Advisory Opinions

On today’s podcast, Sarah and David discuss a lawsuit in which a high school student sues his Nevada charter school “for repeatedly compelling his speech involving intimate matters of race, gender, sexuality and religion.” Our hosts explain why the critical race theory curriculum in question is unlikely to be deemed unlawful by the court. Per David: “You don’t have an inherent right, once your kid is in public school, to direct and control the curriculum that they see.” Stay tuned to hear special guest Chris Bogart chat about his career in commercial litigation finance. Show Notes: -Clark et al v. State Public Charter School Authority et al. -Brown v. Hot, Sexy and Safer Productions, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, our hosts are taking a break from the news cycle to share some fun facts about the Supreme Court and answer a series of questions from their listener mailbox: Are Democratic-appointed Supreme Court justices more ideologically reliable than their Republican-appointed counterparts? What are some cases where you are inclined to agree with the legal reasoning but were bothered by the policy outcome? And perhaps most important, how should one go about hiring an attorney? Sarah and David have the scoop. Show Notes: -“Cleaning Up Quotations” by Jack Metzler in the Journal of Appellate Practice and Process. -“ ‘(Cleaned Up)’ Parenthetical Arrives in the Supreme Court” by Eugene Volokh in Reason. -“Larry Flynt’s Life in Contempt” by Ross Anderson in Los Angeles Magazine. -“Empirical SCOTUS: Interesting meetings of the minds of Supreme Court justices” by Adam Feldman in SCOTUSBlog. -Federal Tort Claims Act and Immigration and Nationality Act. -Cases they mentioned: Keeton v. Hustler Magazine, Inc., Knick v. Township of Scott, Bostock v. Clayton County, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, Morse v. Frederick, Rucho v. Common Cause and Kelo v. City of New London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David took the internet by storm last night when he joined a Clubhouse session called “David French, Based or Cringe?” As David puts it in today’s pod, “There’s kind of a subculture where people really hate me!” Joined by a very special guest on today’s episode, David and Sarah chat about nominal damages, the constitutionality of H.R. 1’s effort to federalize elections, and the increasing number of state laws that are aiming to ban critical race theory from being taught in K-12 classrooms. Show Notes: -H.R. 1, also known as the “For the People Act.” -“The New War on Woke” by Jeffrey Sachs in ArcDigital. -Garcetti v. Ceballos. -“Beyond Originalism” by Adrian Vermeule in The Atlantic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie Barlow, lawyer and media editor of SCOTUSBlog, sits in for David on today’s episode. Sarah and Katie kick off things by discussing the decision handed down in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, in which an 8-1 majority ruled that even seeking “nominal damages” can be enough to give a plaintiff standing. Plus, Katie explains how her time working for Nina Tottenberg at NPR helped her prepare for translating SCOTUS decisions into one-minute TikTok videos. And, of course, she weighs in on the “should you go to law school” debate. Make sure you stick around to the end to hear Sarah and Katie sing the praises of Oprah and react to the Prince Harry and Megan Markle interview on CBS. Show Notes: -Nominal damages decision -SCOTUSBlog article about the decision -Nina Totenberg’s Twitter -Katie Barlow’s Twitter (which has all of her TikToks) -CBS’ Harry and Megan interview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the Equality Act necessary to codify Bostock v. Clayton County? How might the Equality Act affect religious liberty, if at all? How do we definitively differentiate between men and women? Today, our hosts chat about invidious sex discrimination as it relates to the Equality Act, and what this law means for the future of nondiscrimination law if it is passed by the Senate. Stay tuned to hear our hosts recap oral arguments for Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, a Supreme Court case that deals with the Voting Rights Act. Show Notes: -“The Equality Act Has a Foundational Legal Problem” by David French in The Dispatch. -Radiolab Presents: Gonads. -Bostock v. Clayton County. -Religious Freedom Restoration Act. -Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. -Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee and its Supreme Court oral arguments. -Shelby v. Holder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week for Lange v. California, a Fourth Amendment case that will determine whether a police officer’s hot pursuit of a person suspected of committing a misdemeanor counts as an exigent circumstance to justify the officer’s warrantless entry onto the suspect’s property. In today’s Supreme Court heavy episode, Sarah and David also talk about two other cases dealing with hostile work environments and whether women should constitutionally be required to register for the draft. Show Notes: -Lange v. California oral arguments and transcript. -National Coalition for Men v. Selective Service System cert petition. -Robert Collier v. Dallas County Hospital District cert petition. -Rostker v. Goldberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas made headlines last week for his dissent to the majority’s denial of cert in Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Veronica Degraffenreid. Even though his dissent mainly focused on the mootness of the case, many media outlets seized on the opportunity to mischaracterize Justice Thomas’ argument by claiming he promoted President Trump’s baseless voter fraud claims. After Sarah and David give us their spiel about how media outlets often botch Supreme Court coverage, University of Chicago Law professor William Baude joins today’s show for an extremely nerdy conversation about the Supreme Court’s shadow docket that you won’t want to miss. Show Notes: -Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Veronica Degraffenreid. -“Dissent by Justice Thomas in election case draws fire for revisiting baseless Trump fraud claims” by Mark Joseph Stern in Slate. -“Clarence Thomas Promotes Trump’s Voter Fraud Lies in Alarming Dissent” by John Fritze in USA Today. -“Foreword: The Supreme Court's Shadow Docket” by William Baude in the New York University Journal of Law & Liberty. -Feb. 18 House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Supreme Court’s shadow docket. -Supreme Court Practice by Eugene Gressman. -South Bay United Pentecostal Church v. Newsom. -Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originalists have recently come under fire for trying to reinvigorate an old principle in administrative law called the nondelegation doctrine, which holds that Congress cannot delegate its own legislative power to other entities. Are originalists correct in claiming that the nondelegation doctrine was present at the founding? What does the historical record have to say about it? Why should living constitutionalists even care about this debate? Nicholas Bagley, a law professor at the University of Michigan, and Ilan Wurman, an associate professor at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, join the show to answer all of these questions and more. Show Notes: -“There’s No Historical Justification for One of the Most Dangerous Ideas in American Law” by Nicholas Bagley and Julian Davis Mortenson in the Atlantic. -“Delegation at the Founding” by Nicholas Bagley and Julian Davis Mortenson in Columbia Law Review. -“No Nondelegation at the Founding? Not so fast,” by Ilan Wurman in the Yale Law Journal. -Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States. -Above the Law. -The Second Founding: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Amendment by Ilan Wurman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, Speech First, Inc. filed a free speech lawsuit alleging that the University of Central Florida and its officials “created a series of rules and regulations that restrain, deter, suppress, and punish speech about the political and social issues of the day.” David and Sarah walk us through the history of campus cat and mouse battles over restrictive speech codes and explain whether this lawsuit will matter in the long run. On today’s episode, our hosts also chat about the nondelegation doctrine, the possibility of further criminal prosecution against Donald Trump, and how Rush Limbaugh’s passing might affect the conservative media climate. Show Notes: -Speech First vs. Cartwright and Speech First, Inc. v. Gregory L. Fenves. -Nondelegation doctrine cases: Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, J.W. Hampton Jr., & Co. v. United States and Gundy v. United States. -“Trump’s Acquittal Exposed a Republic in Peril” by David French in Time. -“There’s No Historical Justification for One of the Most Dangerous Ideas in American Law” by Julian David Mortenson and Nicholas Bagley in the Atlantic. -“Opinion analysis: Court refuses to resurrect nondelegation doctrine” by Mila Sohoni in SCOTUSblog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted Alabama death row inmate Willie Smith’s request to have his pastor present at his execution, rejecting the state’s claim that having a spiritual adviser present interferes with prison security. Tune in to hear how the Supreme Court’s religious liberty ruling in Dunn v. Smith might affect future death penalty cases. On today’s episode, our hosts also chat about Yuval Levin’s latest piece in National Review on the sorry state of Congress and the New York Times’ 2020 Hulu documentary about Britney Spears. Show Notes: -Dunn v. Smith, federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, and “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” case Morse v. Frederick. -“Congress’s Day” by Yuval Levin in National Review and “Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews Yuval Levin About the Future of the Republican Party” in the New York Times. -Framing Britney Spears Hulu documentary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the second day of the impeachment hearings on Wednesday, we got some more video evidence from the House impeachment managers exhibiting just how close the rioters got to lawmakers during the Capitol siege. “A lot of this was more fully fleshing out how dire the situation was on January 6,” David explains. Stick around for an update on the criminal prosecution of Paul Manafort, new developments at the Department of Justice, the super viral Zoom video of the cat lawyer, and a lament on football-splaining. Show Notes: -Video of police officer Eugene Goodman steering Sen. Mitt Romney away from the rioters and Zoom cat lawyer video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After duking it out over their Super Bowl disagreement, David and Sarah get into the meat of today’s episode: The ongoing saga of religious liberty in the age of pandemic law. On Friday, the Supreme Court partly sided with a California church’s First Amendment challenge to religious service restrictions enacted by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Per David: “Pandemic law—while not entirely gone—is mostly dead.” Stay tuned to hear about technology company Smartmatic’s lawsuit against Fox News, Trump’s First Amendment defense in his impeachment trial, and more. Show Notes: -South Bay United Pentecostal Church v. Gavin Newsom. -Typography for Lawyers by Matthew Butterick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney survived an intra-party effort to oust her from her GOP leadership position, meanwhile Republican Party Leader Kevin McCarthy decided he will not strip firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments. When it comes to all the latest intra-GOP squabbles, Sarah and David have the scoop. On today’s episode, our hosts also break down the Supreme Court’s latest orders and the good, the bad, and the ugly of the impeachment briefs. Show Notes: -“I’m Comic Sans, Asshole” by Mike Lacher and Saturday Night Live’s Papyrus Skit. -“U.S. Nazi hunter has one active case” by Evan Perez, Alexander Rosen, Wesley Bruer, Jeremy Moorhead, Alex Lee and Josh Gaynor in CNN. -“Your Type May Be Ripe For Review” by Chris Mincher in the Maryland Appellate Blog. -Rule 32. Form of Briefs, Appendices, and Other Papers. -Democrats’ impeachment trial brief and Trump’s response to the impeachment article. -Salinas v. United States Railroad Retirement Board, Republic of Hungary v. Rosalie Simon, Federal Republic of Germany v. Philipp, Wednesday’s Supreme Court orders, Howard J. Bashman’s “How Appealing” appellate litigation blog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris ruffled West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin’s feathers when she sat down with local television stations in his state to chat about Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill without first giving him a heads up. On today’s episode, our hosts break down why these sorts of intra-party kerfuffles matter and how they might shape the Biden administration’s relationship with the Senate moving forward. Also in the hopper for today, Sarah and David put their trial lawyer skills on full display when they explain the former president’s best defense against impeachment. Show Notes: -“The Senate’s impeachment trial is illegal and a sham” by Rand Paul in the Washington Examiner. -Explainer on bills of attainder and House Resolution 24 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, president of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A federal judge on Tuesday granted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request for a nationwide temporary restraining order blocking the Biden administration’s halt of a 100-day pause in deportations of noncitizens for 14 days. It’s safe to say our podcast hosts have some thoughts! Stick around to hear David and Sarah chat about an indictment against pro-Trump Twitter troll Ricky Vaughn in response to his voter disinformation campaign, a wonky First Amendment case, and what’s behind this week’s GameStop rally. Show Notes: -Giboney v. Empire Storage & Ice Co. and Expressions Hair Design v. Schneiderman. -Take our podcast survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court “munsingweared” several cases in its Monday orders, including two Trump emoluments cases. After a deep dive into the legal history of munsingwear precedent—a modern mootness doctrine—David and Sarah discuss a Texas deportation case filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, pretrial release conditions for those who were arrested during the January 6 Capitol siege, and a Supreme Court original jurisdiction case. A special guest also joins the show to chat about Wendy’s chicken sandwiches! Show Notes: -United States v. Munsingwear, Inc. and Trump v. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. -“The Great Chicken Sandwich (Meal) Wars, Settled” by Sarah Isgur in The Dispatch. -Take our podcast survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can Joe Biden heal the rampant degree of polarization that’s currently plaguing our nation’s politics? “There is an element on the left side of the aisle that is every bit as hostile to their fellow citizens as there are on the right edges,” David tells Sarah on today’s episode. “But the thing is, Biden won the primary by specifically shunning that part of the Democratic base.” After their post-Inauguration Day reflections on Biden’s swearing in ceremony and the state of polarization in America, our hosts chat about the NRA’s bankruptcy status and Biden’s flurry of first-day executive orders. Show Notes: -Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation by David French. -Take our podcast survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who will preside over soon-to-be-former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial after he leaves office? Will it be the Senate’s president pro tempore? The chief justice of the Supreme Court? None of the above? On today’s episode of Advisory Opinions, our hosts also dive into the nitty gritty details of Trump’s forthcoming—and second—impeachment trial before they discuss the latest updates in social media regulation, David’s take on the South’s honor culture, and Sarah’s review of the five best chicken sandwich chains in America. Show Notes: -“Free Speech and the Regulation of Social Media Content” by the Congressional Research Service. -Red Lion Broadcasting Co. vs. FCC, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. FCC, and Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union. -“Where Does the South End and Christianity Begin?” by David French in The Dispatch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, a free speech case that will determine whether former Georgia Gwinnett College student Chike Uzuegbunam is entitled to nominal damages from an unconstitutional government policy when that policy has since been changed. “Arguably there is no more important constitutional law case that has come up before the court in the last several years from a philosophical standpoint,” Sarah says on today’s podcast. After our hosts discuss the legal mechanics of nominal damages and attorneys’ fees, they dive into Parler’s latest legal filings and the Constitution’s speech and debate clause. Show Notes: -Take our podcast survey -Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski case and oral arguments. -“A Eulogy for a Friend, a Lament for our Nation” by David French in The Dispatch. -New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Corlett. -“Are We the Baddies?” sketch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a break from our current news cycle, Advisory Opinions tackles “the more mundane issue of teenage girls complaining” in a discussion about Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L, one of the Supreme Court’s latest cert grants addressing the issue of off-campus student speech. Not to worry, our hosts also dig into the more pressing issues of the day. In an examination of the term “incitement,” David and Sarah ask: Were the president or other individuals guilty—in a criminal sense—of provoking tangible violence at the Capitol last week? Do their words and actions meet the Brandenburg test, which criminalizes inflammatory speech that is both “directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action,” and “likely to incite or produce such action”? Show Notes: -Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L -Thomas More Law Center v. Becerra -David’s French Press newsletter on Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L -Amendment 14: Section Three -1974 memo on presidential or legislative pardon of the president Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a press conference on Thursday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called for President Trump’s removal from office. “Yesterday, the president of the United States incited an armed insurrection against America,” Pelosi said, shortly before demanding the invocation of the 25th Amendment. On today’s podcast, our hosts talk about the possibility of impeaching President Trump, the legal machinations surrounding the 25th Amendment, and the social media crackdown against President Trump. Stick around for their thoughts on Merrick Garland as Biden’s attorney general pick. Show Notes: -Articles of impeachment prepared by Representatives Ted Lieu, David Cicilline, and Jamie Raskin. -“Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation” by David French in The Dispatch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a holiday hiatus from podcasting, our hosts have quite a bit of news to catch up on. Did Trump commit election fraud during his phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger? Will Trump’s election conspiracy theorizing depress Republican turnout in Tuesday’s Georgia Senate races? What should we expect when Congress convenes on Wednesday to count the Electoral College votes? All things considered, Biden will take office on January 20. But when it comes to GOP officials’ ongoing attempts to overturn the results of the election, David argues that “the futility of this effort should not excuse its malice.” Our hosts wrap up their first episode of 2021 with David’s spirited defense of Wonder Woman 1984. Show Notes: -“POLITICO Playbook: The backstory of Trump’s Georgia call” by Marc Caputo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s holiday mailbag edition of the podcast, David and Sarah answer a series of listener questions ranging from legal history to college football. Do you have to admit guilt to accept a pardon? Are there any wrongfully decided Supreme Court cases that are still on the books? Is there a secular argument for prohibiting abortion or does restricting the practice entirely depend on adopting religious doctrine in the public square? Are tier 2 or tier 3 law schools worth attending? What are the best books of the year? What is the constitutionality of factoring race into vaccine distribution? And MORE! Tune in to hear the breakdown. Show Notes: -A brief history of pardons from Smithsonian magazine. -Korematsu v. United States, Buck v. Bell, Roe v. Wade, Kelo v. City of New London, Schenck v. United States, Employment Division v. Smith, Monell v. Department of Social Services, Brandenburg v. Ohio, Skinner v. Oklahoma, Trump v. Hawaii. -38 states with fetal homicide laws. -Qualified immunity doctrine. -“Books to Read If You’re Tired of Hearing About Impeachment” by Sarah Isgur in The Dispatch. -Sarah’s book recommendations: The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff, She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity by Carl Zimmer, How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom by Matt