1.1K
Downloads
23
Episodes
A history teacher and an engineer walk into a bar…ouch! Except there isn’t a bar. But there are dad jokes. And whiskey. Two guys who know a few things, have been around a few blocks, and a few cocktails, discuss politics, science, history, technology, and the planet Earth. They also warp through rabbit holes in both the Federation and the Galactic Empire, and toast the ashes of the Twelve Colonies. And did I mention dad jokes? Yeah. Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join us for Civics on the Rocks.
Episodes
Monday Sep 16, 2024
Monday Sep 16, 2024
Celebrate one year of Civics on the Rocks! We even have a gift for you!
Monday Sep 02, 2024
Monday Sep 02, 2024
Mack and Steve discuss if they find election poll results highly favorable, favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, unfavorable, or highly unfavorable.
References
A straw poll, or vote, according to Merriam-Webster:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straw%20vote
Fox News may not have handled coverage of the 2012 election as well as they could have:
Folkenflik, David. “Media Circus: Fox Struggles With Obama’s Win?” November 7, 2012. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2012/11/07/164576251/media-circus-fox-struggles-with-obamas-win
How much did Obama win by?
National Archives. “2021 Electoral College Results.” Last reviewed: June 26, 2024. https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/2012
Iowa likes its straw poll, even if Mack does not:
Pate, Paul D. “Iowa Secretary of State Shares Final Results of Iowa State Fair Presidential Straw Poll.” August 21, 2023. Iowa.gov. https://sos.iowa.gov/news/2023_08_21.html
How can you tell if a poll is scientific?
Bloustein Center for Survey Research. “Assessing Poll Validity.” Rutgers.edu. https://bcsr.rutgers.edu/assessing-poll-validity/
Learn about a random sample:
Hayes, Adam. “Simple Random Sampling: 6 Basic Steps With Examples.” Updated: August 14, 2024. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/simple-random-sample.asp
The popular vote doesn’t decide the president because we have the electoral college:
USA.gov. “Electoral College.” Updated: August 22, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/electoral-college
Here are the polling groups Mack listed:
Pew Research Center https://www.pewresearch.org/
Gallop https://news.gallup.com/home.aspx
The Harris Poll https://theharrispoll.com/
Quinnipiac University https://poll.qu.edu/
Some context for the Defense Department paying $400 for a hammer in the 80s:
Freedberg, Jr., Sydney J. “The myth of the $600 hammer.” December 7, 1998. Government Executive. https://www.govexec.com/federal-news/1998/12/the-myth-of-the-600-hammer/5271/
Learn about margin of error:
Mercer, Andrew. “5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls.” September 8, 2016. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/09/08/understanding-the-margin-of-error-in-election-polls/
Read about how polls incorrectly predicted that Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 election:
Mercer, Andrew; Deane, Claudia; and McGeeney, Kyley. “Why 2016 election polls missed their mark.” November 9, 2016. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/11/09/why-2016-election-polls-missed-their-mark/
Why it’s not going to be Biden:
Miller, Zeke; Long, Colleen; and Superville, Darlene. “Biden drops out of 2024 race after disastrous debate inflamed age concerns. VP Harris gets his nod.” July 21, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6#
The Bradley, or Wilder, effect describes a phenomenon where people voted differently than they said they were going to in a poll due to the race of the candidate:
Ballotpedia. “Bradley Effect.” https://ballotpedia.org/Bradley_effect
The Whitman effect describes a similar phenomenon with women candidates. There was a study that found that the Bradley/Wilder effect appears to no longer occur and there is no evidence the Whitman effect ever did. Here is the reference, but please note that the journal article is behind a paywall.
Hopkins, D. J. (2009). No more Wilder effect, never a Whitman effect: When and why polls mislead about Black and female candidates. The Journal of Politics, 71(3), 769–781. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381609090707
About internal polling:
Askarinam, Leah. “In defense of internal polling.” February 7, 2024. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/538/defense-internal-polling/story?id=107003824
Some problems with polling, including the potential to suppress the vote:
Ordway, Denise-Marie. “‘Horse race’ reporting of elections can harm voters, candidates, news outlets: What the research says.” October 23, 2023. The Journalist’s Resource. https://journalistsresource.org/politics-and-government/horse-race-reporting-election/
How third-party candidates affected the 2016 election:
Jaffe, Alexandra. “By the Numbers: Third-Party Candidates Had an Outsize Impact on the Election.” November 8, 2016. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-election-day/third-party-candidates-having-outsize-impact-election-n680921
If Ohio is out, what are the current swing states?
Davis, Jr., Elliot. “7 States That Could Sway the 2024 Presidential Election.” August 27, 2024. U.S. News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/7-swing-states-that-could-decide-the-2024-presidential-election
What’s a protest vote?
Ballotpedia. “Protest vote.” https://ballotpedia.org/Protest_vote
Learn whether it’s misinformation or disinformation:
Bitesize. “Misinformation v disinformation: What’s the difference?” BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z3hhvj6
What’s a push poll?
Ballotpedia. “Push polling.” https://ballotpedia.org/Push_polling
So, why did President Biden drop out? One opinion:
Bennet, Brian, and Elliott, Philip. “Why Joe Biden Dropped Out.” July 21, 2024. Time. https://time.com/7001028/why-joe-biden-stepped-down/
In case you somehow missed out on the media’s reporting of President Biden’s debate performance:
Klein, Betsy; Hunt, Kasie; Lee, MJ; Fox, Lauren; and Tausche, Kayla. “Biden’s debate performance sets off alarm bells for Democrats.” June 28, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/28/politics/joe-biden-debate-performance-panic/index.html
Two guys comparing betting markets against what the polls say:
CNN. “Expert: 2024 betting odds more accurate than polling data.” Video. https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2024/07/13/smr-latest-betting-odds-on-2024.cnn
Who do you think will win MVP in the WNBA this season?
ESPN. “WNBA 2024 awards tracker: MVP, Rookie of Year favorites, more.” August 27, 2024. https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/40484035/wnba-2024-awards-tracker-mvp-rookie-year-coach-all-league-first-team
Don’t take Mack’s word for it, this is what polling says about how voters feel about education in this election:
Hatfield, Jenn. “Partisan divides over K–12 education in 8 charts.” June 5, 2023. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/05/partisan-divides-over-k-12-education-in-8-charts/
Learn about consumer confidence:
The Conference Board. “U.S. Consumer Confidence Rises Slightly in August.” August 27, 2024. https://www.conference-board.org/topics/consumer-confidence
Protestors at a Republican event:
Tareen, Sophia; Offenhartz, Jake; Williams, Corey; and Yamat, Rio. “Protestors rally peacefully at GOP convention for abortion and immigrant rights, end to war in Gaza.” July 15, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/activists-rnc-milwaukee-police-protest-march-4a315dc5f36fc9390898301d508aee20
Protestors at a Democratic event:
Tareen, Sophia; Offenhartz, Jake; Cappelletti, Joey; and Skene, Lea. “Crowds of pro-Palestinian protestors rally and march outside Democratic convention’s 3rd night.” August 21, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/democratic-convention-chicago-protests-israel-hamas-war-ea3bc9193cc99a5c95ebfd1a42db924f
Some reasons why American media might be cautious, even skittish, on reporting the conflict in the Middle East:
Kekauoha, Alex. “Navigating the fog of war: Stanford’s discussion on media coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.” December 6, 2023. Stanford Report. https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2023/12/navigating-fog-war-stanfords-discussion-media-coverage-israel-hamas-war
A look at how one poll approached the Israel-Palestine conflict:
Telhami, Shibley. “Americans feel the need to be extra careful when discussing Israel-Palestine.” March 8, 2024. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/americans-feel-the-need-to-be-extra-careful-when-discussing-israel-palestine/
Immigration and the asylum system:
American Immigration Council. “Asylum in the United States.” January 15, 2024. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/asylum-united-states
Immigration and the border wall:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Border Wall System – Frequently Asked Questions.” Updated: February 12, 2024. https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/border-wall/border-wall-system-frequently-asked-questions
What makes a good poll question?
