Sidebar: Divided court, divided nation

In our ninth episode of Sidebar, we chronicle the pivotal cases the Supreme Court will hear over the next few months on divisive issues like abortion, gun control and the separation of church and state. Will the court's conservative majority pen rulings that could change the country's landscape?

Then, we dive into the conspiracy theory QAnon, the Jan. 6 insurrection, the events that followed the 2020 presidential election and the effects all of this has had on the American psyche. How did disinformation and conspiracy theories grow in the United States, and what sort of lasting effects may they have on the body politic?

Special guests:

• Ahilan Arulanantham, law professor and co-director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law
• Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley School of Law
• Kimberly Mutcherson, co-dean of Rutgers Law School
• Ilan Wurman, law professor at Arizona State University
• Matthew Hannah, assistant professor of digital humanities at Purdue University
• Ethan Zuckerman, professor of public policy communication and information at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst
• Zack Smith, legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation
• Marilyn Marks, executive director of Coalition for Good Governance
• Brooke Binkowski
• Jitarth Jadeja

Sidebar tackles the top stories you need to know from the legal world. Join reporters Bianca Bruno, Nicholas Iovino, Amanda Pampuro and Nina Pullano as they take you in and out of courtrooms in the U.S. and beyond and break down developments to help you understand how they affect your day-to-day life.

This episode was produced by Kirk McDaniel. Music by The Dead Pens, Light, Kevin MacLeod, Hazy, Juan Sánchez, Nyoko and the United States Marine Band. A transcript of this episode is available.

Editorial staff is Bill Dotinga, Sean Duffy and Jamie Ross. Big thanks to Kayla Goggin and Samantha Hawkins.

For more coverage on the Supreme Court's current term:

-- Southern water wars open a new Supreme Court vein

-- Abortion and the high court: Kentucky first up in a growing movement

-- Biden’s Supreme Court commission signals opposition to adding justices

And to read more on QAnon, the insurrection defendants and Georgia:

-- The truth in the 2020 election has become a matter of political belief

-- Judge dismisses ballot inspection lawsuit alleging fraud in Georgia’s 2020 presidential race

-- Capitol rioters increasingly going it alone, rebuffing counsel

Follow Sidebar and Courthouse News on Twitter.

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