The Week Ahead: With the State of the Union looming, we
started the week with a look at that along with other important legal
developments including the death of Ruben Ray Martinez, a U.S. citizen, at the
hands of federal agents in Texas during a traffic stop last March, only coming
to light now due to a FOIA request; ongoing reports of deaths at ICE-run
facilities in Texas; the likely ongoing legal battle over tariffs; Judge Aileen
Cannon’s ruling barring the release of Volume II of Jack Smith’s special
counsel report involving classified documents; and more.
Live with Miles Taylor: Counterprogramming SOTU: Miles
Taylor of Defiance.org joined me to talk about the organization’s “State of the
Swamp,” a rebuttal to SOTU with real-time factchecking, Portland frogs, and
more. Our conversation touched on working across party and ideology differences
protect democratic principles and on embracing joyful defiance and lighthearted
humor to combat the absurdity of this moment.
If DOJ is Trump’s Law Firm, Aileen Cannon is His Judge:
Judge Aileen Cannon’s order barring the release of Volume II of Jack Smith’s
special counsel report is only the latest development in the long history of
the case. We deep dive into that history of (very) questionable rulings and
their pattern of favoring Trump.
How to Watch the State of the Union Address: We touched on
Miles Taylor’s SOTU counterprogramming and then we all connected on Substack
Notes as we watched (or didn’t watch) the address, which made it more tolerable
for me.
SOTU: I watched in case you just couldn’t. Read here for my
in-the-moment analysis and a few hot takes.
The Other Red Hat: We turned our focus to two of my
favorite things—knitting and craftivism, to learn how knitters in Minneapolis
have begun a new red hat movement called Melt the ICE, inspired by citizens of
Norway who wore red knitted caps as an act of resistance during the Nazi
occupation of their country. With links to a pattern (or to finished products
for non-knitters), you can get involved too. MAGA does not own the color red.
The SAVE Act Is Dead, Fulton County Is Fighting Back; So, Of
Course, Trump Wants To Seize Control Of The Election: The good news of the
day was the legislative failure of the SAVE Act, along with a significant order
from Judge J.P. Boulee in the Georgia case in which Fulton County election
officials want their election records back from DOJ. Meanwhile, reports of a
draft executive order declaring an “emergency” (read: opportunity for Trump
power grab) based on the false claim that China interfered in the 2020
elections is very concerning.
Substack Live with Former Senator John Tester and Journalist
Maritsa Georgiou: I joined John Tester and his podcast co-host Maritsa
Georgiou to discuss my book and the news of the day. And we had fun. It’s hard
to believe because it’s been such a serious, somber week. But we agreed Trump
can’t be permitted to take the fun out of our lives, even as we’re forced to
fight for democracy.
Five Questions with Alabama Journalist Kyle Whitmire:
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kyle Whitmire joined us to discuss the
evolution of journalism, the war on dumb, the war on truth, and how Alabama can
be a Rosetta Stone for developments nationwide. And if you collect stories of
Republican hypocrisy around voter fraud, this one is for you, with Kyle’s
brilliant reporting on an Alabama Republican candidate to be lieutenant
governor.
Live with Ruth Ben-Ghiat: No one speaks more eloquently
about the art of resistance and why we shouldn’t give up than historian Ruth
Ben-Ghiat. If you need a shot of encouragement, watch our conversation, and
make sure you stay to the end, where she provides precisely the encouragement I
needed.
The Law of War: In light of the strikes on Iran, we revisit
some bedrock principles—why the rule of law exists, why it restrains all of us
(especially the powerful), and why “doing whatever feels good in the moment”
has never been a substitute for constitutional order, especially when it comes
to, especially when it comes to war.
-Joyce Vance
