Nevada, Assange & Foreign Human Rights Cases in US Courts

(Updated at 5:20 p.m. ET:  In part 2, we will be talking with Michael Ratner, Julian Assange's U.S. attorney.)

Nevada is not only a swing state this election, it is one of very few opportunities for Democrats to pick up a U.S. Senate seat. For a look at what's going on in Nevada politics, the presidential race, we will talk to Frankie Sue Del Papa. Del Papa was the first woman elected as Secretary of State of Nevada and the first woman elected as Nevada Attorney General. She also co-chaired Hillary Clinton's presidential run in 2008.

Part 2:  Julian Assange addressed the United Nations yesterday, calling on the United States to, among other things, cease its persecution of WikiLeaks. He also called the detention without trial of Bradley Manning an injustice and a violation of free speech. Bradley Manning is currently seeking refuge in the Ecuadorian mission to the UK avoiding extradition to Sweden where he faces sexual assault charges. Assange has said he would face the charges but is concerned with being extradited to the United States where he might be charged with espionage. We talk to Michael Ratner, Assange’s U.S. attorney.

In Part 3, we discuss the case of Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, a case being heard in the Supreme Court on Monday, the first day of the new term. Justices will be asked to decide whether a foreign plaintiff can sue a foreign defendant for a human rights abuse that occurred abroad. We will talk to David Sloss, a professor at Santa Clara University Law School and director of their Center for Global Law and Policy. Prof. Sloss wrote an amicus brief on behalf of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights supporting those suing Royal Dutch Petroleum for alleged complicity in the 1995 execution of Nigerian activists.