skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Government shutdown looms after Trump-backed bill fails; Environmental groups sue CA Air Resources Board over biogas credits; NY elected officials work to electrify municipal buildings; Need a mental health boost? Talking hot dog is here.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President-elect Trump repeats his threats to jail Jan. 6th committee members, while also putting a stop-gap spending plan in jeopardy. A court removes Fani Willis from Trump's Georgia election interference case. The FAA restricts drones in New Jersey, and a Federal Reserve rate cut shakes markets.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural folks could soon be shut out of loans for natural disasters if Project 2025 has its way, Taos, New Mexico weighs options for its housing shortage, and the top states providing America's Christmas trees revealed.

With survey data in hand, group pushes importance of SCOTUS in 2024 vote

play audio
Play

Tuesday, July 2, 2024   

Wisconsin voters are no strangers to messaging about the overlap between election outcomes and the judiciary and before voting in the 2024 presidential race, they will see more outreach about the effect of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Last year, Wisconsin voters were inundated with campaign ads for candidates in the high-profile state Supreme Court race. With the nation's high court under scrutiny, the group Stand Up America is educating voters with ad campaigns in battleground states about court dynamics and what lies ahead.

Sarah Harris, deputy communications director for the group, said as you prepare to vote on who will have a say in nominating future justices, it is important to not just think about immediate fallout.

"It's important to think about generations after us," Harris contended. "Many of the people who could potentially be put on the bench will be on there for 50 to 60 years potentially, as justices continue to be appointed younger and younger."

New survey data from Stand Up America reveals 64% of voters favor congressional action to set 18-year term limits for current and future justices. Separate polling from Gallup shows lower approval ratings of the Supreme Court, however, a majority of Republicans still have a favorable view of the court and its conservative majority.

Wisconsin is among the states where Stand Up America is ramping up its messaging. Beyond controversial opinions from the last couple of years, the Supreme Court has been caught up in an ethics scandal.

Harris argued the court has not shown an ability to police itself.

"Chief Justice Roberts and others put out a sort of suggestion list of ethics but it's not binding," Harris pointed out. "It sort of leaves other people on the court to decide if and when there is an ethical issue, and as we've seen ethical issues continue to happen."

Conservative justice Clarence Thomas defended himself after investigative reporters with ProPublica revealed he was often treated to expensive vacations paid for by Republican donors. Thomas said he did not disclose them because the donors are close friends but some legal experts take issue with the explanation.

Disclosure: Stand Up America contributes to our fund for reporting on Campaign Finance Reform/Money in Pol, Civic Engagement, and Civil Rights. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A survey from the American Heart Association revealed 79% of respondents neglect their health during the holidays. Many say they find this time of year more stressful than income tax season.
(deagreez/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Holiday travel is in full swing and for many, so is the stress. The American Heart Association of Missouri has health tips for anyone with heart …


Health and Wellness

play sound

By Amy Felegy for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Collabo…

Health and Wellness

play sound

With Christmas less than a week away, experts are giving advice on how seniors and the community can fight against social isolation. A United Health …


A new University of Miami study has found buildings in Sunny Isles Beach and Surfside have been sinking by 2-8 centimeters between 2016 and 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

When the Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside in 2021 taking 98 lives, it sent shock waves across South Florida. The tragedy has left …

Environment

play sound

Rural communities across Massachusetts are benefiting from state grants aimed at strengthening the local food supply and building climate resilience…

Dairy digesters remove methane from liquified animal waste. The gas can then be used to generate power. (Lance Cheung/USDA)

Environment

play sound

Three environmental nonprofits filed suit Wednesday against the California Air Resources Board to oppose the expansion of a program allowing oil and g…

Environment

play sound

New York lawmakers are focusing on electrifying municipal buildings. Buildings statewide make up 32% of New York's greenhouse gas emissions and …

Social Issues

play sound

North Dakota is expected to rejoin the debate over whether all school children, regardless of their family income, should have access to no-cost …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021