Sexual assault claim against Biden makes me skeptical: Ex-prosecutor

During 28 years as a state and federal prosecutor, I prosecuted a lot of sexual assault cases. The vast majority came early in my career, when I was a young attorney at a prosecutor’s office outside Detroit. A year ago, Tara Reade accused former Vice President Joe Biden of touching her shoulder and neck in a way that made her uncomfortable, when she worked for him as a staff assistant in 1993. Then last month, Reade told an interviewer that Biden stuck his hand under her skirt and forcibly penetrated her with his fingers. Biden denies the allegation. ....
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/04/29/joe-biden-sexual-assault-allegation-tara-reade-column/3046962001/

Trump’s own testing chief says his promise of 5 million daily coronavirus tests is ‘impossible’ – Raw Story

During a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump claimed that the U.S. will be able to carry out five million coronavirus tests per day. But according to a top official overseeing the effort, that goal is nowhere near achievable given the technology that’s available, TIME reports. “[T]here is absolutely no way on Earth, on this planet or any other planet, that we can do 20 million tests a day, or even five million tests a day,” Admiral Brett Giroir told TIME. Since the beginning of the year, the Administration has conducted 5.7 million tests in total. https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/trumps-own-testing-chief-says-his-promise-of-5-million-daily-coronavirus-tests-is-impossible/

Ten reasons why a 'Greater Depression' for the 2020s is inevitable

Ominous and risky trends were around long before Covid-19, making an L-shaped depression very likely
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/29/ten-reasons-why-greater-depression-for-the-2020s-is-inevitable-covid

Trump is seizing the courts – only a Democratic win in November can stop him

Trump’s transformation of the federal judiciary means the stakes have never been higher in an election than they are for Democrats
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/29/trump-seizing-courts-democratic-win-november-could-stop-him

Pentagon shifts money from overseas projects to fill hole caused by border wall funding | TheHill

The Pentagon is taking money from 19 construction projects, including several in Europe meant to deter Russia, in order to pay for construction projects stateside that had been delayed because funding was reallocated to President Trump’s border wall. ....
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/495103-pentagon-shifts-money-from-overseas-projects-to-fill-hole-caused-by-border

Studies touted by right-wingers claiming lower coronavirus deaths are unreliable: researchers – Raw Story

In an op-ed published at The Washington Post this Tuesday, dean of Harvard Medical School George Q. Daley, professor and researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Stephen Elledg, and associate professor at Harvard Medical School Michael Springer, contend that when it comes to recent studies that claim the death toll from coronavirus is less severe than previously thought, people should be wary since the studies are unvetted.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/studies-touted-by-right-wingers-claiming-lower-coronavirus-deaths-are-unreliable-researchers/

Amazon and other platforms allowing payments to far-right groups | World news | The Guardian

Dozens of hate groups and racist media outlets are receiving income via mainstream payment processors such as Amazon, Stripe and DonorBox, according to a new report by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD).
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/28/amazon-online-platforms-far-right-splc

'There is no absolute truth': an infectious disease expert on Covid-19, misinformation and bullshit

Carl Bergstrom’s two disparate areas of expertise merged as reports of a mysterious respiratory illness emerged in January
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/28/there-is-no-absolute-truth-an-infectious-disease-expert-on-covid-19-misinformation-and-bullshit

Why did women vote for Hitler? Long-forgotten essays hold some answers

The rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party in the 1930s came on the back of votes from millions of ordinary Germans – both men and women. But aside from a few high-profile figures, such as concentration camp guard Irma Grese and “concentration camp murderess” Ilse Koch, little is known about the everyday women who embraced the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, known more commonly as the Nazi Party. What little data we do have on ordinary Nazi women has been largely underused, forgotten or ignored. It has left us with a half-formed understanding of the rise of the Nazi movement, one that is almost exclusively focused on male party members. https://theconversation.com/why-did-women-vote-for-hitler-long-forgotten-essays-hold-some-answers-134481

Homeschooling math lessons: Think dice games, cooking fractions and ratios with chocolate milk

