PBS NewsHour - Supreme Court

Helgi Walker, a former colleague of Brett Kavanaugh in the White House counsel’s office during the George W. Bush administration, says the judge’s defiant behavior in a Senate Judiciary hearing was typical of someone who is innocent. Walker joins Amna Nawaz to share her reaction to Kavanaugh’s testimony.

It’s the day before a crucial Senate hearing on allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and there’s a new claim of misconduct. Julie Swetnick submitted a sworn affidavit to the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which she said she witnessed Kavanaugh in high school "engage in abusive and physically aggressive behavior." Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff for more.

It was another day of discord in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh, as the release of some of Kavanaugh’s documents and emails from the George W. Bush administration sparked a heated exchange. Judy Woodruff gets analysis from Lisa Desjardins, Marcia Coyle of The National Law Journal, former solicitor general Paul Clement and former acting solicitor general Neal Katyal.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faced hours of questioning in his second day of confirmation hearings, including on issues of gun rights, sexual harassment, abortion and presidential powers. Judy Woodruff gets analysis from Lisa Desjardins, Marcia Coyle of The National Law Journal, Jamil Jaffer, a former clerk to Justice Neil Gorsuch, and former acting solicitor general Neal Katyal.

It took just 10 seconds for the Brett Kavanaugh hearing to get contentious. One by one, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee derailed the plan for opening statements and demanded more time to review the judge's massive public record. Meanwhile, a barrage of protesters kept interrupting the proceedings. Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the dramatic start.

Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearings opened Tuesday with an uproar. What was notable in opening remarks, and how did President Trump loom over the discussion? Judy Woodruff gets analysis from Marcia Coyle of The National Law Journal, former solicitor general Paul Clement, former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal and Lisa Desjardins.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has a thoroughly Washington resume. He clerked for the Justice Anthony Kennedy, whom he's tapped to replace, was a top official in the Ken Starr investigation of President Clinton, served in the George W. Bush administration and won a seat on the powerful D.C. circuit court of appeals. Lisa Desjardins explores how those experiences shaped his record.

Tamara Keith of NPR and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join John Yang to break down what to expect at Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings, and the dynamics of upcoming Democratic primary races, plus Sen. John McCain’s funeral and the outlook for bipartisanship.

Business and labor are two areas of the law that have been front and center at the Supreme Court in recent years. What does nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s record suggest about how he might rule on cases at the high court? Judy Woodruff gets analysis from Karen Harned of the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center, and Daniel Goldberg of Alliance for Justice.

In our news wrap Thursday, the National Archives is warning of a document issue on material related to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, whom Senate Republicans are trying to confirm before the November elections. Judy Woodruff talks with Lisa Desjardins. Also, federal prosecutors in the Paul Manafort trial used a bookkeeper to flesh out charges of bank fraud and tax evasion.

In our news wrap Friday, President Trump says he plans to announce his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court on July 9. Also, Iowa’s state Supreme Court has struck down a law requiring women to wait three days before getting an abortion. The court found the law violates the state constitution, and could make abortions unobtainable.

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to design a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. But the decision did not resolve the issue of whether a business may even invoke religion to refuce service to LGBTQ people. The 7-2 decisions was a significant but narrowly tailored victory for advocates of religious freedom. Amna Nawaz reports.

In its latest major ruling affecting corporate America, the Supreme Court split 5-4 in upholding the practice of arbitration, a blow for workers' ability to take collective legal action against their employers. Marcia Coyle of The National Law Journal joins William Brangham to discuss what it means for the balance of power in the workplace.

The Supreme Court has ruled that states have the power to legalize sports betting. The case came from New Jersey, a state that fought for years to legalize sports bets at casinos and race tracks. Special correspondent Brenda Flanagan of NJTV-News reports.

The documentary "RBG" is a look at perhaps the most unlikely rock star Washington has ever seen: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Tracing her roots, education and career, it's her early and continuing fight for gender equality that winds through the film. Jeffrey Brown talks with directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen.