• Examine the Trump agenda, the role of the courts, and the system of checks and balances.

• Recap major cases from the Court’s latest term, including nationwide injunctions, medical treatment for transgender minors, parental control over school books, and Planned Parenthood’s access to Medicaid funding.



• Preview key issues for the next term, such as gerrymandering in Louisiana, deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, and birthright citizenship.

• Explore critical questions about the preservation of democracy: How did we get to the “imperial presidency,” how can it be curbed, and what happens if a president ignores a Court order?

Bob Levy, chairman emeritus of the Cato Institute, has had a remarkable career spanning finance, law, and public policy. After founding a successful financial services firm, he earned his law degree at 54 as class valedictorian and went on to clerk on two federal courts. He later joined Cato as a senior fellow, taught at Georgetown Law, and co-counseled the landmark Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller.

Howard Simon served as Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida from 1997 to 2018, after leading the ACLU’s Michigan affiliate from 1974 to 1997. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy and, before his work with the ACLU, taught at the University of Minnesota and DePauw University. Following his retirement, Howard founded the Clean Okeechobee Waters Foundation, focusing on projects that address the public health impact of blue-green algae.

Listen as Howard Simon explains the importance of this zoom meeting.

Faith leaders will raise a moral outcry against systemic cruelty and spiritual harm, while communities of faith come together to bear witness, advocate, and mobilize for humane alternatives. The session will also spotlight local detention practices and highlight regional accountability, with diverse spiritual traditions uniting to affirm the dignity and sacred worth of every person.

Featured Panelists

• Rev. Dr. Russell Meyer – St. John's Lutheran Church, Jacksonville, FL, plus Executive Director, Florida Council of Churches
• Rev. Dr. Gayle Fisher-Stewart – Calvary Episcopal Church, Washington, DC
• Rev. Jenny Scott-Jones – Iona-Hope Episcopal Church, Fort Myers, FL
• Rev. Arthur Jones, III – Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Fort Myers, FL
• Betty Osceola - Prayer Walk Leader, Miccosukee Everglades Advisory Committee, Miami-Dade, FL

Moderator: Sandra Viktorova, WGCU News Director

America’s Founding Fathers used civil discourse and shared values to overcome differences and forge the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. The non-partisan Free Society Coalition honors our nation’s 250th by fostering thought and discussion on liberty, responsibility, and individual dignity for all.

Presenters:

• James M. “Jay” Lapeyre, Jr. is president of Laitram, LLC, a global manufacturing company. He chairs the boards of the Cato Institute and The Atlas Society and has led civic and educational organizations in New Orleans. Post-Katrina, he has worked on government reform, flood safety, and criminal justice. Lapeyre holds a BA from the University of Texas and an MBA and JD from Tulane University.
• Bob Levy, chair emeritus of the Cato Institute, FFDI's key presenter for our Supreme Court discussion (see above, Sept. 25), and a co-founder of Free Society Coalition, which aims to move beyond divisive political rhetoric and unite Americans around a vision of a free and peaceful society.
• Moderator: Bill Petrarca, FFDI Co-Founder