Strict Scrutiny

<div> <p>Kate, Melissa, and Leah try to wrap their heads around Trump’s nearly $2 billion DOJ slush fund, which they agree may be—despite <em>extremely</em> stiff competition—the biggest act of trolling and self-dealing of his second term. The professors count the ways this is so, so illegal, and speculate on how it can be challenged (looking at you, Congress).<strong> </strong>They also cover other legal news and some SCOTUS opinions before speaking with Dorothy Roberts about her book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-mixed-marriage-project-a-memoir-of-love-race-and-family-dorothy-roberts/d5922a6c45c20de3?ean=9781668068380&amp;next=t">The Mixed Marriage Project: A Memoir of Love, Race, and Family</a>. Enter Leah’s merch giveaway for the paperback edition of Lawless <a href="https://forms.gle/VRqxPXiPuZpC3Un47">here</a>!</p><p>Favorite things:</p></div><ul> <li>Kate: Nikolas Bowie’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hgo63HsgLo">testimony</a> before the House Judiciary Committee</li> <li>Leah: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0bzP9iV2QbM6174JLfGxcc">It’s Not That Deep</a>, Demi Lovato</li> <li><p>Melissa: <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/kin-oprah-s-book-club-a-novel-tayari-jones/b39cfc2eee0fdadf?ean=9780525659181&amp;next=t">Kin</a>, Tayari Jones</p></li> </ul><div><p>Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026! </p></div><ul><li><p>6/20/26 – New York City</p></li></ul><div> <p>Learn more:<a href="http://crooked.com/events"> http://crooked.com/events<br><br></a>Buy Melissa’s bestselling book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-constitution-annotated-for-the-contemporary-reader-melissa-murray/8e7f0dfa472fc3ca?ean=9781668221938&amp;next=t&amp;">The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader<br><br></a>Preorder a signed paperback of Leah’s book, Lawless, <a href="https://literatibookstore.com/book/signedlawless">here</a>.</p><p>Follow us on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/strictscrutinypodcast/?hl=en"> Instagram</a>,<a href="https://www.threads.net/@strictscrutinypodcast"> Threads</a>, and<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strictscrutiny.bsky.social"> Bluesky</a></p></div>

<div> <p>Kate and Leah break down the Supreme Court’s extension of a stay allowing for continued mail-order access to mifepristone, from the Court’s unconscionable failure to meet its own arbitrary deadline to the unhinged dissents from Justices Thomas and Alito. They also cover last week’s other legal news before speaking with Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, about the devastating fallout from the Court’s ruling in the Voting Rights Act case, <em>Louisiana v. Callais</em>. Finally, Melissa speaks with Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow about their book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-equality-wins-a-new-vision-for-an-inclusive-america-david-glasgow/b7972d2b17556cb6?ean=9781668216750&amp;next=t&amp;next=t&amp;affiliate=1688">How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America</a>.</p><p>Favorite things:</p></div><ul> <li> <strong>Kate</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N68NjL9cMA">Kavanaugh Hegseth Patel Bar Cold Open</a> (SNL); <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKeq4CEZtm8">The Shadow Docket</a> (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver); <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/opinion/callais-voting-rights-roberts-court.html">This Is Getting Dangerous</a>, Jamelle Bouie (NYT); <a href="https://knightcolumbia.org/content/lawyering-without-law">Lawyering Without Law</a> (The Knight First Amendment Institute); <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/give-us-the-ballot-the-modern-struggle-for-voting-rights-in-america-ari-berman/432e04adf5fde5b9?ean=9781250094728&amp;next=t">Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America</a>, Ari Berman</li> <li> <strong>Leah</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox1Eemj8FDo">Rock Music</a> (Charli xcx); Sam Alito’s typos</li> <li><p><strong>Ari</strong>: <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/john-roberts-voting-rights-act-destruction-legacy-history-video/">Blame John Roberts for Destroying the Voting Rights Act</a> (Mother Jones); <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/race-and-reunion-the-civil-war-in-american-memory-university-david-w-blight-ph-d/0b2d2f89fbe1c23a?ean=9780674008199&amp;next=t">Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory</a> and <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/frederick-douglass-prophet-of-freedom-david-w-blight/a1e514195638fc78?ean=9781416590323&amp;next=t">Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom</a>, David Blight; <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/reconstruction-updated-edition-america-s-unfinished-revolution-1863-1877-eric-foner/b2395d850c158be9?ean=9780062354518&amp;next=t">Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877</a>, Eric Foner</p></li> </ul><div><p><br>Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026! </p></div><ul><li><p>6/20/26 – New York City</p></li></ul><div> <p>Learn more:<a href="http://crooked.com/events"> http://crooked.com/events<br><br></a>Buy Melissa’s bestselling book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-constitution-annotated-for-the-contemporary-reader-melissa-murray/8e7f0dfa472fc3ca?ean=9781668221938&amp;next=t&amp;">The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader<br><br></a>Preorder a signed paperback of Leah’s book, Lawless, <a href="https://literatibookstore.com/book/signedlawless">here</a>.</p><p>Follow us on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/strictscrutinypodcast/?hl=en"> Instagram</a>,<a href="https://www.threads.net/@strictscrutinypodcast"> Threads</a>, and<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strictscrutiny.bsky.social"> Bluesky</a></p></div>

