Major funding for backstory is provided by an anonymous donor, the National

Dowment for the Humanities, the University of Virginia, the Joseph and Robert

Cornell Memorial Foundation, and the Arthur Vining Davis foundations.

From the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, this is backstory.

Welcome to backstory, the show that explains the history behind the headlines.

I'm Joanne Freeman.

I'm Nathan Connolly.

And I'm Ed Ayers.

Each week, Nathan, Joanne, our colleague, Brian Ballow and I, explore the history of a topic in the news.

Brian Ballow couldn't join us today, but you'll hear his voice in several of the interviews.

Mr. Chief Justice and may it please the court.

Almost four years ago, eight justices of the court.

This month, the United States Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the

constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering, the rights of workers and

labor disputes, and whether a Colorado bakery owner can refuse to bake a cake for

a same sex wedding because it goes against his religious beliefs.

So this week, we're dipping into the backstory archives to look at past Supreme

Court decisions that have made a major impact on free speech, the right to privacy,

and religious freedom.

It is a five to four decision in favor of Hobby Lobby.

Hobby Lobby does not have to pay for the disputed birth control techniques.

However, he ruling this morning saying that police can take DNA samples from

...