Pew Research Center. “Writing Survey Questions.” https://www.pewresearch.org/writing-survey-questions/
How data metrics/mining techniques are used by politicians:
Klosowski, Thorin. “How Political Campaigns Use Your Data to Target You.” April 16, 2024. Electronic Frontier Foundation. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/04/how-political-campaigns-use-your-data-target-you
AI does not have to be accurate in any of its results:
Caltech Faculty. “Can We Trust Artificial Intelligence?” Science Exchange. https://scienceexchange.caltech.edu/topics/artificial-intelligence-research/trustworthy-ai
Is Texas becoming more purple? One opinion:
Barabak, Mark Z. “Column: In two decades, much of the West has turned blue. Why hasn’t Texas?” December 7, 2023. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-12-07/much-of-the-west-has-turned-blue-heres-why-texas-is-an-exception
Learn a little (opinionated) history about Rick Perry’s Texas Enterprise Fund:
Mitchell, Matthew and Philpot, Anne. “Commentary: Enterprise Fund gives Texans’ money to their competitors.” March 22, 2017. Austin American-Statesman. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2017/03/22/commentary-enterprise-fund-gives-texans-money-to-their-competitors/9998429007/
Meta sells your data (allegedly):
Cooban, Anna. “Meta accused of ‘massive, illegal’ data processing by European consumer groups.” February 20, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/29/tech/meta-data-processing-europe-gdpr/index.html
How to make a whiskey sour:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/whiskey-sour/
Ingredients we used for an Almond Joy:
Coconut rum, chocolate liqueur, amaretto
If you want to make a Mounds:
Coconut rum, chocolate liqueur
Here are the candy bars we listed:
Whatchamacallit https://www.hersheyland.com/whatchamacallit
100 Grand (née 100,000 Dollar Bar) https://www.backthenhistory.com/articles/the-history-of-100-grand-bars
3Musketeers https://www.3musketeers.com/
Milky Way https://www.milkywaybar.com/our-story
Snickers https://www.snickers.com/our-story
And Steve is right, they reformulated the Butterfinger:
Campbell-Schmitt, Adam. “Butterfinger Changed Its Recipe—Here’s How It Tastes.” December 13, 2018. Food and Wine. https://www.foodandwine.com/news/butterfinger-new-recipe-taste-test
Places that Steve went to while in Boston:
The Freedom Trail https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/
USS Constitution https://www.nps.gov/bost/learn/historyculture/ussconst.htm
“Impassioned Destruction” exhibit at the Old State House https://revolutionaryspaces.org/explore/exhibits/impassioned-destruction/
Anne provided misinformation; the Constitution resides at the National Archives Museum:
If you would like some history on the George Floyd protests:
National Museum of African American History & Culture. “How George Floyd’s Death Became A Catalyst for Change.” https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/how-george-floyds-death-became-catalyst-change
If you would like some history on the L.A. Riots:
Wallenfeldt, Jeff. “Los Angeles Riots of 1992.” Updated: August 21, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Los-Angeles-Riots-of-1992
If you would like some history on the Whiskey Rebellion:
Kotowski, Peter. “Whiskey Rebellion.” The George Washington Presidential Library. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/whiskey-rebellion
Our bad, Sam Adams did not participate in the Boston Tea Party, but everyone is pretty sure he helped plan it:
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Samuel Adams.” Updated: July 15, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Adams
And Anne and Mack were wrong. John Adams was totally THERE FOR IT (definitely a fan):
Norton, Amanda. “’The Sublimity of it, charms me’: John Adams and the Boston Tea Party.” Updated: May 8, 2019. Massachusetts Historical Society. https://www.masshist.org/beehiveblog/2015/12/the-sublimity-of-it-charms-me-john-adams-and-the-boston-tea-party/
But yeah, other big names from American history weren’t so enthusiastic:
Roos, Dave. “Why Some Founding Fathers Disapproved of the Boston Tea Party.” December 11, 2023. History. https://www.history.com/news/boston-tea-party-critics-ben-franklin
If you want to watch the Schoolhouse Rock song about the Boston Tea Party:
https://youtu.be/t-9pDZMRCpQ?si=5ltTEu5VJb35VQjR
If you want to watch the Schoolhouse Rock song that Mack was singing without any copyright permission:
The other critically important Boston thing that Steve saw:
Waterworks Museum https://waterworksmuseum.org/
What Mack is reading:
Jon Gertner. The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation. (Penguin Books, 2013).
Transistors, a pretty significant invention:
Steber, George R. “The Story of the Transistor.” Nuts and Volts. https://www.nutsvolts.com/magazine/article/the-story-of-the-transistor
In case you didn’t go to a technical school and didn’t learn about TI:
Dennis, Michael Aaron. “Texas Instruments Incorporated.” Updated: August 22, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/Texas-Instruments-Incorporated
Learn about inventions and Thomas Edison:
Library of Congress. “Life of Thomas Alva Edison.” https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/biography/life-of-thomas-alva-edison
Vacuum tubes are pretty if you want to search for a picture of them on your own. If you want to know important technical information about them:
Sosa, Estanisalo Navarro. “Electron tube.” Updated: July 3, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/electron-tube
What did Alexander Graham Bell ever do?
Hochfelder, David. “Alexandar Graham Bell.” Updated: July 29, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-Graham-Bell
In case you didn’t get the Watson joke:
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Thomas Augustus Watson.” Updated: April 15, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Augustus-Watson
If you want to learn about the breakup of Ma Bell:
Gianforti, Adrian. “This Month in Business History: The Breakup of the Bell System.” January 24, 2022. History Factory. https://www.historyfactory.com/insights/this-month-in-business-history-bell-system/
Learn the distinction between pure research and applied research:
Hasa. “Difference Between pure and Applied Research.” March 16, 2017. Difference Between. https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-pure-and-vs-applied-research/
Learn about the cosmic microwave background:
Howell, Elizabeth and Dobrijevic, Daisy. “What is the cosmic microwave background?” January 28, 2022. Space. https://www.space.com/33892-cosmic-microwave-background.html
The more common pronunciation is conk:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conch
In case you didn’t go to a liberal arts school and didn’t learn about Piggy:
William Golding. Lord of the Flies. (Penguin Books, republished 2003).
Learn about General Atomics:
General Atomics. “History.” https://www.ga.com/about/history
Learn about Southwest Research:
Compton, James R. “Southwest Research Institute.” Updated: November 1, 1995. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/southwest-research-institute
Learn about National Laboratories:
Energy.gov. “Origins.” https://www.energy.gov/science/history
How we made a Reese’s:
Peanut butter whiskey, chocolate liqueur
The age-old question: what is nougat?