In the COVID-19 pandemic, children are just as concerned as their parents about what is happening. The closure of schools is a huge upset in children’s lives. As parents support children and consider their learning, this can be an opportunity for both parents and kids to question, explore, think and learn mathematics together through everyday activities.
https://theconversation.com/homeschooling-math-lessons-think-dice-games-cooking-fractions-and-ratios-with-chocolate-milk-134738

Mr. Deity and The Press Conference

Mr. Deity holds a press conference to talk about his political preferences. https://youtu.be/00VvuuK0Ey0

Top U.S. & World Headlines — April 29, 2020

https://youtu.be/lPtFENMkj7A

$500 billion Fed aid program for corporations won't require them to preserve jobs - The Washington Post

The Fed’s coronavirus aid program lacks restrictions Congress placed on companies seeking financial help under other programs.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/28/federal-reserve-bond-corporations/

Trump's judges: a revolution to create a new conservative America

The president’s judicial appointments have been a quieter project than most of his flamboyant presidency, but will have longer-lasting impacts on healthcare, voting rights, criminal justice and the climate ....
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/28/donald-trump-judges-create-new-conservative-america-republicans

Iran nuclear deal: Trump and Pompeo backtrack on withdrawal with snapback clause threats.

While everyone is riveted to the deadly grind of COVID-19, the Trump administration is stepping up its efforts to crush the Islamic Republic of Iran through one of the most squirrely legal arguments that a nation-state has ever devised. The move is also a political shot in the foot, because it amounts to an unwitting admission that President Donald Trump was wrong to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. ...
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/04/trump-iran-nuclear-deal-snapback-clause-pompeo.html

Opinion | How Trump and His Team Covered Up the Coronavirus in Five Days - The New York Times

The president and senior officials manipulated Americans and played down the severity of the pandemic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/28/opinion/coronavirus-trump-coverup.html

Ex-Republican nails GOP’s hypocrisy as Trump blows off oversight of stimulus funds: They called Obama an ‘emperor’ – Raw Story

During a segment on MSNBC this Tuesday, host Stephanie Ruhle brought up the subject of oversight of the rollout of small business loans during the coronavirus pandemic. According to panel guest Bharat Ramamurti the main question is “will that money help working families in America, or is it primarily going to go to help executives and shareholders?”
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/ex-republican-nails-gops-hypocrisy-as-trump-blows-off-oversight-of-stimulus-funds-they-called-obama-an-emperor/

World's biggest film festivals unite for 10-day streaming event

More than 20 film festivals around the world have joined together to stream movies for free on YouTube after the coronavirus pandemic closed cinemas and forced the cancellation of annual showcases in Cannes and New York.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/apr/27/worlds-biggest-film-festivals-unite-for-10-day-streaming-event

Marco Rubio’s final humiliation: His seven-year campaign against key Obama policy was just terminated by the Supreme Court – Raw Story

On Monday, the Supreme Court voted in an 8-1 decision against Rubio’s gimmick to take down Obamacare.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/marco-rubios-final-humiliation-his-seven-year-campaign-against-key-obama-policy-was-just-terminated-by-the-supreme-court/

Revealed: leader of group peddling bleach as coronavirus 'cure' wrote to Trump this week

Mark Grenon wrote to Trump saying chlorine dioxide ‘can rid the body of Covid-19’ days before the president promoted disinfectant as treatment ...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/24/revealed-leader-group-peddling-bleach-cure-lobbied-trump-coronavirus

The Toddler in Chief thread is now 3 years old - The Washington Post

A brief meditation on an idea that is now more mature than the president of the United States....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/27/toddler-chief-thread-is-now-three-years-old/

The Dangers of Covering Your Face While Black – Mother Jones

Jelani Anderson formulated a plan before stopping to buy water at a convenience store in New Jersey. The 52-year-old Black man works as a safety professional and inspects construction sites all over the state. “I needed to make a stop to use the bathroom and get a water to maintain hydration,” Anderson told me in an email. “Given the difficulty in buying masks in this area, I only had a bandana to use as a nose and mouth covering.” Anderson knew that the combination of racism and stereotyping means a Black man walking into a store with his face covered in a bandana could have an unfortunate outcome. ....
https://www.motherjones.com/coronavirus-updates/2020/04/the-dangers-of-covering-your-face/

