Campaign event features Ari Melber

Breaking news is fast-paced and ever-changing. Now more than ever, the news out of our nation’s capital changes by the minute. And news from Washington is getting even more attention these days as conflicts between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration create headlines almost hourly.

So the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s campaign event on Nov. 3, featuring Ari Melber, chief legal correspondent for NBC and MSNBC, should be an especially interesting evening. The Emmy-award-winning journalist, writer and attorney covers what’s happening in Washington, including at the Justice Department, the Supreme Court and the FBI, as well as national legal issues. 

Melber has been a guest host for shows such as “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell,” “The Rachel Maddow Show” and “Hardball.”  Since July 2017, he has had his own show, “The Beat.”

In 2016, Melber received an Emmy Award for his reporting on the Supreme Court. In a recent interview, we asked him about the current court.

How much impact do you think President Donald Trump’s appointments to the Supreme Court will have, and have we seen that impact yet?

President Trump’s Supreme Court appointments are one of his most significant and enduring impacts on American government. He moved the high court to the right, and delivered on a key campaign pledge that mattered to conservatives concerned about his record. And, in contrast to many other top Cabinet positions, when appointing justices, President Trump has prioritized traditional credentials, such as education and experience in elite legal groups.

What impact are these appointments having on the judicial system?

 President Trump has put more appeals court judges on the bench than Obama or Bush at the same point in their tenures. Right now, about one out of every four federal appeals judges are Trump appointees – a remarkable shift in less than three years.

These trends stem from several factors, including how Senate Republicans stalled some of Obama’s later nominees and prioritized Trump’s new picks as soon as he took office. But overall, it’s an example of an area where the Trump administration is methodically and effectively reshaping the federal government in the background, even as other controversies sometimes take up more oxygen in the foreground. 

Most contested legal issues are resolved at the appeals level – not the Supreme Court – so if this trend continues, Donald Trump could soon have a huge imprint on American law, even as he personally signs very few large pieces of legislation into law.

At the event on Sunday, Nov. 3, Providence Journal Executive Editor Alan Rosenberg will interview Melber. Members of the audience will be able to contribute questions, too. Cards will be available and the questions will be collected and asked by Rosenberg.

Melber’s appearance begins at 6:30 p.m. Chairs for the event, to be held at the Alliance’s Dwares Jewish Community Center, at 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, are Jeffrey and Pamela Vogel. Attendance is free with a gift of any amount to the 2020 Annual Campaign. To make a gift, contact Michelle Gallagher at 401-421-4111, ext. 165.

For more information about the event, contact Seth Finkle at 401-421-4111, ext. 146.

FRAN OSTENDORF (fostendorf@jewishallianceri.org) is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.