Stephen Spaulding

Since Citizens United, the composition of the top 40 donors in the midterms has shifted dramatically: more money, more support for Republicans, less transparency, and new industries like crypto surging while older sectors like labor disappear. bit.ly/4BsIIS9

Fresh air in Shenandoah this weekend with dear friends. 🍁🍂

Extraordinary language from Justice Kagan last night. She said SCOTUS has: —“Depriv[ed] masses of citizens” of the right to equality in voting. —Created a “nightmare” with the money it has unleashed in our elections. The kicker: she said that she misses the “kind of legitimacy” SCOTUS once had.

Supreme Court justices who served prior to 1966 stayed for a median of 15.3 years. But for the justices who served after 1966, that number jumped to 25.7 years (not including the current justices). bit.ly/3VmxQ7X

Use our new interactive data visualization to see how Supreme Court justices are serving longer terms than ever before: bit.ly/3VmxQ7X

What’s changed at the Supreme Court over time—and what does that tell us about Supreme Court term limits? Explore 3 new interactive tools from @brennancenter.org that dig into the data. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

.@mawaldman.bsky.social to @washingtonpost.com: “Throughout American history, reform follows scandal.” It's not a given but … 1/2 washingtonpost.com/politics/…/democrats-are-making-plans-clean-up-government-post-trump-era

New piece for the @brennancenter.org by Kermit Roosevelt: How to Fix the Supreme Court’s Design Flaw History suggests that giving each president equal influence over the Court’s makeup could produce a healthier institution. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Friendly reminder that Senator Klobuchar’s father was a sportswriter for the StarTrib and she literally wrote a book on the Metrodome. She knows sports and facts. 🏀✅

"If mounting threats and baseless impeachments influence who is willing to serve as a judge, how judges make decisions or whether their families can live safely, we risk allowing intimidation to infect the judicial process," a former federal judge writes in @thehill.com.

Congressional Women’s Softball Game live on @c-span.bsky.social 🥎

NEW: Today Marquette released fresh September polling on SCOTUS. Public approval continues to decline. 📉 But support for Supreme Court term limits remains strong & resilient at 79 percent—including supermajorities of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

Something the House of Representatives spent time on today before leaving until mid-November. 🦖🦕

New Hampshire’s Chief Justice resigned today—the result of an investigation done pursuant to transparent, enforceable judicial ethics rules. By contrast, SCOTUS—the highest court in the land—has no such rules. That must change.

BREAKING: Tonight’s Supreme Court ruling is a victory for the millions of American citizens who rely on mail voting. The Trump administration tried to use the postal service to interfere in our elections: it failed. 1/2

Great to join @katieleebarlow.bsky.social to discuss the @brennancenter.org’s recent report on the barrage of threats that federal judges and their families are facing at a time of democracy under strain. District court judges in particular are on the front lines of upholding our Constitution.

“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”—Mr. Rogers

The Supreme Court has had its own building for only about 91 years. Kind of remarkable, when you think about it. Congress otherwise loaned the Court space in the Capitol, most recently the Old Senate Chamber.

The AP covers the important research @brennancenter.org published this week about the barrage of threats and intimidation aimed at federal judges. Long term, there really can be a danger to the rule of law, as @gowriramachandran.bsky.social discusses below.

New: Federal judges and their families are facing extraordinary pressures. Improved security can ensure that they remain safe and that judicial independence remains uncompromised. Here are our recommendations.

Yes, the Supreme Court appears to be explaining itself more than it used to on select shadow docket cases. No, it does not mean all is well at One First Street NE.

Here's what happened today at SCOTUS re: voting ⬇️

Excellent profile by the @newyorker.com's Margaret Talbot on the Chief Justice, including the reminder that he was once a strong proponent of term limits for federal judges so that they'd "not lose all touch with reality."

Lawmakers are laying out a vision to reform a clearly broken Supreme Court. bit.ly/4glJ7w4

Terrific conversation with @brennancenter.org President @mawaldman.bsky.social, Sr. Fellow @kornbergmaya.bsky.social and former Congressman @tommalinowski.bsky.social on how to unstick Congress on The Briefing with Michael Waldman. Get it wherever you get your podcasts, or below:

61 years ago today, the Voting Rights Act became law. Congress then reauthorized it five times—each time with overwhelming bipartisan votes. Then the Roberts Court started dismantling it. Congress must be repair & strengthen the VRA after the damage done by the Supreme Court.