Tag: elections have consequences

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OA227: Brian Frosh Takes On Matthew Whitaker & More!

Today’s Rapid Response Friday takes a deep dive into the recent lawsuit filed (actually, amended) by Maryland’s ace Attorney General, Brian Frosh, challenging the appointment of Matthew Whitaker as Acting Attorney General.

We begin, however, with an Andrew Was Right (and Wrong, sadly) roundup of a bunch of issues:  (1) whether the midterm elections were a “Blue Wave” (they were); (2) the formation of a new breakaway conservative legal group; (3) Jeff Flake’s efforts to protect Robert Mueller; (4) Whitaker’s recusal status; and (5) the election of Kyrsten Sinema to the U.S. Senate in Arizona.  Phew!

After that, it’s time for the deep dive into Maryland’s ACA lawsuit that.. somehow morphed into a judicial request to determine that Matthew Whitaker cannot be the Attorney General?  How is that even possible??  We explain it all… and along the way, we let you know what arguments the State of Maryland has raised that the next Attorney General should be Rod Rosenstein instead.  It’s a fascinating lawsuit, and you’ll even get a brief discussion of the “canon of constitutional avoidance.” (!!)

After that, we (briefly) discuss the California wildfires in light of.. SEC disclosure requirements??!?  Hey, that’s why you listen, right?

Finally, we end with an all new Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #101 on SPACE LAW, involving deadbeat Ewoks and Lando Calrissian.  (No, really.)  You’ll have to listen and find out!  And, of course, if you’d like to play along with us, just retweet our episode on Twitter or share it on Facebook along with your guess and the #TTTBE hashtag.  We’ll release the answer on next Tuesday’s episode along with our favorite entry!

Appearances

None!  If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. Click here to read 538’s “Yes, It Was a Blue Wave” article.
  2. Here is the announcement of the formation of the “Checks and Balances” legal society.
  3. Lawfare has filed a FOIA request for all documentation regarding Whitaker’s ethics advice and potential recusal.
  4. Click here to read Maryland’s motion for preliminary injunction; here to read the Flood memorandum that contains Trump’s likely responses; and here to read the court’s scheduling order.
  5. Finally, click here to read the SEC’s guidelines on when to file a form 8-K, and here to read the 8-K filed by PG&E.

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And email us at openarguments@gmail.com


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OA225: Elections Have Consequences… for Jeff Sessions

Today’s Rapid Response Friday covers the two things that are definitely on everyone’s minds:  (1) the midterm elections, and (2) the fate of the Mueller investigation and more in light of President Trump’s decision to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  Elections have consequences… don’t they?

We begin with a roundup of  the outstanding legal issues in connection with the midterms.

After that, it’s Yodelin’ time.  What happened to G. Zachary Terwilliger?  Is the Mueller investigation in trouble?  What can we do??  Listen and find out!

Appearances

None!  If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. No links this week!

Support us on Patreon at:  patreon.com/law

Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/

Don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki

And email us at openarguments@gmail.com


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OA221: Elections Have Consequences, Florida Edition

Today’s Rapid Response Friday takes us back to a well-worn trope here at OA that we can’t emphasize enough in late October:  elections have consequences!  Specifically, we take a look at the importance of past and future elections in the pivotal swing state of Florida.

We begin, however, with a quick statement on the Trump administration’s apparently-leaked policy regarding trans people and some new developments.

After that, it’s time for the ever-popular Andrew Was Wrong segment, with two things that.. well, Andrew got wrong:  Whitewater and Paul Manafort (!)

Then it’s time for a deep dive into the Florida Judicial Nominating Commission and various constitutional amendments that are on the ballot this November, including one that takes a swipe at our favorite doctrine.

But that’s not all!  We move on to discuss 202 Democratic Presidential Candidate Michael Avenatti.  It’s not pretty.

Finally, we end with an all new Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #99 regarding criminal procedures.  After getting it wrong last week, Thomas needs to go 2-for-2 to get to the coveted “60% at the half” — can he do it?!??  You’ll have to listen and find out!  And, of course, if you’d like to play along with us, just retweet our episode on Twitter or share it on Facebook along with your guess and the #TTTBE hashtag.  We’ll release the answer on next Tuesday’s episode along with our favorite entry!

Appearances

None!  If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. For more on the history  of jury sentencing at the state level, check out this 2011 law review article by Melissa Carrington that’s well worth a read.
  2. Click here to read the Tampa Bay Times article suggesting that the next court nominee is going to be a conservative regardless of the election; here for the official Florida government website describing how the JNC is selected; and here for an in-depth discussion of the history of the changes to that process.
  3. This is Detzner v. Anstead, the Florida Supreme Court decision we discussed regarding bundled amendments, and you can click here to read the text of the proposed Florida amendments.
  4. Click here to read the Grassley referral of Avenatti and Sweatnick to the DOJ.  And we broke down the Avenatti-Frank lawsuit first in OA Episode 181.

Support us on Patreon at:  patreon.com/law

Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/

Don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki

And email us at openarguments@gmail.com


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OA200: Reporters and Confidential Sources

Today’s episode takes an in-depth look at the legal protections reporters have (and don’t have) to keep their sources confidential.

We begin, however, with an update on how “Elections Have Consequences,” this time, looking at the state of the House of Representatives in light of last week’s special election in OH-12.

After that, we dive deeply into reporter privilege, beginning with a discussion of the Supreme Court’s decision in Branzburg v. Hayes and continuing through to the recently-proposed Free Flow of Information Act of 2017.

Next, the guys break down the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s take on the 3-D guns.  Do Andrew and Thomas change their minds?  Listen and find out!

Finally, we end the answer to Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #88 about waiver and/or modification of contract.  Remember to follow our Twitter feed (@Openargs) and like our Facebook Page so that you too can play along with #TTTBE!

Recent Appearances

Andrew was recently a guest on The Thinking Atheist podcast with Seth Andrews.  If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. Some political links:  click here to read The Hill‘s report on Trump claiming that he was “5-for-5,” and here to check out the Cook Political Report‘s revisions to House races in light of the Balderson-O’Connor race in OH-12,
  2. Click here to read the Supreme Court’s decision in Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665 (1972), and here to read the recently-proposed Free Flow of Information Act of 2017.
  3. We discussed 3-D guns in Episode 197, and you can read the EFF’s take here.  The EFF’s primary case is Herceg v. Hustler Magazine, 814 F.2d 1017 (5th Cir. 1987).

Support us on Patreon at:  patreon.com/law

Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/

Don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki

And email us at openarguments@gmail.com


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OA199: Asbestos??!? (Or: Why Is This Man Smiling?)

Note: the SaneBox url in this episode is incorrect. Please go to https://www.sanebox.com/opening to take advantage of a great deal on their product!

Today’s Rapid Response Friday breaks down everything you need to know regarding the Trump EPA’s recent rules change regarding asbestos.  Is it as ominous as it sounds?  (Yes.)

We begin, however, with the oddest OA segment of all time:  Devin Nunes was right!  What was he right about, and what’s a Michael Kinsley gaffe?  You’ll just have to listen and find out!

After that, in a bonus segment, the guys break down the recent indictment of Chris Collins (R-NY-27) for insider trading.

The main segment breaks down the EPA’s Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) regarding asbestos and help you evaluate the competing claims being lobbed back and forth.  Did the Trump Administration open up the use of asbestos in household products?  Or did they make it harder to use asbestos as the EPA claims?  We give you a definitive answer.

After that, Andrew partially answers a listener question in light of Rick Gates’s testimony in the Manafort trial while teasing that the rest will get answered sometime soon.

And if that wasn’t enough, we end with an all new Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #88 involving a contract, waiver and modification, and subsequent assignment to another party.  Phew!  If you’d like to play along, just retweet our episode on Twitter or share it on Facebook along with your guess and the #TTTBE hashtag.  We’ll release the answer on next Tuesday’s episode along with our favorite entry!

Recent Appearances

Andrew was recently a guest on The Thinking Atheist podcast with Seth Andrews.  If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. Here’s a link to the NBC story on the Devin Nunes tape; and here’s a link to one in the Washington Post; they’re both delightful.
  2. This is the Collins indictment, and this is the text of 17 CFR 240.10b-5.
  3. The TSCA is 15 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq.
  4. Here’s the letter that the ACC wrote to the EPA back in August of 2016 arguing that they should be able to use asbestos.
  5. For an in-depth critique of the Trump EPA’s evaluative process, you can check out the annotated source documents and the summary article in the New York Times.
  6. Here’s the text of the new EPA SNUR, and here’s the (laughable) EPA dissembling as to what it means.
  7. Finally, here’s the report on Rick Gates’s cross-examination over his affairs.

Support us on Patreon at:  patreon.com/law

Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/

Don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki

And email us at openarguments@gmail.com


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