The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Feb. 24, 2026

‘These are The Times that Try Men’s Souls’ About Which the Founders’ Warned, Former Appeals Court Judge J. Michael Luttig Says in Speech

In a February 17th speech before the New York City Bar Association, retired 4th Circuit Appeals Court Judge J. Michael Luttig cited several of America’s founders, who anticipated demagogues who might try to dismantle the republic. But he also spoke of the country’s resilience in the face of such attacks.

Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

New York City Bar Association - Speech by Judge J. Michael Luttig
New York City Bar Association - Transcript of Remarks of Hon. J. Michael Luttig on Receiving Honorary Membership (Includes footnotes for quotations of America's founders)

Groups Taking Action:

New York City Bar, American Bar Association, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

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#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #JMichaelLuttig #NewYorkCityBar #AmericanDemocracy #DonaldTrump

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Feb. 23, 2026

Utah Supreme Court Rejects GOP Appeal; Fairer Map Stands. In VA, Same Judge, Different Objection to Ballot Measure to Authorize Redistricting
The Utah Supreme Court dismissed a GOP appeal of a lower-court’s congressional district map, and a Virginia county judge who ruled against a redistricting ballot measure but overruled by the Virginia Supreme Court, has struck again.

Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Utah News Dispatch - Utah Supreme Court rejects Legislature’s redistricting appeal; court-ordered map still stands
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF UTAH - LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF UTAH vs. UTAH STATE LEGISLATURE

Utah News Dispatch - In new redistricting lawsuit, federal panel weighs whether to overturn Utah’s court-ordered map
Virginia Mercury - Court halts April 21 redistricting vote, siding with RNC and GOP lawmakers
Circuit Court of Tazewell County (via Virginia Mercury) - RNC v. Koski

Related ADM Reports:

American Democracy Minute - Another Big Week in the Utah Legislature’s Attempt to Overturn Proposition 4 and Court-Ordered Fair Congressional District Maps
American Democracy Minute - Democrats in Virginia & Maryland Race to Match GOP-Gerrymandered Congressional Seats, But It’s Far From a Done Deal.

Groups Taking Action:

League of Women Voters UT, Mormon Women for Ethical Government

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #VirginaRedistricting #UtahRedistricting #Virgina #Utah #FairMaps #PartisanGerrymandering #TrumpGerrymandering #2026Midterm

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Feb. 20, 2026

Does Alabama’s U.S. Senator and Gubernatorial Candidate Tommy Tuberville Actually Live in Alabama? It’s Not a Ridiculous Question.
Does Alabama’s senior U.S. Senator and candidate for governor Tommy Tuberville actually live in Alabama? The question is not as far-fetched as it seems. One of Tuberville’s Republican rivals in the
state gubernatorial race alleges Tuberville lives most of his time at his multi-million dollar home in Santa Rosa Beach …. Florida.

Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

AL.com - Republican rival cites Tuberville’s flights to Florida in Alabama residency challenge
Washington Post - (2023) Tommy Tuberville: Florida’s third senator?
Alabama Reflector - Alabama GOP dismisses residency challenges against Tommy Tuberville, John Wahl
Alabama Secretary of State - Minimum Qualifications for Public Office
Alabama Constitution via BallotPedia - Article V, Sec. 117. Qualifications of governor and lieutenant governor; lieu- tenant governor ex officio president of senate.

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

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Are you a radio station? Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network's Audioport and PRX

#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #TommyTuberville #USSenate #ResidencyRequirements #Alabama #AlabamaConstitution #Florida

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Feb. 19, 2026

With U.S. Supreme Court Support for the Voting Rights Act Disappearing, the Maryland Assembly Considers the Maryland Voting Rights Act of 2026

The conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court has steadily gutted Voting Rights Act protections for minority voters in recent decades. With few protections left, and a pending decision likely to make it worse, nine states have passed state VRAs. The Maryland Senate just advanced a portion of the Maryland Voting Rights Act of 2026.

Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

MDVRA - About the Maryland Voting Rights Act
NAACP Legal Defense Fund - The Maryland Voting Rights Act (MDVRA)
Maryland Assembly - SB 255 Voting Rights Act of 2026 - Counties and Municipal Corporations
Maryland Assembly - HB 219 - Maryland Voting Rights Act of 2026 - Voter Intimidation and Suppression
Maryland Assembly - HB 584 Clean Maryland Democracy Amendment
National Conference of State Legislatures - State Voting Rights Acts

NAACP Legal Defense Fund - State Voting Rights Acts with Summary for Each State

Groups Taking Action:

MDVRA, Legal Defense Fund, Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause MD

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE!

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#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #StateVRA #MDVRA #VotingRightsAct #VotingRights #Maryland

American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Feb. 18, 2026

Democrats in Virginia & Maryland Race to Match GOP-Gerrymandered Congressional Seats, But It’s Far From a Done Deal.
An effort in Virginia and Maryland to match GOP-gerrymandered congressional seats in Texas and other states continues. A state supreme court decision in Virginia will allow a ballot measure to go to the voters, but Maryland’s efforts have met opposition in the state senate.

Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Virginia Mercury - (Jan. 27) Virginia court strikes down redistricting amendment headed for April ballot
Virginia Mercury - Supreme Court of Virginia greenlights redistricting referendum
Virginia Supreme Court - Order in Scott v. McDougal
Rep. Jamie Raskin - Rep. Jamie Raskin’s Letter to the Maryland General Assembly on the New Congressional Map
Politico - How Maryland Democrats are thwarting Wes Moore’s political ambitions

WBAL - Hakeem Jeffries to Bill Ferguson: 'Allow democracy to prevail' on redistricting in Maryland
Maryland Matters - Moore to set aside redistricting, focus on core goals in State of the State

Past ADM Reports on this Topic:

American Democracy Minute - (Jan 21) Redistricting Updates: CA GOP Appeals Prop 50 Maps to SCOTUS, VA Dems Push Constitutional Amendment, NH’s Bill Doomed, MD Stalemated
American Democracy Minute - (Jan 29) Virginia Court Decisions Block Democrat Mid-Decade Redistricting Amendment, and Restore Rights to Some Citizens Convicted of Felonies
American Democracy Minute - (Feb. 6) Without Comment, the U.S. Supreme Court Allows California Prop 50 Maps. What’s the Next Battle in the Gerrymandering Wars?

#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #MidDecadeRedistricting #TrumpGerrymandering #PartisanGerrymandering #Virginia #Maryland #WesMoore #BallotMeasure

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Feb. 17, 2026

Another Big Week in the Utah Legislature’s Attempt to Overturn Proposition 4 and Court-Ordered Fair Congressional District Maps
It’s a big week in the ongoing attempt by the Utah legislature to do an end run around the voter-approved Proposition 4 fair redistricting amendment. Signatures required for putting a repeal of the amendment before voters were due Feb. 15th, and a GOP appeal reaches federal district court Feb. 18th.

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Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

The American Redistricting Project - Powers Gardner, et al. v. Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson
Campaign Lega Center - League of Women Voters, Mormon Women for Ethical Government Move to Intervene in Lawsuit Challenging Utah’s Fair Congressional Map
Utah News Dispatch - Utah’s redistricting fight heads to federal court; anti-gerrymandering plaintiffs ask to intervene
US District Court for Utah - GOP Challenge to Utah Congressional Districts
Salt Lake Tribune - Prop 4: Fate of GOP bid to repeal Utah’s gerrymandering ban still unclear in final days

Past Reports:
American Democracy Minute - (Nov. 2025) Utah Judge Rejects Legislature’s Gerrymandered Congressional Map, Choosing a Map Which Follows the State Constitution Instead
American Democracy Minute - (Jan, 2026) Utah Judge Allows Legislature to Appeal Replacement Fair Congressional Map
American Democracy Minute - (Jan, 2026) Polls Show Most Utah Voters Want to Protect Their Fair Redistricting Amendment, But Another GOP-Backed Ballot Initiative Aims to Repeal It

Groups Taking Action:

League of Women Voters UT, Mormon Women for Ethical Government

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#News #Democracy #Utah #Legislature #Gerrymandering #FairMaps #Proposition4 #BetterBoundaries

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Feb. 16, 2026

Can President Trump Mandate Voter ID for the Midterms? He May Try, But the U.S. Constitution Says He Doesn’t Have the Authority.
In a social media post February 13th, President Donald Trump threatened an executive order mandating voter ID for the 2026 midterm elections, “whether approved by Congress or not!” He may try, but the U.S. Constitution says he doesn’t have the authority.

Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute - An Amped Up SAVE Act, the SAVE America Act, Passes the U.S. House and Heads to the Senate. Its Restrictions Could Disenfranchise Millions.
President Donald Trump - Truth Social Post Claiming He Would Require Voter ID
The Hill - Trump floats executive order on voter ID if SAVE Act stalls in Senate
American Democracy Minute - It’s Groundhog Day All Over Again: Trump Executive Order on Elections Loses Again on Constitutional Grounds
The U.S. Constitution - Article I, Section 4 Congress, Clause 1 Elections Clause
The Brookings Institution - Does President Trump have the authority to ‘nationalize’ voting?

Groups Taking Action:

Campaign Legal Center, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, League of Women Voters US, National Partnership for New Americans

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE!

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #ProtectElections #TrumpExecutiveOrders #VoterID #VoterSuppression #NoncitizenVoting

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Feb. 13, 2026

An Amped Up SAVE Act, the SAVE America Act, Passes the U.S. House and Heads to the Senate. Its Restrictions Could Disenfranchise Millions.

Last year’s version of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE Act, died in the U.S. Senate. This year’s versions, the SAVE America Act and the Make Elections Great Again, or MEGA Act, are even more restrictive. The SAVE America Act just passed the U.S. House.

Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today’s report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute - (2025) Bill Which Could Disenfranchise Millions, the SAVE Act, Passes the U.S. House; Unlikely to Pass the Senate
Brennan Center for Justice - New SAVE Act Bills Would Still Block Millions of Americans From Voting
Campaign Legal Center - What You Need to Know About the SAVE Act
US Congress - H.R.7296 - SAVE America Act
US Congress - H.R.7300 - Make Elections Great Again Act
The Cato Institute - “MEGA” Bill Supersizes the Federal Government’s Role in Election Administration
WGME - Fact Check Team: MEGA Act vs. SAVE Act, the latest push for stricter voting rules
The 19th - House passes elections overhaul bill that could make it harder for married women to vote

Groups Taking Action:

Declaration for American Democracy, ACLU US, League of Women Voters US, Bipartisan Policy Center

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE!

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #SAVEAct #MEGAAct #VoterSuppression #Disenfranchised #FreedomtoVoteAct