Law and Chaos

Mike Lindell’s sparklemagic lawyers find out that sometimes ChatGPT ends with Rule 11. Then we visit Elon Musk and Sam Altman for a lesson in civil procedure. After that Andrew and Liz explain how Trump can’t actually un-ban TikTok via presidential edict and break down the latest Supreme Court efforts to burn down the judiciary. Plus for subscribers, Nate Silver — who only gambles for fun, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! — is right about the Republicans’ trillion dollar tax heist???   Links:   Coomer v. Lindell [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/63296393/coomer-v-lindell/   Musk v. Altman [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69013420/musk-v-altman/   D.V.D. v. Department of Homeland Security [Trial Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69775896/dvd-v-us-department-of-homeland-security/   Department of Homeland Security v. D.V.D. [SCOTUS Docket] https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24a1153.html   EO 14166 (TikTok ban) https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/application-of-protecting-americans-from-foreign-adversary-controlled-applications-act-to-tiktok/   FOIA production re TikTok https://embed.documentcloud.org/documents/25989866-25-3980-nd-cal-response-07032025/   Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod  

We may not know how to fix America, but we can tell you the law of fireworks! Plus the latest on Kilmar Abrego Garcia and what it tells us about how Homeland Security is carrying out Trump’s deportation regime. Plus, Trump’s lawyers are learning so much about civil procedure by getting their asses kicked all over Iowa.   Links:   Hundreds of Jan 6ers Are Hoping For Big DOJ Payday https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/hundreds-of-jan-6ers-are-hoping-for-big-doj-payday   US v. Russell [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70627303/united-states-of-america-v-russell   Abrego Garcia v. Noem [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69777799/abrego-garcia-v-noem   US v. Garcia [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70475970/united-states-v-garcia   Trump v. Selzer [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69476247/trump-v-selzer/   World Population Review of Fireworks Laws by US state https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/fireworks-laws-by-state   Federal Hazardous Substances Act, 15 USC Ch. 30 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/chapter-30   “Banned Hazardous Substances” regulations, 16 C.F.R. 1500.17 https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/1500.17 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod  

The Supreme Court’s recent decisions highlight a significant shift in authority, with conservative justices redefining legal norms. They’ve sidelined lower courts and limited doctrines like nationwide injunctions and stare decisis. The discussion dives into cases like Mahmoud v. Taylor, where religious parents can opt their children out of LGBTQ+ educational content. There’s also scrutiny over recent rulings affecting voting rights, gender discrimination, and the balance between parental control and children's rights, revealing the ongoing legal battles in America.

The podcast dives into the Trump administration's contentious relationship with the judiciary, uncovering attempts to influence judicial appointments. Recent Supreme Court rulings on civil rights and healthcare access spark urgent discussions. The impact of political maneuvering on justice is explored, particularly concerning whistleblower revelations. Mixed reactions to significant sentencing reforms and electoral changes highlight the complexities of legal evolution. Additionally, Tatis Jr.'s legal battle shines a light on ethical dilemmas in sports funding.

The Supreme Court’s howler monkey wing greenlights Trump’s third country renditions without notice and cuts the legs out from underneath the entire federal judiciary. So much for CJ Roberts, protector of the courts! And the Ninth Circuit lets Trump steal California’s National Guard for a fictitious emergency. In better news, Harvard gets an injunction against the government’s effort to kneecap it by blocking foreign students. And Disney takes on Midjourney, the AI company whose business model appears to rest on wholesale copyright infringement.    Links:   Supreme Court Shadow Docket Order DHS v. DVD https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1153_l5gm.pdf   President and Fellows of Harvard College v. United States Department of Homeland Security [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70349156/president-and-fellows-of-harvard-college-v-united-states-department-of/    Newsom v. Trump [Trial Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70496361/newsom-v-trump/   Newsom v. Trump [9th Circuit Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70527602/newsom-et-al-v-trump-et-al/   US v. Abrego [TN Criminal Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70475970/united-states-v-garcia/   Disney v. Midjourney (C.D. Cal.) [docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70513159/disney-enterprises-inc-v-midjourney-inc/   Midjourney Terms of Service https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service   2022 Midjouney interview in The Register https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/01/david_holz_midjourney/   Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod  

