PBS NewsHour - Supreme Court

Counting the roughly 327 million people currently living in the U.S. is a massive effort. And this year, before the next census moves forward, the Supreme Court must decide whether the Trump administration should be allowed to add a citizenship question to it, over the concerns of census experts. Judy Woodruff talks to the National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle and NPR's Hansi Lo Wang for analysis. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Curtis Flowers has been tried six times for the murder of four people killed in a Mississippi furniture store in 1996. The case is the subject of the second season American Public Media's "In the Dark" podcast. Now the Supreme Court is considering whether the district attorney prosecuting Flowers illegally made juror selections based on race. William Brangham talks to APM's Madeleine Baran. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to limit civil forfeiture laws allowing law enforcement to seize property from those suspected of committing a crime. In the unanimous decision, the high court sided with a low-level drug offender who argued that the seizure of his $42,000 Land Rover by law enforcement was an excessive fine. Amna Nawaz talks to the National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle for more. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Supreme Court dealt with some of the most politically charged issues in the nation on Tuesday. National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why the Court's removal of the injunction on banning transgender military service people was "a little surprising," as well as an upcoming gun case with broad implications for public carry of weapons. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Megan Winters, a transgender sailor, says being able to transition while maintaining her Navy role left her personally and professionally "rejuvenated." Although the military cites little evidence that the presence of transgender service members jeopardizes military readiness, the Supreme Court is allowing the Trump administration to ban them. Nick Schifrin reports.

The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from veterans who had sued defense contractors over claims that toxic smoke from open burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan caused them serious health problems. One of the contractors, KBR, countered that waste elimination procedures were directed by the military itself. As Hari Sreenivasan reports, the afflicted soldiers have no remaining legal recourse.

In our Friday news wrap, the chairman of the Federal Reserve sought to ease Wall Street's concerns over future interest rate hikes. Speaking at a forum in Atlanta, Jerome Powell said the Fed is "listening" closely to the market. Also, China announced that a U.S. delegation will travel to Beijing on Monday, to restart trade talks that have been stalled for weeks.

As Justice Kavanaugh's tenure on the Supreme Court begins, echoes from his contentious confirmation hearings remain. Will the anger and partisanship surrounding this appointment damage public perception of the Supreme Court? Marcia Coyle from the National Law Journal joins Judy Woodruff to report on Kavanaugh's first day on the bench and how the court's new makeup might affect upcoming cases.

North Dakota is small in terms of population, but its Senate race this fall is attracting major attention. Incumbent Heidi Heitkamp, the only high-level Democratic official left in the state, faces a close contest with Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer, an enthusiastic supporter of President Trump. For the state's farmers, the choice may amount to a referendum on the president's trade war with China.

In our news wrap Monday, Hurricane Michael is heading toward the Florida Panhandle, and is expected to make landfall midweek. Forecasters say it could become a major hurricane with winds topping 110 miles an hour. Also, President Trump predicted the battle over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will spur Democrats to vote Republican in the midterm

Tamara Keith of NPR and Shawna Thomas of VICE News join Judy Woodruff to discuss how Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court could affect voter enthusiasm in the midterm elections, plus the races that are up for grabs in swing districts.

On this edition for Saturday, Oct. 6, the Senate votes to confirm U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and the death toll rises in Indonesia in the wake of last week's tsunami. Also, worries over an ISIS resurgence on the Libyan coast. Hari Sreenivasan anchors from New York.

The Senate's vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court came after weeks of furious debate over allegations that he committed sexual assault and questions of whether his temperament was fit for the nation's highest court. Jamie Floyd, a legal analyst for WNYC, and Emily Bazelon, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, join Hari Sreenivasan to discuss how the confirmation will affect the country for decades to come.

The U.S. Senate on Saturday voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court by a margin of 50-48. The vote, cut mostly along party lines after 30 hours of speeches on the Senate floor, came as protests against his confirmation continued to ripple throughout the country. For more, Niels Lesniewski, a senior writer for Roll Call, joins Hari Sreenivasan from the Capitol.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced that they would vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh Friday, virtually ensuring his confirmation Saturday. This follows weeks of heated hearings along with a reopened FBI investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor talk with Judy Woodruff about the political implications.