Ridley, Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard. -David’s book recommendations: Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation by David French, Rhythm of War: The Stormlight Archive, Book 4 by Brandon Sanderson, The Democratization of American Christianity by Nathan Hatch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear a case concerning whether the NCAA’s eligibility rules for student compensation violate federal antitrust law. Should the NCAA have the right to create a universal regime of amateur athletics? Is this dispute more of a legislative problem? Or is it an antitrust problem that should be resolved by the courts? In their penultimate podcast before Christmas break, David and Sarah discuss whether private employers can mandate COVID-19 vaccines, some hypothetical legal scenarios related to double jeopardy, and the culture wars surrounding Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller. They also respond to a 3L listener’s email about Supreme Court original jurisdiction. Show Notes: -NCAA’s cert petition to Supreme Court, 9th Circuit ruling for NCAA antitrust case, and Supreme Court reversal statistics. -“The College Athletes Who Are Allowed to Make Big Bucks: Cheerleaders” by Tess DeMeyer in the New York Times. -NCAA v. Board of Regents. -Trans World Airlines Inc. v. Hardison -“Can Private Employers Mandate COVID Vaccines?” by Josh Blackman in Reason. -End of Discussion: How the Left's Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun) by Guy Benson and Mary Katharine Ham. -Miracle on 34th Street. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to hear Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit contesting the election results in four battleground states, ruling that “Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections.” What does the court’s order mean in plain English? Should the justices have said more? Why did Justices Alito and Thomas issue a separate statement? “The bottom line is all nine justices rejected this case,” David explains. “Seven clearly for one reason, two for any number of additional reasons that they didn’t specify.” After breaking down the Texas lawsuit, Sarah and David discuss Trump v. Wisconsin, Bush v. Gore, the counting of the electoral college votes, and what options President Trump might still have to contest the election. They wrap things up by answering some listener mail about the LSAT. Show Notes: -Arizona v. California dissent, Supreme Court’s Friday order on Texas lawsuit, Trump v. Wisconsin, Bush v. Gore, Bush v. Palm Beach County Canvassing Bd, 3 U.S. Code § 15. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, 17 state attorneys general filed amicus briefs in support of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit contesting the presidential election results in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. To make matters more interesting, President Donald Trump has said he will join the lawsuit and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has agreed to argue the case in front of the Supreme Court. Tune in to today’s episode to hear why, in David’s words, “this Texas lawsuit as a legal and evidentiary matter is frivolous.” Today, David and Sarah also give us an update on Sidney Powell’s “Kraken” lawsuits and the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against Facebook. They wrap things up by answering some reader mail about law school. Show Notes: -Supreme Court’s one-sentence order denying injunctive relief to Rep. Mike Kelly. -French Press: “The Kraken Is Lackin’.” -Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s new lawsuit against Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. -The Morning Dispatch: “Checking in on the Trump Campaign Lawsuits.” -The Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. federal law’s “safe harbor deadline” means that most presidential election law cases will be resolved by tomorrow, December 8. Today, David and Sarah discuss what’s next for Trump loyalists who have an unshakable belief that the election was stolen. Stay tuned for a conversation about changes to the citizenship test, a 9th Circuit transgender bathroom case where cert was denied, parental and student rights in public education, and why so many conservative lawyers don’t buy the Trump campaign’s legal strategy. Show Notes: -U.S. code on meeting and voting of electors, determination of controversy as to appointment of electors, and counting electoral votes in Congress. -“Preparing for a Disputed Presidential Election: An Exercise in Election Risk Assessment and Management” by Edward Foley in the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal. -“The ‘Safe Harbor’ Deadline Is upon Us” by Jim Geraghty in National Review. -Parents for Privacy v. Barr. -“Why Do So Many Americans Think the Election Was Stolen?” by Ross Douthat in the New York Times. -Brown v. Hot, Sexy and Safer Productions, Inc. -“Coronavirus: When a High-Trust Response Is Required in a Low-Trust Time” by David French in The Dispatch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the GOP’s Senate majority hanging by a thread, all eyes are on the Peach State and whether Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler can hold onto their seats in their January runoffs. But could all of these election conspiracy theories that are being circulated by conservative pundits and politicians ironically end up depressing turnout among GOP voters in these races? “Over last night and this morning,” David explains on today’s podcast, “there was suddenly a lot of people who were sowing unfounded accusations of voter fraud, realizing that they may be reaping the loss of the Senate.” Today’s jam-packed episode also features a breakdown of several religious liberty cases, the White House’s alleged pay-for-pardon scheme, the U.S. census case, Attorney General Bill Barr’s special counsel appointment, and HBO’s The Undoing. Show Notes: -Donald Trump v. New York oral arguments transcript -Memorandum on Excluding Illegal Aliens From the Apportionment Base Following the 2020 Census -Franklin v. Massachusetts -General powers of special counsel CFR -October 19 memo from Attorney General Bill Barr -9th Circuit Harvest Rock Church case -Supreme Court order on Harvest Rock case Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over Thanksgiving break, the Supreme Court struck down New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s strict coronavirus related occupancy limits to 10 or 25 worshipers in churches and synagogues located in orange and red zones in the state. In a 5-4 per curiam decision, the majority sided with Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel, who argued that Cuomo’s COVID-19 regulations treated houses of worship differently from comparable secular institutions, especially considering the religious plaintiffs in question went above and beyond in preventing COVID-19 outbreaks within their doors. “From the standpoint of the plaintiffs,” David argues, “it’s sort of a double whammy of good facts. One, expressions of animus from public officials and hypocrisy from public officials. And two, they’re coming to the court with clean hands.” Later in the episode, David and Sarah also dive into a host of abortion related lawsuits and the U.S. census case before ending with some thoughts on election litigation. Show Notes: -Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, New York v. Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York, Jacobson v. Massachusetts, South Bay United Pentecostal Church v. Newsom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Monday’s emergency episode of the podcast, David and Sarah bring us up to speed on the Trump legal team’s latest litigation drama, which has become nothing short of a clown show. One of the most puzzling aspects about all of this is the striking gap between the Trump campaign’s public rhetoric about widespread voter fraud during press conferences and its much more modest—albeit still meritless—legal arguments in the courtroom. No matter how you slice it, the president’s legacy is on the line here. In Sarah’s words: “This is what he’s going to be remembered by.” Our hosts discuss the Trump campaign’s failed Pennsylvania election lawsuit and Thursday’s rather unconventional press conference given by Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, and Jenna Ellis. Then Sarah’s husband, Scott Keller joins the podcast to spar with David about nationwide injunctions. Show Notes: -U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Brann’s opinion throwing out Trump’s Pennsylvania lawsuit. -“Nationwide Injunctions Will Be a Vital Check if Biden Overreaches” by Scott Keller in the Wall Street Journal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rudy Giuliani has come out of retirement for the first time in 28 years to litigate on behalf of the Trump campaign. To say his gears were a little rusty would be the understatement of the century: Giuliani walked into court this week and couldn’t remember the name of the judge, couldn’t remember the name of his opposing counsel, couldn’t remember the meaning of “opacity,” and couldn’t argue the proper standard of review in the case. As our podcast hosts remind us, effective lawyers not only know how to make a constructive argument, but also tailor their advocacy to the humanity of the judge. Giuliani did neither of these things. After catching up on the latest election litigation disputes, David and Sarah discuss imminent lawless action in the context of the First Amendment and two of their favorite television shows. Show Notes: -Morse v. Frederick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A segment of the right-wing public has morphed into a conspiracy theory machine that is—in David’s words—propagating baseless voter fraud allegations at “a geometric rate that [bears] increasingly no relationship to the real world at the same time as the actual claims in court are just evaporating.” Why are people on the right and the left so susceptible to electoral conspiracy theories? After David and Sarah play catchup on the latest developments involving election litigation, they dive into a 1st Circuit race-based admissions case at Harvard, the latest updates on DACA, and The Mandalorian. Show Notes: -Andrew Fleischman thread on election lawsuits -Harvard affirmative action case, DACA decision, history of discrimination with SAT and Jewish applicants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump campaign is swinging for the fences in most of its litigation efforts in hopes that at least some of its legal arguments will be successful. But as our podcast hosts remind us, most of the president’s post-election lawsuits are unlikely to change the outcome even if the Trump campaign scores a few victories along the way. “The Trump administration could win, dunk on the opposition, hang on the rim, taunt its opponents, and nothing changes,” David explains. On today’s podcast, David and Sarah explain the overall legal context surrounding the president’s ongoing election litigation efforts and give us the lowdown on the latest voter fraud conspiracy theories. Plus, David and Sarah break down Supreme Court oral arguments for the Affordable Care Act case and discuss a race-based admissions lawsuit at Harvard. Show Notes: -“Fact Check: Debunking the Hammer and Scorecard Conspiracy Theory” by Khaya Himmelman in The Dispatch. -“Fact Check: Explaining the False Allegations About Dominion Voting Systems” by Alec Dent in The Dispatch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twitter is brewing with wildly unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud as election officials in battleground states continue to count ballots. For today’s myth busters edition of the podcast, David and Sarah discuss the nitty gritty details surrounding ballot-counting processes and whether the conspiratorial claims surrounding voter fraud allegations have any merit. “If voter fraud is a religion for you,” Sarah warns, “go find yourself another pod today.” They wrap things up with a conversation about exit polls and some Supreme Court punditry. Show Notes: -The Sweep: “Your 2020 Election Night Guide,” Employment Division v. Smith. -Join The Dispatch for a post-election gathering featuring congressional leadership and top policy experts November 9-10: Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Election Day eve and our podcast hosts have their presidential race forecasting models at the ready. After a helpful breakdown on pivot counties in swing states, David and Sarah give us some punditry on the 15 Senate races they’re watching closely this cycle. “Generally speaking, the Senate and presidential numbers are getting closer together over the last few cycles, not farther apart,” Sarah says on today’s podcast. Check out this prediction heavy episode of Advisory Opinions, in which our hosts give us a state of play on the presidential race and offer their thoughts on a controversial election lawsuit in the Lone Star state. Show Notes: -David’s latest French Press, “I’m Here To Remind You That Trump Can Still Win” by Nate Silver in FiveThirtyEight, FiveThirtyEight’s presidential polling average in Pennsylvania, Texas election lawsuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve already seen record early turnout this election cycle. Our hosts have three major takeaways from the surge: 1) It means the polls are more likely to be accurate (the registered voter number is likely to reflect the actual voter number), 2) It means that we’re going to see interesting shift in how both candidates’ spend time on the campaign trail before Tuesday, 3) It means we have a record number of absentee ballots, which will lead to a concomitant surge in election litigation. In the hopper for the rest of today’s podcast: judicial oaths of office, turnout in swing states, and election litigation galore (with a close look at Wisconsin and Pennsylvania!) Show Notes: -Join The Dispatch for a post-election gathering featuring congressional leadership and top policy experts November 9-10: Sign up here! -Marquette Law poll on voters’ optimism that their preferred candidate will win, Wednesday’s Morning Dispatch: “Election Litigationpalooza,” a statement on the Pennsylvania ballot deadline litigation from Justices Alito, Gorsuch, and Thomas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Echelon Insights predicts that we will see record turnout this election cycle. How might a surge in, say, 2o million new voters this year affect the presidential race in battleground states? “If we’re talking the day after the election