This week the Supreme Court’s conservatives greenlit an all-out attack on trans kids and their healthcare. So much for parents’ rights! At least Alex Jones is still bankrupt. And the trustee in his bankruptcy case just sued him to claw back millions of dollars in “fraudulent” transfers to his friends and family. Plus, we’ll discuss NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, Judge Hannah Dugan, and everyone else swept up in ICE’s deranged dragnet.   Links:   US v. Skrmetti (S. Ct. 2025) https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-477_2cp3.pdf   Alex Jones bankruptcy (S.D. Texas) [docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66583024/alexander-e-jones-and-official-committee-of-unsecured-creditors   Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod  

Liz and Andrew welcome Lawfare’s Anna Bower back to the show to discuss her singular obsession: who is the administrator of DOGE? Find out why that’s still a critical question and what discovering the answer might mean in terms of undoing policy, preserving records, and more.   Links:   Who Is The Administrator of DOGE, by Anna Bower https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/lawfare-daily--witaod   Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod  

A federal judge has ruled that Donald Trump illegally seized control of the California National Guard. We tell you everything that means and what happens next. Also, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is home and facing trumped-up charges in Tennessee. And Alina Habba is still cosplaying as a prosecutor, and this time she’s decided to try and indict a sitting member of Congress for doing her job.   Links:   Newsom v. Trump [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70496361/newsom-v-trump/   Abrego Garcia v. Noem [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69777799/abrego-garcia-v-noem/   US v. Abrego Garcia [docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70475970/united-states-v-garcia/   US v. Mciver [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70317726/united-states-v-mciver   Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod  

The Trump administration is trying to provoke a riot in California by “federalizing” the National Guard. We’ll tell you what that means and what legal recourse blue states and cities have to resist being occupied by the military. Plus, it turns out that the Trump administration could facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia after all, it just needed to gin up a dubious criminal indictment first. And finally, Justin Baldoni’s trollsuit against Blake Lively meets precisely the demise we told you it would.   Links:   US v. Abrego Garcia [docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70475970/united-states-v-garcia/   DHS Referral to DOJ (Abrego Garcia) https://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/releases/2025/25_0418_hsi_referral-abrego-garcia.pdf   Abrego Garcia v. Noem [District Docket] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69777799/abrego-garcia-v-noem/   Harvard College v. Department of Health and Human Services [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69921962/president-and-fellows-of-harvard-college-v-us-department-of-health-and/   White House Memo Federalizing National Guard https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/department-of-defense-security-for-the-protection-of-department-of-homeland-security-functions/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod  

Justin Baldoni’s lawyers are wilding out, the Justice Department is suing to purge North Carolina’s voter rolls, and Pillow Pumper Mike Lindell is teaching us about journalism shield laws. And for subscribers: Have Trump’s minions discovered one weird trick that will allow them to steal Congress’s tariff authority?   Links:   Kingdom v. Trump https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69717615/kingdom-v-trump/   Trump's Justice Department examining pardons issued by Biden https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-justice-department-examining-pardons-issued-by-biden-2025-06-02/   US v. Navarro https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/63359365/united-states-v-navarro/   J.G.G. v. Trump [District Court Docket] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69741724/jgg-v-trump/   Wayfarer Studios v. Lively https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69550325/wayfarer-studios-llc-v-lively/   Lively v. Wayfarer Studios, LLC https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69510553/lively-v-wayfarer-studios-llc/   Coomer v. Lindell https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/63296393/coomer-v-lindell/   Covington & Burling tariffs article https://www.cov.com/-/media/files/corporate/publications/2016/12/law360_the_presidents_long_forgotten_power_to_raise_tariffs.pdf   19 USC 1338 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/19/1338 US v. North Carolina State Board of Elections [docket via Court Listener] ttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70380331/united-states-v-north-carolina-state-board-of-elections/   Help America Vote Act, 52 USC 21083 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/21083 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod