Come hang out with Thomas, Lydia, and Matt (and maybe other special guests)!
Wednesday, February 26th, at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern!
What to know:
The Zoom link will be posted to Patreon that day
It will be for the top tiers of any of the Serious Pod LLC shows (SIO, WTW, OA, GG). For OA, that means: Premium Member, Sponsor, Friend 2025-02-24 04:03:39 +0000 UTC View Post
OA 1128 - First: an urgent question from a patron on Trump’s latest executive power grab. Matt explains the history of the “unitary executive theory” and the Federalist Society-backed movement to give the President more power than an actual king.
Then: Rutgers Law professor Katie Eyer studies, teaches, and litigates the law of anti-discrimination with a specialty in LGBTQ rights. She joins to discuss the current state of the law in the shadow of the Sup...
2025-02-21 09:03:36 +0000 UTC View PostHelp us narrow down what things we need to be covering this week for you all! Chime in below with what legal news has been on your mind that could use some good OA analysis. Don't forget to heart any other ideas in the thread that you want covered!
2025-02-19 21:34:33 +0000 UTC View Post
Since you fine folks already heard the second part of the Thursday Night Massacre, this one is just T3BE and the shoutouts!
OA1126 - Law'd Awful Boves
We interrupt your regularly-scheduled LAM for readings and commentary on the documents at the heart of what has quickly become one of the most shocking events in the 155-year history of the U.S. Department of Justice: the openly corrupt dismissal of all charges against New York City mayor Eric Adams in exchange for his cooperation with Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Gavel Gavel contributor Liz Skeen joins to share her pe...
2025-02-18 08:09:19 +0000 UTC View PostHey folks, we recorded a gargantuan amount (with Liz Skeen!) on the Thursday Night Massacre and I need some extra editing time. Will get it out sometime tomorrow!
Thank you!
2025-02-17 09:13:07 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1125 - (NOTE: Acting US Attorney for SDNY Danielle Sassoon’s resignation letter and DOJ acting deputy Emil Bove’s acceptance of that letter were published while we were recording this episode, and hours before the Trump administration was enjoined by a DC federal judge from suspending international aid. The news hose never stops!)
For this Rapid Response Friday, we do our best to answer some of your questions about waves hands in the general direction of DC.
W...
2025-02-14 10:24:24 +0000 UTC View PostYou know the drill - tell us what kind of legal goings-on have been on your mind that you need answers to ("all of them" is a totally fair response because what is this world anymore), and be sure to heart the others in the thread that you're eager to hear us tackle as well!
2025-02-12 20:21:34 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1124 and T3BE58 - Emil Bove drafted an insanely stupid and corrupt memo ordering SDNY to stop prosecuting the case against the insanely stupid and corrupt (and guilty) Mayor Eric Adams. This is absolutely a scandal and we have lost the ability to properly articulate how much of a scandal this is in light of all the other nonstop scandals. But, unlike mainstream media, AT LEAST WE'RE TRYING. We've brought in the big guns - Liz Skeen (and Matt joining on a Wednesday!)
T...
2025-02-12 11:24:55 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1123 - Insurrection enthusiast Donald Trump sure seems to be looking for an excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 in a little-noticed section of one of his flurry of Inauguration Day executive orders. We review the history of how the Constitution and subsequent acts of Congress were written specifically to keep the President from deploying troops on US soil without a very good reason, and how and why the Act has been invoked 30 times in US history. When does civil diso...
2025-02-10 06:33:30 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1122 - We’re not even three weeks into the second Trump administration and already well into our first Constitutional crisis. How was the world’s richest man given access to the nation’s checkbook and the total authority to shut down a $40 billion federal agency with 10,000 employees--and can he be stopped? After a quick review of some recent good news, we try to understand how Donald Trump and Elon Musk are illegally reshaping the federal government before closing out the news ...
2025-02-07 08:52:24 +0000 UTC View PostIt's Wednesday which means it's prep-time for our Rapid Response Friday episode. The focus is likely going to be Elon Musk's coup, so drop any questions you have in that realm, and be sure to heart the others in the thread that you're eager to hear us tackle as well!
2025-02-05 23:06:58 +0000 UTC View PostOA1121 and T3BE57 - Senator Bill Cassidy is one of the few remaining Republicans in national politics that resembles a normal human being. He is a doctor, and is very pro-vaccine. And he had a critical hand in RFK Jr.'s confirmation process. There seemed to be a decent chance he might not vote for the brain worms that run RFK Jr.'s flesh suit, but in the end, he did. How did he get there? How did he justify it? It's an interesting story and it says a lot about where...
2025-02-05 10:36:13 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1120- This episode was first published on our sister show, Gavel Gavel, and has been made available at no charge for our wonderful Opening Arguments patrons!
Folks, we and you deserve a little treat. And let me tell you, this is a treat. Mwuah! Chef's kiss. Here's a triple episode for ya!
Rudy Giuliani is such a piece of shit that the last real lawyers he could find quit. And so, enter... some guy from Staten ...
OA1119 - Trump's executive orders are bad for humanity--and just plain badly written. We survey some of the 20 major legal challenges which have been filed against this nonsense--including two early wins, and a few others which might be wins soon.
Matt then explains a recent proposed Trump enforcement tactic with concerning new potential for integration of local and federal authorities with immigration enforcement which the media seems to have missed. In related news, Trump has announce...
2025-01-31 10:33:36 +0000 UTC View PostOh boy, well we have somehow made it another week, which means we're getting to work on preparing our episode for Friday. Tell us what kind of legal goings-on have been on your mind that you need answers to, and be sure to heart the others in the thread that you're eager to hear us tackle as well!
2025-01-29 20:24:48 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1118 and T3BE56 - Russell Vought lied in his confirmation hearing, but who is Vought and why should we care? Lydia gets us up to speed on this capital-d Doozy, with his background, some highlights from his confirmation hearing, and the great reporting that lets us confidently state that he lied in his hearing with the Senate Budget Committee.
Then Heather Varanini joins for the answer to T3BE question 55 and brand new question 56!
OA1117 - As Donald Trump’s executive branch nominees continue to work their way through the confirmation process, we welcome Stanford Law professor Anne Joseph O’Connell to learn more about one of the most important legal protections we have against a fully imperial presidency. Professor O’Connell is one of the leading academic experts on the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, the legislation which Trump may or may not have intentionally circumvented in his last term to install acting heads ...
2025-01-27 08:18:29 +0000 UTC View PostCalling all patrons! While the live hangout is reserved for folks at $3 and up tiers, we wanted to open up the ability to ask questions for all you fine folks!
Post your questions here for the hangout on Tuesday, January 28th at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern, and if you want to join us LIVE, be sure to update your patron level!
Lastly, so we give the people what they want, be sure to upvote by hearting the questions you want to hear answered!
2025-01-27 05:39:04 +0000 UTC View PostCome hang out with Thomas, Lydia, and Matt (and maybe other special guests)!
Tuesday, January 28th, at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern!
What to know:
The Zoom link will be posted to Patreon that day
It will be for the top tiers of any of the Serious Pod LLC shows (SIO, WTW, OA, GG). For OA, that means: Premium Member, Sponsor, Friend 2025-01-27 05:32:32 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1116 - We take stock a few days into the second Trump administration to consider the current state of ICE enforcement, Trump’s blatantly unlawful overrule of the recent Supreme Court decision forcing the divestiture of TikTok, and the President’s new venture in cryptocurrency. Finally, today’s footnote honors the efforts of one person who is doing her part to write history as it happens.
Well it has been THE LONGEST WEEK EVER, but we're looking forward to answering questions you may have for Rapid Response Friday! Matt has some things up his sleeve, but we'd love to hear from our fine patrons as always.
Comment below with your suggestions on what we should cover, and be sure to heart the others in the thread that you'd like to hear on the show!
All of us here at OA are sending our love and support to each of you as ...
2025-01-22 19:02:22 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1115 - Matt joins for a special Wednesday to provide an initial review of some of the most notable of the 26 executive orders which Donald Trump signed after his inauguration on Monday. We go beyond the headlines to take a closer look at what is actually in these things, and try to sort the routine bluster from the very real threats.
OA1114 - “We are now faced, my friends, with the fact that tomorrow is today.” --Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (April 4, 1967)
We begin the second Trump administration exactly where we intend to remain for the next four years: in dissent.
Today’s Inauguration Day counter-programming features two of the most powerful dissenters in modern American history: Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We begin with commentar...
2025-01-20 09:34:57 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1113 - Special counsel Jack Smith recently resigned and turned final reports in each of Donald Trump’s federal cases to Attorney General Merrick Garland. We examine the enigma of the man and the complexity of his mission before reviewing his final conclusions and charging decisions. How does this compare to the Mueller Report? Why was Trump never charged under the Insurrection Act? And will Aileen Cannon really get away with keeping the second volume on Trump’s illegal retention of clas...
2025-01-17 08:53:13 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1112 and T3BE55!
But who will watch the doozy watchers? We will. We watched Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing, but our focus might have been a bit different than elsewhere. Here at Doozywatch(tm) HQ our concern wasn't with Hegseth as much, because every single one of us and them already knows he isn't fit to be Secretary of Defense. Our focus, and the focus on today's OA is - how did the Democrats do? We've been quite nervous about to what extent the Democrats...
2025-01-15 10:50:08 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1111 - The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice?
We're giving everyone half of this Law'd Awful Movies! We watched John Eastman's... documentary? Whatever it is, a strange nonprofit called the Madison Media Fund produced it, and held the premiere at Mar-a-Lago ahead of its, you guessed it, January 6th release date. You'll hear straight from Eastman, Alan Dershowitz, Jeff Clark, and...Lawrenc...
2025-01-13 10:16:31 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1110 - For the first time in US history, an American President (both former and future) is facing criminal sentencing. We review Judge Juan Merchan’s most recent ruling on Donald Trump’s motion to dismiss his conviction for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and the difficult balance that Merchan has struck in trying to weigh the jury’s verdict and the rule of law itself against the fact that the defendant will be ten days away from regaining the nuclear codes as of the t...
2025-01-10 09:53:41 +0000 UTC View PostFriday is quickly approaching, so as always, we're asking our fine patrons to share what legal explainers they're looking for!
Comment below with your suggestions on what we should cover, and be sure to heart the others in the thread that you'd like to hear on the show!
2025-01-08 22:30:52 +0000 UTC View Post
OA1109 and T3BE54 - John Eastman is many things: a hack, a liar, a disgraced law school dean, a failed Wikipedia editor, and a mostly-disbarred, twice-indicted traitor to the Constitution on a desperate PR campaign to distance himself from the violent insurrection of January 6, 2021 which he set in motion with his patently bad-faith legal advice to the Trump campaign. But did you know that he also isn’t even a person? Our Profiles in Fascism series continues with a have...
2025-01-08 08:43:33 +0000 UTC View Post