about why the polls were wrong,” Sarah warns on today’s episode, “it will be because of the extraordinary turnout, and [pollsters] were unable to figure out where those turnout increases were coming from.” Tune in to today’s episode to hear David and Sarah’s take on early voting in swing states, the importance of political rallies, and the DoJ’s antitrust lawsuit against Google. Show Notes: -Join The Dispatch for a post-election gathering featuring congressional leadership, top policy and political experts November 9-10: Sign up here! -Most popular websites since 1993 ranked, Google’s statement against the DoJ lawsuit, and “For Trump Superfans, Huge Rallies Can't Resume Soon Enough,” by Andrew Egger in The Dispatch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Still shocked by the grand polling meltdown of 2016, many Americans on both sides of the aisle are convinced that Biden’s double digit national polling lead is inaccurate and that Trump will somehow win the election in a landslide. This theory has three main hypotheses: 1) Trump is such a uniquely divisive candidate that his supporters lie to pollsters and say they plan to vote for Biden, 2) the likely electorate problem, and 3) Republicans are less likely to talk to pollsters in the first place. Sarah and David break down these theories and explain why they’re overblown given the data we have at this point in the race. Stay tuned for a legal breakdown of the Supreme Court’s latest cert grants related to deer jacking, the hot pursuit doctrine, asylum seekers, and the southern border wall. Show Notes: -Join The Dispatch for a post-election gathering featuring Congressional leadership, top policy and political experts Nov. 9-10: sign up here! -Nate Cohn for the New York Times and “Are Silent Trump Voters Real, or Just a Myth?” by Jonah Goldberg in The Dispatch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s October 15, 2020, and 12.4 percent of the votes that were cast in the 2016 election have already been cast this election cycle. Sarah and David try to discern through the tea leaves what this means for voter turnout this year. “There’s two different schools of thought here,” Sarah says. “One is that we’re on pace to have record turnout and one is that we’re simply banking Election Day votes early this time.” On today’s episode, our podcast hosts also discuss the journalistic, political, legal implications of the New York Post’s Hunter Biden story before breaking down the key ingredients to a successful marriage. Show Notes: -Divided We Fall by David French, “Emails reveal how Hunter Biden tried to cash in big on behalf of family with Chinese firm” by Emma Jo-Morris Gabriel Fonrouge in the New York Post, Malwarebytes Inc. v. Enigma Software Group USA, LLC, “Why Only Amy Coney Barrett Gets to Have It All” by Katelyn Beaty in the New York Times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Senate Judiciary Committee kicked off its confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett today with a predictably partisan spin. There were dog whistles from Republicans about religious tests and procedural complaints from Democrats in defense of the Affordable Care Act and against advancing Barrett’s nomination before November 3. But all things considered, the first day of the hearings was relatively uneventful, which may have come as a shock to those who watched the rather lively Brett Kavanaugh hearings in 2018. Our podcast hosts argue that boredom is a win for the Biden campaign’s Do No Harm strategy, as any sound bite attacking Barrett’s religion or character could depress the Democratic candidate’s current 10-point lead over Trump. David argues that if Democrats want to preserve Biden’s steady lead, they will do everything to avoid even “a single viral moment that puts them in the villain role” during these hearings. Check out our latest episode to hear David and Sarah discuss the Affordable Care Act’s lifespan, partisan judicial elections on the state level, and the Capitol Hill Baptist Church lawsuit. Show Notes: -FiveThirtyEight’s presidential polling average, and The Sweep: The Witching Hour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence faced off Wednesday evening for their first and only vice presidential debate. But analysis of the candidates’ performance was disrupted by Trump’s announcement Thursday morning that he will not participate in the October 15 virtual debate against Joe Biden. Is the president bluffing? Or is he simply trying to hide his COVID-19 symptoms from the American public? The president has released a series of videos via Twitter this week in which he assures the American public of his recovery. But these videos are produced by the White House, meaning they can do multiple takes and edit out any evidence of the president’s lingering symptoms. “You can’t do that when in a debate,” Sarah points out, reminding us that any of the president’s coughs or bouts of heavy breathing would instantly go viral if caught on-screen. After some punditry about what this means for the Trump campaign’s reelection strategy, tune in for Sarah and David’s thoughts on the forthcoming Amy Coney Barrett Senate confirmation hearings, the strategic ambiguity of Biden’s court packing comments, and the criminal allegations against Texas attorney general Ken Paxton. Show Notes: -30 day free trial at The Dispatch and Divided We Fall by David French. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supreme Court oral arguments have resumed via telephone and our podcast hosts are nerding out. The court kicked off today with an interesting denial of cert from the Supreme Court on a case out of Kentucky involving Kim Davis, the county clerk who refused to certify marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2015 for religious reasons. “This petition provides a stark reminder of the consequences of Obergefell,” Justice Thomas wrote in a statement on Monday joined by Justice Alito. “By choosing to privilege a novel constitutional right over the religious liberty interests explicitly protected in the First Amendment, and by doing so undemocratically, the court has created a problem that only it can fix.” On today’s episode, our podcast hosts discuss the evolution of religious liberty and discrimination law, ongoing election disputes in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and the latest updates on the presidential campaign ad wars. Sarah and David wrap things up with a fun constitutional exercise by poking holes in the 25th Amendment and unpacking what happens when presidents die at different points in the cycle. Show Notes: -30 day free trial at The Dispatch, Divided We Fall by David French, Obergefell v. Hodges, Kim Davis v. David Ermold, “Applications and Implications of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment” by Akhil Reed Amar, “Is the Presidential Succession Law Constitutional?” by Akhil Reed Amar and Vikram David Amar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How will Amy Coney Barrett shake things up on the bench if she is confirmed by the Senate before November 3? “Amy Coney Barrett will not be as revolutionary as the left fears or the right wishes,” Sarah argues, “Because no justice really is, because it’s one vote.” On today’s episode, David and Sarah address the hysteria