We’re taught the Supreme Court was designed to be above the fray of politics. But at a time when partisanship seeps into every pore of American life, are the nine justices living up to that promise? More Perfect is a guide to the current moment on the Court. We bring the highest court of the land down to earth, telling the human dramas at the Court that shape so many aspects of American life — from our religious freedom to our artistic expression, from our reproductive choices to our voice in democracy.
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We’re taught the Supreme Court was designed to be above the fray of politics. But at a time when partisanship seeps into every pore of American life, are the nine justices living up to that promise? More Perfect is a guide to the current moment on the Court. We bring the highest court of the land down to earth, telling the human dramas at the Court that shape so many aspects of American life — from our religious freedom to our artistic expression, from our reproductive choices to our voice in democracy.
Last week, the Supreme Court upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act in a case called Haaland v. Brackeen. The decision comes almost exactly 10 years after the Supreme Court ruled in Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, which planted the seed for last week’s big ruling. To mark the new landmark decision, More Perfect re-airs the Radiolab episode that tells the story of two families, a painful history, and a young girl caught in the middle.
Voices in the episode include:
• Allison Herrera — KOSU Indigenous Affairs reporter
• Matt and Melanie Capobianco — Veronica's adoptive parents
• Dusten Brown — Veronica's biological father
• Mark Fiddler — attorney for the Capobiancos
• Marcia Zug — University of South Carolina School of Law professor
• Bert Hirsch — attorney formerly of the Association on American Indian Affairs
• Chrissi Nimmo — Deputy Attorney General for Cherokee Nation
• Terry Cross — founding executive director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association (now serving as senior advisor)
• Lori Alvino McGill — attorney for Christy Maldonado, Veronica’s biological mother
Learn more:
• 2013: Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl
• 2023: Haaland v. Brackeen
• "Baby Veronica belongs with her adoptive parents" by Christy Maldonado
• "Doing What’s Best for the Tribe" by Marcia Zug
• "The Court Got Baby Veronica Wrong" by Marcia Zug
• "A Wrenching Adoption Case" by The New York Times Editorial Board
• National Indian Child Welfare Association
• In Trust podcast, reported by Allison Herrera
Supreme Court archival audio comes from Oyez®, a free law project by Justia and the Legal Information Institute of Cornell Law School.
Support for More Perfect is provided in part by The Smart Family Fund.
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More Perfect
We’re taught the Supreme Court was designed to be above the fray of politics. But at a time when partisanship seeps into every pore of American life, are the nine justices living up to that promise? More Perfect is a guide to the current moment on the Court. We bring the highest court of the land down to earth, telling the human dramas at the Court that shape so many aspects of American life — from our religious freedom to our artistic expression, from our reproductive choices to our voice in democracy.
