Civil Discourse

Aughie and Nia have a discussion of the pros and cons of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This Act is an excellent example of the law of unintended consequence…

Nia and Aughie continue their discussion of the text of the U.S. Constitution. This episode focuses on rights that are (and are not) enumerated in the text. The original text has no enumerated right …

Aughie and Nia briefly discuss President Joe Biden's nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Aughie and Nia discuss the amendments that were tardy to be included or not included in the text of the U.S. Constitution. Of James Madison's 20 proposed amendments, only 12 went forward, and only 10…

Nia and Aughie discuss the factors that brought about the creation of the Colorado River Compact. They also discuss the current issues and challenges facing the Law of the River.

Aughie and Nia explore the history of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) and the Clean Water Act. They also discuss the complicated caselaw from SCOTUS regarding "navigable waters" and the chang…

Nia and Aughie extol the virtues of the United States Congressional Serial Set, especially its historical and political importance. They discuss the content of the set, and encourage listeners to exp…

Dr. Judy Twigg joins Aughie and Nia to discuss the latest developments on the Russian/Ukrainian border. Dr. Twigg also gives us a primer on recent Russian history and the reasons for conflict between…

Aughie and Nia commemorate the career of Robert J. (Bob) Dole, (July 22, 1923 - December 5, 2021). They discuss his personal physical battles and inner strength as well as his storied political caree…

Aughie and Nia discuss the office of Vice President of the United States. The second of two episodes explores interesting tidbits about various vice presidents, and ends with some quotes from office …

Nia and Aughie give a quick take on two recent vaccine mandate rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Nia and Aughie discuss the office of Vice President of the United States. The first of two episodes discusses the evolution of the position.

*Recorded in 2020* Professor Bill Newmann joins Aughie and Nia in the first two episodes of season 9 to discuss visiting presidential libraries. In this second episode, Dr. Newmann explains in detail…

*Recorded in 2020* Professor Bill Newmann joins Aughie and Nia in the first two episodes of season 9 to discuss visiting presidential libraries. The first episode covers general research visits and w…

Nia and Aughie discuss how territories and protectorates come to join the United States. The discussion includes the barriers to statehood and the requirements that Congress sets out for proto-states…

Aughie and Nia welcome back copyright librarian Hillary Miller. Hillary walks listeners through the process of applying for a patent. The discussion then moves into some of the more interesting paten…

Nia and Aughie discuss the State Secrets Privilege in court, and the potential problems that arise from invoking that privilege. They weigh the pros and cons of protecting information versus transpar…

Aughie and Nia discuss the Controlled Substances Act and the latest changes to Virginia marijuana laws. They also discuss the positives and negatives of enforcement of state drug laws versus national…

Nia and Aughie explore more 2020 U.S. Census data. This episode focuses on the racial demographics of the U.S. currently, and projections for future demographics in 20-40 years.