Williams, Corey. “What is Nougat and What Is It Made Of?” February 16, 2022. All Recipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-is-nougat/
Shout-out to Toblerone:
Mondelēz International. “Toblerone.” https://www.mondelezinternational.com/our-brands/toblerone/
Get to know the League of Women Voters:
A better way to inform your vote than election projection polling:
And the director Quentin Tarantino is not known for telling stories in chronological order. But you already knew that.
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Monday Aug 05, 2024
It’s the highest court in the land, but is it all that great? Steve and Mack pass judgement on the latest decisions from the Supreme Court.
References
Where the words “supreme court” are used in the Constitution:
Constitution Annotated. “Article III.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/
Where the words “commander in chief” are used in the Constitution:
Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S2.C1.1.11 Presidential Power and Commander in Chief Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S2-C1-1-11/ALDE_00013473/
If you want to learn more about how Constitutional amendments are passed:
Office of the Federal Register. “Constitutional Amendment Process.” National Archives. Reviewed August 15, 2016. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution
In case you haven’t heard of the Heritage Foundation:
Wiggins, Christopher. “What is the Heritage Foundation, the group behind the terrifying Republican Project 2025 agenda?” July 20, 2024. Advocate. https://www.advocate.com/politics/what-is-heritage-foundation
If you want to know why the Heritage Foundation wants a constitutional convention:
Malcolm, John. “Consideration of a Convention to Propose Amendments Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution.” February 19, 2016. The Heritage Foundation. https://www.heritage.org/the-constitution/report/consideration-convention-propose-amendments-under-article-v-the-us
Read about how President Lincoln symbolically signed the 13th Amendment:
National Museum of African American History & Culture. “13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.” https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/13th-amendment-constitution-united-states
Learn about the Dred Scott case:
Milestone Documents. “Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).” National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/dred-scott-v-sandford
How many cases does the Supreme Court listen to a year:
United States Court. “About the Supreme Court.” https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/about
The case that Steve used as an example of original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court:
Schonfeld, Zack. “New York tells Supreme Court to toss Missouri’s longshot bid to block Trump’s sentence.” July 24, 2024. The Hill. https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4791625-ny-supreme-court-block-trump-sentence/
Want to know more about the Circuit Courts of Appeals?
United States Courts. “About the U.S. Courts of Appeals.” https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/court-role-and-structure/about-us-courts-appeals
Alas, a writ of certiorari is not a magical spell from a 1980’s fantasy movie:
Lega Information Institute. “Writ of Certiorari.” Cornell Law Score. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/writ_of_certiorari
Lawrence v. Texas (2003):
Oyez. “Lawrence v. Texas.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2002/02-102
Learn the long history of how Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was eventually overturned by Brown v. Board of Education (1954):
United States Courts. “History – Brown v. Board of Education Re-enactment.” https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/history-brown-v-board-education-re-enactment
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022):
Oyez. “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2021/19-1392
Once more, how impeachment works:
United States Senate. “About Impeachment.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment.html
Just in case you want to know the definition of treason in the Constitution:
Constitution Annotated. “ArtIII.S3.C1.2 Levying War as Treason.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artIII-S3-C1-2/ALDE_00013525/
Poor marriage choices:
Tucker, Eric. “Virginia Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, agrees to interview with Jan. 6 panel.” September 21, 2022. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/virginia-thomas-the-wife-of-justice-clarence-thomas-agrees-to-interview-with-jan-6-panel
Once more, Gerald R. Ford’s perfect explanation of impeachment:
Davis, Kenneth C., “The history of American impeachment.” The Smithsonian Magazine, June 12, 2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-you-need-know-about-impeachment-180963645/
What was that about yacht trips to Russia, now?
Roche, Darragh. “Clarence Thomas’ Yacht Trip to Russia Raises Questions.” July 11, 2024. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/clarence-thomas-yacht-trip-russia-raises-questions-1923668
What was that about gold bars, now?
Wolf, Zachary B. “Gold bars, basement carpeting and more. Here’s what prosecutors say bought off a U.S. senator.” May 12, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/12/politics/menendez-gold-cash-what-matters/index.html
What the bribery statute is:
Criminal Resource Manual. “2041. Bribery of Public Officials.” U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-2041-bribery-public-officials
Steve is correct. Two senators have requested an investigation of Supreme Court justices for bribery:
Press Release. “Oscasio-Cortez Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against Justice Thomas and Justice Alito.” July 10, 2024. House.gov. https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ocasio-cortez-introduces-articles-impeachment-against-justice-thomas-and
Once more, if you need some background to the ham sandwich quip:
Levin, Josh. “The Judge Who Coined ‘Indict a Ham Sandwich’ Was Himself Indicted.” November 25, 2014. Slate. https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/11/sol-wachtler-the-judge-who-coined-indict-a-ham-sandwich-was-himself-indicted.htm
The recent case about bribery heard at the Supreme Court:
Oyez. “Snyder v. United States.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/23-108
Learn about President Jackson and the spoils system:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Spoils system.” March 28, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/spoils-system
Another Project 2025 thing:
Mascaro, Lisa. “Conservatives aim to restructure U.S. government and replace it with Trump’s vision.” August 29, 2023. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/conservatives-aim-to-restructure-u-s-government-and-replace-it-with-trumps-vision
Yes, former Vice President Dick Cheney shot someone in the face:
Dey, Sneha. “Harry Whittington, longtime Texas GOP supporter shot by Dick Cheney in a 2006 hunding accident, dies.” February 5, 2023. Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/02/05/harry-whittington-dick-cheney/
In case you didn’t get Anne’s Winnebago joke:
Sherman, Mark. “Most of Justice Thomas’ $267,000” loan for an RV seems to have been forgiven, Senate Democrats say.” October 25, 2023. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-clarence-thomas-motorcoach-loan-ethics-afed2073e0d7cf4a994256ce35d5063f
In case you didn’t get Steve’s private jet joke:
Quinn, Melissa. “Clarence Thomas took 3 undisclosed trips on private jet provided by GOP megadonor, committee says.” June 13, 2024. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/clarence-thomas-private-jet-flights-harlan-crow-supreme-court/
A little about sovereignty:
Legal Information Institute. “Sovereignty.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sovereignty
A little about federalism:
Legal Information Institute. “Federalism.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/federalism
A little about separation of powers:
Legal Information Institute. “Separation of powers.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/separation_of_powers
About the guidelines for recusal:
Sherman, Mark. “To recuse or refuse? A look at Supreme Court justices’ decisions on whether to step aside in cases." May 29, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-alito-flags-recusal-capitol-riot-f4ef46683365c92e8a3ff9df7894b586?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share
A lot about due process of law:
Legal Information Institute. “Due process.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/due_process
There’s a lot of history and debate around Dr. Bonham’s case. Here’s some info from an open source:
McWha, Nicole. “Coke in Dr. Bonham’s Case: His Meaning Revisited.” May 8, 2021. University of Southern Queensland. https://lawfully.unisq.edu.au/coke-in-dr-bonhams-case-his-meaning-revisited/
Here’s a very serious look at issues of senility and appointees for life:
Kaufman, Alan S. “The Precipitous Decline in Reasoning and Other Key Abilities with Age and Its Implications for Federal Judges.” December 2021. Journal of Intelligence, 9(4). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8628958/
Trump v. United States (2024):
Oyez. “Trump v. United States.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/23-939
Here is a summation of Justice Sotomayor’s dissent:
Wendling, Mike. “Justice’s dissent: ‘The president is now a king above the law.’” July 1, 2024. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c035zqe7lgro
Nixon v. Fitzgerald (1982):
Oyez. “Nixon v. Fitzgerald.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1981/79-1738
Here is a summation of Justice Barrett’s opinion:
McCord, Mary. “Barrett’s Writing on Immunity Provides Another Path on Rehearing.” July 11, 2024. Bloomberg Law. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/barretts-writing-on-immunity-provides-another-path-on-rehearing
If you want to read the opinions in their entirety, the Supreme Court posts them as PDFs:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/slipopinion/23
If you are unfamiliar with drone strikes under the Obama administration:
Zenko, Micah. “Obama’s Final Drone Strike Data.” January 20, 2017. Council on Foreign Affairs. https://www.cfr.org/blog/obamas-final-drone-strike-data
The specific drone strike ordered by President Trump that was referenced in this episode:
Cohen, Zachary; Alkhshali, Hamdi; Khadder, Kareem; and Dewan, Angela. “U.S. drone strike ordered by Trump kills top Iranian commander in Baghdad.” January 4, 2020. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/02/middleeast/baghdad-airport-rockets/index.html
If you would like to form your own opinion about increasing the number of Supreme Court justices:
ProCon.org. “U.S. Supreme Court Packing – Top 3 Pros and Cons.” Updated November 15, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/us-supreme-court-packing-top-2-pros-and-cons/
Some history on the number of Supreme Court justices:
Supreme Courte of the United States. “The Court as an Institution.” https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/institution.aspx
There are several recipes for Pimm’s Cups out in the world. This one is closest to the cocktail on the bottle label:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/pimms-cup/
This recipe is closer to how Anne makes it:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pimms-cup-9605285
What Mack is reading:
Michael Lewis. The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds. (W. W. Norton & Company, 2016).
