Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Trump Admin’s Third Travel Ban

Here’s what you’ll find on today’s show:

— In February of last year, President Trump tweeted that his administration would fully defend their concept of a “travel ban” in court, despite later challenges that would block various attempts to implement it. Today, the Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments in the first, definitive legal test of the ban, which excludes citizens from some Muslim-majority countries from obtaining entry visas to the United States under the guise of national security.

— Two years ago, Intercept reporter Alice Speri began looking into reports of sexual abuse in immigration detention facilities operated by I.C.E. An analysis of public records requests, which took years to wrangle from the Department of Homeland Security, found allegations of assault, sexual violence, and threats of retaliation among the over-1000 complaints that were provided by the department. Speri notes that despite the 1,224 complaints for which they received documentation, there exists a stream of even more misconduct complaints, around 33,000 in total from 2010 to 2016, that D.H.S. did not make available to The Intercept.

— By week’s end, C.I.A. Director Mike Pompeo is expected to be confirmed as the next U.S. Secretary of State. Pompeo obtained a vote of confidence from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but only after President Trump stepped in to sway key Republican hold-out Rand Paul. Pompeo raised concerns with some Senators for his hawkish positions and demeaning comments towards the L.G.B.T.Q. and Muslim communities. Senators also worried if he could be a sufficiently independent voice in the Trump administration.

— When Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced last week a plan to overhaul the country’s social security system, students took to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction with the proposed changes. State police responded violently, and the situation quickly devolved into further chaos. Other sectors of the country joined the movement, and in less than a week, upwards of two dozen people died in the ensuing clashes. Over the weekend, Ortega walked back his welfare reforms, but criticized the protesters in a rambling speech.

— Vogue-style club dancing originated from New York City’s underground ballroom scene, created by queer people of color in the 1960s. Since its inception, ballroom culture has acted as a safe haven for black and Latinx L.G.B.T. youth, a place where they could safely express themselves in ways society at large would not condone.