Diamond and Silk out at Fox News after they claimed coronavirus death toll is fabricated to hurt Trump: report – Raw Story

On Monday, The Daily Beast reported that Fox News is cutting ties with right-wing video-blogging duo Diamond and Silk, after they used their platform to promote conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/diamond-and-silk-out-at-fox-news-after-they-claimed-coronavirus-death-toll-is-fabricated-to-hurt-trump-report/

Microsoft Word will mark two spaces after periods as an error - CNN

Microsoft has made its typographical decree: Two spaces between sentences is too many. The style choice will now be marked as an error in Microsoft Word -- and users who press the space bar twice after a period will be met with those dreaded blue squiggly lines. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/tech/microsoft-word-two-spaces-trnd/index.html

Howard Stern Urges Trump Fans to All Drink Bleach Together and ‘Drop Dead’

Howard Stern returned to his SiriusXM show after a week-long break on Monday. And he had a lot to say about President Trump’s recent suggestion that injecting disinfectant might just be the coronavirus cure Americans have been waiting for. “I would love it if Donald would get on TV and take an injection of Clorox and let’s see if his theory works,” Stern told listeners on Monday, as first reported by the New York Daily News. “Hold a big rally, say fuck this coronavirus, with all of his followers, and let them hug each other and kiss each other and have a big rally.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/howard-stern-urges-trump-fans-to-all-drink-bleach-together-and-drop-dead

Pence Explains the Failure to Meet Testing Goals in a Supremely Unhelpful Way – Mother Jones

During Monday’s White House press briefing on coronavirus, a reporter asked Vice President Pence to explain the discrepancy between the number of tests he’d promised would be available mid-March—4 million—and the number of tests that were actually done by that time, a much lower figure. The United States did not reach its goal of conducting 4 million tests until April 20. (By contrast, a plan developed by a Nobel Prize–winning economist and a former FDA chief suggests the US should be testing 3 million people per week before re-opening even parts of the economy.) .....
https://www.motherjones.com/coronavirus-updates/2020/04/pence-explains-the-failure-to-meet-testing-goals-in-a-supremely-unhelpful-way/

President’s intelligence briefing book repeatedly cited virus threat - The Washington Post

U.S. spy agency warnings were contained in the 'President's Daily Brief,' a report that Trump routinely declines to read.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/presidents-intelligence-briefing-book-repeatedly-cited-virus-threat/2020/04/27/ca66949a-8885-11ea-ac8a-fe9b8088e101_story.html

260,000 Words, Full of Self-Praise, From Trump on the Virus - The New York Times

Three journalists from The New York Times reviewed more than 260,000 words spoken by President Trump during the pandemic. Here’s what we learned. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/26/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-briefings-nalyzed.html

Facing the coronavirus, Republicans now support the Affordable Car Act - The Washington Post

The ACA’s protections changed public opinion in its favor. Republicans are keeping up. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/27/republicans-are-relying-affordable-care-act-respond-pandemic/

Cuomo schools Trump for suggesting NY should go broke: We’ve been bailing out red state ‘takers’ for years – Raw Story

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday said he was not keen on President Donald Trump’s suggestion that states run by Democratic governors should be allowed to go bankrupt even as they get slammed by the COVID-19 pandemic. During his daily pandemic news conference, Cuomo was asked about Trump’s tweet that declared blue states were being “poorly run,” and thus shouldn’t be “bailed out” by the federal government.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/cuomo-schools-trump-for-suggesting-ny-should-go-broke-weve-been-bailing-out-red-state-takers-for-years/

'Little or no transparency': Warren wants data on White House medical supply program - ABC News

Two Senate Democrats are now probing 'Project Airbridge,' the Trump administration program aimed at getting medical supplies to hospitals amid the pandemic, warning the effort is too opaque. While the White House has touted the Jared Kushner-backed program as an innovative public-private partnership designed to clear logistical logjams and bureaucratic red tape, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., are worried that the administration is not doing enough to facilitate the supply of personal protective equipment to communities battling the coronavirus.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transparency-warren-data-white-house-medical-supply-program/story

Mitch McConnell’s Kentucky has been getting federal bailout money for years. - The Washington Post