Want the definition of rational man hypothesis?
APA Dictionary of Psychology. “rational-economic man.” Updated April 19, 2018. https://dictionary.apa.org/rational-economic-man
From our friends and Merriam-Webster:
“German heuristisch, from New Latin heuristicus, from Greek heuriskein to discover; akin to Old Irish fo-fúair he found”
Merriam-Webster. “heuristics.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heuristics#word-history
If you want to geek out on behavioral economics:
Samson, Alain. “An Introduction to Behavioral Economics.” Behavioral Economics. https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/introduction-behavioral-economics/
The NOVA special Anne watched:
NOVA. “Mind Over Money.” 2010. https://www.pbs.org/video/nova-mind-over-money/
If you want to learn about the velocity of money:
Chen, James. “Velocity of Money: Definition, Formula, and Examples.” Updated November 27, 2022. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/velocity.asp
If you want to know about flow rate:
CFI Team. “Throughput (flow rate).” Corporate Finance Institute. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/valuation/throughput/
Who Steve follows on X (née Twitter):
@Prune602. https://x.com/prune602?lang=en
Learn about Russia’s financial crisis:
Pomeranz, William E. “Putin’s created an economic crisis and left Moscow no easy way out.” Wilson Center. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/putins-created-economic-crisis-and-left-moscow-no-easy-way-out
If you are unfamiliar with Project 2025, you can read about it for yourself:
The sentencing we were referencing was in regard to this case:
Sisak, Michael R.; Peltz, Jennifer; Tucker, Eric; Price, Michelle L.; and Colvin, Jill. “Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes.” May 31, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0
Learn about the marble Supreme Court building:
Supreme Court of the United States. “Building History.” https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/buildinghistory.aspx
If you need a reminder of Russians bribing U.S. officials:
FBI. “Russian Interference in 2016 U.S. Elections.” https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cyber/russian-interference-in-2016-u-s-elections
Recent elections in the U.K.:
Picheta, Rob; Said-Moorhouse, Lauren; Stockwell, Billy; Wilkinson, Peter; Tilotta, Sarah; Kottasová, Ivana; Edwards, Christian; Poole, Thom; and Guy, Jack. “Keir Starmer is new U.K. prime minister after landslide election win.” July 5, 2024. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/uk-general-election-results-2024-intl/index.html
Recent elections in France:
Associated Press. “France election highlights: Leftists win most seats, but no party wins majority.” July 7, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/live/france-election-results-updates-round-2-macron-le-pen
And Tim Curry played a devil-like character named Darkness in the 1985 movie Legend. But you already knew that.
Monday Jul 08, 2024
Monday Jul 08, 2024
You’ve heard the term before, but did you realize how bad the situation really is? Buckle up, kids, this is a bumpy one.
References
Well?
Steve is archaically correct. According to Merriam-Webster gerrymandering was originally pronounced with a hard g, but it now most commonly pronounced with a soft one.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerrymandering
Who was Elbridge Gerry?
Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. “Gov. Elbridge Gerry.” Original source: 1978. National Governors Association. https://www.nga.org/governor/elbridge-gerry/
Want to see the “Gerry-Mander” cartoon from 1813 that coined the term?
Smithsonian. “Cartoon, ‘The Gerry-Mander’, 1813.” https://www.si.edu/object/cartoon-gerry-mander-1813%3Anmah_509530
Want to see what a salamander looks like in both medieval heraldry (or whatever) and real life?
Marcec, Ruth. “Amphibian Conversation: Fired Up About Salamanders.” April 18, 2017. Detroit Zoo. https://detroitzooblog.org/2017/04/18/amphibian-conservation-fired-up-about-salamanders/
Learn about cracking, packing, and other terms involved with redistricting:
Panjwani, Haya. “Cracking, Packing, Apportionment: Here’s A Glossary of Terms to Help You Understand Redistricting.” September 21, 2021. KERA News. https://www.keranews.org/politics/2021-09-21/cracking-packing-apportionment-heres-a-glossary-of-terms-to-help-you-understand-redistricting
If you want to see the current map of the Texas senate district that Mack mentioned:
The Texas Tribune. “Texas Senate District 25.” https://www.texastribune.org/directory/districts/tx-senate/25/
Yep, we’re pronouncing Bexar as Bear. Texas, y’all.
Learn about constitutional amendments that involve voting:
USA.gov. “Voting Rights Laws and Constitutional Amendments.” Updated: February 22, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/voting-rights
Learn about women’s suffrage in the state of Wyoming:
Wyoming Historical Society. “Women’s Suffrage and Women’s Rights.” https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/topics/womens-suffrage-and-womens-rights
What’s going on with Nebraska?
Nebraska.gov. “Nebraska Unicameral.” https://designegov.nebraska.gov/government/legislative/
Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP (May 2024):
Oyez. “Alexander v. South Carolina Conference of the NAACP.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/22-807
Shaw v. Reno (1993):
Oyez. “Shaw v. Reno.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1992/92-357
Learn about the bunch of marches in the 60s that were about voting:
United States Civil Rights Trail. “Marching for the Vote.” https://civilrightstrail.com/experience/marching-for-the-right-to-vote/
If you would like to read Justice Kagan’s dissent:
Legal Information Institute. “Alexandar v. South Carolina State Conference of the NACCP.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/22-807
Learn about gerrymandering of incarcerated peoples:
Fisher, Garret, King, Taylor, and Limón, Gariella. “Prison Gerrymandering Undermines Our Democracy.” October 22, 2021. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/prison-gerrymandering-undermines-our-democracy
Learn about the implications of counting persons under the age of 18 during redistricting:
Stephanopoulos, Nicholas, and Chen, Jowei. “Democracy’s Denominator.” February 4, 2021. California Law Review (1011). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3779342
Learn about the implications of gerrymandering around universities and colleges:
Carrasco, Maria. “Partisan Gerrymandering Targets Campuses.” October 21, 2021. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/10/22/partisan-gerrymandering-targets-college-campuses
If you don’t remember the three-fifths compromise from history class:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Three-fifths compromise.” April 19, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/three-fifths-compromise
If you feel so inclined to read Kevin Williamson’s argument for “better” voters:
Williamson, Kevin D. “Why Not Fewer Voters?” April 6, 2021. National Review. https://nationalreview.com/2021/04/why-not-fewer-voters/
If you didn’t get the Daft Punk joke:
https://youtu.be/gAjR4_CbPpQ?si=DBrfQyt10gZYLcGW
Not sure how you feel about felons voting:
ProCon.org. “History of Felon Voting.” June 29, 2023. https://felonvoting.procon.org/
Learn about felons voting in Florida:
Brennan Center for Justice. “Voting Rights Restoration Efforts in Florida.” Updated: August 7, 2023. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-rights-restoration-efforts-florida
In case you forgot, Donald Trump is a convicted felon:
Becket, Stefan. “What Was Trump Convicted Of? Details on the 34 Counts and His Guilty Verdict.” June 3, 2024. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-charges-conviction-guilty-verdict/
What’s GIS?
Geographic Information System
Colegrove v. Green (1946):
Oyez. “Colegrove v. Green.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/328us549
Baker v. Carr (1962):
Oyez. “Baker v. Carr.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1960/6
Reynolds v. Sims (1964):
Oyez. “Reynolds v. Sims.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1963/23
Get to know the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929:
History, Art, & Archives. “The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929.” United States House of Representatives. https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1901-1950/The-Permanent-Apportionment-Act-of-1929/
The Texas Monthly article that tells you how to make a Chilton:
Bond, Courtney. “The Chilton.” May 2016. Texas Monthly. https://www.texasmonthly.com/recipe/the-chilton-cocktail-recipe
In case you know not of Topo Chico:
Castle, Sheri. “Topo Chico is the Fizzy Water With a Loyal Fan Base.” April 26, 2024. Southern Living. https://www.southernliving.com/food/drinks/topo-chico-mineral-water
How to make a Gimlet:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/gimlet/
If you want to learn how Raymond Chandler said to make a Gimlet:
Raymond Chandler. The Long Goodbye. (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, Reprinted: 1988).
Giant caves people take tourist trips through:
Travel Texas. “Caves & Caverns.” https://www.traveltexas.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/caves-caverns/
Is it stalactite or stalagmite?
NOAA Ocean Exploration. “What is the Difference Between a Stalactite and a Stalagmite?” https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/stalactite.html
How close are we to fusion power?
Sutter, Paul. “We’ve been ‘close’ to achieving fusion power for 50 years. When will it actually happen?” January 14, 2024. Space.com. https://www.space.com/when-will-we-achieve-fusion-power
In case you hadn’t heard of the term sealioning either:
Merriam-Webster. “What is ‘Sealioning’?” https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/sealioning-internet-trolling
And “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi. But you already knew that.
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Not to oversell it, but this type of episode is why we created this podcast. Do you really know how impeachment works? Are you sure of your dusty memories of high school civics class? Come, find out!
References
What is impeachment?
USA.Gov. “How federal impeachment works.” Last updated February 2, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment
Learn about the impeachment of King Charles I:
Paradis, Michel. “Three Lessons From the First Time a Head of State Was Impeached.” October 3, 2019. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/three-lessons-first-time-head-state-was-impeached
How impeachment works between the House and Senate:
United States Senate. “About Impeachment.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment.htm
About the impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas:
Mascaro, Lisa. “House votes to impeach Mayorkas in a historic rebuke of a sitting Cabinet member.” February 13, 2024. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-votes-to-impeach-mayorkas-in-a-historic-rebuke-of-a-sitting-cabinet-member
What’s a writ of mandamus?
Legal Information Institute. “Mandamus.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/mandamus
The only other time a cabinet member was impeached:
United States Senate. “Impeachment Trial of Secretary of War William Belknap, 1876.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment/impeachment-belknap.htm
The bit on “60 Minutes” with the Clinton’s:
60 Minutes. “Hilary Clinton’s first 60 minutes interview.” 1992. https://youtu.be/-UqKNgrwK8E?si=FM8Fw4Yz6MQMvft6
Not familiar with Senator Gary Hart?
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Gary Hart.” May 1, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gary-Hart
How did Gerald R. Ford define impeachment?
Davis, Kenneth C., “The history of American impeachment.” The Smithsonian Magazine, June 12, 2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-you-need-know-about-impeachment-180963645/
Want to learn more about immigration issues in the U.S.?
Kobucista, Claire, Cheatham, Amelia, and Roy, Diana. “The U.S. Immigration Debate.” Last updated June 6, 2023. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-immigration-debate-0
Senator Chuck Schumer’s formal response to the Mayorkas impeachment:
Senate Democrats. “Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks on the Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas.” April 17, 2024. https://www.democrats.senate.gov/news/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-the-impeachment-trial-of-secretary-mayorkas
Read about how the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas was deemed unconstitutional:
Pecorin, Allison and Hutzler, Alexandra. “Senate kills Mayorkas impeachment trial, votes both articles ‘unconstitutional’.” April 17, 2024. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senators-sworn-jurors-impeachment-trial-dhs-secretary-mayorkas/story?id=109349278
What’s malfeasance?
Legal Information Institute. “Malfeasance.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/malfeasance
The impeachment book that Steve referenced:
Charles R. Black. Impeachment: A Handbook. (Yale University Press, 2018).
Learn about President Nixon’s near impeachment:
Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S4.4.7 President Richard Nixon and Impeachable Offenses.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S4-4-7/ALDE_00000695/
The Watergate trials that happened prior to that:
United States Senate. “Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/watergate.htm
Which senators voted which way in Trump impeachment trial:
Booker, Brakkton. “Trump Impeachment Trial Verdict: How Senators Voted.” February 13, 2021. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/trump-impeachment-trial-live-updates/2021/02/13/967539051/trump-impeachment-trial-verdict-how-senators-voted
When we recorded this podcast, the New York trial was still in process. In case you were unaware of the results:
Scannell, Kara, Del Valle, Lauren, and Herb, Jeremy. “Donald Trump found guilty of all 34 charges in hush money trial.” May 31, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-30-24/index.html
If you need some help keeping track of all the trials that Trump is involved in:
Lawfare. “The Trump Trials.” https://www.lawfaremedia.org/current-projects/the-trump-trials
In case you want to read about Trump cheating charities:
New York State Attorney Journal. “Donald J. Trump Pays Court-Ordered $2 Million For Illegally Using Trump Foundation Funds.” December 10, 2019. https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2019/donald-j-trump-pays-court-ordered-2-million-illegally-using-trump-foundation
Don’t remember Eugene V. Debs as well as Mack and Steve?
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Eugene V. Debs.” May 31, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eugene-V-Debs
In case you don’t remember, Trump bragged he could shoot someone without consequence:
Dwyer, Colin. “Donald Trump: 'I Could ... Shoot Somebody, And I Wouldn't Lose Any Voters'” January 23, 2016. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/23/464129029/donald-trump-i-could-shoot-somebody-and-i-wouldnt-lose-any-voters
The podcast (with a PowerPoint presentation!) that Steve referenced:
Wittes, Benjamin and Anderson, Scott R. “A Criminal in the White House: How It Might Work and What It Might Mean.” November 2, 2024. Lawfare Podcast. https://youtu.be/e_9Tsoxs-UA?si=L7_FWfL6Ki2Qfijq
Recipe for a gin martini:
https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/martini-cocktails-2009
Recipe for a Manhattan:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/manhattan-2/
Recipe for a boulevardier without Scotch because you don’t like to drink bad ideas:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/boulevardier/
More about that town in Alabama that refuses to have a mayor that Steve told us about:
Walker, Adria R. “Alabama town that hasn’t held elections in decades sued to allow voting.” March 29, 2024. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/29/newbern-alabama-election-lawsuit-mayor
If you want to be a geek like Steve and get to know cybersecurity guy, Bruce Schneier:
Yet another book that Steve referenced:
Jared Diamond. The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? (Penguin Books, 2013.)
The article about Kennedy and Nixon that Mack referenced:
Bender, Bryan. “The Night Kennedy and Nixon Were Bunkmates.” April 29, 2022. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/04/29/jfk-nixon-bunkmates-00028388
Unfamiliar with the Taft-Hartley Act?
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Taft-Hartley Act.” June 17, 2015. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/Taft-Hartley-Act
A little history on the friendship of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia:
Cox, Chelsey. “Fact Check: It’s true, Ginsburg and Scalia were close friends despite ideological differences.” September 27, 2020. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/09/27/fact-check-ruth-bader-ginsburg-antonin-scalia-were-close-friends/3518592001/
And, “Stay on target,” is a Star Wars reference. But you already knew that.
Monday May 06, 2024
Monday May 06, 2024
Due to it being May, we decided to take our discussion to a galaxy far, far away. It went on a bit longer than intended. Also, somehow, we got to Oz. But stick with us, y’all. We eventually get back to this reality around the 18-minute mark. Enjoy, and may the force by with you.
References
Wookieepedia is a little vague on how the Jedi Council relates to the Galactic Senate, so the debate stands:
Star Wars Fandom. “Jedi High Council.” https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jedi_High_Council
But during the trial of the Ahsoka Tano, it looks like the Senate did indeed have some influence on the Jedi Council:
Star Wars Fandom. “Trial of Ahsoka Tano.” https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jedi_High_Council#Trial_of_Ahsoka_Tano
A little about the time limits on appropriations for the army:
Constitution Annotated. “Artl.S8.C12.2 Time Limits on Appropriations for Army.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C12-2/ALDE_00001074/
In case you don’t get the reference to our current timeline:
Davies, Dave. “How NYC is coping with 175,000 migrants from the Southern border.” February 15, 2024. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/02/15/1231712535/how-nyc-is-coping-with-175-000-migrants-from-the-southern-border
If you would like to learn more about some of the political interpretations of the Wizard of Oz:
History Collection. “16 Hidden Symbolic Messages in the Wizard of Oz You May Have Missed.” October 18, 2019. https://historycollection.com/16-hidden-symbolic-messages-in-the-wizard-of-oz-you-may-have-missed
What’s a republic?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. “Republic.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/republic
What’s a democracy?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. “Democracy.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy
What’s a representative democracy?
Raikar, Sanat Pai. “Representative democracy.” February 29, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/representative-democracy
What’s an aristocracy?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. “Aristocracy.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aristocracy
Wait, what does res publica mean?
Latdict. “Res.” https://latin-dictionary.net/search/latin/res
Latdict. “Publica.” https://latin-dictionary.net/search/latin/publica
Learn about the arrests of student protestors in Austin:
Simpson, Stephen, Dey, Sneha, and Melhado, William. “79 arrested amid second crackdown on UT-Austin campus.” April 30, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/30/ut-austin-protest-arrests/
McGlinchy, Audrey and McGaughy, Lauren. “UT Austin changes message again, says arrested students will be allowed on campus for any reason.” Updated May 3, 2024. KUT News. https://www.kut.org/education/2024-04-26/ut-austin-protest-arrests-campus-ban
Dey, Sneha. “Gov. Greg Abbott and UT-Austin shift from championing free speech to policing protesters’ intentions.” April 29, 2024. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/29/ut-austin-pro-palestinian-demonstrations-free-speech/
In case you didn’t get the tiki torch reference:
Murphy, Paul P. “White nationalists use tiki torches to light up Charlottesville march.” August 12, 2017. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/12/us/white-nationalists-tiki-torch-march-trnd/index.html
Here is one story of a protestor carrying an AR-15:
Kim, Juliana. “A Maryland man has been carrying an AR-15-style rifle near a school bus stop.” May 20, 2023. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/20/1177315655/a-maryland-man-has-been-carrying-an-ar-15-style-rifle-near-a-school-bus-stop
Free speech versus university policy:
ACLU. “University Students’ Protest Rights.” https://www.aclutx.org/en/know-your-rights/university-students-protest-rights
What are the implications of a third-party candidate?
Kelly, Stephanie and Renshaw, Jarrett. “How could a third-party candidate put Trump in the White House?” March 21, 2024. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/how-third-party-candidate-could-put-trump-white-house-2024-03-20/
If you want to deep dive on the U.S. support of Israel:
Masters, Jonathan and Merrow, Will. “U.S. Aid to Israel in Four Charts.” Updated April 11, 2024. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts
A deep dive into Iran’s influence in the middle east:
International Institute for Strategic Studies. “Iran’s Networks of Influence in the Middle East.” November 2019. https://www.iiss.org/en/publications/strategic-dossiers/iran-dossier/
If you want to learn about the bill that recently passed to give money to Israel:
Jalonick, Mary Clare, Groves, Steven, and Amiri, Farnoush. “Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote.” Updated April 23, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-tiktok-senate-8fe738b17e5c4b2636bc0de11b2620b7
Learn a little about the cluster that is the floating pier:
Magdy, Samy, Sewell, Abby, Knickmeyer, Ellen, and Madhani, Aamer. “Biden directs U.S. military to build temporary pier in Gaza for humanitarian aid.” March 7, 2024. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-biden-directs-u-s-military-to-build-temporary-pier-in-gaza-for-humanitarian-aid
Learn about O’Rourke versus Cruz:
Svitek, Patrick and Livingston, Abby. “How the race between Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke became the closest in Texas in 40 years.” November 9, 2018. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2018/11/09/ted-cruz-beto-orourke-closest-texas-race-40-years/
What happened in Florida in 2000:
NCC Staff. “On this day, Bush v. Gore settles 2000 presidential race.” December 12, 2023. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-bush-v-gore-anniversary
Not a literal coin toss in Virginia, though that would have worked too:
McCammon, Sarah. “Virginia Republican David Yancey Wins by Tie-Breaking Drawing.” January 4, 2018. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2018/01/04/573504079/virginia-republican-david-yancey-wins-tie-breaking-drawing
How to make an Old Fashioned:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/bourbon-old-fashioned/
Oh, wheated bourbon, not weeded bourbon:
Rabbit Hole Distillery. “What is a ‘wheated’ bourbon and why in demand?” https://www.rabbitholedistillery.com/blogs/bourbon-101/what-is-a-wheated-bourbon-and-why-in-demand
Woodford Reserve is, indeed, the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby:
Wiseman, Katie and Evans, Olivia. “What to know about Woodford Reserve and their exclusive $15,000 Derby 150 Baccarat Edition bottle.” May 4, 2024. Courier Journal. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/events/kentucky-derby/2024/05/04/woodford-reserve-kentucky-derby-150-how-much-the-special-edition-bottle-costs/73570698007/
And, yes, some people did drink Woodford Reserve at Mar-a-Lago:
Kravitz, Derek. “How Taxpayers Covered a $1,000 Liquor Bill for Trump Staffers (and More) at Trump’s Club.” May 1, 2019. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-inc-podcast-taxpayers-covered-liquor-bill-for-trump-staffers-and-more-mar-a-lago
How to make a Whiskey Sour:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/whiskey-sour/
Donald Trump has been found in contempt:
Sisak, Michael R., Peltz, Jennifer, Offenhartz, Jake, and Long, Colleen. “Hush money trial judge raises threat of jail as he finds Trump violated gag order, fines him $9K.” April 30, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-stormy-daniels-hush-money-election-2024-d2f9badee0b28a60d32bc98c0d4e783f
If you need some help with the timeline of the Trump trials:
Lawfare. “The Trump Trials.” https://www.lawfaremedia.org/current-projects/the-trump-trials
A little about the Supreme Court debating presidential immunity:
Sherman, Mark. “Supreme Court seems skeptical of Trump’s claim of absolute immunity but decision’s timing is unclear.” April 25, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-prosecution-immunity-72c885c07c77970d4380206f87b2d8ca
If you want to get to know Lord Coke:
Jones, Gareth H. “Sir Edward Coke.” February 22, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Coke
That time David Frost interviewed President Nixon:
Bailey, Jeremy D. “Transcript of Frost’s Interview with Richard Nixon.” Original interview in 1977. Teaching American History. https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/transcript-of-david-frosts-interview-with-richard-nixon/
Yes, apparently, Roger Stone has a Nixon tattoo:
Byers, Dylan. “The return of Roger Stone.” April 19, 2016. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/19/politics/roger-stone-donald-trump/index.html
Once more, how to make a Sazerac:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/sazerac/
Wormwood? Absinthe? Poison? What?:
Hines, Nickolause. “What Is Wormwood and What Does It Do to Absinthe?” June 18, 2018. Thrillist. https://www.thrillist.com/spirits/absinthe-pastis/what-wormwood-does-to-absinthe
Oh, anise liquor, not a niece liquor:
Sazerac.com “Herbsaint.” https://www.sazerac.com/our-brands/sazerac-brands/herbsaint.html
What did Mack mean about section 5 of the 14th amendment:
Chemerinsky, Erwin and Maltz, Earl M. “Common Interpretation.” Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-xiv/clauses/703#:~:text=Maltz&text=Section%20Five%20of%20the%20Fourteenth%20Amendment%20vests%20Congress%20with%20the,the%20provisions%20of%20Section%20One.
Here’s a little about the 15th amendment:
National Archives. “15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Voting Rights (1870).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/15th-amendment
Two Republicans still holding on:
Congress.gov. “Representative Adam Kinzinger.” https://www.congress.gov/member/adam-kinzinger/K000378
Congress.gov. “Representative Liz Cheney.” https://www.congress.gov/member/liz-cheney/C001109
Who voted for the aid package:
Stiles, Matt. “How each US senator voted on the $95 billion foreign aid package.” April 30, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/23/politics/senate-vote-israel-ukraine-aid-dg/index.html
It doesn’t have to be a two-party system, but there are reasons why it’s a two-party system:
Pruitt, Sarah. “Why Does the US Have a Two-Party System?” January 12, 2024. History. https://www.history.com/news/two-party-system-american-politics
And “trimming the verge” is a reference to The Fellowship Ring. But you already knew that.
Monday Apr 08, 2024
Monday Apr 08, 2024
Listen to resident foremen, Mack and Steve, make the call on our system of law. There’s also some references to pandemics and hurricanes in this show. Good times!
References
What’s the difference between a petit jury and a grand jury?
United States Courts. “Types of Juries.” https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/jury-service/types-juries
Steve was wrong. Louisiana does, in fact, have juries:
Louisiana State Bar Association. “Jury Duty.” https://www.lsba.org/ChildrensLaw/COAJuryDuty.aspx
Anne was wrong. Petit juries and petite clothes are not spelled the same.
Though no one is sure, many people credit England with the creation of the jury system:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Jury.” Updated March 12, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/jury
Learn about the Magna Carta:
UK Parliament. “Magna Carta.” https://www.parliament.uk/
Didn’t get the Brexit joke?
BBC News. “Brexit: What you need to know about the UK leaving the EU.” December 30, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887
Steve was correct. The “Dark Ages” is no longer the term du jour. Learn about the Migration Period:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Migration period.” March 23, 2018. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Dark-Ages
Learn about feudalism:
Brown, Elizabeth A. R. “Feudalism.” Updated March 4, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/feudalism
Learn about Common Law:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Common law.” Updated March 3, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/common-law
Learn about Justinian’s Code:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Code of Justinian.” April 7, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Code-of-Justinian
Learn about the Napoleonic Code:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Napoleonic Code.” November 14, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Napoleonic-Code
Despite Mack’s strong wording, the Napoleonic Code did have an influence on the law system of the state of Louisiana:
Scalise, Ronald. “Napoleonic Code (French Civil Code).” Updated June 28, 2023. 64 Parishes. https://64parishes.org/entry/napoleonic-code-adaptation
Learn about voir dire:
Brenner, David. “Voir Dire.” August 2023. State Bar of Texas. https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=articles&ContentID=60713&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm
Want to know the specifics about how a search warrant is issued in Texas:
Texas Constitution and Statutes. “Chapter 18. Search Warrants.” https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/htm/CR.18.htm
The person who said the thing about indicting a ham sandwich was Sol Wachtler:
Levin, Josh. “The Judge Who Coined ‘Indict a Ham Sandwich’ Was Himself Indicted.” November 25, 2014. Slate. https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/11/sol-wachtler-the-judge-who-coined-indict-a-ham-sandwich-was-himself-indicted.html
Mack was wrong. Florida does have grand juries:
Florida Supreme Court. “The Statewide Grand Jury.” Last modified March 30, 2023. https://supremecourt.flcourts.gov/News-Media/Statewide-Grand-Jury
Wiretaps are different:
Bureau of Justice Assistance. “Title III of The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Wiretap Act).” https://bja.ojp.gov/program/it/privacy-civil-liberties/authorities/statutes/1284
What’s a FISA court?
Bureau of Justice Assistance. “The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA). https://bja.ojp.gov/program/it/privacy-civil-liberties/authorities/statutes/1286
The CIA chooses to characterize themselves slightly differently than Steve and Mack do:
CIA. “Top 10 CIA Myths.” August 14, 2018. https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/top-10-cia-myths/
Steve was right. It’s called a no bill:
Cornell Law School. “True Bill.” Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/true_bill
Book that Steve referenced, but got the name of the author slightly mixed up:
Akhil Reed Amar. The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction. (Yale University Press, 2000).