surrounding her upcoming Senate confirmation battle while breaking down what a 6-3 conservative majority would mean for the future of Supreme Court jurisprudence. Sarah and David are also joined by Ilya Shapiro—director of the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute and publisher of the Cato Supreme Court Review—for a conversation about the politics and history of Supreme Court nominations. To a certain degree, politics has always played a role in Supreme Court nominations. What makes this era unique? “What’s different is that you have divergent interpretive theories mapping onto partisan preference at a time when the parties are more ideologically sorted than they’ve been since at least the Civil War,” Shapiro argues. When it comes to divergent legal theories, “every decade provides a new escalation.” Tune in for a conversation about the future of First and Second Amendment jurisprudence, the left’s misconceptions surrounding Roe v. Wade, and the problems associated with public hearings for judicial nominations. Show Notes: -30 day free trial at The Dispatch, CBS post-debate poll, “Why Amy Coney Barrett Should Not Be On The Supreme Court” by Nathan Robinson in Current Affairs, Chevron doctrine, “Qualified and Absolute Immunity at Common Law” by Scott Keller and Jay Schweikert’s response in Cato. -Ilya Shapiro’s new book: Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America’s Highest Court and Ted Kennedy tirade against Judge Robert Bork Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Several new polls were released over the weekend and Donald Trump is still trailing Joe Biden by roughly 7 to 10 points, depending where you look. Despite Biden’s steady lead, bad takes abound in the journalism world. “Here’s what happens when a race is not particularly close on the numbers,” Sarah explains. “People in the media try to make it more interesting by finding tea leaves and little nuggets that no one else has found and then blowing those up into their own narrative.” Sarah says it’s not always that the methodology of a particular poll is bad per se, “it’s that the causal relationship between the question and the result is assumed and not actually there.” For example, a series of polls from this weekend show that a majority of Americans oppose Trump’s decision to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat before November 3. But as Sarah points out, this is a dumb survey question for two reasons: 1) the answers break down along party lines when you look a little closer at the survey responses, and 2) it doesn’t ask survey respondents whether it will change their vote, which is the only thing that matters at this point. That leads us to the New York Times’ bombshell report on Trump’s tax returns and whether it will be of any consequence during this election. David and Sarah argue that loyal Trump supporters are simply too attached to the president at this point to care about any new scandals that emerge between now and November 3. Tune in to this episode for an update on presidential polling in battleground states, electoral litigation in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and a fun conversation about our podcast hosts’ favorite new documentaries. Show Notes: -New York Times/Siena College poll, Washington Post-ABC News poll, FiveThirtyEight polling averages in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan. -The New York Times’ report on Trump’s tax returns, Purcell v. Gonzalez. -Republican party of Pennsylvania filed court documents over the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Sept. 17 rulings. -David’s French Press: “It’s Time for ‘Pandemic Law’ to End”, “The Social Dilemma” Netflix documentary and “The Real Story of Paris Hilton.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Louisville grand jury on Wednesday indicted one officer in connection with the March 13 police raid that took Breonna Taylor’s life. The grand jury declined to charge the two officers who fired directly at Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend that evening, instead only charging the third officer, who was outside and fired indiscriminately, with wanton endangerment. David explains the basic facts leading up to Taylor’s shooting, as well as the legality surrounding police raids and the right of self-defense under Kentucky law. “You begin to see where we’ve backslidden in our commitment to key constitutional liberties,” David explains, where “decades of bad Fourth Amendment jurisprudence has empowered violent tactics even when the stakes are low.” On today’s episode, David and Sarah also address how much the chief justice matters to the trajectory of the Supreme Court and the democratic prudence of voluntary judicial restraint. After a requisite foray into all things SCOTUS, our podcast hosts are joined by Federal Elections Commission Chairman Trey Trainor, who explains the ins and outs of election law, foreign election interference, and why the FEC is paralyzed right now. Trainor also explains how campaign finance laws like the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act have significantly weakened the national political parties while funneling money into the state parties in the process. “What’s happened is the smoke filled room has moved from Washington, D.C. to each of the 50 states.” Stick around for an inside scoop on the rise and fall of Kanye West’s presidential campaign. Show Notes: -30 day free trial at The Dispatch, FEC Chairman Trainor’s statement on the dangers of procedural dysfunction, “A Resignation in Time, that Saved Nine” by Josh Blackman in Reason, David’s French Press: “Supreme Court Precedent Killed Breonna Taylor.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday, rocking the nation and setting the stage for a blistering Senate confirmation fight should the Senate Judiciary Committee go through with the hearing process before the election. Today, our podcast hosts walk us through the history of SCOTUS vacancies, reflect on the legendary friendship between Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Antonin Scalia, and offer some rank punditry about what this SCOTUS vacancy means for the future of our republic. The question on everyone’s mind is: What happens next? Will Senate Republicans go through with the Supreme Court nomination process? Should they? Sarah and David have some thoughts. What’s clear is that Trump will fight tooth and nail to get a nominee through as a last ditch effort to energize his base. “The more the Democrats threaten him, his brand is that he cannot give in to threats,” explains Sarah. “It’s the ultimate ‘owns the libs’ move to fill the Ginsburg seat and enrage the left.” But who will president Trump nominate? Judge Barbara Lagoa of the 11th Circuit is in the running, but 7th Circuit judge Amy Coney Barrett’s cult of personality on the right—especially within the pro-life community—will likely give her the winning ticket. “If RBG is Michael Jordan,” Sarah explains, “ACB is Lebron James.” Stick around for a deep dive into the filibuster’s life expectancy, the possibility of a Democratic court packing scheme, and the likelihood of an Electoral College split this November. Show Notes: -David’s new book, Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation, Judge Jeffrey Sutton’s