<div><p>Kate &amp; Leah talk to Melissa about her new book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-constitution-annotated-for-the-contemporary-reader-melissa-murray/8e7f0dfa472fc3ca?ean=9781668221938&amp;next=t&amp;"><em>The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader</em></a>, or, as we like to call it at Strict HQ, The Constitution (Melissa’s Version). Then all three unravel what happened with the Virginia Supreme Court invalidating voter-approved redistricting maps, along with other voting-related shenanigans in the wake of <em>Callais</em>. Finally, they talk with Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, about why and how anti-abortion forces are once again targeting mifepristone.<br>Favorite things:</p></div><ul> <li>Kate: <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/yesteryear-a-novel-caro-claire-burke/3633cf5fc7b2b2b1?ean=9780593804216&amp;next=t"><em>Yesteryear</em></a> by Caro Claire Burke; NYC Mayor Mamdani skipping the Met Gala to hang out with fashion industry workers; Chris Hayes’ interview with Molly Crabapple on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/here-where-we-live-is-our-country-with-molly-crabapple/id1382983397?i=1000763961157"><em>Why Is This Happening?</em></a>; the Artemis II crew answering kids’ questions on <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/podcasts/the-daily/artemis-astronauts-questions-and-answers.html"><em>The Daily</em></a> </li> <li>Leah: <em>Middle of Nowhere</em>, Kacey Musgraves; <em>Dancing on the Wall</em>, MUNA; “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/02/opinion/supreme-court-voting-rights-act.html">Who Will Stand Up to the Supreme Court Justices?</a>” By Niko Bowie and Daphna Renan; “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/opinion/callais-voting-rights-act-discrimination.html">John Roberts Believes in an America That Doesn’t Exist</a>,” by Jamelle Bouie</li> <li>Melissa: <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/amy-sherald-met-gala-2026?srsltid=AfmBOooD0OPLxTUFL3QdCko3CkFy3WlSlw1Q69e6nkt7IUKW72LJIDgd">Amy Sherald’s Met Gala look<br></a><br></li> </ul><div><p>Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026! </p></div><ul><li><p>6/20/26 – New York City</p></li></ul><div> <p>Learn more:<a href="http://crooked.com/events"> http://crooked.com/events<br><br></a>Buy Melissa’s book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-constitution-annotated-for-the-contemporary-reader-melissa-murray/8e7f0dfa472fc3ca?ean=9781668221938&amp;next=t&amp;">The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader<br><br></a>Preorder a signed paperback of Leah’s book, Lawless, <a href="https://literatibookstore.com/book/signedlawless">here</a>.</p><p>Follow us on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/strictscrutinypodcast/?hl=en"> Instagram</a>,<a href="https://www.threads.net/@strictscrutinypodcast"> Threads</a>, and<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strictscrutiny.bsky.social"> Bluesky</a></p></div>