New York, New Jersey and other Democratic-led states have for years sent more money to the federal government than they get back.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/27/mitch-mcconnells-kentucky-has-been-getting-federal-bailout-money-years-thats-reality/

Sen. Richard Burr Is Not Just a Friend to the Health Care Industry. He’s Also a Stockholder.… — ProPublica

The Republican of North Carolina, who is under investigation for his stock trading, regularly flips health care stocks even as he pushes for legislation to help the industry. https://www.propublica.org/article/sen-richard-burr-is-not-just-a-friend-to-the-health-care-industry-hes-also-a-stockholder

Mike Pompeo Lashes Out at Critics of Homeschooling, Says Radical Leftists Are Indoctrinating Children

Harvard Magazine, an independently edited magazine affiliated with Harvard University, recently published an article warning of the risks of homeschooling as part of their May/June edition. It quotes Elizzabeth Batholet, Wasserstein public interest professor of law and faculty director of the Law School's Child Advocacy Program, in saying that homeschooling violates children's rights to a "meaningful education" while also limiting them from contributing to a democratic society. Additionally, Bartholet argues that homeschool is inadequately unregulated across the U.S. and can isolate children from others.
https://www.newsweek.com/mike-pompeo-lashes-out-critics-homeschooling-says-radical-leftists-are-indoctrinating-children-1500289

How Did the New Testament Form?

https://youtu.be/SCy7NuujCLc

Rudy Giuliani’s latest COVID-19 conspiracy theory is that Obama paid a Wuhan virus lab in 2017 – Raw Story

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani launched another conspiracy theory about the coronavirus, saying that former President Barack Obama gave funding to a Wuhan, China virology lab in 2017 from the U.S. budget.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/rudy-giulianis-latest-covid-19-conspiracy-theory-is-that-obama-paid-a-wuhan-virus-lab-in-2017/

I used to run White House press briefings. Here's how journalists should handle Trump (opinion) - CNN

After Thursday's disinfectant fiasco some are speculating we've seen the last of the freewheeling White House press briefings. But given what we've seen over the last three years, I expect President Donald Trump will be back, and he'll be back soon, as staying out of the limelight is just not in his nature. To prepare for that, here's some advice for reporters to make these briefings more productive and informative.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/26/opinions/white-house-briefings-journalists-trump-lockhart/index.html

The Amazon Lockdown: How an Unforgiving Algorithm Drives Suppliers to Favor the E-Commerce Giant Over Other Retailers - ProPublica

At a time when much of the retail sector is collapsing, Amazon is strengthening its competitive position in ways that could outlast the pandemic — and raise antitrust concerns. https://www.propublica.org/article/the-amazon-lockdown-how-an-unforgiving-algorithm-drives-suppliers-to-favor-the-e-commerce-giant-over-other-retailers

Republican strategy memo advises GOP campaigns to blame China for coronavirus - The Washington Post

'Don't defend Trump,' the memo says. 'Attack China.'
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/25/senate-gop-talking-points-coronavirus-blame-china-not-trump/

Why the DeVos family's backing of the Michigan protests is no surprise

The Trump-supporting education secretary and her billionaire family have for years promoted rightwing causes and candidates
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/26/devos-family-michigan-protest-rightwing-donors

69 Percent of Americans Want Medicare for All, Including 46 Percent of Republicans, New Poll Says

A newly released poll shows that 69 percent of registered voters support Medicare for All, a plan which would create a national health insurance plan available for all Americans. https://www.newsweek.com/69-percent-americans-want-medicare-all-including-46-percent-republicans-new-poll-says-1500187

Malicious forces creating 'perfect storm' of coronavirus disinformation

The coronavirus crisis has sparked a “perfect storm” of global online disinformation, cyber-espionage and disruption, involving up to a dozen states but most prominently Russia and China, experts have warned. In the midst of a pandemic that has killed tens of thousands of people, analysts have witnessed a sharp rise in deliberate misinformation campaigns on social media, which have occurred in parallel with attempts to hack international organisations at the forefront of the coronavirus response.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/24/coronavirus-sparks-perfect-storm-of-state-led-disinformation

The Business Of Hospitals: Why So Many Health Care Workers Are Being Laid Off (On Point)

