5-4
Prologue Projects
5-4 is a podcast about how much the Supreme Court sucks. Hosted by Peter Shamshiri, Rhiannon Hamam, and Michael Liroff, it's a progressive and occasionally profane take on the ideological battles at the heart of the Court's most important landmark cases and an irreverent tour of all the ways in which the law is shaped by politics.Subscribe to our premium episodes & much more at fivefourpod.com/support5-4 is a production of Prologue Projects.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 6, 2026 • 5min
250 Years of Bad Decisions Pt. 2: The Law Was Never Neutral [TEASER]
A Supreme Court retrospective explores how the myth of judicial neutrality has shaped American history. Along the way, a congressional hearing veers into comic chaos after Eric Schmidt presents wildly mistaken basketball evidence linking Jack Smith to Fani Willis. The discussion connects courtroom politics, national power, and the failures behind America’s highest court.
11 snips
Sep 25, 2026 • 43min
De-Supremify the Supreme Court with Niko Bowie and Daphna Renan
Harvard Law professors Niko Bowie and Daphna Renan, scholars of constitutional structure and democratic governance, challenge the Supreme Court’s status as the final word on the Constitution. They revisit resistance to Dred Scott, rethink Brown and Roe, and explore how Congress might reclaim constitutional authority. A provocative conversation about judicial power, federal statutes, and democratic self-government.
10 snips
Sep 22, 2026 • 46min
2026-2027 Supreme Court Term Preview
A preview of the Supreme Court’s upcoming term explores challenges to AR-15 bans, religious exemptions affecting LGBT families, and restrictions on gender-affirming care. The discussion also covers voting documentation, climate lawsuits against oil companies, prisoner medical abuse, labor agencies, Title IX, jury sizes, and the seizure of an Alaska plane over six beers.
13 snips
Sep 15, 2026 • 57min
The Innocence Case from Hell with Josie Duffy Rice
Josie Duffy Rice, an attorney, writer, and criminal justice journalist, examines Temujin Kensu’s bizarre murder conviction. They explore fabricated police work, a drug-addicted defense lawyer, an imaginary ninja syndicate, and why jurors accept impossible stories. The conversation delves into wrongful convictions, institutional denial, racial identity, judicial inaction, and Kensu’s slim path to freedom.
17 snips
Sep 8, 2026 • 53min
National Park Service v. National Trust for Historic Preservation
A proposed White House ballroom sparks a legal battle over historic preservation, missing approvals, private donors, and an underground emergency facility. The discussion examines the Supreme Court’s standing ruling, irreparable harm, and the use of procedural doctrines to shield executive power. It also explores Trump’s “act first, ask forgiveness later” strategy and the ballroom’s symbolism as authoritarian spectacle.
Aug 25, 2026 • 5min
John Roberts is on Substack, U.S. Attorneys are Fake, and the DNC is a Scam [TEASER]
They unpack efforts in Texas to ban halal food and other measures targeting Muslim practices. They discuss how a halal ban would reach everyday foods and create legal headaches. They touch on Chief Justice John Roberts showing up on Substack and strange political communications tied to the DNC. The tone is skeptical and sharp throughout.
11 snips
Aug 18, 2026 • 38min
NRSC v. FEC
A close look at the Supreme Court decision that rewrites campaign finance rules and loosens limits on coordinated party spending. Discussion of how legal definitions of corruption and earmarking were narrowed. Breakdown of joint fundraising committees and how large donors can route money to favored candidates. Debate on the decision's ripple effects for party power and donor influence.
23 snips
Aug 11, 2026 • 57min
Trump v. Slaughter (and Trump v. Cook)
The conversation breaks down a recent Supreme Court ruling that widens presidential removal power and its threat to independent agencies. They trace the history from Humphrey’s Executor to modern originalism and debate the unitary executive theory. They compare the Court’s split treatment of the FTC and the Fed and explore immediate political fallout and legal fights over removals.
Aug 4, 2026 • 5min
Gambling Away the Future: Kalshi, SCOTUSBlog, and Trump’s Bet on the Midterms [SUBSCRIBER-ONLY]
They debate fears that the midterms could be stolen and why that anxiety keeps resurfacing. They dig into the controversy around Kalshi and Polymarket and the lawyers defending prediction markets. They note a subtle conservative shift at SCOTUSBlog and what that might mean for legal coverage.
11 snips
Jul 28, 2026 • 55min
Mullin v. Doe
They break down Temporary Protected Status and how the government decides who gets it. They debate whether courts can review those decisions and focus on an equal protection claim tied to racial animus. They read inflammatory political remarks and critique the Court’s responses. They trace how ending TPS can turn documented people into deportable immigrants and reflect on historical legal parallels.