<div> <p>The 5th Circuit gave us a doozy late on Friday night by tightening access to the abortion drug mifepristone—Leah and Melissa break it down. Then, the full crew dives deeper into the Court’s catastrophic Voting Rights Act decision in <em>Louisiana v. Callais</em> (for their initial reaction, check out <a href="https://crooked.com/podcast/breaking-scotus-deals-another-blow-to-multiracial-democracy/">last week’s emergency episode</a>). Next, they recap the troubling oral arguments in <em>Mullin v. Doe</em>, the case about Temporary Protected Status, in which Trump’s Solicitor General tried to argue that the President’s extremely racist statements about migrants from certain countries weren’t, in fact, racist at all. Also covered: Trump’s ballroom, arguments in an important Fourth Amendment case, and how some savvy federal judges are turning the administration’s favorite legal concept—the unitary executive theory—against it. </p><p>Favorite things:</p></div><ul> <li>Kate: <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-loneliness-of-sonia-and-sunny-a-novel-kiran-desai/93c3b6b087428748?ean=9780307700155&amp;next=t">The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny</a>, Kiran Desai; <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/transcription-a-novel-ben-lerner/e2ab1e6af4c8d0b2?ean=9780374618599&amp;next=t">Transcription</a>, Ben Lerner</li> <li>Leah: Ariana Grande’s new album <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DXrfO_NgngI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==">announcement</a>; Noah Kahan <a href="https://noahkahan.com/pages/tour">on tour</a>; <a href="https://sherrilyn.substack.com/p/scotus-drops-the-other-shoe-on-the?r=1sqa3e&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;triedRedirect=true">SCOTUS Drops The Other Shoe on the Voting Rights Act</a>, Sherrilyn Ifill (Sherrilyn’s Newsletter); <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/04/supreme-court-analysis-coward-samuel-alito-callais.html?gift_token=2pziQ1GYS2aiGtPor0-CmA">The Slaying of the Voting Rights Act by the Coward Samuel Alito</a>, Rick Hasen (Slate); <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRzS61buXkQ">The Supreme Court is Corrupt. This is What We Can Do About It</a>, Jamelle Bouie </li> <li>Melissa: <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/yesteryear-a-novel-caro-claire-burke/3633cf5fc7b2b2b1?ean=9780593804216&amp;next=t">Yesteryear</a>, Caro Claire Burke; <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/vra-supreme-court-callais-decision/686997/">Voters Can Be Disenfranchised Now</a>, Adam Serwer (The Atlantic); <a href="https://engage.naacpldf.org/dBCvDTd9IEiXX_jPkmkT_w2?_ga=2.180045799.218798126.1777665890-1984364831.1777665890&amp;_gl=1*1vjdivy*_gcl_au*MzI5MzI2Mjc5LjE3Nzc2NjU4OTA.*_ga*MTk4NDM2NDgzMS4xNzc3NjY1ODkw*_ga_82NP0S7FKZ*czE3Nzc2NjU4ODkkbzEkZzAkdDE3Nzc2NjU4ODkkajYwJGwwJGgw">Legal Defense Fund<br></a><br></li> </ul><div><p><br>Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026! </p></div><ul><li><p>6/20/26 – New York City</p></li></ul><div> <p>Learn more:<a href="http://crooked.com/events"> http://crooked.com/events<br><br></a>Order Melissa’s book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-constitution-annotated-for-the-contemporary-reader-melissa-murray/8e7f0dfa472fc3ca?ean=9781668221938&amp;next=t&amp;">The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader<br><br></a>Preorder a signed paperback of Leah’s book, Lawless, <a href="https://literatibookstore.com/book/signedlawless">here</a>.</p><p>Follow us on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/strictscrutinypodcast/?hl=en"> Instagram</a>,<a href="https://www.threads.net/@strictscrutinypodcast"> Threads</a>, and<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strictscrutiny.bsky.social"> Bluesky</a></p></div>

<div> <p>Kate and Leah are joined by Democracy Docket’s Marc Elias to break down the Supreme Court’s shameful assault on multiracial democracy in its ruling on the Voting Rights Act case, <em>Louisiana v. Callais</em>.</p><p>Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026! </p></div><ul><li><p>6/20/26 – New York City</p></li></ul><div> <p>Learn more:<a href="http://crooked.com/events"> http://crooked.com/events<br><br></a>Preorder Melissa’s book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-constitution-annotated-for-the-contemporary-reader-melissa-murray/8e7f0dfa472fc3ca?ean=9781668221938&amp;next=t&amp;">The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader<br><br></a>Preorder a signed paperback of Leah’s book, Lawless, <a href="https://literatibookstore.com/book/signedlawless">here</a>.</p><p>Follow us on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/strictscrutinypodcast/?hl=en"> Instagram</a>,<a href="https://www.threads.net/@strictscrutinypodcast"> Threads</a>, and<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strictscrutiny.bsky.social"> Bluesky<br></a></p></div>