own situation. Kim’s excellent analysis of the dynamics in Hungary is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the comparison.
Trump’s New Attempt to Keep You from Voting: Read here for all you need to know about the newest executive order from the White House aimed at centralizing control over elections; yet another power grab under the guise of protecting election integrity.
The Law of War: When the president threatens to destroy an entire civilization, it doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s all part of Trump’s pattern of disregarding laws and guardrails and his anti-democratic agenda. Is the 25th Amendment the answer? And if it’s not, what is? Read here for my analysis.
Coffee with Contrarians and Joyce Vance: I joined the amazing Jennifer Rubin for Coffee with the Contrarians to discuss the black eye our country suffered in Iran. We also took a look at the upbeat news for Democrats following last week’s election results.
The Immigration Crackdown is Coming for Public Education: I cross-posted this piece I wrote, one of my monthly columns for Cafe, because I think it will be of special interest to Civil Discourse readers. In 2011, Alabama passed an anti-immigrant law that I successfully challenged in court as the then-U.S. attorney in Birmingham. A major part of that law was an effort to keep children, both American citizens and migrants without legal immigration status, from getting a K-12 education. That right is firmly established by longstanding Supreme Court precedent. We won in court back then. Now, conservatives are trying to come for kids’ rights to learn again, and it's important that we be aware of what's happening.
Killing History: The Trump administration’s Orwellian efforts to consolidate power continue, this time by declaring the Presidential Records Act— which mandates that all official records of the President and Vice President belong to the public and must be transferred to the National Archives (NARA) at the end of a term—unconstitutional. Read here for the in-depth analysis.
Thursday: Chicken pictures. Because it had been quite a while, and y’all had been so very patient with me.
Five Questions with Skye Perryman, the CEO of Democracy Forward: Skye shared her views with us on both the need to both protect democracy now and prepare to restore it as soon as we have that opportunity.
Why the Cassidy Hutchinson Investigation Should Make Us Very Uncomfortable: We can no longer assume DOJ has pure motives when it goes after someone who is not in Trump’s good graces. That makes the newly revealed investigation into former Trump White House staffer and January 6 committee star witness Cassidy Hutchinson very concerning. This piece explores the red flags that are already apparent here.
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 won’t forget what’s at stake, or let Trump and his allies rewrite the past. You can subscribe to Civil Discourse for free and get clear analysis that helps you see the whole picture, delivered straight to your inbox. If you’re in a position to, your paid subscription helps me devote the time and resources it takes to write the newsletter. That means everyone has access to information they can share with friends and family—a constructive act we can all participate in right now, helping more Americans understand how critical this moment is.
We’re in this together,
Joyce