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Female protestors stand with raised firsts in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC>

Holding Court: Politics and the Supreme Court

Fresh Air looks at how political tides have shaped the history of America's highest court.

 

Listen as writers, journalists, and legal scholars look at the politics behind the selection and confirmation process, as well as the way that polarization has influenced the direction of the Supreme Court in recent decades. In this collection, you'll also hear from several present or former justices, including Sonia Sotomayor, Sandra Day O'Connor, and John Paul Stevens, who offer an inside look at how the Supreme Court makes decisions that define our democracy.

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52:30

Daughter of Warhol star looks back on a bohemian childhood in the Chelsea Hotel

Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Growing up in Warhol's orbit meant Auder's childhood was an unusual one. For several years, Viva, Auder and Auder's younger half-sister, Gaby Hoffmann, lived in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. It was was famous for having been home to Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Virgil Thomson, and Bob Dylan, among others.

43:04

This fake 'Jury Duty' really put James Marsden's improv chops on trial

In the series Jury Duty, a solar contractor named Ronald Gladden has agreed to participate in what he believes is a documentary about the experience of being a juror--but what Ronald doesn't know is that the whole thing is fake.

08:26

This Romanian film about immigration and vanishing jobs hits close to home

R.M.N. is based on an actual 2020 event in Ditrău, Romania, where 1,800 villagers voted to expel three Sri Lankans who worked at their local bakery.

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