That quote was, indeed, in the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776):
“The civil jury trial is preferable to any other and ought to be held sacred.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/virginia-declaration-of-rights
Sounds like a good podcast topic to me:
ACLU. “Asset Forfeiture Abuse.” https://www.aclu.org/issues/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police/asset-forfeiture-abuse
Learn about some of the injustice in the justice system:
Equal Justice Initiative. “Race and The Jury: Illegal Discrimination in the Jury Selection.” https://eji.org/report/race-and-the-jury/a-history-of-discrimination-in-jury-selection/#chapter-1
In case you are unfamiliar, here is a very short history of Emmett Till’s murder:
FBI. “Emmett Till.” https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/emmett-till
Here’s another good podcast topic:
Meyer, Jon’a F. “Plea Bargaining.” January 6, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/plea-bargaining
How do you start kicking out jurors?
United States Courts. “Juror Selection Process.” https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/jury-service/juror-selection-process
Mack was right. It’s called a preemptory challenge:
Cornell Law School. “Preemptory Challenge.” Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/peremptory_challenge
Learn how federal judges are appointed for life and paid for life:
United States Courts. “About Federal Judges.” https://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/about-federal-judges
Alexander Hamilton (Alexandar Hamilton) wrote Federalist 78 (1778) and you can access it here:
That’s correct everyone, the Constitution lists no qualifications to become a supreme court judge:
The Law Dictionary. “Qualifications to Become a Supreme Court Justice.” https://thelawdictionary.org/article/qualifications-to-become-a-supreme-court-justice/
The recipe for a London Fog cocktail:
https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/1186/london-fog
The recipe for a West Indian cocktail:
https://www.mixology.recipes/cocktails/west-indian
The recipe for a Pegu Club cocktail:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/pegu-club-2/
If you want to visit the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk:
https://www.riversideiowa.gov/
Book that Mack is reading:
Michael Lewis. The Premonition: A Pandemic Story. (W. W. Norton & Company, 2021).
The other book by the same guy:
Michael Lewis. The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. (W. W. Norton & Company, 2011).
Learn about the CDC:
Learn about Charity Dean:
COVID Collaborative. “Charity Dean.” https://www.covidcollaborative.us/team/charity-dean
Learn about FEMA:
Learn about Hurricane Katrina:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Hurricane Katrina.” Updated March 11, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Hurricane-Katrina
Here’s a little overview of the White House’s pandemic plans, starting with George W. Bush:
Wilensky, Gail. “The Importance of Reestablishing a Pandemic Preparedness Office at the White House.” July 9, 2020. JAMA Network. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2768321
Yes, Hewlett-Packard was built in a garage. Do you want to see it?
HP Museum. “The HP Garage – The Birthplace of Silicon Valley.” https://www.hpmuseum.org/garage/garage.htm
In case you never heard of him:
Service to America Medals. “Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.” https://servicetoamericamedals.org/honorees/anthony-s-fauci-m-d/
If you want to know how much jurors are paid:
United States Courts. “Juror Pay.” https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/jury-service/juror-pay
And Anne probably won’t be replacing Justice Sotomayor on the Supreme Court. But you already knew that.
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Come for the archaic units of measure, stay for the metric throwdown!
The concept of an acre is so enigmatic that in a podcast titled “What’s an Acre?”, we still got it wrong. An acre is 4,840 square yards and not feet as we say repeatedly in this podcast:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Acre: Unit of measurement.” Updated February 9, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/acre-unit-of-measurement
Believe it or not, the measurement of a chain is still used in the world:
National Wildfire Coordinating Group. “Chain, Pace, Walking a Chain.” https://www.nwcg.gov/course/ffm/vert-horiz-and-slope/46-chain-pace-walking-a-chain
Mack did not make up the name Edmund Gunter:
National Museum of American History. “Surveyor’s Chain.” https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_761634
Want to deep dive into the vara and other Spanish units of measure:
Reyes-Martinez, Marcos A. “The Vara: A Standard of Length With a Not-So-Standard History.” October 11, 2019. National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/vara-standard-length-not-so-standard-history
Anne misspoke, they are not the Daughters of the Alamo, they are in fact:
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas. https://drtinfo.org/
If, like Steve and Mack, you can’t remember your Texas history:
Barker, Eugene C. “Austin, Stephen Fuller (1793–1836).” Updated February 25, 2021. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/austin-stephen-fuller
According to this very serious deep dive into the cubit, it’s still in use in some locations:
Stone, Mark. H. “The Cubit: A History and Measurement Commentary.” January 30, 2014. Journal of Anthropology. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/janthro/2014/489757/
The Constitution, article 1, section 8, clause 5:
“...To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures...”
https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i#article-section-8
“One platinum bar in France” would be a great name for a novel:
National Institute of Standards and Technology. “Meter.” Updated June 2, 2021. https://www.nist.gov/si-redefinition/meter
Here’s a brief overview of the metric system that notes that the second is actually considered the metric unit of time:
U.S. Metric Association. “Origin of the Metric System.” Updated October 22, 2019. https://usma.org/origin-of-the-metric-system
A little about time and the sexagesimal system:
Lombardi, Michael A. “Why is a minute divided into 60 seconds, an hour into 60 minutes, yet there are only 24 hours in a day?” March 5, 2007. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-time-division-days-hours-minutes/
Here’s someone talking more eloquently and authoritatively about the metric system than us:
Benham, Elizabeth. “Busting Myths about the Metric System.” October 6, 2020. National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/busting-myths-about-metric-system
Let’s talk about temperature:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Temperature.” Updated February 13, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/temperature
Steve’s favorite book:
Daniel Immerwahr. How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States. (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2019).
Seeking economic advantage is one reason people change the primary language they use:
Tesch, Noah. “Why Do Languages Die?” February 19, 2016. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-languages-die
Definition of commerce:
Merriam-Webster. “Commerce.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commerce
Not familiar with nautical miles and knots:
National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. “What is the difference between a nautical mile and a knot?” National Ocean Service. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/nautical-mile-knot
How to make a Black Velvet:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/black-velvet/
How to make a Boilermaker:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/boilermaker/
What Steve is reading:
Ray Bradbury. The Illustrated Man. (Simon &Schuster, 1951).
Ray Bradbury. The Martian Chronicles. (Simon &Schuster, 1950).
What Mack is reading:
Annie Jacobsen. Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America. (Little, Brown, and Company, 2014).
Walter Lord. A Night to Remember. (Griffin, 1955).
Did the U.S. military consider using gas weapons in World War II?
The National World War II Museum: New Orleans. “Should We Use Poison Gas?” May 5, 2018. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/wwii-polls/roper-polls-poison-gas
Factors in the decision to drop the atomic bomb:
National Park Service. “Harry Truman’s Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb.” January 11, 2023. https://www.nps.gov/articles/trumanatomicbomb.htm
What Anne is watching:
Yamazaki, Takashi, director. Godzilla Minus One. 2023; Toho Studios Co. Ltd. 2 hours, 4 minutes.
If you are disappointed that Steven didn’t go into the Whiskey Rebellion:
History.com Editors. “Whiskey Rebellion.” Updated June 21, 2023. History. https://www.history.com/topics/early-us/whiskey-rebellion
You’re on your own for the measurements, but here’s the song “A Bushel and a Peck”:
https://youtu.be/YoVt12EyzKw?si=whrkDHRnCGsziVaD
Here’s a lot about barrels:
Gerali, Francesco. “Barrel (Unit of Measurement).” 2019. Engineering and Technology History Wiki. https://ethw.org/Barrel_(Unit_of_Measurement)
Here’s why a pint is, in fact, not a pound the world round:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pint.” April 29, 2004. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/pint
And we truly love and appreciate our tens of listeners. But you already knew that.