Doctors and nurses are fighting the biggest health crisis in a century. So why are health care workers in some hospitals being laid off? We’ll talk about what the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing about running hospitals as a business.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/04/20/pandemic-running-hospitals-like-businesses

Michigan conservatives hail protest success – and set sights on Trump's re-election

Michigan conservatives hail protest success – and set sights on Trump's re-election
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/25/michigan-protests-coronavirus-trump

Fauci calls for at least doubling virus testing before reopening country - POLITICO

Public health experts have called for increased testing to get a clearer picture of the pandemic's scope. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/25/anthony-fauci-coronavirus-testing-reopen-207962

Debacle of Trump's coronavirus disinfectant comments could be tipping point

For Donald Trump, it was the strangest and most news-making thing he could have done: instead of taking questions from journalists, dominating the nation’s airwaves yet again, the US president gave a short pre-written statement and then stalked off the stage.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/25/donald-trump-coronavirus-disinfectant-sarcastic-tipping-point

Climate science deniers at forefront of downplaying coronavirus pandemic

Fringe climate science deniers who spread online disinformation are now downplaying the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/25/climate-science-deniers-downplaying-coronavirus-pandemic

GOP donors pay to bus protesters to cities to demand governors ease restrictions: report – Raw Story

A number of Trump-allied groups, including Tea Party Patriots and FreedomWorks, law firms with ties to Trump and state-based conservative groups are paying to organize the protests and even bring in individuals from outside of the cities where demonstrations take place, according to The New York Times.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/gop-donors-pay-to-bus-protesters-to-cities-to-demand-governors-ease-restrictions-report/

Voter Fraud Is Part of the Republican Playbook - The New York Times - Opinion

Republicans look the other way when electoral cheating helps them. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/opinion/voter-fraud-republicans.html

Why Mitch McConnell Wants States to Go Bankrupt - The Atlantic

American states are abruptly facing their worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that more than 25 percent of state revenues have evaporated because of the pandemic. Demands on state health-care budgets, state unemployment systems, and state social-welfare benefits are surging. By the summer of 2022, the state budget gap could total half a trillion dollars.
States need help. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell does not want to provide it. On The Hugh Hewitt Show on April 23, McConnell proposed another idea. Instead of more federal aid, states should cut their spending by declaring bankruptcy:....

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/why-mitch-mcconnell-wants-states-go-bankrupt/610714/

Fighting Christian Nationalism - YouTube

We focus on Republican State Senator Jason Rapert, who was the driving force behind the installation of a 10 Commandments Monument at the Arkansas State Capitol. Recently, Rapert went on a 4th of July rant and insisted that the Bible is the basis for the American government. Join us as we disassemble his arguments, one by one.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xtcG8AO6y4

Christian author: God is using coronavirus to ‘prune’ the church of branches that ‘aren’t bearing fruit’ – Raw Story

Speaking at the Q 2020 Virtual Summit this Wednesday, Christian author and former pastor Francis Chan raised a few eyebrows with comments he made regarding the coronavirus pandemic. According to Chan, God is using the virus to “prune the Church and cut off branches that aren’t bearing fruit,” The Christian Post reports.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/christian-author-god-is-using-coronavirus-to-prune-the-church-of-branches-that-arent-bearing-fruit/

Atheist Experience 24.16 with Matt Dillahunty & Jim Barrows

00:19:04 Tony - ZA - Atheists AND Theists Are Correct About God
00:28:30 Aligaz - TX - God CAN Create a Rock so Heavy He Can't Lift It
00:45:06 Tony - IL - Men are God, but Have to Earn the Title
00:59:46 Juan - (CO) - Basic Axioms Lead to God
01:10:27 Wes - ME - Infinity and God
01:33:27 Kevin - MS - So, I've Been Thinking, and I Have Proof of God
Interview:
https://youtu.be/sB9RREO4igc

Leaving The Jehovah's Witness Cult (David C. Smalley, Dogma Debate podcast #453)

After 20 years, Kiersten Larson walked away from the JW cult, and as a result, relationships with her family struggled. She opens up about her dark history with the organization. She's now a proud Patreon supporter of Dogma Debate, and we're lucky to have her in the community.
Interview:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/smalleyandhyso/453-free

Kim Jong Un-Healthy? (Pod Save the World podcast)

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu cuts a deal that allows him to stay in charge. We explain how the price of a barrel of oil briefly becomes negative. Rumors about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s health and who might come next. Hong Kong leaders face more attacks on democracy and heavy-handed tactics from China. Parliaments around the world figure out how to meet virtually, and new polling on Trump’s handling of national security. Then former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright joins.
Interview:
https://crooked.com/podcast/kim-jong-un-healthy/

“Trump’s Imaginary Enemy.” (Pod Save America podast)

Trump responds to falling poll numbers with a temporary ban on some forms of immigration, Mitch McConnell wants to hit pause on economic relief, and we answer some questions from listeners. Then former White House Chief Technology Officer Jason Goldman talks to Dan about how Joe Biden and Democrats can get creative with their digital strategy ahead of November.
Interview:
https://crooked.com/podcast/trumps-imaginary-enemy/

Madeleine Albright on America's Standing in the World | Pod Save the World Full Interview

In this full interview from Pod Save the World, Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes talk to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright about her new book (Hell and Other Destinations), the secrecy of North Korea, America’s standing in the world today, Trump’s new immigration ban, nationalism, globalization, how a Secretary of State should be handling the coronavirus crisis, and the role we can all play in shaping America’s foreign policy.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/9ICWSm7fZgQ

This Week at the Supreme Court (Opening Arguments podcast OA380)

Today’s episode breaks down two significant Supreme Court decisions released this week, including Barton v. Barr (involving immigration) and Ramos v. Louisiana (involving unanimous jury verdicts). We break down each one and explain the short- and long-term implications.

First, though, it’s time for a bit of Andrew Was Right and Andrew Was Wrong. The good news: Texas has changed its Executive Order formerly prohibiting abortions and has now affirmed in open court that it will not use the COVID-19 pandemic as pretext for denying reproductive health rights! Best of all, this is exactly the result we’ve been telling you would happen over the past few weeks — even though it took us a bit to get there. But also Andrew Was Wrong? Yeah, Andrew also has a correction to issue regarding lifetime judicial appointments in Episode 378.

Then, it’s time for the main segment in which we break down the Supreme Court’s completely predicable — and utterly unjustifiable — 5-4 decision in Barton v. Barr to restrict the remedies available to legal aliens to challenge removal decisions. Find out why Neil Gorsuch openly admits that the interpretation he votes for makes no sense, textually. (Hint: it’s because these justices don’t care about jurisprudence, just about outcomes.)

After that, we tackle a second key Supreme Court decision that came out this week, Ramos v. Louisiana, in which the Court ruled that the Sixth Amendment right to a unanimous jury was incorporated to the states. Find out why this case presents a “stare decisis trap” for the Court’s liberal justices and how that explains this unique 6-3 alignment with Roberts, Alito, and Sotomayor in dissent (!)

Then, of course, it’s time for an all-new Thomas (and Devin) Take the Bar Exam, in which we preview next week’s special guest and they try and break down a criminal question about football. You won’t want to miss it!
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa380-this-week-at-the-supreme-court/

1A Across America: Abortion Bans During The Pandemic (The 1A)

The pandemic has shut down nearly all cities and states across the country. Essential businesses and medical providers are allowed to remain open, but there are differing ideas on what’s “essential”.

Some states have banned “non-essential” medical procedures citing the need to conserve personal protective equipment like surgical masks and gowns for hospitals. Officials in several of those states, including Texas and Arkansas, have said that ban includes abortion.

Abortion rights advocates see this as an abuse of power, and some, including the Center for Reproductive Rights, are fighting the bans in court.

With nowhere to go, some Texas residents have traveled as far as Nevada to get an abortion.

But now a new order from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that took effect Wednesday allows more abortion procedures to resume in health care facilities that agree to reserve a certain number of beds for coronavirus patients and refrain from seeking scarce protective equipment from public sources.

We’ll talk to both sides of the issue, including a woman from Fort Worth, Texas who drove to Oklahoma City on Wednesday for her abortion.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/segments/1a-across-america-abortion-bans-during-the-pandemic/