Opening Arguments

OA1289 - Is Disney/ABC’s bold new legal action against the Trump administration one of the most important First Amendment challenges  of our lifetimes, or just another Mickey Mouse operation? Matt explains. Also an explainer on the legally questionable end of Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador, a new ICE purchase that will truly shock you, and a footnote on how the lawyer who put himself in a fancy Star Wars-themed Superbowl ad turned to the Dark Side.
FCC order to ABC affiliates noting that ABC is under investigation for violations of FCC rules and “discriminatory” hiring (4/28/2026)

Complaint in ABC et al v. FCC et al, filed 8/18/2026

User manual for Compliant Technologies’s G.L.O.V.E.

The Kentucky Hammer’s 2020 Super Bowl commercial

Complaint in White v. Isaacs & Isaacs, filed 6/2/2026

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VR41 - What does a “moderate conservative” sound like in August 2026? Thomas and Matt take a closer look at two very different self-proclaimed “moderates” representing the best and brightest in MAGA apologism. We begin with some low points from Tim Pool’s recent appearance on the gimmicky “Surrounded” debate series before taking on our main story:  a National Review cover piece by Dan McLaughlin on the “broken” asylum system which demonstrates exactly the kind of finely nuanced understanding of U.S. immigration policy you might expect from the man better known to golden-era Twitter users as The Baseball Crank.

OA1288 - What happens when a hotheaded cop who isn’t interested in putting in much effort to solve a crime meets up with another cop who thinks computers are infallible? A man with no criminal record who lives 300 miles from the crime scene and has no conceivable connection to the crime gets arrested. Hear the ACLU lay out the case for strict guardrails on the use of facial identification software, and training officers to… like do their job at all. Bonus: Learn about Jenessa’s doppleganger / who to blame if she ever gets arrested.
Compl., Dillon v. City of Jacksonville Beach, No. 2:26-cv-1936-JES-KRH, (M.D. Fla. 07/13/26)

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OA1287 - Today on Rapid Response Friday:  Todd “Two Taints” Blanche flexes his new freedom as two Tates blanch at the loss of theirs, and a lawsuit over a cinematic heist starring Nicolas Cage.
Applicability of Executive Privilege to Presidential Communications with Private Advisers, Office of Legal Counsel (8/10/2026)

Second Superseding Indictment in United States of America v. Southern Poverty Law Center Inc. and Heidi Beirich, Middle District of Alabama (8/11/2026)

Secretary Rubio Terminates Green Cards of Foreign Nationals Tied to Infamous Iranian Regime Propagandist, U.S. Department of State (4/11/2026)

One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention, The Nation (8/11/2026)

Andrew and Tristan Tate’s Motion for Release Pending Extradition Proceedings and Opposition to the Government’s Request for Detention In the Matter of the Extradition of Emory Andrew Tate, Southern District of Florida (8/7/2026)

Response in Opposition to Andrew Tate’s and Tristan Tate’s Motion for Release Pending Extradition Proceedings In the Matter of the Extradition of Emory Andrew Tate, Southern District of Florida (8/10/2026)

Complaint in Op-Fortitude Ltd. and Simon Afram v. Netflix Inc.,  Central District of California (7/29/2026)

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VR40 - This Vapid Response Wednesday, we note the end of Ross Douthat’s 17-year run as the resident New York Times conservative columnist with a drive-by review of some of his most willfully clueless work--and a closer look at his recent farewell message in which he provides a fitting capstone to a long career of willfully ignoring everything about how and why the American right went full MAGA.
You can WATCH this episode, too!
“Europe’s Minaret Moment,” Ross Douthat, New York Times (12/6/2009)

“Confessions of a Columnist,” Ross Douthat, New York Times (1/2/2016)

“The Necessity of Stephen Miller,” Ross Douthat, New York Times (1/27/2018)

“There Will Be No Trump Coup,” Ross Douthat, New York Times (10/10/2020)

“Why Do So Many Americans Think the Election Was Stolen?” Ross Douthat, New York Times (12/5/2020)

“How Donald Trump Made the Fantasy Real,” Ross Douthat, New York Times (1/9/2021)

“Why Nikki Haley Would Be the Most Dangerous President,” Ross Douthat, New York Times (1/20/2024)

“What Would Peace on Immigration Look Like?” Ross Douthat, New York Times (1/10/2026)

“Who Are the Good Guys and the Bad Guys? I’m No Longer Sure,” Ross Douthat, New York Times (8/8/2026)

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