conversation with Justice Scalia about his friendship with RBG, and Sarah’s Sweep newsletter, “Yep, This Changes Everything,” and “Replacing Justice Ginsburg: Politics, Not Precedent” by Andrew McCarthy in National Review, the upcoming Dispatch Live with Sarah and David this Wednesday. -David’s piece on the battle over Ginsburg's seat and don’t forget to take advantage of our 30 day free trial of The Dispatch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After reflecting on the best and worst parts of our country’s founding document for Constitution Day, David and Sarah dive into Attorney General Bill Barr’s Constitution Day address at Hillsdale College yesterday, in which he defended political judgment in bringing prosecutions and railed against federal prosecutors’ propensity to punish as much misconduct as possible. Our podcast hosts agree with Barr that there is an effort by federal prosecutors to expand federal criminal law to an unreasonable degree. But David reminds us that federal prosecutors are not just the instrument to be wielded by the attorney general, they are charged with carrying out laws that have been passed by Congress. “Perhaps we have gone too far with civil service protections,” Sarah explains, “and that we are unable to remove anyone who is part of the permanent federal bureaucracy even for misconduct at this point really.” Most of the news headlines referencing Barr’s speech highlighted his comparison between career federal prosecutors and preschoolers, as well as his rather distasteful comparison between coronavirus lockdowns and … slavery. “You know, putting a national lockdown, stay at home orders, is like house arrest,” Barr said yesterday in response to a question about the constitutionality of stay at home orders. “Other than slavery, which was a different kind of restraint, this is the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history.” Sarah suggests a new legal truism on today’s episode: If you compare anything to slavery, you’ve already lost your argument. Stick around for a deep dive into Lochner v. New York its relation to coronavirus lockdown court order, as well as a discussion about whether Trump can win enough Electoral College votes without winning Florida. Sarah and David wrap up today’s episode with a reflection on their biggest career failures. Show Notes: -Bill Barr’s speech at Hillsdale College, Three Felonies A Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent by Harvey Silverglate, Yates v. United States, Lochner v. New York, Morrison v. Olson, and William S. Stickman IV’s Pennsylvania District Court decision, The Dispatch30-day trial at . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the month of August, the Biden campaign outraised the Trump campaign by a whopping $150 million. (Biden raked in $360 million last month compared to Trump’s $210 million). As stark as this fundraising difference may be, is there any reason to believe it will be meaningful in the long run?A lot of this money will go toward television ads at this point, but campaign money starts diminishing in value once people start voting by mail. In other words … now. Not to mention that the fundraising difference doesn’t matter so long as each candidate meets a certain threshold. On today’s campaign update episode, our podcast hosts discuss these fundraising efforts while dissecting Trump’s surprising lead with Hispanic voters as well as the usefulness of yard signs, door knocking, and phone banking to a campaign’s overall success. Rather than waste time putting up yard signs or trying to persuade voters to vote with ideologically charged Facebook posts, Sarah argues that the most important—and statistically effective—thing you can do to boost voter turnout is text your closest friends and remind them to vote. As David points out, “It fits in with the sort of general reality that we have a large amount of influence over a small amount of people and a small amount of influence over a large number of people.” Stick around for a discussion about the newest additions to Trump’s Supreme Court list—also known as Sarah’s close friends list—as well as David’s latest Sunday French Press newsletter on the use and abuse of critical race theory. Show Notes: -Sign up for a 30 day trial at The Dispatch here! -“The Sweep: Swing States and Voter Registration Trends” by Sarah Isgur and “Sorry campaign managers: Lawn signs are only 98.3 percent useless” by Philip Bump in the Washington Post, and three polls showing Trump winning Hispanic voters in Florida, The Emerging Democratic Majority by John B. Judis and Ruy Teixeira. -“The Most Tremendous Reelection Campaign in American History Ever” by Olivia Nuzzi in New York Magazine, the newest additions to Trump’s Supreme Court list, David’s latest French Press, “On the Use and Abuse of Critical Race Theory in American Christianity,” the New York Times’ 1619 Project, and “A pandemic, a motel without power and a potentially terrifying glimpse of Orlando’s future” in the Washington Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, President Trump encouraged North Carolina voters to test their state's election security. David and Sarah discuss how, exactly, someone commits voter fraud, and what voters need to know as we close in on this November's election. But that's not all: Sarah gives us the latest on the state of the race and how the Trump campaign lost its cash advantage. Plus, David has some thoughts on Tenet. Show Notes: -The New York Times on “How Trump's Billion-Dollar Campaign Lost Its Cash Advantage” -Sign up for Sarah's newsletter The Sweep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a bit of post-2016 election PTSD among American political strategists, where any slight uptick in Trump’s polling numbers is perceived as an emergency situation for the Biden campaign. But despite the almost constant news cycle turbulence in American politics that would have caused big swings in a normal presidential election, the polls have remained relatively stable over the past few months. Biden remains in a clear and comfortable lead over Trump on practically every policy issue except for the economy. Why? According to Sarah, “It’s because of the referendum effect, and it’s because of the wild partisanship moment we’re in right now.” How stable are these divisions that have emerged? Hyper-partisanship isn’t going anywhere as we approach the presidential election, and as David reminds us in today’s episode, “these identities are cementing at the state level as well.” After going deep into the weeds on the latest presidential polls, our podcast hosts delve into the temperamental differences between city life and suburbia, the president’s memorandum on combating lawlessness in America’s cities, and a primer on time, place, and manner restrictions on the First Amendment. Show Notes: -The Sweep: Midweek Mop-Up with Dave Kochel, Fox New polls in Arizona, North Carolina and Wisconsin, CNN poll, Suffolk University/USA Today poll. -David’s forthcoming book Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation and Trump’s memorandum on “Combating Lawlessness In America’s Cities,” a very important city council meeting speech about boneless chicken wings, and a documentary on the dreaded man cold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices