Civics on the Rocks

Steve commits murder, Anne pursues him to the full extent of the law, and Mack is on a mission from God. REFERENCES So, by warrant here, we’re talking about honest-to-gosh legal warrants: Legal Information Institute. “Warrant.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/warrant We need to make a distinction because there are administrative warrants: Legal Information Institute. “Administrative Warrant.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/administrative_warrant So, the executive branch: Legal Information Institute. “Executive Branch.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/executive_branch You need to have probable cause: Legal Information Institute. “Probable Cause.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/probable_cause Article III judge: Constitution Annotated. “Article III.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/ For search and seizure: Legal Information Institute. “Search and Seizure.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/search_and_seizure In the Fourth Amendment: Constitution Annotated. “Fourth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-4/ A lot of times, it is for a civil thing: Legal Aid Society of Northeaster New York. “The Differences Between Criminal Court and Civil Court.” Updated August 4, 2022. LawHelp.org. https://www.lawhelp.org/resource/the-differences-between-criminal-court-and-ci ICE, the organization: https://www.ice.gov/ They’ve got to be out in a public place, and then they’re authorized by their own agency to detain them: Diaz, Jaclyn. “What ICE Agents Can and Cannot Legally Do During Arrests.” Updated September 19, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/05/nx-s1-5517998/ice-arrest-rules-explained It’s not just search everything: United States Courts. “What Does the Fourth Amendment Mean?” https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/what-does-fourth-amendment-mean Writs of assistance: Britannica Editors. “Writ of Assistance.” Updated 2020. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/writ-of-assistance The in-between time between the Seven Years War (the French and Indian War)…: Britannica Editors. “Seven Years’ War.” Updated March 23, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Seven-Years-War …and the run-up to the Revolution: Wallace, Willard M. “American Revolution.” Updated March 20, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Revolution So famous Supreme Court case, Mapp vs. Ohio, 1961: Oyez. “Mapp v. Ohio.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1960/236 When did administrative warrants come into play: Arthur, Andrew R. “Going Back to the Past to Explain ‘Administrative Warrants,’ Immigration Enforcement.” February 5, 2026. Center for Immigration Studies. https://cis.org/Arthur/Going-Back-Past-Explain-Administrative-Warrants-Immigration-Enforcement I kind of wonder how the Revenue Cutter Service operated: Vergun, David. “Coast Guard Celebrates 235 Years Protecting Nation’s Waterways.” August 1, 2025. Joint Base San Antonio. https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/4261826/coast-guard-celebrates-235-years-protecting-nations-waterways/ Like an early DOGE or something: Fields, Gary. “A Year After Trump’s DOGE Cuts, Workers Whose Lives Were Upended Ask What Was Saved.” March 27, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/a-year-after-trumps-doge-cuts-workers-whose-lives-were-upended-ask-what-was-saved While Civics on the Rocks didn't actually find an answer to this question, we’re sure they had something that gave them paper authorization, because otherwise they’re kind of pirate-y. Feel free to look for it for yourselves: National Archives. “Records of the United States Revenue Cutter Service (USRCS).” Reviewed January 11, 2023. https://www.archives.gov/research/military/coast-guard/revenue-cutter-service And it’s not a letter of marque or reprisal: Mulligan, Steve P. “Letters of Marque and Reprisal (Part 1): Introduction and Historical Context.” February 26, 2025. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11272 And those are called origin statutes, by the way, or organic statutes: Ballotpedia. “Organic Statute.” https://ballotpedia.org/Organic_statute Some of it is, also, due process rights: Constitution Annotated. “Amdt14.S1.3 Due Process Generally.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt14-S1-3/ALDE_00013743/ We couldn’t find a comprehensive list of agencies that use administrative warrants, but multiple ones are authorized to do so, including the Environmental Protective Agency (EPA). Let’s do the EPA, that’s a fun one: https://www.epa.gov/ Oh, postal inspectors(!): United States Postal Inspection Service. “Security: It Comes With the Stamp.” https://www.uspis.gov/ The EPA has people who enforce EPA regulations: EPA. “Criminal Enforcement: Special Agents.” https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/criminal-enforcement-special-agents Some of what they do, like postal inspectors, it could be a civil thing, it could also be a criminal thing: Office of Inspector General. “Office of Investigations.” https://www.uspsoig.gov/about-us/office-investigations Things like wire tapping: Legal Information Institute. “Wiretapping.” Reviewed July 2024. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/wiretapping Damn spot: Shakespeare. “The Tragedy of Macbeth: Act 5, Scene 1.” https://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/macbeth.5.1.html You’re on oath or affirmation: Legal Information Institute. “22 CFR § 92.18 - Oaths and affirmations defined.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/92.18 Now, we’re playing Clue: The Strong National Museum of Play. “Clue.” https://www.museumofplay.org/toys/clue/ Yes, Anne can go into Steve’s house to arrest him with her warrant: Wallentine, Ken. “Whose House Is This? I Think I Know.” 2023. Lexipol. https://www.lexipol.com/resources/blog/whose-house-is-this-i-think-i-know/ And then somebody pulls over Steve, and runs his license and registration through SCMODS: https://youtu.be/pwqwSukyBvg?si=Kz9XB3WL4-k0vU9S Yes, in most cases, Anne would need a separate warrant to take Steve’s DNA: National Institute of Justice. “DNA–A Prosecutor’s Practice Notebook Inventory.” https://nij.ojp.gov/nij-hosted-online-training-courses/dna-prosecutors-practice-notebook-inventory/preparing-cases-involving-dna/admissibility/court-order-or-search-warrant So, the phone question is a little more complicated. As one legal source noted, phone technology evolves faster than the law does. If a legal authority figure uses your face to open your phone without your permission, you have a case to bring an unlawful search complaint against them. However, most legal sources we found recommend you use a strong password: Old, Jake. “Privacy Implications of Biometric Phone Encryption in Police Investigations.” Tennessee Bar Association. https://www.tba.org/?pg=crimjustice It’s not civil because it’s a misdemeanor: Legal Information Institute. “Misdemeanor.” Reviewed August 2021. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/misdemeanor So, the two Supreme Court cases that Mack describes did occur, but they happened two years apart. The phone search was unlawful: Oyez. “Riley v. California.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2013/13-132 But the full body cavity search, because it was motivated by the fact that the police are responsible for the safety of all persons onsite, that search was permissible: Oyez. “Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Burlington. https://www.oyez.org/cases/2011/10-945 Welcome to being a woman in America: Center for Reproductive Rights. “Bodily Autonomy Fact Sheet Series: Abortion, Gender-Affirming Care, and the Fourteenth Amendment.” July 22, 2025. https://reproductiverights.org/resources/bodily-autonomy-fourteenth-amendment-fact-sheet/ Hot pursuit—it was a term that was made a thing by the Supreme Court…: Justia. “United States v. Santana, 427 U.S. 38 (1976).” https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/427/38/ …not Roscoe P. Coltrane: https://youtu.be/mPHnfcg6sPA?si=X4Tul9x0QxMHJHnN In case you were wondering, hot pursuit comes from maritime law, where a nation’s ships are justified to pursue invaders into international waters, and its first known use was in 1743: Merriam-Webster. “Hot Pursuit: Word History.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20pursuit#word-history So, about the rocket propelled grenade launcher—it’s kind of a good news, bad news thing. So, Texas has declared private ownership of such weapons to be illegal…: Texas Constitution and Statutes. “Sec. 46.05. Prohibited Weapons.” https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=PE&chapter=PE.46&artSec=46.05 …unless they are registered under the National Firearms Act:  ATF. “National Firearms Act.” https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/laws-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives/national-firearms-act It depends on what you want to do with the fact pattern of the story: Stockwell Law Firm. “How to Write an Effective Legal Fact Pattern: A Step-by-Step Guide.” https://www.stockwelllawfirm.com/single-post/how-to-write-an-effective-legal-fact-pattern-a-step-by-step-guide The term for that is exigent circumstances: Legal Information Institute. “Exigent Circumstances.” Reviewed December 2022. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/exigent_circumstances ICE, who many people in this country feel are acting illegally and outside of the bounds for which they were created: Epstein, Kayla. “What is ICE and What Powers Do Its Agents Have to Use Force?” February 4, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp80ljjd5rwo And many of those people are federal judges: Cheney, Kyle. “Our Running List of Judges Who Rule on ICE’s Mass Detention Policy.” Updated April 3, 2026. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/18/trump-judges-immigration-detention-00784614?_sp_pass_consent=true They have internal legal advice that tells them their administrative warrants are perfectly fine for entering people’s homes: James, Hannah. “DHS Warrantless Home Entry Memo’s Fourth Amendment Problem.” Updated February 4, 2026. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/dhs-warrantless-home-entry-memos-fourth-amendment-problem Including knocking down doors and using explosives to breach them to do so: Brook, Jack. “A U.S. Citizen Says ICE Forced Open the Door to His Minnesota Home and Removed Him in His Underwear After a Warrantless Search.” January 20, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-u-s-citizen-says-ice-forced-open-the-door-to-his-minnesota-home-and-removed-him-in-his-underwear-after-a-warrantless-search We just generally said ICE, but sometimes it’s Border Patrol: Mehta, Sarah. “Border Patrol Agents Replace Top Leadership at ICE Offices Despite Human Rights Violations.” November 6, 2025. ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/border-patrol-agents-replace-top-leadership-at-ice-offices-despite-human-rights-violations The incredible lack of training: Bennett, Geoff and Anderson, Jonah. “Whistleblower Warns ICE Has Slashed Training for Recruits [Video and transcript].” PBS News Hour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/whistleblower-warns-ice-has-slashed-training-for-recruits Which is why some of the guys have shot themselves: Rahman, Billal and Gooding, Dan. “ICE Agents Keep Accidentally Shooting Themselves.” Updated February 20, 2026. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/ice-agents-keep-accidentally-shooting-themselves-11540132 In some of these encounters, like Renee Good…: Schuppe, Jon and Smith, Patrick. “Minneapolis Police, Fire Department Reports Reveal Chaotic Moments After ICE Officer Fatally Shot Renee Good.” Updated January 16, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/minneapolis-police-fire-department-reports-reveal-chaotic-moments-ice-rcna254362 …and others: McSwane, J. David. “Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting.” February 1, 2026. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/alex-pretti-shooting-cbp-agents-identified-jesus-ochoa-raymundo-gutierrez Learn what you can do, what you can’t do, and what you shouldn’t do: Yoon, Byul. “Your Questions Answered: Filming ICE Interactions Safely.” March 3, 2026. ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/your-questions-answered-filming-ice-interactions-safely They are murdering people: Bennet, Geoff and Norris, Courtney. “‘He Took My Son’s Life for Nothing,’ Says Mother of Man Killed by Immigration Agent [Video and transcript].” March 19, 2026. PBS News Hour.” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/he-took-my-sons-life-for-nothing-says-mother-of-man-killed-by-immigration-agent They have a habit of leaving: Fanelli, Gino. “ICE Agents in the Park Ave Neighborhood Spark Large-Scale Protest.” September 9, 2025. WXXI News. https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2025-09-09/ice-agents-in-the-park-ave-neighborhood-spark-large-scale-protest Specifically, ACLU: ACLU. “Know Your Rights.” https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights The marches, almost all of them, have been peaceful: Reid, Tim and Brooks, Brad. “Anti-Trump Rallies Hit Thousands of U.S. Cities for ‘No Kings’ Protest.” Updated March 30, 2026. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/rallies-planned-thousands-us-cities-no-kings-protest-against-trump-2026-03-28/ Regular citizens in Minnesota: Janssen, Emma. “When ICE Blows Through Rural America.” March 30, 2026. The American Prospect. https://prospect.org/2026/03/30/apr-2026-magazine-when-ice-blows-through-rural-america-minnesota/ The guy who was the head of the Border Patrol operation in Minnesota was removed from that: Raza, Sarah and Fingerhut, Hannah. “Minnesota Launches Probe That Could Bring Charges Against Federal Immigration Officers.” March 3, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/minnesota-launches-probe-that-could-bring-charges-against-federal-immigration-officers Including law enforcement of the state and local variety: Yang, Hannah; Sepic, Matt; and Schaper, David. “St. Peter Police Chief Intervened and Got Federal Agents to Release Resident, Sources Say.” Updated January 31, 2026. MPR News. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/30/st-peter-police-chief-intervenes-prevents-federal-agents-from-arresting-resident Our first cocktail was a Scofflaw: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/scofflaw/ It is kumquats where you eat the peel of the citrus: Fox 13 Tampa Bay. “How to Eat a Kumquat [Video].” https://youtu.be/OmiUgaic2nE?si=2DSoq-gt1zDlv-f0 Second cocktail was the Algonquin: https://www.liquor.com/algonquin-cocktail-recipe-8383879 Which was named for the hotel in New York City: https://www.algonquinhotel.com/ Sake is not a wine, it is its own thing: Wine and Spirit Education Trust. “5 Sake Facts Every Drinks Professional Needs to Know.” May 2024. https://www.wsetglobal.com/knowledge-centre/blog/2024/march/05/5-sake-facts-every-drinks-professional-needs-to-know/ 27 CFR, Section 5.143 defines whiskey: Code of Federal Regulations. “27 CFR 5.143.” https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/section-5.143 You can find whiskeys made from quinoa, for example: Peters, Josh. “Corsair Quinoa Whiskey Review.” February 10, 2016. The Whiskey Jug. https://thewhiskeyjug.com/american-whiskey/corsair-quinoa-whiskey-review/ In the interest of full disclosure, since recording this podcast, Civics on the Rocks has discovered that someone has indeed made a rice whisky: Burke, Eric. “J. T. Meleck American Rice Whiskey.” November 30, 2022. Bourbon Guy. https://www.bourbonguy.com/blog/2022/11/30/jt-meleck-american-rice-whiskey No, because there is no honey: Hive Mind Mead. “The History of Mead.” https://hivemindmead.com/pages/mead-101-everything-about-mead The law has, indeed, changed and it is now totally fine to have a home distillery in Texas: Capriglione, Giovanni. “HB 2278.” Texas Policy Research. https://www.texaspolicyresearch.com/bills/89th-legislature-hb-2278/ As of this podcast, World Market no longer sells a home brew sake kit. However, several other companies do online, in case you wanted to find something like that. (Anne's out. This is on you.) I don’t know if you ever saw the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi: https://youtu.be/0VB_DrsHDQ0?si=8YjFvlhvUCGrX4a5 It’s like family delineated: Japan. “Exploring the Soul of Japanese Sake Breweries Across the Tohoku Region.” January 2022. https://www.japan.travel/en/japan-magazine/2201_exploring-soul-japanese-sake-breweries-across-tohoku-region/ It’s not tequila: Forget, A. J. “The Difference Between Agave Spirits and Tequila.” May 14, 2025. The Takeout. https://www.thetakeout.com/1854905/agave-spirits-vs-tequila-difference/ A growing whiskey history in Japan: Japan. “Japanese Whisky.” https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/japanese-whisky/ That’s how you go blind: Claw Hammer Supply. “Can Making Alcohol at Home Make You Go Blind [Video]?” https://youtube.com/shorts/5VAogia7Oow?si=Zv9RFa0kI0Svhyb9 A packed column…: Chemical Packings. “Essential Guide to Packed Bed Column Design.” November 24, 2024. https://www.chemicalpackings.com/article/packed-column.html …not a tray column: Chemical Packings. “Distillation Column Trays and Packing: A Comprehensive Overview.” February 1, 2025. https://www.chemicalpackings.com/article/distillation-column-tray.html We’re going to need black suits, black hats, sunglasses, black ties: https://youtu.be/WZ3zZ-aWi6U?si=y9W6WUMxjdJg6qmi Or NATO straps: Horus Watch Straps. “What is a NATO Watch Strap?” https://www.horusstraps.com/blogs/news/what-is-a-nato-watch-strap?srsltid=AfmBOor5YD3GFgPYbTCgfbQm0h7uHsSAUlMhsjd2IsocQvX5lWQnp-1B Original Bond or vintage Bond, Bond 2021, and modern Bond: Esprit Nato. “NATO Strap and James Bond.” https://www.esprit-nato.com/en/content/10-nato-watch-strap-band-and-james-bond-007 Goldfinger, in the beginning of the movie: https://youtu.be/NVg23yjKl1g?si=TisLfRcSQ8sjQHke No Time to Die actually starred Daniel Craig: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2382320/ Quantum of Solace: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0830515/ You wanna fun fact? Sean Connery’s wetsuit is not an authentic wetsuit or dry suit. Here’s someone with a much more thorough explanation than Anne’s: Spaiser, Matt. “The Black Diving Suit in Goldfinger.” November 4, 2024. Bond Suits. https://www.bondsuits.com/the-black-diving-suit-in-goldfinger/ So, there’s wetsuits and dry suits: Mustang Survival. “The Difference Between Wetsuits and Dry Suits.” May 21, 2025. https://mustangsurvival.com/blogs/resources/the-difference-between-wetsuits-and-dry-suits So, for our last cocktail, we went back to a Saratoga: https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2196/saratoga-cocktail ICE is still in Minnesota: Collins, Jon and Martin, Kate. “Half of Those Arrested by Federal Agents in Minnesota This Winter Have Already Been Deported.” April 3, 2026. MPR News. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/04/03/half-of-those-arrested-by-federal-agents-in-minnesota-this-winter-have-already-been-deported And cars: NBC10 Philadelphia. “ICE Agents Smash Car Window During Arrest of Man in Cumberland County [Video].” March 28, 2026. https://youtu.be/zN2MWICVb24?si=hsTequ2py3HGhrop And sending people, including little kids, to concentration camps: Martínez-Beltrán, Sergio. “ICE Detention Deaths Are on a Record Pace. One Texas Facility Bears the Brunt.” April 3, 2026. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2026/04/03/nx-s1-5754749/ice-detention-deaths-are-on-a-record-pace-one-texas-facility-bears-the-brunt And they literally have: Goodman, Joshua and Sullivan, Tim. “They Thought They Were in Court for a Routine Immigration Hearing, But Walked Into a Deportation Trap.” November 19, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/they-thought-they-were-in-court-for-a-routine-immigration-hearing-but-walked-into-a-deportation-trap Minnesota Public Radio: https://www.mpr.org/ The national news is a business, it’s an entertainment industry: Seth, Shobhit; Brock, Thomas; and Velasquez, Vikki. “The World’s Top 10 News Media Companies.” January 15, 2026. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/021815/worlds-top-ten-news-companies-nws-gci-trco-nyt.aspx Texas Public Radio: https://www.tpr.org/ The Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/ A Texas journalist named Olivia Messer: https://thebarbedwire.com/author/olivia/ The Barbed Wire: https://thebarbedwire.com/ A story they did in the aftermath of the July 4th floods: Rangel, Leslie and Messer, Olivia. “‘It’s a Waking Nightmare’: Camp Mystic Alum Recalls Flood That Hit the Same Cabins in 1987.’” The Barbed Wire. July 8, 2025. https://thebarbedwire.com/2025/07/08/camp-mystic-alum-remembers-past-flood/ ProPublica: https://www.propublica.org/ And “dun-dun” is a reference to the television show Law and Order. But you already knew that.

VOTE IN THE MARCH 3 TEXAS PRIMARY ELECTION. In this episode, we head back to Texas and discuss why this isn’t as off a year as you might think. Also, if you haven’t done it yet, VOTE! References March 3 are the primaries in Texas: Texas Secretary of State. “March 3, 2026 Primary Election Law Calendar and May 26, 2026 Primary Runoff Election Law Calendar.” https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/advisory2025-17-mar-3-2026-primary-elec-law-cal-and-may-26-2026-primary-runoff-elec-law-cal.shtml We had a whole episode on primaries: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-2szpe-1544115 It’s an election among the Republican candidates for office to decide who is going to be the Republican candidate in the general election, and then you have the Democratic candidates for office—same deal: Drusch, Andrea. “How Does the Primary Election Work in Texas?” February 16, 2026. San Antonio Report. https://sanantonioreport.org/how-does-the-primary-election-work-in-texas/ Except Iowa: Hull, Christopher C. “Iowa caucuses.” Updated February 1, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Iowa-caucuses There are open primaries, blanket primaries, closed primaries: USA.gov. “Presidential Primaries and Caucuses.” February 25, 2026. https://www.usa.gov/primaries-caucuses Texas has been characterized as a modified open or a modified closed: Ballotpedia. “Primary Elections in Texas.” https://ballotpedia.org/Primary_elections_in_Texas New York has a closed primary: Ballotpedia. “Primary Elections in New York.” https://ballotpedia.org/Primary_elections_in_New_York Whereas in Minnesota, they have same day voter registration: Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. “Register on Election Day.” https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/register-to-vote/register-on-election-day/ In Texas, you have to have registered in advance: VoteTexas.gov. “Texas Voter Registration Information.” https://www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/ Fact check—For the general election, you can vote for any party regardless of how you voted in the primary. However, you have to vote the same party in primary run-offs as you did in the primary. You do NOT have to vote in the primary in order to vote in a primary run-off: Ingram, Keith. “Election Advisory N. 2020-05.” February 11, 2020. Texas Secretary of State. https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/advisory2020-05.shtml Since Mack mentioned voter ID cards, we’d like to provide some additional information we have learned about since recording this podcast. Due to redistricting, several voter ID cards have not been issued in time for the primary election. This does not affect you if you are registered. You can still vote even without a voter ID card: Pope, Pachatta. “Voter Registration Cards Delayed by Redistricting, But Not Needed to Vote.” February 15, 2026. KSAT. https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/02/16/voter-registration-cards-delayed-by-redistricting-but-not-needed-to-vote/ Things like equal protection…: Constitution Annotated. “Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection and Other Rights.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-14/ …and due process still apply: Constitution Annotated. “Amdt14.S1.3 Due Process Generally.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt14-S1-3/ALDE_00013743/ In Texas, there was the White primaries case: Oyez. “Smith v. Allwright.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/321us649 They have changed the rules about postmarks on the mail-in ballots: Contreras, Natalia. “Postal Service Changes Mean Texas Voters Shouldn’t Wait to Mail Voter Registrations and Ballots.” January 21, 2026. VoteBeat.org. https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/01/21/usps-postal-service-postmark-mail-ballot-voter-registration-deadline/ If you are eligible to do a mail-in ballot in Texas: VoteTexas.gov. “Voting by Mail Eligibility Requirements.” https://www.votetexas.gov/voting-by-mail/eligibility-requirements.html There is a way to check if your ballot was received: VoteTexas.gov. “Track My Ballot and Correct ID Information.” https://www.votetexas.gov/voting-by-mail/track-my-ballot.html The Bexar County Elections Department has been very good about putting out information about the new rules: https://www.bexar.org/1568/Elections-Department We voted this in, that we will require certain forms of voter ID to prove that you’re a U.S. citizen: Contreras, Natalia. “Bill Requiring Voters to Show Proof of Citizenship Clears Texas Senate.” April 1, 2025. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/01/texas-proof-of-citizenship-voting-senate-bill-16/ We’re not the only ones that did stuff like that (to clarify, not Florida in this case, Anne just has a low opinion of their elected officials): Ballotpedia. “Proof of Citizenship Requirements for Voter Registration by State.” https://ballotpedia.org/Proof_of_citizenship_requirements_for_voter_registration_by_state There are still several different forms of valid ID: VoteTexas.gov. “Identification Requirements for Voting.” http://votetexas.gov/voting/need-id.html There’s been a lot of news about the SAVE act: Sweren-Becker, Eliza and Bacskai, Owen. “New SAVE Act Bills Would Still Block Millions of Americans From Voting.” Updated February 9, 2026. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/new-save-act-bills-would-still-block-millions-americans-voting Conservative opinion leaders that have talked about repealing the Nineteenth Amendment, or saying things on Fox News like a wife should just vote the way her husband tells her to: Padilla, Mariel; Panetta, Grace; and Barclay, Mel Leonor. “Who’s Questioning Women’s Right to Vote?” August 12, 2025. 19thNews.org. https://19thnews.org/2025/08/pete-hegseth-doug-wilson-women-voting/ Where are the cases of any kind of voter fraud: Brennan Center for Justice. “Project: The Myth of Voter Fraud.” https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/voting-elections/vote-suppression/myth-voter-fraud Double-check that you’re registered: Texas.gov. “Texas Voter Registration.” https://www.texas.gov/living-in-texas/texas-voter-registration/ You can order one. (Note, this reference is for Texas. To obtain a birth certificate, you must order from the state you were born in.): Texas Health and Human Services. “Order A Birth Certificate.” https://ovra.txapps.texas.gov/ovra/order-birth-certificate That’s because of them fully implementing the Real ID Act: Texas Department of Public Safety. “Federal Real ID Act.” https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/federal-real-id-act They don’t have badges: Cameron, Dell and Haskins, Caroline. “FBI Warns of Criminals Posing as ICE, Urges Agents to ID Themselves.” November 4, 2025. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/fbi-warns-of-criminals-posing-as-ice-urges-agents-to-id-themselves/ If you happen to live in a town where ICE is buying warehouses: Sterling, Phil. “Massive San Antonio Warehouse to be Turned Into 1,500-bed ICE Processing Center.” February 13, 2026. News4SA. https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/new-details-on-wearhouse-to-be-turned-into-ice-processing-center-texas-mexico-immigration-detention-department-of-homeland-security Basically, every major office in Texas is up for vote right now: Astudillo, Carla and Méndez, María. “Here’s Your Texas 2026 March Primary Ballot.” January 6, 2026. The Texas Tribune. https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-march-2026-primary-ballot/ Alas, Ted Cruz is not up: Ballotpedia. “Ted Cruz.” https://ballotpedia.org/Ted_Cruz Texas changed their districts, recently, through some partisan gerrymandering to try to pick-up five more seats: Lo Wang, Hansi. “Supreme Court Lets Texas Use Gerrymandered Map That Could Give GOP 5 More House Seats.” December 4, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/12/04/nx-s1-5619692/supreme-court-texas-redistricting-map When the national polling has shifted dramatically toward Democrats: Morris, G. Elliott. “Seven Data-Driven Lessons From the 2025 Elections.” November 5, 2025. Strength in Numbers. https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/seven-data-driven-takeaways-from Buy our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/CivcsRocks/shop?asc=u Look at Fort Worth: Hanna, John. “Texas Democrat Taylor Rehmet Flips Republican State Senate Seat Trump Won by 17 Points.” February 2, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/texas-democrat-taylor-rehmet-flips-republican-state-senate-seat-trump-won-by-17-points But it was really cold that weekend: Davis, Sarah. “Texas House Republican Blames Special Election Stunner on Winter Storm.” February 2, 2026. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5718666-pete-sessions-texas-election-weather/ The fact that Democrats have, in I don’t know how long, put up candidates in every race: Guo, Kayla. “Texas Democrats Fill Every State and Federal Race on 2026 Ballot, a First for Either Party.” December 7, 2025. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/17/texas-democrats-down-ballot-2026/ They got the toe in the little pool of self-destruction: Bowman, Bridget. “Viral Dispute Over ‘Mediocre’ Comment Exposes Racial Divides in Democrats’ Texas Senate Primary.” February 5, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/viral-dispute-mediocre-comment-exposes-racial-divides-democrats-texas-rcna257284 Desperation in the Republican ads: Crampton, Liz; Carney, Jordain; Benson, Samuel; Gangitano, Alex; and Wren, Adam. “Republicans are Freaking Out Over Texas Senate Race.” February 26, 2026. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/26/republicans-alarm-grows-about-holding-texas-senate-seat-00799856 Some of their advertising is just disgusting: Birenbaum, Gabby. “Anti-Islam Rhetoric Takes Center Stage in Texas Republican Primary.” January 26, 2026. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/26/texas-republicans-sharia-law-anti-muslim-rhetoric/ In pretty blue San Antonio: Drusch, Andrea. “5 Takeaways From San Antonio’s 2025 City Election.” June 12, 2025. San Antonio Report. https://sanantonioreport.org/5-takeaways-from-san-antonios-2025-city-election/ They only have, like, 219 in the House: U.S. House of Representatives Press Gallery. “Party Breakdown.” https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/party-breakdown The Republican party has been in control of the state for about a quarter century: Ballotpedia. “Party Control of Texas State Government.” https://ballotpedia.org/Party_control_of_Texas_state_government Where Steve found the recipe for our Irish coffees, and one of his favorite authors: Larry Niven. Playgrounds of the Mind. 1991. Tor Books. Here’s all the board games we mentioned in a short amount of time. Darwin’s Journey: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/322289/darwins-journey Botany: A Victorian Expedition: https://duxsomnium.com/pages/botany Twilight Struggle: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12333/twilight-struggle Pan Am: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/303057/pan-am Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/252997/mapmaker-the-gerrymandering-game 1960: The Making of the President: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/27708/1960-the-making-of-the-president About a month ago, lasers in El Paso: Lubold, Gordon; Kube, Courtney; De Luce, Dan. And Gains, Mosheh. “CBP Shot Down Party Balloons With Anti-Drone Tech Before FAA Closed El Paso Airspace, Sources Say.” February 12, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/cbp-shot-party-balloons-anti-drone-tech-faa-closed-el-paso-airspace-so-rcna258731 More recently, lasers in El Paso: Gains, Mosheh; Helsel, Phil; and The Associated Press. “U.S. Military Reportedly Used a Laser to Shoot Down Customs and Border Protection Drone, Sparking New Air Closure.” February 26, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/us-military-used-laser-take-border-protection-drone-lawmakers-say-rcna260887 A very large military base, Fort Bliss: Military.com. “Fort Bliss Army Base Guide.” https://www.military.com/base-guide/fort-bliss It’s essentially a city of a million people with a country line between it: Communications and Publishing. “El Paso – Juarez [Satellite image].” USGS. https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/el-paso-juarez  Through the lens of a September 11: Bergen, Peter L. “September 11 Attacks.” Updated December 9, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/September-11-attacks NORTHCOM: https://www.northcom.mil/HomelandDefense/ This isn’t a pointer laser, which should never be used around an airport: Public Affairs Officer. “The FBI Reminds the Public About the Severity of Laser Strikes Toward Aircraft.” February 25, 2026. FBI. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/cleveland/news/the-fbi-reminds-the-public-about-the-severity-of-laser-strikes-toward-aircraft This is one of these tactical high-powered lasers: Demarest, Colin. “Laser Weapon That Shut Down El Paso’s Skies Was LOCUST System.” February 12, 2026. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2026/02/12/el-paso-laser-weapon-locust-drone This is not just something you can pull out of your backpack: Defense Updates. “What Can AeroVironment LOCUST Laser Weapon System Do for U.S. Military [YouTube video]?” https://youtu.be/huTcf6aoKMM?si=aXi_qCbyG3yFd76D The mayor found out from the morning news: Kim, Seung Min; Finley, Ben; Jalonick, Mary Clare; Lee, Morgan; and Boak, Josh. “Pentagon-FAA Dispute Over Lasers to Thwart Cartel Drones Led to Airspace Closure, AP Sources Say.” February 11, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/pentagon-faa-dispute-over-lasers-to-thwart-cartel-drones-led-to-airspace-closure-ap-sources-say The Malaysian Airlines flight over Ukraine: United Nations. “UN Aviation Council Finds Russia Responsible for Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight.” May 13, 2025. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/05/1163161 There was a midair collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and a passenger plane: Skores, Alexandra. “Chain of Errors Led to Deadly Midair Collision Near Washington, DC, Investigators Conclude.” Updated February 27, 2026. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/17/us/washington-dc-plane-crash-cause They slashed the budgets and fired people: Copp, Tara. “Some of the 400 Jobs That Were Cut at the FAA Helped Support Air Safety, a Union Says.” Updated February 19, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/faa-firings-trump-doge-safety-airlines-27390c6a7aac58063652302df5a243d3 There are, apparently, nine Manhattans: GeoTargit.com “How Many Places are Named Manhattan?” https://geotargit.com/called.php?qcity=Manhattan Anne was incorrect, there was never a tribe that called themselves Manhattan. Colonizers assigned the name Manhattan to any native peoples they encountered on the island: Schenawolf, Harry. “How Manhattan Island of New York was Named.” March 28, 2015. Revolutionary War Journal. https://revolutionarywarjournal.com/manhattan-name-sources/ Mack’s being a bit pedantic. The Army Corps of Engineers officially created the Manhattan Engineer District but, even at the time, it was commonly referred to as the Manhattan Project: Atomic Heritage Foundation. “The Manhattan Project.” May 12, 2017. https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/manhattan-project/ In case, like Steve, you get your types of luminescence confused too: Physical Chemistry. “Types of Luminescence [YouTube video].” https://youtu.be/B1Z7iD2FlJA?si=rT5dC0DDKff5Nsvi They have to drink the radioactive stuff for the scans: Cleveland. “PET Scan.” Updated October 29, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/10123-pet-scan The FBI raided Fulton County in Georgia: Levine, Sam and Chidi, George. “Debunked Claims From Election Deniers Influenced FBI Raid in Georgia, Affidavit Reveals.” February 10, 2026. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/10/fbi-raid-fulton-county-voting-office-search-affidavit Including Mike “Fucking” Johnson is up for election: Hilburn, Greg. “Speaker Mike Johnson Qualifies for Re-election, Predicts GOP Will Defy History in Midterms.” February 11, 2026. Shreveport Times. https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2026/02/11/house-speaker-mike-johnson-qualifies-for-re-election-predicts-gop-gains/88613862007/ Like Epstein file votes: The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Did Congress Vote to Release the Epstein Files?” Updated February 27, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/question/Did-Congress-vote-to-release-the-Epstein-files The tariff thing: McCarthy, Mia and Desrochers, Daniel. “GOP Revolt Sinks Effort to Block Votes on Trump’s Tariffs.” February 10, 2026. Politico. https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/10/congress/gop-revolt-sinks-effort-to-block-votes-on-trumps-tariffs-00775107 The Republicans made that a thing: Chidi, George. “From Praise to Rage: Conservative Response to Epstein Release is Mixed.” December 20, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/20/conservative-response-epstein-release He’s the most mentioned person in the Epstein files: Herb, Jeremy and Cohen, Marshall. “What 3 Million New Documents Tell Us About Trump’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein.” Updated January 31, 2026. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/31/politics/new-documents-trump-epstein What are other countries’ governments doing about it: CBS Mornings. “Epstein Files Fallout Prompts Investigations in At Least 10 Countries [YouTube video].” February 16, 2026. https://youtu.be/0fTIZaVJ1z0?si=ZzVxeI8vNdt9U89- Or Pam Bondi: Greene, Connor. “Pam Bondi Declines to Directly Apologize to Epstein Victims During Capitol Hill Testimony.” February 11, 2026. Time. https://time.com/7377755/bondi-epstein-victims-files-house-hearing/ There’s a lot of Republicans in Texas, right now, sweating: McCaskill, Nolan D. “As Trump Allies Battle in Texas, A Safe Republican Senate Seat Suddenly Looks Fragile.” February 27, 2026. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-allies-battle-texas-safe-republican-senate-seat-suddenly-looks-fragile-2026-02-27/ Look at the grand juries over the last year: Lee, Ella. “Grand Juries Take on Growing Importance Amid Trump’s Legal Retribution Campaign.” February 15, 2026. The Hill. https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5738221-grand-juries-trump-interference/ Or the streets of Minneapolis: NPR. “Special Series: Minneapolis Shootings and Protests.” https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-107333/minneapolis-shootings-protests The Texas Tribune, who have been doing an excellent job providing voter information in the State of Texas: The Texas Tribune. “Texas Votes 2026.” https://www.texastribune.org/2026-vote/ Our podcast favorite, Vote411.org by the League of Women Voters: https://www.vote411.org/ And “jazz hands” is a dance move that involves holding your hands up, palms out, and shaking them. But you already knew that.

Steve points out the squishiness, Mack plays Devil’s advocate, and Anne declares war on Switzerland. REFERENCES The executive power shall be vested in a President: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S1.C1.1 Overview of Executive Vesting Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C1-1/ALDE_00013790/ President shall also be Commander in Chief of the armed forces: Legal Information Institute. “Commander in Chief Powers.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/commander_in_chief_powers Article I, Section 8, Clause 11, like we all know: Constitution Annotated. “Clause 11 War Powers.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-8/clause-11/ There’s this other part that says the President shall make sure that the laws be faithfully executed: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S3.3.1 Overview of Take Care Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S3-3-1/ALDE_00001160/ Other than, what is war: Merriam-Webster. “War.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war Going back to the Barbary pirates: Office of the Historian. “Barbary Wars, 1801–1805 and 1815–1816.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/barbary-wars In the Navy Act: Bisno, Adam. “President Washington Signs the Naval Act of 1794.” March 20, 2019. Naval History and Heritage Command. https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/origins-of-the-navy/washington-naval-act-1794.html The famous six frigates: Naval History and Heritage Command. “U.S. Navy’s Six Original Frigates.” https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/ships/original-frigates.html Or an amendment later: U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. “An Act for the Protection of Commerce of the U.S. in the Mediterranean, Passed by the Senate February 1, 1802.” https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/artifact/act-protection-commerce-us-mediterranean-passed-senate-february-1-1802 The Law of the Sea: National Ocean Service. “What is the Law of the Sea?” https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lawofsea.html The U.N. Charter has a “you can act in self-defense”: Codification Division Publications. “Chapter VII—Action With Respect to Threats to the Peach, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression.” United Nations. https://legal.un.org/repertory/art51.shtml Armed conflict versus war: Save the Children. “What is Conflict and War?” https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-do/conflict-war When did we declare war on Vietnam: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Was the Vietnam War Technically a War?” https://www.britannica.com/question/Was-the-Vietnam-War-technically-a-war Was there a formal declaration of war: United States Senate. “About Declarations of War by Congress.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/declarations-of-war.htm George H. W. Bush said he did not believe he needed that authorization from Congress to proceed because it was a United Nations action: Keller, Kate. “An Unlikely Hardliner, George H. W. Bush Was Ready to Push Presidential Powers.” May 14, 2018. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/unlikely-hardliner-george-h-w-bush-was-ready-push-presidential-powers-180969017/ Did Congress ever make a ruling on it: United States House of Representatives. “House Passage of the 1991 Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force Against Iraq." https://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail?id=35252 The Vietnam war doesn’t happen without Congress at some point voting for the money for it to happen: Hughes, Ken. “The Myth That Congress Cut Off Funding for South Vietnam.” April 28, 2010. History News Network. https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-myth-that-congress-cut-off-funding-for-south-v A coalition of allies: CNN Editorial Research. “Gulf War Fast Facts.” Updated July 24, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/world/middleeast/gulf-war-fast-facts You had the Quasi-War with France, which was kind of weird: Office of the Historian. “The XYZ Affair and the Quasi-War with France, 1798–1800.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/xyz They’re landlocked: National Geographic Kids. “Switzerland.” https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/switzerland They have the funds: Taylor, Chloe. “The ‘Strongest Currency on Earth’ Just Hit an 11-Year High—and It’s Stirring Up Trouble in Switzerland.” Updated January 28, 2026. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/28/swiss-franc-us-dollar-price-fx-exchange-rate-trump-switzerland-snb-currency.html That’s called portage, by the way: Merriam-Webster. “Portage.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portage Steve is correct, Switzerland is not in the showcase of nations at EPCOT: Magic Guides. “What Are the Countries in EPCOT?” https://magicguides.com/countries-in-epcot-world-showcase/ Mack was closest. The executive branch of Switzerland is a Federal Council: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft. “Political System.” https://www.aboutswitzerland.eda.admin.ch/en/political-system They’re going to invade our ears with their jamming music: https://youtu.be/oqVy6eRXc7Q?si=wu03olgks0y9i0-B What is imminent? Merriam-Webster. “Imminent.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imminent What is threat? Merriam-Webster. “Threat.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threat Unless you’re a state, actually. Article I, Section 10, Clause 3: Constitution Annotated. “Clause 3 Acts Requiring Consent of Congress.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-10/clause-3/ I bring up Pearl Harbor: Citino, Rob and Zemurray Stone, Samuel. “Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/pearl-harbor-december-7-1941 Again, Mack knew what he was talking about. Here are the specifics of the Japanese fleet that attacked Pearl Harbor: Pearl Harbor. “This of the Japanese Striking Force.” June 3, 2017. https://pearlharbor.org/blog/ships-japanese-striking-force/ Did they just turn around and go back to Japan? Where did they go afterward: Pearl Harbor. “Japan’s Plans After Pearl Harbor.” https://pearlharbor.org/blog/japans-plans-pearl-harbor/ In case you, also, were not alive for this event: Hartig, Hannah and Doherty, Carroll. “Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11.” September 2, 2021. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/09/02/two-decades-later-the-enduring-legacy-of-9-11/ He gave the speech, “…the day that will live in infamy…”: Library of Congress. “Speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, New York (Transcript).” https://www.loc.gov/resource/afc1986022.afc1986022_ms2201/?st=text&r=-0.101,-0.296,1.111,1.327,0 Even during the Great Depression: Richardson, Gary. “The Great Depression.” November 22, 2013. Federal Reserve History. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/great-depression Or are you Theodore Roosevelt and even if one American gets killed, we’re going to war: National Park Service. “The Bull Moose in Winter: Theodore Roosevelt and World War I.” Updated March 7, 2025. https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-bull-moose-in-winter-theodore-roosevelt-and-world-war-i.htm The War Powers Act was passed by Congress in 1973: Britannica Editors. “War Powers Act.” January 22, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/topic/War-Powers-Act Nixon vetoes it, expressing his belief that it is unconstitutional: Nixon, Richard. “Veto of the War Powers Resolution.” October 24, 1973. The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/veto-the-war-powers-resolution Congress overrides the veto: Congress. “War Powers Resolution. Expedited Procedures in the House and Senate.” https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47603 Oh, like NATO: https://www.nato.int/en Barrack Obama and Libya: Britannica Editors. “Libya Revolt of 2011.” June 15, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Libya-Revolt-of-2011 The Obama administration issues a statement: BBC. “White House: U.S. ‘Can Act in Libya Without Congress’.” June 15, 2011. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-13785073 Ordering the military to seize oil tankers: Upadhyay, Brajesh and Sherman, Natalie. “U.S. Forces Seize a Sixth Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker in Caribbean Sea.” January 15, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4qdnj5vl9o Let’s do the lead up: Finley, Ben; Toropin, Konstantin; and Garcia Cano, Regina. “A Timeline of U.S. Military Escalation Against Venezuela Leading to Maduro’s Capture.” January 3, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/a-timeline-of-u-s-military-escalation-against-venezuela-leading-to-maduros-capture We started by bombing boats: Associated Press. “U.S. Forces Carry Out First Known Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Since Maduro’s Capture.” January 23, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-forces-carry-out-first-known-strike-on-alleged-drug-boat-since-maduros-capture We’ve been intercepting boats into our country running drugs for years: Laliberte, Daniel A. “Enforcing the Law at Sea—The Rise of Drug Smugglers [Commentary].” March 28, 2025. United States Coast Guard. https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/4138215/enforcing-the-law-at-sea-the-rise-of-drug-smugglers/ This is an administration that has not had a real good track record with the idea of truth/evidence: Desjardins, Lisa and Loffman, Matt. “Why Politifact Has Labeled 2025 the ‘Year of the Lies’ [Video and transcript].” December 31, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-politifact-has-labeled-2025-the-year-of-the-lies Experts in the field, who know both about drug running, the country of Venezuela, and war tactics in international waters: Singer, Jeffery A. “Trump’s Venezuela Gambit: An Incoherent Encore in a Failed Drug War.” December 3, 2025. CATO Institute. https://www.cato.org/blog/trumps-venezuela-gambit-incoherent-encore-failed-drug-war Morgan, Annie W. and Halsell, James. “Drug Boats: Where Questions of Lethality and Legality Meet.” September 2025. U.S. Naval Institute. https://www.usni.org/lethality_and_legality Venezuela does not border the eastern Pacific: McCoy, Jennifer L. “Venezuela.” Updated January 4, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Venezuela Unless you go through the Panama Canal: Gordon, Burton L. “Panama Canal.” Updated December 8, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Panama-Canal Venezuela is known for cocaine: Ramirez Uribe, Maria. “Was Nicolas Maduro ‘Flooding’ the U.S. With Fentanyl, as White House Claims?” January 15, 2026. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/1/15/was-nicolas-maduro-flooding-the-us-with-fentanyl-as-white-house-claims They killed a lot of people: Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Death Toll From U.S. Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats Reaches 126 People.” January 26, 2026. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-military-death-toll-venezuela-20cef307b035c386f390df846b6056b7 Before the war crime incident: Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Experts Explain What the Law Says About Killing Survivors of a Boat Strike.” December 1, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642 They released a video of the initial strike on the boat, and then refused to release the second strike on the boat: Stein, Chris. “Pentagon Won’t Release Full Video of Caribbean Strike That Killed Two People, Hegseth Says.” December 16, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/pentagon-wont-release-full-video-caribbean-attack The powers that be right now, in the United States, ordered that to happen: Pigliucci, Cai; FitzGerald, James; and Drenon, Brandon. “Admiral Testified Hegseth Did Not Give ‘Kill them all’ order, U.S. lawmakers say.” December 4, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyxjd6pxzro It is in two different manuals: Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Experts Explain What the Law Says About Killing Survivors of a Boat Strike.” December 1, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642 A more thorough explanation of what happened during the attack of Venezuela than we give in the podcast: Nicholas, Peter; Tsirkin, Julie; Dixon, Matt; Alba, Monica; and Kube, Courtney. “A CIA Team, Steel Doors, and a Fateful Phone Call: How the U.S. Captured Maduro in Venezuela.” January 3, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/us-venezuela-strike-nicolas-maduro-captured-how-timeline-trump-rcna252041 Was arraigned a few days ago: Intarasuwan, Kiki; Czachor, Emily May; Walsh, Joe; and Quinn, Mellisa. “Ousted Venezuelan President Maduro Arraigned in U.S. Court; Trump Threatens Other Nations.” Updated January 6, 2026. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-trump-maduro-charges/ Maduro was an asshole: McCoy, Jennifer L. “The Presidency of Nicolás Maduro.” Updated January 4, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Venezuela/The-presidency-of-Nicolas-Maduro Did not recognize him as the current head of state: Harrison, Chase; Gerbaud, Gladys; and Robertson, Khalea. “How Have International Leaders Responded to Venezuela’s 2024 Election?” August 19, 2024. Americas Society/Council of the Americas. https://www.as-coa.org/articles/how-have-international-leaders-responded-venezuelas-2024-election What is he being charged with: Slack, Donavan; Goodwin, Grace Eliza; and Epstein, Kayla. “What is Maduro Charged With and What is the Evidence?” January 5, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyndnqqey5o In 1989, Manuel Noriega: Britannica Editors. “Manuel Noriega.” Updated November 6, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Manuel-Noriega The canal zone is still controlled by the United States: Roy, Diana. “Who Controls the Panama Canal?” Updated January 29, 2025. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/articles/who-controls-panama-canal There was a U.S. marine killed. Panama had declared war on the U.S.: History.com Editors. “The U.S. Invades Panama.” Updated December 3, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-20/the-u-s-invades-panama It’s not like it’s settled law that that was fine: Scheffer, David J. “Maduro’s Capture and International Law: The Noriega Precedent.” January 6, 2026. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/articles/maduros-capture-and-international-law-noriega-precedent The President, immediately, told the American public, we’re going to go into Venezuela and run it: Jacobson, Louis and Ramirez Uribe, Maria. “Fact-Checking Trump’s Claims After U.S. Strike on Venezuela and Capture of Maduro.” January 4, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trumps-claims-after-u-s-strike-on-venezuela-and-capture-of-maduro Thank God, it’s Marco Rubio: U.S. Department of State. “Marco Rubio.” https://www.state.gov/biographies/marco-rubio/ We’re fine with the Vice President as long as they do what we say: Adams, Paul. “Analysis: Why Trump Chose Maduro’s VP Over Nobel Winner.” January 7, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77krp7m362o Venezuela came in at some point and nationalized/took it all from them: Gore, D’Angelo. “Explaining Trump’s Claim That Venezuela ‘Stole’ U.S. Oil.” January 14, 2026. https://www.factcheck.org/2026/01/explaining-trumps-claim-that-venezuela-stole-u-s-oil/ People are trying to discern what the strategic objective of the administration was: Jeyaretnam, Miranda and de Guzman, Chad. “What’s Happening With the U.S. and Venezuela Explained.” January 12, 2026. Time. https://time.com/7344628/us-venezuela-trump-maduro-oil-drugs-war-explainer-questions-answered/ We might not actually see money from the oil: Atwood, Kylie. “Before Capturing Maduro, Trump Admin Sought Lessons From Iraq War to Get Venezuela’s Oil Flowing.” January 29, 2026. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/29/politics/maduro-venezuela-oil-iraq-war-trump They offered him to go into exile in comfort in Turkey: Turkish Minute. “U.S. Senator Backs Reports Maduro was Offered Exile in Turkey Before Raid.” January 5, 2026. https://www.turkishminute.com/2026/01/05/us-senator-backs-reports-maduro-was-offered-exile-in-turkey-before-raid/ You just pardoned the President of Honduras for cocaine charges: Yousif, Nadine. “What Was Honduras Ex-president Convicted of and Why has Trump Pardoned Him?” December 2, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qewln7912o He was asked that at a press conference: https://youtu.be/bI2hzRw73Bw?si=WcBre0QmGHVm8nCH Marco Rubio, who was asked about that later: https://youtu.be/tLGHbe4qgys?si=kILnMisDVeuVcTLE Why do certain personalities subscribe to conspiracy theories: Moul, Russell. “A Conspiracy Theory Mindset Can be Predicted by These Two Psychological Traits.” January 6, 2026. IFLScience. https://www.iflscience.com/a-conspiracy-theory-mindset-can-be-predicted-by-these-two-psychological-traits-82128 This is the Keystone cops: https://youtu.be/GwUUUqgfu-E?si=4qhuKvTuT61sl5Hi Soyer Au Champagne, from an Atlas Obscure article: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/soyer-au-champagne-cocktail Saratoga: https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2196/saratoga-cocktail Steve’s 12 Bottle Bar book: Dave Solmonson. The 12 Bottle Bar: Make Hundreds of Cocktails With Just 12 Bottles. 2014. Workman Publishing Company. The first of two Bobby Burns: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/bobby-burns/ Burns Night in Scotland: Scotland.org. “Burns Night.” https://www.scotland.org/events/burns-night A variation on a Bobby Burns: https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2313/bobby-burns-crocketts-recipe Craddock…: Sutcliffe, Theodore. “Harry Craddock.” Difford’s Guide. https://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/2345/people/harry-craddock …versus Crockett: Cameron, Ian. “Albert Stevens Crockett.” Difford’s Guide. https://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/2864/people/albert-stevens-crockett Fibonacci numbers: Math is Fun. “Fibonacci Sequence.” https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/fibonacci-sequence.html What’s called the golden spiral or the golden rectangle or golden ratio: Mathnasium. “Nine Examples of the Golden Ratio in Nature, From Pinecones to the Human Body.” July 25, 2024. https://www.mathnasium.com/blog/golden-ratio-in-nature Disney World: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/ It’s a World’s Fair: Findling, John. “World’s Fair.” Updated December 10, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/worlds-fair It’s a Small World: Walt Disney World. “It’s a Small World.” https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/its-a-small-world/ Mack is correct, her name was Mary Blair: Canemaker, John. “About Mary Blair.” The Magic of Mary Blair. https://magicofmaryblair.com/about-mary/ We are the ultimate check—the primaries in Texas are on March 3: https://www.vote411.org/texas And “global thermonuclear war” is a reference to the movie WarGames. But you already knew that.

In this episode, we tackle war crimes. Please note that we record episodes in the month before they are posted—just in case you are wondering why we aren’t talking about one big event in particular. REFERENCES People have desecrated corpses throughout history: Breed, Allen G. “Desecration of the Dead is as Old as War Itself.” January 13, 2012. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/nation-world/2012/01/14/desecration-dead-old-war-itself/15184013007/ Like a flag of truce: Little, Becky. “How Did the White Flag Become a Symbol of Surrender?” Updated May 27, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/when-did-the-white-flag-become-associated-with-surrender Don’t kill the messenger: Frank, David. “Chapter 19 – The Classical Origins and Modern Expressions of ‘Don’t Shoot the Messenger’.” September 4, 2025. Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/dont-shoot-the-journalists/classical-origins-and-modern-expressions-of-dont-shoot-the-messenger/97A99431730AA8701715ECB376467643 The Defenestration of Prague: Britannica Editors. “Defenestration of Prague.” May 16, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/Defenestration-of-Prague-1618 One of the things that began the Thirty Years’ War in Europe: Britannica Editors. “Thirty Years’ War.” Updated January 6, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/event/Thirty-Years-War It ends with the treaty called the Peace of Westphalia: Gesley, Jenny. “The Peach of Westphalia.” October 24, 2017. Library of Congress. https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2017/10/the-peace-of-westphalia/ The world today is composed of nation states: Comstock, Nancy. W. “Nation State.” 2024. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/politics-and-government/nation-state Basically, at some point Europe colonized almost the entirety of the world: Becker, Bastian. “European Overseas Colonies and Their Colonizers Over Time [Interactive map].” September 18, 2023. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/european-overseas-colonies-and-their-colonizers?time=earliest This is probably not the video Steve was referencing, but it illustrates the point that everyone goes to war: ABC News (Australia). “Dozens Killed in Tribal Fighting in Papua New Guinea [Video].” August 23, 2023. https://youtu.be/EhVpKBJESB8?si=3pIXT2kaNlcmKxQp The most famous being the Hauge conventions: HCCH. “Conventions and Other Instruments.” https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions Most of the modern war crimes were as a result of World War II: Penrose, Mary Margaret. “Post-World War II Developments: Genevea Conventions.” December 10, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/war-crime/Post-World-War-II-developments The Napoleonic Wars gave rise to some: Britannic Editors. “Napoleonic Wars.” November 24, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Napoleonic-Wars The Geneva Convention in 1864: International Committee of the Red Cross. “Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field. Geneva, 22 August 1864.” https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/gc-1864 A list of war crimes, right now: BBC. “War Crimes.” https://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/war/overview/crimes_1.shtml How to treat prisoners of war: United Nations. “Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.” August 12, 1949. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/geneva-convention-relative-treatment-prisoners-war Respecting flags of truce: Arnold, Roberta. “Flags of Truce.” May 2006. Oxford Public International Law. https://opil.ouplaw.com/display/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e297 In ’49, Geneva conventions: International Committee of the Red Cross. “Geneva Conventions of 1949, Additional Protocols and Their Commentaries.” https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/geneva-conventions-1949additional-protocols-and-their-commentaries A lot of rules about treatment of noncombatants: United Nations. “Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.” August 12, 1949. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/geneva-convention-relative-protection-civilian-persons-time-war The idea of total war: Britannica Editors. “Total War.” December 5, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/total-war Dresden: Dawsey, Jason. “Apocalypse in Dresden, February 1945.” February 13, 2020. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/apocalypse-dresden-february-1945 Fire bombing of Tokyo: History.com Editors. “Firebombing of Tokyo.” Updated January 31, 2025. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-9/firebombing-of-tokyo Hamburg: Curatola, John. “Operation Gomorrah: The First of the Firestorms.” July 10, 2023. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/operation-gomorrah-first-firestorms The Blitz: Curatola, John. “The Blitz of 1940.” August 27, 2025. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/blitz-1940 Not attacking hospitals: International Committee of the Red Cross. “The Protection of Hospitals During Armed Conflicts: What the Law Says.” June 11, 2023. https://www.icrc.org/en/document/protection-hospitals-during-armed-conflicts-what-law-says It’s a horrible thing that Israelis bombed a hospital in the Gaza strip: United Nations. “Pattern of Israeli Attacks on Gaza Hospitals Raises Grave Concerns – Report.” December 31, 2024. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/12/pattern-israeli-attacks-gaza-hospitals-raises-grave-concerns-report Who wrote them: Shaw, Malcolm. “Geneva Conventions.” December 3, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Geneva-Conventions The Kellog-Briand pact: Office of the Historian. “The Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/kellogg The Weimar Republic: Britannica Editors. “Weimar Republic.” December 19, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/place/Weimar-Republic You had, clearly, violation of international law when Iraq goes into Kuwait: Hensel, Howard M. “Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait.” 2023. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/military-history-and-science/iraqi-invasion-kuwait What George H. Bush’s administration did: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “Address to the Nation Announcing Operation Desert Storm, 1991.” https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/address-nation-announcing-operation-desert-storm-1991 Whereas the second Gulf War was sort of a counterpoint: Doherty, Carroll and Kiley, Jocelyn. “A Look Back at How Fear and False Beliefs Bolstered U.S. Public Support for War in Iraq.” March 14, 2023. Pew Research. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/03/14/a-look-back-at-how-fear-and-false-beliefs-bolstered-u-s-public-support-for-war-in-iraq/ There’s also crimes against humanity: Legal Information Institute. “Crime Against Humanity.” Reviewed August 2022. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/crime_against_humanity The history of Gaza being a protectorate of Israel: United Nations. “The Question of Palestine.” https://www.un.org/unispal/history/ Like in Africa: United Nations. “Rwanda: A Brief History of the Country.” https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/historical-background.shtml If one of the nations is run by a terrorist organization: Robinson, Kali and Merrow, Will. “What is Hamas?” Updated October 6, 2025. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hamas In Article I, Section 8, Clause 10: Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S8.C10.1 Historical Background on Maritime Crimes.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C10-1/ALDE_00001070/ And the next clause: Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S8.C11.1.1 Overview of Congressional War Powers.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C11-1-1/ALDE_00013587/ Like Sarajevo: Lampe, John R. “Bosnian War: War Crimes and Trials.” Reviewed January 5, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Bosnian-War/War-crimes-and-trials The International Criminal Court: https://www.icc-cpi.int/ Why aren’t we a party to it (article from the time): Bradley, Curtis A. “U.S. Announces Intent Not to Ratify International Criminal Court Treaty.” May 11, 2002. American Society of International Law. https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/7/issue/7/us-announces-intent-not-ratify-international-criminal-court-treaty Why aren’t we a party to it (more recently): Hansler, Jennifer. “Trump Administration Sanctions Two More International Criminal Court Judges for Investigating Israel.” December 18, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/18/politics/trump-international-criminal-court-sanctions Much like the landmine treaty: United Nations. “Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention.” https://disarmament.unoda.org/en/our-work/conventional-arms/anti-personnel-landmines-convention Or the Law of the Sea: International Maritime Organization. “United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.” https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/legal/pages/unitednationsconventiononthelawofthesea.aspx We could not find a source to support Anne’s claim that the U.S. is the most prolific user of landmines in the world. Here is a more accurate description of the country’s usage: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. “Mine Ban Policy—United States.” https://the-monitor.org/country-profile/united-states/mine-ban-policy?year=2023 There are massive landmine fields between North and South Korea: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. “Mine Ban Policy—Korea, South.” https://www.the-monitor.org/country-profile/korea-south/mine-ban-policy?year=2023 In the past few years, no people have been maimed in Vietnam from U.S. landmines, largely due to organizations like the following that teach children how to avoid them: PeaceTrees. “Humanitarian Mine Action.” https://www.peacetreesvietnam.org/what-we-do/mine/explosive-ordnance-risk-education.html It’s like mustard gas: CDC. “Mustard Gas.” September 6, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/chemical-emergencies/chemical-fact-sheets/mustard-gas.html Princess Diana—that was a major cause of hers: Burke, Myles. “Princess Diana’s 1997 Landmine Walk: ‘I come with my heart’.” January 15, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240112-princess-dianas-1997-landmine-walk-i-come-with-my-heart At least we’re not the ones that make cool little fluttery landmines that are brightly colored like children’s toys: Hsu, Jeremy. “Drones Used to Find Toylike ‘Butterfly’ Land Mines.” December 28, 2018. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/drones-used-to-find-toylike-butterfly-land-mines/ They train rats to sniff out the landmines: APOPO. “A Typical Morning for a Mine Sniffing Rat [Video].” https://youtu.be/BX7LnsZU8Nw They were awarded medals and stuff: BBC. “Magawa, the Landmine-Sniffing Hero Rat, Dies Aged Eight.” January 11, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59951255 Our complex relationship with cluster munitions: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. “Cluster Munition Ban Policy—United States.” https://the-monitor.org/country-profile/united-states/cluster-munition-ban-policy?year=2023 We did, in fact, give some to the Ukraine: Cancian, Mark F. “Cluster Munitions: What Are They, and Why is the United States Sending Them to Ukraine?” Center for Strategic & International Studies. https://www.csis.org/analysis/cluster-munitions-what-are-they-and-why-united-states-sending-them-ukraine It’s also a World War I problem: Coe, Joshua. “‘Iron Harvest’: A Belgian Team Unearths Unexploded Ammunition From WWI.” August 4, 2023. https://theworld.org/stories/2023/08/04/iron-harvest-belgian-team-unearths-unexploded-ammunition-wwi Ukraine fighting back against Russia: The Guardian. “Ukraine War Briefing: Kremlin Denounces European Troops Plan as Kyiv Warns of ‘Massive Russian Attack’. January 8, 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/09/ukraine-war-briefing-kremlin-denounces-european-troops-plan-as-kyiv-warns-of-massive-russian-attack Have you read George Orwell’s essay on pacificism: Orwell, George. “Pacifism and the War.” Originally published 1942. https://www.orwell.ru/library/articles/pacifism/english/e_patw We tried to stop that with the U.N.: https://www.un.org/en/ The idea for the League of Nations: Britannica Editors. “League of Nations.” December 29, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/League-of-Nations Wilson may have been foolish: Cooper, John Milton. “Woodrow Wilson.” Review December 24, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Woodrow-Wilson The building still exists (alas, it is not a bar and grill): Genève Internationale. “Chapter 2: Palais Wilson, The Memory and Hostage of Geneva.” https://www.geneve-int.ch/chapter-2-palais-wilson-memory-and-hostage-geneva Sort of like the Articles of Confederation: National Archives. “Articles of Confederation (1777).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/articles-of-confederation Who’s on the permanent Security Council: United Nations. “Security Council.” https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/current-members The Abu Ghraib prison scandal: Shamim, Sarah. “What Happened in Abu Ghraib and Why Did a Court Award Damages?” November 14, 2024. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/14/what-happened-in-abu-ghraib-and-why-did-a-us-court-award-damages Uniform Code of Military Justice: Absher, Jim. “The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).” March 25, 2022. https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/the-uniform-code-of-military-justice-ucmj.html We could not find a source for Steve’s statement that the last person prosecuted for war crimes, per se, was during the Civil War. Though, someone was certainly prosecuted for their crimes at Andersonville:  National Park Service. “History of the Andersonville Prison.” https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/camp_sumter_history.htm Here’s a recent story about U.S. soldiers and war crimes: Shane III, Leo; Myers, Meghann; and Prine, Carl. “Trump Grants Clemency to Troops in Three Controversial War Crimes Cases.” Military Times. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/11/16/trump-grants-clemency-to-troops-in-three-controversial-war-crimes-cases/ Calley: Linder, Douglas O. “Charges Against Lt. William Calley.” UMKC School of Law. https://www.famous-trials.com/mylaicourts/1627-myl-ctchar There was a canine handler at Abu Ghraib: The Associated Press. “Abu Ghraib Dog Handler Sentenced to 6 Months.” March 21, 2006. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna11943182 ICJ: https://www.icj-cij.org/home It was court-martial: Legal Information Institute. “Court-Martial.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/court-martial The whole lawful/unlawful order thing: Pereira, Ivan. “What the Military Oath of Enlistment Says About Legal and Illegal Orders.” November 20, 2025. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/military-oath-enlistment-legal-illegal-orders/story?id=127725085 The My Lai massacre, the short version: American Experience. “The My Lai Massacre.” PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/vietnam-my-lai-massacre/ Seymour Hersh, who broke the story: Brooks, Xan. “‘He’s a son of a bitch–but he’s usually right’: Why Did Seymour Hersh Quit the Film About His Earth-Shattering Exposés?” December 8, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/08/seymour-hersh-earth-shattering-exposes-my-lai-abu-ghraib-cover-up The fishing boats: Angell, Katie. “2025 U.S. Strikes on Venezuelan Vessels: When Washington’s War on Drugs Reaches Venezuela’s Shores.” January 1, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/2025-US-Strikes-on-Venezuelan-Vessels We also just seized an oil tanker: Reuters. “U.S. Seizes Olina Tanker in Caribbean, Fifth Vessel Taken in Venezuela Blockade.” January 9, 2026. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-process-seizing-olina-tanker-caribbean-us-official-says-2026-01-09/ We have a previously good Coast Guard that does this all the time: Breen, Kerry. “Coast Guard Offloads 27,000 Pounds of Cocaine as it Uses ‘Disabling Fire’ to Stop Some Alleged Drug Boats.” Updated December 16, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coast-guard-cocaine-seizure-eastern-pacific-ocean-disabling-fire/ They have clear rules of engagement: Britannica Editors. “Rules of Engagement.” January 2, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/rules-of-engagement-military-directives They were in international waters: United Nations. “International Waters.” https://archive.unescwa.org/international-waters An example in a guide for the military of an unlawful order is bombing people who have been shipwrecked due to an attack: Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Experts Explain What the Law Says About Killing Survivors of a Boat Strike.” December 1, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642 Horrific chapter in our history: Office of the Historian. “Indian Treaties and the Removal Act of 1830.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/indian-treaties Like in Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy: Tom Clancy. Clear and Present Danger. Berkley. July 1, 1990. That’s how it ends: https://youtu.be/sWwN-yDCjOM?si=QNzS-e2CdSodY8XU So, I’m going to mention Pearl Harbor: Scanlon, Sean. “U.S. Intelligence Failures at Pearl Harbor.” September 18, 2025. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/us-intelligence-failures-pearl-harbor There was a war warning issued by General Marshall: Brewer, Delaney. “The Attack on Pearl Harbor.” National Museum of the United States Army. https://www.thenmusa.org/articles/attack-on-pearl-harbor/ Kimmel got relieved: History.com Editors. “Commander at Pearl Harbor Relieved of His Duties.” Updated January 31, 2025. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-17/commander-at-pearl-harbor-canned We let an awful lot of drugs into our country: U.S. Government Accountability Office. “Fentanyl Continues to Be the Leading Cause of Overdose Deaths. What’s Being Done to Combat Trafficking into the United States?” September 4, 2025. https://www.gao.gov/blog/fentanyl-continues-be-leading-cause-overdose-deaths.-whats-being-done-combat-trafficking-united-states Doctors prescribe an awful lot of drugs in this country that kill people all the time: National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. “Prescription Drug Abuse Statistics.” https://drugabusestatistics.org/prescription-drug-abuse-statistics/ They ordered the survivors to be bombed: Pigliucci, Cai; FitzGerald, James; and Drenon, Brandon. “Admiral Testified Hegseth Did Not Give ‘Kill them all’ order, U.S. lawmakers say.” December 4, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyxjd6pxzro Including several Republicans: Blake, Aaron. “Republicans Are Covering Their Backsides on the Double-tap Strike.” December 2, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/politics/republicans-double-tap-strike-trump As far as drugs go, they aren’t the biggest importer: Singer, Jeffrey A. “Trump’s Venezuela Gambit: An Incoherent Encore in a Failed Drug War.” December 3, 2025. CATO Institute. https://www.cato.org/blog/trumps-venezuela-gambit-incoherent-encore-failed-drug-war A lot of people in the past few years have been coming from Venezuela: United Nations Refugee Agency. “Venezuela Situation.” https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/venezuela-situation Ooh, evil socialist, we can combat him: Jeyaretnam, Miranda and de Guzman, Chad. “What’s Happening With the U.S. and Venezuela, Explained.” January 8, 2026. Time. https://time.com/7344628/us-venezuela-trump-maduro-oil-drugs-war-explainer-questions-answered/ There’s also the oil angle: Roy, Diana and Cheatham. “Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate.” Updated July 31, 2024. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/venezuela-crisis We’re a net exporter of oil: U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Oil and Petroleum Products Explained.” Updated January 19, 2024. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/imports-and-exports.php They could just seize Citgo stations: Weber, Natalie. “Judge Approves Sale of Houston-Based Citgo to Amber Energy.” December 3, 2025. Houston PBS. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/business/2025/12/02/537526/judge-approves-sale-of-citgo-to-amber-energy The Trump administration have identified an enemy, Tren de Aragua: Roston, Aram. “Maduro Indictment Attempts to Link Venezuelan Leader to Tren de Aragua.” January 4, 2026. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/04/maduro-indictment-trump-tren-de-aragua A lot of things are happening right now in African countries: Le Poidevin, Olivia. “Women Bearing the Brunt of Sudan’s Acute Hunger Crisis, UN Says.” January 9, 2026. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/women-bearing-brunt-sudans-acute-hunger-crisis-un-says-2026-01-09/ Anne was incorrect. The Trump administration does seem to care about some things happening in African countries: Okafor, Makuochi and Otalor, Jean. “Trump Warns of More Nigeria Strikes if Christians ‘Continue to be killed’.” January 9, 2026. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly3vl3yp2do They keep talking about rare earth minerals: American Geosciences Institute. “What are Rare Earth Elements, and Why are They Important?” https://profession.americangeosciences.org/society/intersections/faq/what-are-rare-earth-elements-and-why-are-they-important/ Monroe Doctrine: National Archives. “Monroe Doctrine (1823).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/monroe-doctrine Also, incidentally, sort of welcomed Russia: Boersner-Herrera, Adriana. “What the Capture of Nicolás Maduro Means for Russia’s Influence in Latin America.” January 8, 2026. London School of Economics. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2026/01/08/russia-influence-latin-america-venezuela-maduro-capture/ Rusty Nails: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/rusty-nail/ Red Cross, Red Crescent, Red Crystal: Canadian Red Cross. “The Red Crystal.” https://www.redcross.ca/about-us/about-the-canadian-red-cross/red-cross-emblem/the-red-crystal The one that Thanos talked to Red Skull about: https://youtu.be/I0r9s8mfeWc?si=4gvlFqzrSFSP6G9L Red star—one group ruined it for everybody: Political Symbols.net. “Red Star.” https://politicalsymbols.net/red-star.html Oh, Japan: The Government of Japan. “National Flag and Anthem.” https://www.japan.go.jp/japan/flagandanthem/index.html Not a rhomboid: SplashLearn. “Rhomboid Shape: Definition, Formulas, Properties Examples, Facts.” https://www.splashlearn.com/math-vocabulary/rhomboid What Mack is reading: John U. Bacon. The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Schuler Books. 2026. In fact, it’s really popular: Rosenberg, Allegra. “Why is TikTok Obsessed With a 50-Year-Old Shipwreck.” November 7, 2025. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/edmund-fitzgerald-tiktok-trend If you don’t know about the Great Lakes: Great Lakes Commission. “About the Lakes.” https://www.glc.org/lakes/ There’s a term for this—it’s like water sloshing around in a bathtub: National Ocean Service. “What is a Seiche?” https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/seiche.html Through the Soo Locks: Visit Sault Ste. Marie. “Soo Locks.” https://saultstemarie.com/attractions/soo-locks/ Zug Island, River Rouge: Detroit Historical Society. “Zug Island.” https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/zug-island Including Ford: Detroit Historical Society. “Ford Motor Company.” https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/ford-motor-company It’s called taconite: Department of Natural Resources. “Taconite.” https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/education/geology/digging/taconite.html Great Lake freighters: Great Lakes Now. “Freighters on the Move [Video].” Detroit PBS. https://youtu.be/q8qUcW8iY2E?si=zVV6kW801T33KKWl Just like Panama Canal: Bureau of Transportation Statistics. “Vessel Draft Restrictions on the Panama Canal by Locks: February 2022–August 2024.” https://www.bts.gov/browse-statistical-products-and-data/info-gallery/vessel-draft-restrictions-panama-canal-locks The U.S. could practice naval maneuvers in the Great Lakes: Chicago Navy Memorial. “Navy Training Vessels of WWII.” https://chicagonavymemorial.org/chicagos-role-in-navy-history/training-ships-aircraft-carriers-lake-michigan Captain McSorley: Marrin, Doug. “Ernest McSorley: The Last Captain of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” September 30, 2025. The Sun Times News. https://thesuntimesnews.com/edmund-fitzgerald-50th-anniversary-john-bacon/ The 29: S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online. “The Crew.” https://ssedmundfitzgerald.org/crewtribute Listen to the song if you haven’t heard it: https://youtu.be/FuzTkGyxkYI?si=8ZORl77irRERpP0w They rang it 30 times: Detroit Free Press. “Mariners’ Church of Detroit Honors Gordon Lightfoot With Tuesday Ringing of Bells [Video].” https://youtu.be/PIq1ELxH2do?si=64c3Ce8l3znglwgS The Sea Legs was the only good way to drink Laphroaig in a cocktail: https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/34393/sea-legs The whiskey we drank: https://www.bahnbrecker.com/hefeweizen-whiskey We did that to the Japanese: Scott, James M. “America’s Undersea War on Shipping.” December 2014. U.S. Naval Institute. https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2014/december/americas-undersea-war-shipping What has been called the Liberal World Order: Council on Foreign Relations. “What is the Liberal World Order? [Video].” https://education.cfr.org/learn/video/what-liberal-world-order Pax Americana: Smith, Danielle T. “Inflection Points: Pax Americana at a Crossroad.” June 30, 2024. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2024/06/30/inflection-points-pax-americana-at-a-crossroad/ During that period, there were a lot of people lifted out of poverty throughout the world: Yonzan, Nishant; Friedman, Jed; Hill, Ruth; Jolliffe, Dean Mitchell; Lakner, Christoph; and Gerszon Mahler, Daniel. “Estimates of Global Poverty From WWII to the Fall of the Berlin Wall.” November 23, 2022. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/estimates-global-poverty-wwii-fall-berlin-wall Democracy spread widely: Shapiro, Ian. “The Spread of Democracy  in the 20th Century.” December 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy/The-spread-of-democracy-in-the-20th-century And the Borg were a cybernetic race from Star Trek. But you already knew that.

Steve, Mack, and Anne dig into the power dynamics of these United States. REFERENCES What about Washington, D.C.? Duignan, Brian. “What State Is Washington, D.C. In?” June 13, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/what-state-is-washington-dc-in Federalism is… Legal Information Institute. “Federalism.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/federalism We should start with the Tenth Amendment: Constitution Annotated. “Tenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-10/ When James Madison and the first Congress under the Constitution were drafting a Bill of Rights: NCC Staff. “On This Day: James Madison Introduces the Bill of Rights.” June 8, 2023. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-james-madison-introduces-the-bill-of-rights There were 12 proposed amendments: National Archives. “Bill of Rights.” Reviewed August 13, 2020. https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/bor Mel Brooks and History of the World: https://youtu.be/I48hr8HhDv0?si=i9tGvexOWMqa99Km So, in Article 1, Section 8, are the powers of Congress: Constitution Annotated. “Article I Legislative Branch: Section 8 Enumerated Powers.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-8/ Article 1, Section 9, are powers denied to Congress: Constitution Annotated. “Article I Legislative Branch: Section 9 Powers Denied Congress.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-9/ Article 1, Section 10, are powers denied to the states: Constitution Annotated. “Article I Legislative Branch: Section 10 Powers Denied States.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-10/ During the revolution, we were basically a confederation: National Archives. “Articles of Confederation (1777).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/articles-of-confederation The states always had power, and originally it was royal charters: Yale Law School. “Colonial Charters, Grants, and Related Documents.” https://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/statech.asp They were all British, the original 13: Ray, Michael. “In What Order Were the 13 American Colonies Established?” July 2, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/In-What-Order-Were-the-13-American-Colonies-Established Maryland—go Catholics:  History.com Editors. “The Settlement of Maryland.” Updated May 28, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-25/the-settlement-of-maryland The acts of Parliament that got everybody head up: American Battlefield Trust. “The Acts That Fueled Rebellion.” January 1, 2024. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/acts-fueled-rebellion Parliament declares Massachusetts to be in rebellion: The Falmouth Historical Society. “250 Years Ago: Parliament Declares Massachusetts to be in a State of Rebellion!” https://www.thefhs.org/250-Rebellion Part of that was going through the shared experience of the French and Indian War:  Office of the Historian. “French and Indian War/Seven Years’ War, 1754–63.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/french-indian-war The Empire is the part you’re living in: Britannica Editors. “British Empire.” December 1, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/place/British-Empire Like Jonathan Edwards: Schafer, Thomas A. “Jonathan Edwards.” October 1, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jonathan-Edwards They were real assholes: Mayer, Alicia. “Dominating the Unsaved: The Different Other and Cultural Imperialism in the New England Puritan Way.” April 9, 2024. Center for the Study of World Religions. https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/04/10/dominating-unsaved-different-other-and-cultural-imperialism-new-england-puritan-way There were Tories: Britannica Editors. “Loyalist.” January 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/loyalist Not even the Epstein files: Quinnipiac University. “63% Of Voters Disapprove of the Trump Administration's Handling of the Jeffrey Epstein Files, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Nearly Half of Voters Would Consider Joining A Third Party, Just Not One Created by Elon Musk.” July 16, 2025. https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3928 Or the fact that the Earth is round: Foster, Craig A. and Branch, Glenn. “Do People Really Think Earth Might Be Flat?” August 21, 2018. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/observations/do-people-really-think-earth-might-be-flat/ Or Nazis: Roston, Aram and Urquhart, Jim. “American Nazis: The Aryan Freedom Network is Riding High in Trump Era.” Updated August 10, 2025. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/investigations/american-nazis-aryan-freedom-network-is-riding-high-trump-era-2025-08-08/  Or that contrails are just contrails: Asmelash, Leah. “The Truth Behind Those White Streaks Trailing Behind Jets in the Sky.”  March 12, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/us/chemtrails-conspiracy-theory-explained-cec That chocolate milk comes from brown cows: Coleman, Nancy. “Chocolate Milk Definitely Doesn’t Come From Brown Cows—But Some Adults Think Otherwise.” June 16, 2017. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/us/chocolate-milk-help-trnd They had a lot of complaints with Parliament: Library of Congress. “Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention.”  https://www.loc.gov/collections/continental-congress-and-constitutional-convention-from-1774-to-1789/articles-and-essays/timeline/1764-to-1765/ No, I’m sending Hessians after you: Head, David. “Hessians.” Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/hessians Which, by the way, is not a single document: The Constitution Society. “The UK Constitution.” https://consoc.org.uk/the-constitution-explained/the-uk-constitution/ At Annapolis: Lluberes, Cornelia. “Annapolis Convention.” Updated May 30, 2025. Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/annapolis-convention Did you want to skip them: United States House of Representatives. “Continental and Confederation Congresses.” https://history.house.gov/People/Continental-Congress/Continental-Confederation-Congresses/ It was explicitly to amend the Articles of Confederation, and they went a little above and beyond that: National Archives. “The Constitution: How Did it Happen?” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution/how-did-it-happen In the debates over ratification: Glover, Lorri. “Nothing Inevitable: The Struggle for Ratification.” Organization of American Historians. https://www.oah.org/tah/the-american-republic/nothing-inevitable-the-struggle-for-ratification/ Including the Federalist Papers: Library of Congress. “Full Text of The Federalist Papers.” https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/full-text Oh, and Patrick Henry, who comes out opposed to the Constitution: Red Hill. “We the People? Or We the States?” https://www.redhill.org/speeches-writings/we-the-people-or-we-the-states/?srsltid=AfmBOorTAXTXp9hDfmHo-EbbyHOJtG7-XJPpVlAmAU3aliOJnyqrTRHV Speaking of themes in American politics: Hira, Elizabeth. “The Government Has a Long History of Controlling Women—One That Never Ended.” November 9, 2021. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/government-has-long-history-controlling-women-one-never-ended Federalists, meaning people who were in support of the Constitution: Britannica Editors. “Federalist Party.” September 25, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Federalist-Party In the Virginia plan: National Archives. “Virginia Plan (1787).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/virginia-plan They had guys who had studied this: National Archives. “Constitution of the United States—A History.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/more-perfect-union Especially John Adams: National Constitution Center. “John Adams.” https://constitutioncenter.org/signers/john-adams Just to clarify, neither Adams nor Jefferson were at the Constitutional Convention: Center for the Study of the American Constitution. “Adams and Jefferson: ‘The North and South Poles of the American Revolution.’” June 18, 2025. https://csac.history.wisc.edu/2025/06/18/adams-and-jefferson-the-north-and-south-poles-of-the-american-revolution/ The phrase imperium in imperio: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperium%20in%20imperio You have the Ninth Amendment in there: Constitution Annotated. “Ninth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-9/ Expansive commerce much: Barnett, Randy E. and Koppelman, Andrew. “The Commerce Clause.” Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/752 What you call natural law jurisprudence: Himma, Kenneth Einar. “Natural Law.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://iep.utm.edu/natlaw/ Everybody should read Griswold v. Connecticut: Oyez. “Griswold v. Connecticut.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1964/496 The Dobbs case… Oyez. “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2021/19-1392  …which overturned Roe: Oyez. “Roe v. Wade.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18 That’s where you’ve got the penumbra of whatever: Legal Information Institute. “Penumbra.” Reviewed August 2024. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/penumbra So they said Fourth Amendment—privacy: Constitution Annotated. “Fourth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-4/ Fourteenth, that’s what we’re getting to: Constitution Annotated. “Fourteenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-14/ Barron v. Baltimore: Oyez. “Barron ex rel. Tiernan v. Mayor of Baltimore.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1789-1850/32us243 Those are referred to as reserved powers: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reserved%20power In the Thirteenth…: Constitution Annotated. “Thirteenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-13/ …and Fifteenth Amendments: Constitution Annotated. “Fifteenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-15/ Outside of imprisonment: Mast, Nina. “Forced Prison Labor in the ‘Land of the Free’.” January 16, 2025. Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/rooted-racism-prison-labor/ Take freedom of speech: Constitution Annotated. “First Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/ If enough of the states say “Yeah, we agree,”: National Archives. “Constitutional Amendment Process.” https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution If you read the Congressional record: Library of Congress. “14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Primary Documents in American History.” https://guides.loc.gov/14th-amendment/digital-collections The Supreme Court starts doing the whole narrow interpretation: Law.com “Strict Construction.” https://dictionary.law.com/default.aspx?selected=2028 Including Plessy v. Ferguson: Oyez. “Plessy v. Ferguson.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/163us537 Like the right to marry whoever you want: Head, Tom. “Timeline and History of Marriage Rights.” Updated May 13, 2025. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/marriage-rights-history-721314 It’s called selective incorporation: Supreme Court Historical Society. “Selective Incorporation.” https://civics.supremecourthistory.org/article/selective-incorporation/ That goes to Article III: Constitution Annotated. “Article III.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/ Which is also why the Second Amendment doesn’t get incorporated until 2000-whatever: Constitution Annotated. “Second Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-2/ NCC staff. “On This Day, A Divided Supreme Court Rules on the Second Amendment.” June 28, 2023. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-a-divided-supreme-court-rules-on-the-second-amendment Now, Seventh Amendment: Constitution Annotated. “Seventh Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-7/ Which is why the Nazis got to march in Skokie, Illinois: Oyez. “National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1976/76-1786 Like, legalizing marijuana: DISA. “Marijuana Legality Map.” Updated December 1, 2025. https://disa.com/marijuana-legality-by-state/ Battle of the Waldorfs (both recommended): Waldorf 1: 2 oz orange liquor, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 1/2 teaspoon grenadine Waldorf 2: 1½ oz rye whiskey, 1 oz sweet vermouth, splash of absinthe, dashes of Angostura orange bitters Special radishes: Specialty Produce. “French Breakfast Radish.” https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/French_Breakfast_Radish_417.php Mack’s face: https://youtu.be/0BoALUr8UoQ?si=NZ5ZTNyUVa7nJJB_ Eldridge Highball (NOT recommended): https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/37447/eldridge-highball What Steve is watching: Firefly. 2002. Fox. What Mack is reading: Bram Stoker. Dracula. Archibald Constable and Company. 1897. It’s an epistolary novel: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epistolary A new Dracula movie by Luc Besson: https://youtu.be/mDfdNTf4FA0?si=-iphMcXmTp2A-YTX The original Hollywood Dracula, Bela Lugosi: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021814/ The Coppola: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103874/ An Anne-hattan: Make a Manhattan with as little bitters as possible. In fact, none is fine. Article IV stuff: Constitution Annotated. “Article IV.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-4/ There was recently a blue wave: Ax, Josheph; Tsvetkova, Maria; and Reid, Tim. “Democrats Sweep First Major Elections of Second Trump Term.” November 5, 2025. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/elections-new-york-new-jersey-virginia-offer-early-test-trumps-agenda-2025-11-04/ And Buffy was a cheerleader turned vampire hunter. She saved the world a lot. But you already knew that.

Get out your dictionaries, folks! It’s time to figure out what’s happening in the U.S. of A. In this listener-suggested episode of Civics, we look at -archies, -acracies, and -isms. REFERENCES Oligarchy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oligarchy Many of them had a council of elders: Hodkinson, Stephen. “Gerousia.” December 22, 2015. Oxford Classical Dictionary. https://oxfordre.com/classics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-2832 For Aristotle in his Politics: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Aristotle: Politics.” https://iep.utm.edu/aristotle-politics/ Aristocracy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aristocracy The Soviet Union after Stalin: Little, Becky. “Soviet Union Leaders: A Timeline.” History.com https://www.history.com/articles/soviet-union-leaders-order Totalitarian: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totalitarian You had the Politburo: Editors of Encyclopedia Brittanica. “Politburo.” March 8, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Politburo Khrushchev: Gibney, Frank B. “Nikita Krushchev.” Updated October 27, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nikita-Sergeyevich-Khrushchev The Cuban Missile Crisis: Office of the Historian. “The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/cuban-missile-crisis Gerontocracy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerontocracy In Ancient Rome, the Senate is derived from senex which means “old man”: Merriam-Webster. “Senate: Word History.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senate#word-history The song that Anne was attempting to sing: https://youtu.be/ZKCiC-H2Xbg?si=bUP1DxKiJ4C0bIFv We do have a bunch of old senators: DeSilver, Drew. “Age and Generation in the 119th Congress: Somewhat Younger, With Fewer Boomers and more Gen Xers.” January 16, 2025. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/16/age-and-generation-in-the-119th-congress-somewhat-younger-with-fewer-boomers-and-more-gen-xers/ Senators were originally appointed by the state legislatures: National Archives. “17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913).” Reviewed February 8, 2022. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/17th-amendment Project 2025, they are substantially entrenched in the White House right now: Wardwell, Faith. “The Key Project 2025 Authors Now Staffing the Trump Administration.” March 12, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/key-project-2025-authors-now-staffing-trump-administration-rcna195107 Sending troops into cities: Reuters. “Trump Tells U.S. Troops He is Ready to Send ‘More Than the National Guard’ Into Cities.” October 28, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-tells-us-troops-he-is-ready-send-more-than-national-guard-into-cities-2025-10-28/ Sparta was an example of an oligarchy because the ephors were the ones that really had the power: Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. “Ephor.” December 18, 2011. https://www.britannica.com/topic/ephor Anarchy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anarchy Monarchy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarchy What Plato described in the Republic as a philosopher king: Lane, Melissa. “Philosopher King.” February 5, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/philosopher-king Tyrant: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyrant Franklin Roosevelt: The White House. “Franklin D. Roosevelt.” https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/franklin-d-roosevelt/ With almost 25% unemployment: Romer, Christina D. and Pells, Richard H. “Great Depression.” Updated October 26, 2025. Brittanica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Depression And the Dust Bowl: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Dust Bowl.” Updated October 2, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Dust-Bowl The first 100 days where a lot of legislation gets passed: Freidel, Frank. “The First Term of Franklin D. Roosevelt.” Updated October 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Franklin-D-Roosevelt/The-first-term Lincoln: The White House. “Abraham Lincoln.” https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/abraham-lincoln/ But Lincoln had a nation-wide insurrection going on: Weber, Jennifer L. and Hassler, Warren W. “American Civil War.” Updated October 12, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Civil-War Populist: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populist Tariffs are not helping the economy: Clarke, Jennifer. “What Tariffs has Trump Announced and Why?” October 30, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn93e12rypgo Autocracy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocracy Even in Britain…: Kellner, Peter and Harford Thomas, William. “England: Government and Society.” Updated November 1, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/England/Government-and-society Republic: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/republic Since the Magna Carta days: Stenton, Doris Mary. “Magna Carta.” Updated October 2, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Magna-Carta Well, there’s reasons why the civil wars happened: Ohlmeyer, Jane H. “English Civil Wars.” Updated September 30, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/English-Civil-Wars If you look at the South, antebellum, the planter class: National Geographic. “The Plantation System.” Updated January 22, 2025. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/plantation-system/ Plutocracy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plutocracy Disney hounds: Disneyclips. “The Definitive Disney Dogs List.” Updated May 1, 2024. https://www.disneyclips.com/funstuff/disney-dog-names.html The Underworld: Van de Kerkhof, Maup. “Pluto: The Roman God of the Underworld.” March 24, 2025. History Cooperative. https://historycooperative.org/pluto-god/ The etymology of plutocracy: Merriam-Webster. “Plutocracy: Word History.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plutocracy#word-history Some of the attendees at the swearing in ceremony: Swenson, Ali. “Trump, A Populist President, is Flanked by Tech Billionaires at His Inauguration.” January 20, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-tech-billionaires-zuckerberg-musk-wealth-0896bfc3f50d941d62cebc3074267ecd Elon Musk didn’t last even a year: Gold, Hadas. “The Trump-Musk Breakup Appears to be Complete.” July 7, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/07/tech/elon-musk-donald-trump-breakup Minimum wage: Economic Policy Institute. “Minimum Wage Tracker.” Updated October 1, 2025. https://www.epi.org/minimum-wage-tracker/ CEO pay in the meantime: Sainato, Michael. “CEO-to-Worker Pay Gap Surges to 632 to 1 at U.S.’s Lowest-Paying Large Firms, Study Shows.” August 21, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/21/ceo-worker-salaries The gap: Sherman, Arloc; Trisi, Danilo; and Cureton, Josephine. “A Guide to Statistics on Historical Trends in Income Inequality.” December 11, 2024. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/a-guide-to-statistics-on-historical-trends-in-income-inequality Since the Gilded Age: Klein, Christopher. “How the Gilded Age’s Top 1 Percent Thrived on Corruption.” Updated June 30, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/gilded-age-corruption-corporate-wealth Kakistocracy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kakistocracy Kleptocracy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kleptocracy Our word idiot comes from Ancient Greek idios: Merriam-Webster. “Idiot: Word History.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idiot#word-history Citizens who did not participate in government were the idios: Jaqua, Kirsten. “The Idiot and the Community.” August 20, 2020. Interdisciplinary Humanities Center. https://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/the-idiot-and-the-community/ It was a movie: https://youtu.be/6lai9QhBibk?si=Zucn9XLG4vm4m6ya Why is Bad Bunny not welcome at the Super Bowl: Wingard, Jason. “Inside Roger Goodell’s Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Dilemma.” Updated October 31, 2025. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonwingard/2025/10/30/bad-bunny-the-nfl-and-goodells-impossible-halftime-dilemma/ Marjorie Taylor Green isn’t the brightest bulb in the closet: Dunbar, Marina. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Condemned Over Helene Weather Conspiracy Theory.” October 7, 2024. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/07/marjorie-taylor-greene-hurricane-helene There have been some very interesting critiques of Trump’s speaking patterns and his competency mental-wise: Gabbatt, Adam. “‘He Has Trouble Completing a Thought’: Bizarre Public Appearances Again Cast Doubt on Trump’s Mental Acuity” [Analysis]. August 3, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/03/donald-trump-mental-fitness Cacophony: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cacophony Stalin: Hingley, Ronald Francis. “Joseph Stalin.” Updated October 27, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Stalin Hitler: Bullock, Alan; Bullock, Baron; and Knapp, Wilfrid F. “Adolph Hitler.” Updated November 1, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adolf-Hitler Tom Holman: Lynch, Sarah N. “Trump Aide Homan Accepted $50,000 in Bribery Sting Operation, Sources Say.” Updated September 22, 2025. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-aide-homan-accepted-50000-bribery-sting-operation-sources-say-2025-09-21/ Trump’s crypto: Gauthier-Villars, David; Bergin, Tom; Conlin, Michelle; Delevingne, Lawrence; and Wilson, Tom. “Inside the Trump Family’s Global Crypto Cash Machine.” Updated October 28, 2025. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/investigations/inside-trump-familys-global-crypto-cash-machine-2025-10-28/ The plane: Debusmann, Jr., Bernd. “U.S. Begins Preparing Qatari Jet to be Used as Air Force One.” July 28, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy5lp4v594o “Donations” to his presidential library: May, Madeleine; Ingram, Julia; and Marr, Hannah. “Critics of Trump’s Presidential Library Fundraising Say ‘There Are No Rules’.” Updated July 16, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-presidential-library-fundraising/ John Oliver’s episode about that: https://youtu.be/dB1-lg-xZWc?si=0KnZcS9P1JuIO5_k Make the Secret Service pay for the hotel room: Chidi, George. “Trump Overcharged Secret Service by 300% for Accommodations at His Hotels.” October 18, 2024. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/18/trump-overcharge-secret-service-hotel Or the Trump International Hotel: Altman, Alex. “Donald Trump’s Suite of Power.” Time. https://time.com/donald-trumps-suite-of-power/ Democracy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy Representative democracy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/representative%20democracy Authoritarianism: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarianism Totalitarianism: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totalitarianism North Korea, one of the most extreme forms of totalitarianism: Albert, Eleanor. “North Korea’s Power Structure.” Updated June 17, 2020. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/north-koreas-power-structure The Christian Nationalists: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Christian%20nationalism Theocracy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theocracy Go back to Project 2025, because that’s where their version of this goes: Leingang, Rachel and Herman, Alice. “‘Testing Ground for Project 2025’: Behind Oklahoma’s Rightwing Push to Erode the Line Between Church and State.’ February 27, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/feb/27/oklahoma-project-2025-education Nationalism: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalism And, of course, the Nazis: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Nazism.” Updated October 23, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Nazism Nationalism versus patriotism: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Nationalism vs. Patriotism: What’s the Difference.” Updated October 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nationalism-vs-Patriotism-Whats-the-Difference Socialism: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism Communism: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communism Devotees of Ayn Rand: https://aynrand.org/ Stalinism: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Stalinism The government now owns stake of how many companies: Harrell, Peter E. “The Legal Bases for Government Stakes in Private Firms.” August 28, 2025. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-legal-bases-for-government-stakes-in-private-firms Remember when the Tea Party was ascendent and Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, and everybody was talking about Ayn Rand: Luzer, Daniel. “Taking Tea With Ayn Rand.” March 29, 2012. Columbia Journalism Review. https://www.cjr.org/critical_eye/taking_tea_with_ayn_rand.php For example, for a long time in Britain, if you were a doctor or nurse, you worked for the government: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “National Health Service.” Updated October 28, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Health-Service Tennessee Valley Authority: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Tennessee Valley Authority.” Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/Tennessee-Valley-Authority BAE Systems: Amir, Amir R. and Weiss, Stanley I. “BAE Systems.” Updated February 12, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/BAE-Systems Nvidia: Associated Press. “Under New, Unusual Agreement, U.S. Will Get a 15% Cut of Nvidia and AMD Chip Sales to China.” August 11, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/under-new-unusual-agreement-u-s-will-get-a-15-cut-of-nvidia-and-amd-chip-sales-to-china Command economy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/command%20economy Mao Zedong: Reynolds Schram, Stuart. “Mao Zedong.” Updated October 18, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mao-Zedong Ukraine in the 1930s, the forced famine: Applebaum, Anne. “Holodomor.” Updated September 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Holodomor Postal Service: Sawicky, Max B. “The U.S. Postal Service Is a National Asset: Don’t Trash It.” September 29, 2020. Center for Economic and Policy Research. https://cepr.net/publications/the-us-postal-service-is-a-national-asset-dont-trash-it/ Fascism: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascism A talk show host with one of the most popular evening talk shows: Wood, Becca. “Why Was ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Canceled?” August 12, 2025. Today. https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/why-was-the-late-show-stephen-colbert-canceled-rcna224144 Jimmy Kimmel: Goldman, David. “Jimmy Kimmel Explains How He Learned He Was Being Yanked Off the Air – and Thought He’d Never Return.” Updated October 1, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/01/media/jimmy-kimmel-stephen-colbert Walter Cronkite: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Walter Cronkite.” Updated October 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Walter-Cronkite Edward R. Murrow: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Edward R. Murrow.”  June 11, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-R-Murrow The producer of “60 Minutes” retired: Reilly, Liam. “‘60 Minutes’ Executive Producer Resigns, Citing a Loss of Independence in the Wake of Trump Lawsuit.” Updated April 22, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/22/media/60-minutes-executive-producer-resigns-independence There has been a gradual takeover of major forms of media: Helmore, Edward. “How the U.S. Right Wing is Taking Over News Media and Choking Press Freedom” [Analysis]. September 12, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/14/rightwing-news-media-journalism Napolean’s puppies from Animal Farm: Villain’s Wiki. “Dogs (Animal Farm).” https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Dogs_(Animal_Farm) Benito Mussolini: Hilbert, Christopher and Foot, John. “Benito Mussolini.” Updated October 11, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benito-Mussolini In Ancient Rome, the fasces: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Fasces.” March 12, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/fasces You can see them on the wall of the House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives. “House Rostrum.” United States House of Representatives. https://history.house.gov/Education/Fact-Sheets/Rostrum-Fact-Sheet2/ Trump’s acceptance at the convention in 2016: C-SPAN. “Donald Trump 2016 Acceptance Speech” [Video]. July 21, 2016. https://www.c-span.org/program/campaign-2016/donald-trump-2016-acceptance-speech/449706 The Brown Shirts: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “SA.” August 27, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/SA-Nazi-organization Working toward the Führer: University of Oregon. “Working Toward the Führer.” https://pages.uoregon.edu/dluebke/NaziGermany443/410WorkingTowardstheFuehrer.html Like, Patriot Front: George Washington University. “Patriot Front.” https://extremism.gwu.edu/patriot-front Or, perhaps, ICE: BBC Verify. “Masked Agents, Tear Gas, and Raids: The Tactics Used in Trump’s Deportation Drive” [Video]. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c6299nrj76yo And the Proud Boys: George Washington University. “Proud Boys.” https://extremism.gwu.edu/proud-boys The SS: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “The SS.” https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/ss Three Percenters: Southern Poverty Law Center. “Three Percenters.” https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/three-percenters/ Look what they did on January 6: Duignan, Brian. “January 6 U.S. Capitol Attack.” Updated October 30, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack Not just from the $50,000 signing bonus: Debusmann Jr., Bernd. “U.S. Offers Up to $50K Bonus for Would-Be ICE Deportation Officers.” August 1, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqle5newg0no Getting toward a Gestapo: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “The Gestapo: Overview.” https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/gestapo Guys wearing masks and not following laws: Das, Alina. “The Law and Lawlessness of U.S. Immigration Detention.” March 2025. Harvard Law Review. https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-138/the-law-and-lawlessness-of-u-s-immigration-detention/ Stephen Miller: Roth, Andrew. “How Stephen Miller is Turning the U.S. State Department Into an ‘Anti-Immigration Machine’.” October 31, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/31/stephen-miller-immigration-trump Kristi Noem: Hawkinson, Katie. “Kristi Noem Mulls Using ‘Private Bounty Hunters’ to Track Down Immigrants, Report Says.” November 1, 2025. The Independent. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/kristi-noem-ice-bounty-hunters-report-b2856825.html Antifa: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antifa Which, apparently, is a terrorist group: Lucas, Ryan. “As Trump Talks of Designating Antifa a Foreign Terrorist Group, Experts See Danger.” October 28, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/10/28/nx-s1-5587726/trump-antifa-terrorist-group They made it into the news during the Black Lives Matter protest: Georgacopoulos, Christina and Poche, Trey. “Fake News, Disinformation, and the George Floyd Protests: ANTIFA Conspiracy.” LSU. https://faculty.lsu.edu/fakenews/about/protestfakenews.php Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact: Editors of Encyclopedia. “German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact.” Updated October 11, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/German-Soviet-Nonaggression-Pact Making Portland “war-ravaged”: The Oregonian. “Portland Awaits National Guard Ruling, A Look at ICE Protest Arrests, Soggy Halloween Protests: Get Caught Up.” November 1, 2025. https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2025/11/portland-awaits-national-guard-ruling-a-look-ice-protest-arrests-soggy-halloween-protests-get-caught-up.html Doesn’t it have to start as a wine: Bass and Flinders Distillery. “How is Brandy Made? Get to Know Your Brandy.” https://www.bassandflindersdistillery.com/blogs/news/how-is-brandy-made-get-to-know-your-brandy?srsltid=AfmBOopMAtGfuHYor0zle6bw6e8io35GhxZgdlvOOiMfjb2FoDObrl4X At the Texas Folklife Festival: https://texasfolklife.org/ You can now: Distillery Trail. “Texas Files Bill to Make Home Distilling Legal – No License or Permit Required.” February 9, 2025. https://www.distillerytrail.com/blog/texas-files-bill-to-make-home-distilling-legal-no-license-or-permit-required/ The difference between a rye and a bourbon: Skiver Barton, Susannah. “Rye Whiskey Vs. Bourbon: The Main Differences.”  August 31, 2022. Liquor.com. https://www.liquor.com/bourbon-vs-rye-whiskey-6541248 What Mack is reading: William Manchester. The Glory and the Dream: A History of America, 1932-1972. (1974, Little, Brown, and Company). FDR’s New Deal: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “New Deal.” Updated October 27, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/New-Deal Hoover is still President: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Herbert Hoover.” Updated October 16, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Herbert-Hoover Bank failures are the real problem: McGee, Suzanne. “How Bank Failures Contributed to the Great Depression.” Updated May 28, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/bank-failures-great-depression-1929-crash Deflation: Corporate Finance Institute. “Deflation.” https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/economics/deflation/ The Bonus Army: National Park Service. “The 1932 Bonus Army.” https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-1932-bonus-army.htm Douglas MacArthur: James, D. Clayton. “Douglas MacArthur.” Updated October 1, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Douglas-MacArthur Not the exact same recipe, but what Steve is baking: The Modern Nonna. “Banitsa.” Updated July 27, 2024. https://themodernnonna.com/banitsa/ Jane Goodall purposely recorded a video to be aired once she died: https://youtu.be/lfLKHY52ERc?si=KMS30sIfWxDpVu92 Catastrophe: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catastrophe And K9 is a delightfully comic robot dog from the Doctor Who universe. But you already knew that.

Mack, Steve, and Anne get into what one branch of the government isn’t doing right now. REFERENCES Congress is defined in Article I of the Constitution: Constitution Annotated. “Article I.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-1/ They didn’t want a king: Pereira, Ivan. “Nation’s Founders Pushed Against ‘Elected King’ When Framing Presidential Powers.” July 2, 2024. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/nations-founders-pushed-elected-king-framing-presidential-powers/story?id=111621798 You know how Aristotle called for “balanced government”: Smith, Steven. “9. The Mixed Regime and the Rule of Law: Aristotle’s Politics, VII” [YouTube video]. Yale Courses. https://youtu.be/mKLkb4LDi5M?si=NLTY5uPD9omUdXGZ The Senate, originally, chosen by the state legislatures: United States Senate. “Landmark Legislation: The Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution.” https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/seventeenth-amendment.htm The Seventeenth Amendment: Constitution Annotated. “Seventeenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-17/ Part of the Progressive Era: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “The Progressive Era Key Facts.” September 28, 2020. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/summary/The-Progressive-Era-Key-Facts “No appropriations shall be made but by law”: Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S9.C7.1 Overview of Appropriations Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C7-1/ALDE_00001095/ There’s Project 2025, too: Wendling, Mike. “Project 2025: The Right-Wing Wish List for Trump’s Second Term.” February 13, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c977njnvq2do During Nixon’s administration, Nixon tried what is called “impoundment”: Kogan, Richard, “FAQs on Impoundment: Presidential Actions Are Constrained by Long-Standing Constitutional Restrictions.” November 21, 2024. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/faqs-on-impoundment-presidential-actions-are-constrained-by-long-standing The Supreme Court ruled that unconstitutional: Justia. “Train v. City of New York, 420 U.S. 35 (1975).” https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/420/35/ It could be a veto override: United States House of Representatives. “Presidential Vetoes.” Updated January 23, 2025. https://history.house.gov/Institution/Presidential-Vetoes/Presidential-Vetoes/ USAID: Faguy, Ana. “USAID Officially Closes, Attracting Condemnation From Obama and Bush.” July 2, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c307zq8ppj6o That was part of the DOGE-ness: Clarke, Jennifer. “What is DOGE and Why Has Musk Left?” May 20, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23vkd57471o Project 2025 had it: Mathiasen, Karen. “Project 2025 and Development Policy: I Read It So You Don’t Have To.” July 20, 2024. https://www.cgdev.org/blog/project-2025-and-development-policy-i-read-it-so-you-dont-have Some people have not liked USAID for years: Kakissis, Joanna; Bartlett, Kate; Peralta, Eyder; and Hadid, Diaa. “How the Gutting of USAID is Reverberating Around the World: Worry, Despair, Praise.” February 11, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/02/11/g-s1-47661/trump-musk-usaid-ukraine-south-africa-mexico-colombia-india-afghanistan-hiv Aid has stopped going to these places: Mednick, Sam; McMakin, Wilson; and Pronczuk, Monika. “USAID Cuts are Already Hitting Countries Around the World: Here are 20 Projects That Have Closed.” AP News. https://apnews.com/article/usaid-cuts-hunger-sickness-288b1d3f80d85ad749a6d758a778a5b2 Food has spoiled: Hartner, Fred. “‘The Impact has Been Devastating’: How USAID Freez Sent Shockwaves Through Ethiopia." February 21, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/ng-interactive/2025/feb/21/the-impact-has-been-devastating-how-usaid-freeze-sent-shockwaves-through-ethiopia Supplies have been destroyed: Kent, Lauren. “US to Burn $9.7 Million Worth of USAID-Purchased Contraceptives Rather Than Deliver Them to Women Overseas.” July 29, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/29/europe/usaid-contraceptives-burn-belgium-france-intl Furloughed the people: Tanis, Fatma. “USAID Terminates Nearly All Its Remaining Employees.” March 28, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/03/28/g-s1-56968/usaid-terminates-nearly-all-its-remaining-employees People were going to the courts to say, “Hey, this is illegal.”: Wagner, Erich. “Judge Certifies Class in Lawsuit on Behalf of Ex-USAID Workers, Contractors." August 19, 2025. Government Executive. https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/08/judge-certifies-class-lawsuit-behalf-ex-usaid-workers-contractors/407551/ Being wined and dined by monarchy: Reals, Tucker; Ott, Haley; and Watson, Kathryn. “Trump Attends Banquet Dinner With King Charles During Second State Visit to U.K.” Updated September 17, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-uk-state-visit-epstein-protests-king-charles-windsor-castle/ There is an allocation to the White House for travel and other expenses: U.S. Government Accountability Office. “White House Spending.” September 14, 2023. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106450 From the General Service Administration: https://www.gsa.gov/ Oversight: Gongress.gov “Congressional Oversight and Investigations.” https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10015 Separation of powers: Constitution Annotated. “Intro.7.2 Separation of Powers Under the Constitution.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/intro.7-2/ALDE_00000031/ You can be held in contempt of Congress: Legal Information Institute. “Contempt of Congress.” Reviewed July 2022. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/contempt_of_congress They’d have to send their Sargent at Arms: United States House of Representatives. “Sergeant at Arms.” https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/officers-and-organizations/sergeant-at-arms (Who currently does not appear to be 60- nor 70-years-old): United States Senate. “Sergeant at Arms Jennifer A. Hemingway.” https://www.senate.gov/about/officers-staff/sergeant-at-arms/hemingway-jennifer.htm The power of the purse: United States House of Representatives. “Power of the Purse.” https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/Power-of-the-Purse/ Say the FBI Director was testifying in front of Congress: Debusmann, Jr., Bernd. “Kash Patel’s Combative Senate Hearing: Key Takeaways.” September 16, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dxq8dn4xdo They pass a budget, which they haven’t ever done in 20 years: Desilver, Drew. “Congress Has Long Struggled to Pass Spending Bills on Time.” October 1, 2025. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/01/congress-has-long-struggled-to-pass-spending-bills-on-time/ When we say “shut down the government,” like, how literal is that: Committee for A Responsible Federal Budget. “Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know.” September 16, 2025. https://www.crfb.org/papers/government-shutdowns-qa-everything-you-should-know Since the 90s, all of the federal employees who were not getting paychecks, got back pay: Partnership for Public Service. “How the Federal Workforce is Impacted During a Government Shutdown." https://ourpublicservice.org/fed-figures/the-federal-workforce-during-a-government-shutdown/ It’s not just Federal programs (one example): League of Minnesota Cities. “Federal Government Shutdown: What It Means for Cities.” October 1, 2025. https://www.lmc.org/news-publications/news/all/federal-government-shutdown-what-it-means-for-cities/ The defining moment of McCarthyism: American Experience. “‘Have You No Decency?’: McCarthy” [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/svUyYzzv6VI?si=k5O3t6ZQQ-CUkZDI Dean and Watergate: Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. “Howard Baker and John Dean ‘What Did the President Know and When did He Know It’” [Video]. https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/media/video/howard-baker-and-john-dean-what-did-president-know-and-when-did-he-know-it Some of that came into play with Vietnam: Spector, Ronald H. “The Fall of South Vietnam.” Updated September 18, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War/The-fall-of-South-Vietnam The third way they can do something is impeachment: USA.gov. “How Federal Impeachment Works.” Updated April 14, 2025. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment There are also regular hearings that are set: Congress.gov “Types of Committee Hearings.” https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/98-317 A problematic policy like, say, destroying vaccines: Noguchi, Yuki. “Senators From Both Parties Grilled RFK, Jr. on Vaccines and More.” September 4, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/09/04/nx-s1-5528966/rfk-kennedy-hearing-covid-vaccines-cdc These people went to school together: Schaeffer, Katherine. “Nearly All Members of the 118th Congress Have a Bachelor’s Degree–and Most Have a Graduate Degree, Too.” February 2, 2023. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/02/nearly-all-members-of-the-118th-congress-have-a-bachelors-degree-and-most-have-a-graduate-degree-too/ Take the example of Nixon’s resignation: Elving, Ron. “Half a Century Ago, Nixon Became the Only President to Resign.” August 9, 2024. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/08/09/nx-s1-5068704/nixon-resign You probably wouldn’t find a better horse trader: Perry, Barbara A. “Joe Biden: Life Before the Presidency.” Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/biden/life-before-the-presidency Noob: Nelson, Michael. “Barack Obama: Life Before the Presidency.” Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/obama/life-before-the-presidency Think about Johnson and the Civil Rights Act: Gittinger, Ted and Fisher, Allen. “LBJ Champions the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” Reviewed February 6, 2023. National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/summer/civil-rights-act  Senator Hubert Humphry: Miller Center. “Hubert H. Humphrey.” https://millercenter.org/president/lbjohnson/essays/humphrey-1963-vicepresident Al Gore, Sr.: Creekmore, Betsey B. “Albert Arnold Gore, Sr.” September 25, 2018. Volopedia. https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/albert-arnold-gore-sr/ Estes Kefauver: United States Senate. “Estes Kefauver: A Featured Biography.” https://www.senate.gov/senators/FeaturedBios/Featured_Bio_KefauverEstes.htm Johnson had been majority leader in Senate: United States Senate. “Senate Leaders.” https://www.senate.gov/about/parties-leadership/johnson-b-lyndon.htm At the same time, the House Speaker was Sam Rayburn: Johnson, Lyndon B. and Champagne, Anthony M. “Sam Rayburn.” January 2, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sam-Rayburn “To get along, go along.”: RayBurnMrSpeaker.com. “RayBurnisms.” https://www.rayburnmrspeaker.com/rayburnisms Logrolling: Political Dictionary. “Logrolling.” https://politicaldictionary.com/words/logrolling/ Rolling logs: https://youtube.com/shorts/J6Gt1BfzNRA?si=Ms8iPE-sObR_WtJ4 The movie Charlie Wilson’s War: https://youtu.be/G1mnSjjeC2o?si=et5vV0KngLrdB8Ls Tom DeLay: Parrott-Sheffer, Chelsey. “Tom DeLay.” August 3, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tom-DeLay Gingrich: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Newt Gingrich.” Updated September 5, 3035. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Newt-Gingrich Partisan leadership got much more control of funding for Congressman: Kornberg, Maya and Deng, Sophia. “How Money Shapes Pathways to Power in Congress.” September 10, 2024. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/how-money-shapes-pathways-power-congress When they bring freshman in to orient them together (which they are trying to restore): Papp, Justin. “Incoming Members of Congress Descend on Capitol Hill for Orientation.” November 12, 2024. Roll Call. https://rollcall.com/2024/11/12/congress-house-new-member-orientation-2024/ You wouldn’t bring your family to D.C.: Wire, Sarah D. “This is What It’s Like to be a Cross-Country Flight Away From Your Constituents–and Your Family.” April 30, 2018. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-congress-california-fly-home-20180430-story.html In part, because of the demands of fundraising: Minkin, Amelia. “The 118th Congress’ Fundraising Treadmill.” February 4, 2025. Issue One. https://issueone.org/articles/the-118th-congress-fundraising-treadmill/ The budget situation has obviously changed since we recorded. Here is updated information at the time of posting: Hubbard, Kaia and Yilek, Caitlin. “Government Shutdown Live Updates as Funding Impasse Stretches Into Second Day.” October 2, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/government-shutdown-latest-second-day-trump-johnson/ Like renaming bases: Guldin, Joanna. “Trump is Renaming 7 Army Installations: Here are the Stories Behind the Names Being Scrubbed.” June 17, 2025. Military.com. https://www.military.com/history/trump-renaming-7-army-installations-here-are-stories-behind-names-being-scrubbed.html This is also a lot of Project 2025 people: Wardwell, Faith. “The Key Project 2025 Authors Now Staffing the Trump Administration.” March 12, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/key-project-2025-authors-now-staffing-trump-administration-rcna195107 For instance, renaming the Defense Department, the War Department: Debusmann, Jr., Bernd. “Trump Rebrands Department of Defense as Department of War.” September 5, 2025. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr9r4qr0ppo Or done it themselves: Matza, Max. “Proud Boys and Oath Keepers Among Over 1,500 Capitol Right Defendants Pardoned by Trump.” January 20, 2025. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y7l47xrpko Things that are actually making them upset (one example): Thorp V, Frank; Kapur, Sahil; and Leach, Brennan. “Some Republicans Object to Trump’s Move to Cancel Spending, Warning of a Shutdown.” September 3, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-object-trumps-rescission-cancel-spending-warning-shutdown-rcna228758 The Epstein files: Ferris, Sarah; Grayer, Annie; Fox, Lauren; and Raju, Manu. “The Epstein Files are Roiling the House GOP, and There’s No End in Sight.” July 24, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/24/politics/house-republicans-epstein-trump They’re scared of getting shot: Wong, Scott; Zanona, Melanie; and Stewart, Kyle. “‘People are Scared to Death’: Members of Congress Fear for Their Safety After Charlie Kirk Assassination.” September 11, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congress-scared-charlie-kirk-assassination-canceling-events-rcna230632 Violence is increasing in our culture: Jipson, Art and Becker, Paul J. “Right-Wing Extremist Violence is More Frequent and More Deadly Than Left-Wing Violence: What the Data Shows.” September 17, 2025. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/right-wing-extremist-violence-is-more-frequent-and-more-deadly-than-left-wing-violence-what-the-data-shows-265367 They don’t want to get voted out: Reynolds, Molly E. “Even the Perceive Threat of a Primary Alters Behavior in Congress.” October 30, 2018. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/even-the-perceived-threat-of-a-primary-alters-behavior-in-congress/ Trump’s approval rating has been the lowest it’s ever been: McHardy, Martha. “Donald Trump’s Approval Rating Hits Record Low for Second Term.” Updated October 2, 2025. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trumps-approval-rating-hits-record-low-for-second-term-10815700 People, like farmers, are being impacted financially: Starr, Stephen. “Farmers in U.S. Midwest Squeezed by Trump Tariffs and Climate Crisis.” August 16, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/16/farmers-trump-tariffs-climate-change According to what they voted on, which is the economy: Boak, Josh and Thomson-Deveaux, Amelia. “Voters Who Focused on the Economy Broke Hard for Trump.” November 8, 2024. AP News. https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/ap-votecast-voters-who-focused-on-the-economy-broke-hard-for-trump/ Mack may be overestimating how many Americans can withstand the strain of higher prices: Cerullo, Megan. “Most Americans Don’t Earn Enough to Afford Basic Costs of Living, Analysis Finds.” Updated May 16, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cost-of-living-income-quality-of-life/ Including Trump said we may have to go through hard times: Allen, Jonathan. “Trump Rejects Concerns About Prices and Economic Uncertainty as He Defends His Agenda.” May 4, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-rejects-concerns-prices-economic-uncertainty-defends-agenda-rcna203512 Even in the poverty stricken places of the United States: National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities. “Poverty: Map.” https://hdpulse.nimhd.nih.gov/data-portal/social/map?age=001&age_options=ageall_1&demo=00007&demo_options=poverty_3&race=00&race_options=race_7&sex=0&sex_options=sexboth_1&socialtopic=080&socialtopic_options=social_6&statefips=00&statefips_options=area_states Culture war stuff: European Center for Populism Studies. “Culture War.” https://www.populismstudies.org/Vocabulary/culture-war/ The immigration stuff: Oliphant, J. Baxter; Kiley, Jocelyn; Van Green, Ted; Gracia, Shanay; and Copeland, Joseph. “Views of the Trump Administrations Immigration Policies.” June 17, 2025. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/06/17/views-of-the-trump-administrations-immigration-policies/ “It’s really the fault of the Democratic party”: Slack, Donovan. “Trump Wields Axe Over ‘Democrat Agencies’ as Shutdown Blame Game Rages.” October 3, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg201rnw2zo Everybody’s going to jealously guard their institution’s power: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Checks and Balances.” Updated August 22, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/checks-and-balances Then you have J.D. Vance: Wedling, Mike. “J.D. Vance: The ‘hillbilly’ MAGA Loyalist Who Became Vice President.” March 4, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn07dv4mrg2o Hits on Fox News, in the past: Panetta, Grace. “Hope Hicks is Returning to the White House—Here Are 21 People Who Have Gone Through the Revolving Door Between Fox and the Trump Administration.” February 13, 2020. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/19-people-who-have-worked-at-fox-news-trump-administration-2019-5 Hits on Fox News, more recently: Golkenflik, David. “Trump Taps 19 Fox Pundits, Personalities, and Producers for Second Term.” January 20, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/nx-s1-5268791/fox-news-trump-inauguration To what degree is gerrymandering a two-way street: Blake, Aaron. “Four Possible Outcomes of a Gerrymandering Battle Royale.” August 8, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/politics/gerrymandering-texas-house-outcomes What the Republicans were able to do in ’94: Kennedy, Lesley. “The 1994 Midterms: When Newt Gingrich Helped Republicans Win Big.” Updated March 2, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/midterm-elections-1994-republican-revolution-gingrich-contract-with-america Suppressing the vote is a bad thing: League of Women Voters. “Fighting Voter Suppression.” https://www.lwv.org/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression The difference in the majority in the house, you can count on one hand: U.S. House of Representatives Press Gallery. “Party Breakdown.” https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/party-breakdown It’s been this way now for a while: Schaeffer, Katherine. “Slim Majorities Have Become More Common in the U.S. House and Senate.” December 17, 2024. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/12/17/slim-majorities-have-become-more-common-in-the-us-house-and-senate/ Things we drank: Martinis, Serbian brandies, Holy Moles Yes, Steve, there are 12 fruits: VegEase. “How Many Fruits Are There in the World?” https://vegease.in/blog/how-many-fruits-are-there-in-the-world/?srsltid=AfmBOop5WF6lXjysK8FgUU4KkaKOyWZyGYLYItNHo90-F9mQwhfrlb36 Oh, an apéritif: Graham, Colleen. “What Is an Apéritif?” September 6, 2022. The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-an-aperitif-759924 A golden mescal as opposed to a silvery: Rogers, Felisa. “Blanco, Plato, Silver, Joven.” October 11, 2024. Mezcalistas. https://www.mezcalistas.com/what-is-blanco-or-joven-mezcal/ The overthrow of the dictator Ceauşescu: Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. “Nicolae Ceauşescu.” Updated September 12, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicolae-Ceausescu A flag from that day where they cut out the middle part: General Knowledge “Romania’s Flag Explained: Colors and Historical Meaning” [Video]. YouTube. September 2, 2018. https://youtu.be/LnM6dSaVXXU?si=r55bVGroLESyi6f5 When the Berlin wall fell: Pleitgen, Fred. “See the Berlin Wall Fall 30 Years Ago” [Video]. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2019/11/07/berlin-30th-anniversary-since-wall-came-down-lc-lon-orig.cnn After their Afghan war: Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. “Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.” Updated August 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Soviet-invasion-of-Afghanistan Which Germany: Roos, Dave. “How Germany Was Divided After World War II.” Updated May 28, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/germany-divided-world-war-ii Things were relaxed in Hungary first: Office of the Historian. “Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, 1989.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/fall-of-communism Gorbachev: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Mikhail Gorbachev.” September 20, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mikhail-Gorbachev Puppet states: Vocabulary.com. “Puppet State.” https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/puppet%20state Glasnost: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Glasnost.” April 30, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/glasnost Perestroika: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Perestoika.” July 18, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/perestroika-Soviet-government-policy How they divided things: The Map as History. “The Construction of the Berlin Wall.” https://www.the-map-as-history.com/Cold-War-western-eastern-bloc/the-construction-of-the-berlin-wall Yes, the wall went up in 1961: Stiftung Berliner Mauer. “The Berlin Wall.” https://www.stiftung-berliner-mauer.de/en/topics/berlin-wall The reunification of Germany: Ashby Turner, Henry and Leyser, K. J. “The Reunification of Germany.” October 3, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/The-reunification-of-Germany The George H. W. Bush Presidential Library at A&M: https://www.bush41.org/ The approval rating of congress as a whole is lower than any president: Gallup. “Congress and the Public.” https://news.gallup.com/poll/1600/congress-public.aspx But the incumbency rate is often over 90%: Open Secrets. “Reelection Rates Over the Years.” https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/reelection-rates Anne was paraphrasing George Carlin, and if you didn’t know that, watch this video: Carlin, Stuff. “George Carlin Talks About ‘Stuff’” [Video]. May 1, 2007. YouTube. https://youtu.be/MvgN5gCuLac?si=pLXyW2nAE1_YrrtQ Inflation Reduction Act: Congress.gov. “H.R.5376 – Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/text If you have aged a lot too, here's how much longer we have to go with Trump: https://www.tickcounter.com/countdown/6119379/end-of-trumps-presidency Infrastructure Improvement Act: Congress.gov. “H.R.3684 – Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684 Affordable Care Act: Congress.gov. “H.R.3590 – Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/3590 At one point, they passed net neutrality: Congress.gov. “H.R.8573 – Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act of 2022.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8573 Before they fucked it up: Bowman, Emma. “Net Neutrality is Struck, Ending a Long Battle to Regulate ISPs Like Public Utilities.” January 3, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/03/nx-s1-5247840/net-neutrality-fcc-struck The Civil Rights Act: National Archives. “Civil Rights Act (1964).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/civil-rights-act Twenty-First Amendment: Constitution Annotated. “Twenty-First Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-21/ American’s With Disabilities Act: https://www.ada.gov/ Or IDEA: U.S. Department of Education. “Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).” https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/individuals-disabilities/idea Like, curb cuts: 99% Invisible. “Episode 308: Curb Cuts” [Podcast]. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/curb-cuts/ Clean Air Act: Congress.gov. “Clean Air Act: A Summary of the Act and Its Major Requirements.” https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RL30853 There was less divisiveness than there is now when we have online socializing: Syrjämäki, Aleski H.; Ilves, Mirja; Olsson, Thomas; Kiskola, Joel; Isokoski, Poika; Rantasila, Anna; Bente, Gary; and Surakka, Veikko. (2024). “Online Disinhibition Mediates the Relationship Between Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Uncivil Communication.” Nature.com. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-81086-7 TLDR: Above the Noise. “Does the Internet Make You Meaner?” [Video]. July 31, 2019. YouTube. https://youtu.be/0fx8hN5JyZM?si=iakialnQ0w88n_HG When there was a shooter at the Congressional baseball game: History.com Editors. “Gunman Shoots Four People, Including GOP Congressman, at Baseball Practice.” Updated May 27, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/june-14/james-hodgkinson-shooting-republicans-baseball-game And 42 is the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything. But you already knew that.

Mack, Steve, and Anne debate Constitutional law and look to fix the problems of our country in our first episode of season 3. References What is independent? Merriam-Webster. “Independent.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/independent What is justice? https://youtu.be/wEBlaMOmKV4?si=difVAzt3cTdBuLvG So, we have three branches: USA.gov. “Branches of the U.S. Government.” https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government The power of the executive is vested in one person: Legal Information Institute. “Executive Power.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/executive_power At the Constitutional Convention: Office of the Historian. “Constitutional Convention and Ratification, 1787–1789.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/convention-and-ratification William Paterson’s New Jersey plan: Metych, Michele. “New Jersey Plan.” December 21, 2024. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/New-Jersey-Plan The Garden State: NJ.gov. “Nickname.” https://www.nj.gov/nj/about/facts/nickname.shtml Under the Virginia plan: Metych, Michele. “Virginia Plan.” March 7, 2023. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Virginia-plan They weren’t there: Kratz, Jessie. “‘Rogue Island’: The last state to ratify the Constitution.” May 18, 2015. National Archives. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2015/05/18/rogue-island-the-last-state-to-ratify-the-constitution/ A plural executive: Center for the Study of the American Constitution. “The Debate Over the President and the Executive Branch.” University of Wisconsin-Madison. https://csac.history.wisc.edu/document-collections/constitutional-debates/executive-branch/ The Romans had two consuls: The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Consul.” April 30, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/consul-ancient-Roman-official Which version of the Roman again: National Geographic Society. “Rome’s Transition From Republic to Empire.” October 18, 2024. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/romes-transition-republic-empire/ Texas has a plural executive: Regalado, Daniel M. “The Texas Plural Executive and Bureaucracy in Texas.” https://oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/108182/student/?section=13 In case you didn’t get why we all laughed at the Attorney General of Texas: Scherer, Jasper. “Ken Paxton Agrees to Community Service, Paying Restitution to Avoid Trial in Securities Fraud Case.” March 26, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/25/ken-paxton-plea-deal-securities-fraud-felony/ The Agricultural Commissioner, you know, Sid Miller: Texas Department of Agriculture. “Commissioner Sid Miller.” https://texasagriculture.gov/About/Commissioner-Miller Nixon was not above the idea of having the IRS go after enemies: Thorndike, Joseph J. “Tax History: Nixon Aide Tried to Weaponize the IRS by Pressuring the Commissioner.” March 13, 2023. Tax Notes. https://www.taxnotes.com/tax-history-project/tax-history-nixon-aide-tried-weaponize-irs-pressuring-commissioner/2023/03/10/7g45r There’s also the issue of J. Edgar Hoover: Talbot, Margaret. “J. Edgar Hoover, Public Enemy No. 1.” November 14, 2022. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/11/21/j-edgar-hoover-public-enemy-no-1 Kissinger—copresident may be too strong a term, but it’s not far off: Skidmore, David. “Henry Kissinger and the Seductions of Power” [Commentary]. December 2, 2023. Iowa Capital Dispatch. https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/12/02/henry-kissinger-and-the-seductions-of-power/ In the organic statute: Ballotpedia. “Organic Statute.” https://ballotpedia.org/Organic_statute Congress passed a law saying an FBI Director will be nominated for one 10-year term: FBI. “Directors, Then and Now.” https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors Which is where the word comes from: Merriam-Webster. “Dictator: Etymology.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictator#word-history The President’s emergency powers: Brennan Center for Justice. “A Guide to Emergency Powers and Their Use.” Updated July 1, 2025. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/guide-emergency-powers-and-their-use Trump fired Jim Comey: BBC News. “FBI Chief James Comey Fired by Trump.” May 10, 2017. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39866170 Christopher Wray turned out to not be the FBI Director Trump thought he was going to be: Yousif, Nadine. “FBI Director Christopher Wray to Resign Before Trump Takes Office.” December 11, 2024. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce902z8lp81o There are more government agencies that are more independent than that: Lehigh University. “U.S. Government Information: Independent Agencies.” Updated July 15, 2025. https://libraryguides.lehigh.edu/c.php?g=369881&p=2499296 Members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve serve 14-year terms. A term begins every 2 years on February 1 of even numbered years: Federal Reserve. “Board Members.” https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/bios/board/default.htm How do you select the head of NASA: Frudenrich, Craig and Kiger, Patrick J. “Who Decides What NASA Does?” How Stuff Works. https://science.howstuffworks.com/nasa1.htm If they’re a government official, they can be impeached and expelled: USA.gov. “How Federal Impeachment Works.” Updated April 14, 2025. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment Congress could, theoretically, abolish that group and has before: Hogue, Henry B. “Abolishing a Federal Agency: The Interstate Commerce Commission.” January 10, 2024. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47897 There is a theory that the President can remove anybody regardless of laws passed by Congress: Katz, Eric. “Trump Admin. Tells Judge It Can Fire at Least Some Career Feds at Any Time for Any Reason.” July 17, 2025. Government Executive. https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/07/trump-admin-tells-judge-it-can-fire-least-some-career-feds-any-time-any-reason/406797/ All of the civil service protections: Congress.gov. “S.2640 - Civil Service Reform Act of 1978.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/95th-congress/senate-bill/2640 What’s the GAO: U.S. Government Accountability Office. https://www.gao.gov/ Trump firing the Librarian of Congress: Peet, Lisa. “Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden Is Fired.” May 12, 2025. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/librarian-of-congress-carla-hayden-fired Why Anne thinks Mack might be underestimating the control of the news cycle: Mitrovica, Andrew. “How Trump Makes Us Miss the Real Story” [Opinion]. June 6, 2025. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/6/6/how-trump-makes-us-miss-the-real-story The spoils system: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Spoils System.” March 28, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/spoils-system Article I, Section 8, Clause 9: Constitution Annotated. “Article I, Section 8.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-8/ Article III: Constitution Annotated. “Article III.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/ Article I, Section 8, Clause 18: Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S8.C18.1 Overview of Necessary and Proper Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C18-1/ALDE_00001242/ An opinion from the Justice Department from the early 1970s: Wex Definitions Team. “Indictment of Presidents.” March 2023. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/indictment_of_presidents Is that in that ruling: Garvey, Todd. “Presidential Immunity From Criminal Prosecution in Trump v. United States.” Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11194 Regarding the clause about appointing ministers and consuls: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S2.C2.3.1 Overview of Appointments Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S2-C2-3-1/ALDE_00013092/ You would violate separation of powers: Constitution Annotated. “Intro.7.2 Separation of Powers Under the Constitution.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/intro.7-2/ALDE_00000031/ The Solicitor General: Department of Justice. “Office of the Solicitor General.” https://www.justice.gov/osg Force and effect of law: Merriam-Webster. “Force and Effect.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/force%20and%20effect There was a state judge that was arrested: Bauer, Scott. “Wisconsin Judge Accused of Helping Man Evade ICE Arrest Loses a Bid to Drop Charges.” August 26, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-judge-arrested-trump-immigration-hannah-dugan-c2371efe54f289c4a0ea8558dd6a7001 There is a concern that we are creeping in (jackbooting?) toward fascism: Feldman, Matthew. “Scholars, Fascists Agree: Trump’s Not a Fascist, but an Opportunity.” November 5, 2024. Fair Observer. https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/scholars-fascists-agree-trumps-not-a-fascist-but-an-opportunity/ Trump has impliedly threatened: Adeosun, Adeola. “Trump Admin Says ‘Definitely on the Table’ to Arrest Democrats Over Protest.” Updated May 11, 2025. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-threatens-democratic-lawmakers-ice-protests-2070578 A “truth” now: The Associated Press. “What We Know About Truth Social, Donald Trump’s Social Media Platform.” March 27, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/truth-social-donald-trump-djt-ipo-digital-world-7437d5dcc491a1459a078195ae547987 He kind of broke up with his X: Duffy, Clare and O’Kruk, Amy. “Here’s How the Feud Between Elon Musk and Donald Trump Has Unfolded.” July 3, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/business/timeline-elon-musk-trump-x-dg Members of Congress are privileged from arrest while Congress is in session: Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S6.C1.2 Privilege from Arrest.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S6-C1-2/ALDE_00013354/ There have been members of Congress who have accepted gold bars: Debusmann, Jr., Bernd and Yousif, Nadine. “Senator Bob Menendez Found Guilty in Bribery Scheme.” July 16, 2024. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqe6m14drgjo ICE isn’t part of the Justice Department: U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. “Who We Are.” https://www.ice.gov/about-ice Homeland Security: Department of Homeland Security. “History.” https://www.dhs.gov/history Federal prosecutors: Department of Justice. “Offices of the United States Attorneys.” https://www.justice.gov/usao Assigned to every federal judicial court: Department of Justice. “Introduction To The Federal Court System.” https://www.justice.gov/usao/justice-101/federal-courts There were concerns about whether or not the FBI was doing everything they should during the Watergate investigation: McDermott, Annette. “How ‘Deep Throat’ Took Down Nixon From Inside the FBI.” History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/watergate-deep-throat-fbi-informant-nixon Article II, Section 1: Constitution Annotated. “Article II, Section 1, Clause 1.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/section-1/ The CIA is independent: Central Intelligence Agency. “About CIA—Organization.” https://www.cia.gov/about/organization/ Mack isn’t quite right on this one. The Director of the CIA reports to the Director of National Intelligence who reports to the President: Central Intelligence Agency. “About CIA—Director of the CIA.” https://www.cia.gov/about/director-of-cia/ There’s another class of odd, quasi-governmental agencies that are even more independent. Two examples are Fannie Mae: Federal Housing Finance Agency. “About Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.” https://www.fhfa.gov/about/fannie-mae-freddie-mac …and the Smithsonian: Smithsonian. “Legal Nature of the Smithsonian.” https://www.si.edu/ogc/legalhistory The National Gallery of Art is a corporation chartered by Congress: National Gallery of Art. “Our History.” https://www.nga.gov/about-us/our-history The first bank of the United States was charted by Congress: National Park Service. “First Bank of the United States.” https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-firstbank.htm How you can amend the Constitution: National Archives. “Constitutional Amendment Process.” Reviewed August 15, 2016. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution Every time but once: NCC Staff. “Five Interesting Facts About Prohibition’s End in 1933.” December 6, 2022. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/five-interesting-facts-about-prohibitions-end-in-1933 Like Jeff Sessions: BBC News. “Trump Fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions.” November 8, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46132348 Compare him to Pam Bondi: Frommer, Fred. “Pam Bondi.” Updated August 23, 2025. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pam-Bondi In statistics there are things called outliers: Cuemath. “Outlier.” https://www.cuemath.com/data/outlier/ Sea Legs cocktail: https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/34393/sea-legs Holy Mole cocktail: 1 part chocolate liquor 5 parts mezcal Generous dash of cayenne Not J. Allen Hynek: Shortell, David. “Henry Heimlich, 96, Uses His Maneuver to Save Woman.” Updated May 27, 2016. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/27/us/heimlich-inventor-uses-maneuver Not Henry Heimlich: Ott, Tim. “J. Allen Hynek.” January 22, 2020. Biography.com. https://www.biography.com/scientists/j-allen-hynek Project Blue Book: National Archives. “Project BLUE BOOK – Unidentified Flying Objects.” Reviewed June 25, 2024. https://www.archives.gov/research/military/air-force/ufos Alien sighting bingo: https://youtu.be/wqlFiTOi6QQ?si=wNkjA2hiGZ1PnMCJ The Betty and Barny Hill case: Dickey, Colin. “They Knew What They Had Seen.” September 11, 2023. Slate. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/09/ufo-uap-encounters-betty-barney-hill.html The Socorro, New Mexico case: City of Socorro, New Mexico. “Socorro Landing: A UFO Story.” https://socorronm.org/location-activity/socorro-landing-a-ufo-story/ The Kelly–Hopkinsville case: Carter, Maria. “The Eerie Story Behind the Small Town Everyone Is Flocking to for the Eclipse This Summer.” July 21, 2017. Country Living. https://www.countryliving.com/life/a44064/eclipseville-hopkinsville-ky-history/ All of the UFO classifications mentioned in this segment: The Universal Compendium. “Classification of UFO Sightings.” https://www.universalcompendium.com/tables/phil/ufos.htm The nocturnal lights that seemed to be in formation over Lubbock, Texas: Addison, Brandi D. “What are the Lubbock Lights? Multiple UFO Sightings Reported in Texas Nearly 73 Years Ago.” August 23, 2024. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/state/2024/08/23/lubbock-lights-ufo-sightings-2024-73rd-anniversary-august-september-texas-tech/74902209007/ Radar intercepts in Washington, D.C.: Dalphonse, Sherri. “D.C. Had Multiple UFO Sightings 71 Years Ago.” February 13, 2023. Washingtonian. https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/02/13/dc-had-multiple-ufo-sightings-71-years-ago/ The ad for Close Encounters of the Third Kind: https://youtu.be/Fxp32VHaYdE?si=n6L6AjeDOHQa2puK J. Allen Hynak has a cameo in the movie (be aware there are spoilers): https://youtu.be/jRRtu_63a-M?si=TagNA03hELEw6R7w Franҫois Truffaut, famous French actor and director: IMDB. “Franҫois Truffaut (1932–1984).” https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000076/ Jacques Valée, also French: https://www.jacquesvallee.net/ There’s one by him called Night Siege: J. Allen Hynek, Philip J. Imbrogno, and Bob Pratt. Night Siege: The Hudson Valley UFO Sightings. (Ballantine Books, 1987). The Hynek UFO Report: J. Allen Hynek. The Hynek UFO Report. (Barnes & Noble Books, 1997). Decide for yourself if Roswell and Stanton Friedman are bullshit: Gibson, Lydialyle. “Science? Fiction?” September–October 2011. The University of Chicago Magazine. https://mag.uchicago.edu/science-medicine/science-fiction Steve is playing Kerbal Space Program: https://www.kerbalspaceprogram.com/ The Space Shuttle computers: IBM. “The Space Shuttle Program.” https://www.ibm.com/history/space-shuttle Sorry, Steve, we could not find confirmation that NASA ever used pi to two decimal places. Instead, we found where this Chief Engineer says they currently use pi to the 15th decimal: Rayman, Mark. “How Many Decimals of Pi Do We Really Need?” October 24, 2022. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/how-many-decimals-of-pi-do-we-really-need/ That’s part of being tied back to Mission Control: PBS. “The Trench: The People at Mission Control.” https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/moon-trench-people-behind-mission-control/ Slide rules, man: Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Slide Rule.” December 27, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/science/slide-rule If you didn’t get the worm joke: Pellish, Aaron. “RFK Jr. Details Medical Abnormality That He Says Was a Parasitic Worm in His Brain.” May 9, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/09/politics/rfk-jr-parastic-worm-brain If you somehow missed hearing about the Epstein files: Geoghegan, Tom and FitzGerald, James. “What Do We Know About the Epstein Files?” August 19, 2025. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20r07dg6kro How some Trump supporters are reacting: Wendling, Mike. “How Epstein Case is Tearing Apart Maga’s Online Conspiracy Wing.” July 25, 2025. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx5xzy8kn1o Data Rescue Project: https://www.datarescueproject.org/ Save Our Signs: https://umn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4VKNSNsfJuIVOIu And the Picard maneuver is a reference to Star Trek: The Next Generation. But you already knew that.

To celebrate two years of Civics on the Rocks, we’re going on vacation! We’re not going to have a full episode this month. Instead, you get this silliness. Enjoy!

Mack and Steve show no forgiveness as they discuss one of the president’s broadest powers. REFERENCES Who does have the power? The President: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S2.C1.3.1 Overview of Pardon Power.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S2-C1-3-1/ALDE_00013316/ It depends on each state and each state constitution, but each state governor has it: ACLU. “What’s at Stake.” https://www.aclu.org/issues/smart-justice/parole-and-release/clemency-and-pardons A commutation: Legal Information Institute. “Commutation.” Reviewed January 2025. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/commutation A reprieve: Legal Information Institute. “Reprieve.” Reviewed August 2021. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/reprieve A pardon: Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pardon.” Updated May 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/pardon Carter’s pardon of draft dodgers: Hernandez, Joe. “Seeking to Heal the Country, Jimmy Carter Pardoned Men Who Evaded the Vietnam War Draft.” January 4, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/04/1158874141/jimmy-carter-vietnam-draft-evaders-pardon What is the sentence for dodging the draft: Selective Service System. “Penalties for Failing to Register.” https://www.sss.gov/register/benefits-and-penalties/ Is there a governmental system where no pardon power is available? The short answer is no, but other countries regulate the power differently than the United States does: Mellen, Ruby. “Pardon Power Is Common Around the World. Few Leaders Use It Like Trump Has.” Updated February 18, 2021. The Seattle Times. https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/pardon-power-is-common-around-the-world-few-leaders-use-it-like-trump-has/ So, in Texas, the governor has the power to pardon, but only if it is recommended by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles: Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.  “Clemency.” Updated January 2, 2019. https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/bpp/exec_clem/exec_clem.html Crimes, not civil judgements: LawHelp.org. “The Differences Between Criminal Court and Civil Court.” https://www.lawhelp.org/resource/the-differences-between-criminal-court-and-ci It was legal under state law but the Feds picked him up: Glaister, Dan. “California: Marijuana Law Goes Up in Smoke as Federal Agencies Raid Dispensaries.” August 10, 2008. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/aug/11/drugstrade.internationalcrime If you want to learn more about the changing legality of marijuana: Bryan, Kate. “Cannabis Overview.” June 20, 2024. National Conference of State Legislatures. https://www.ncsl.org/civil-and-criminal-justice/cannabis-overview The president cannot pardon people convicted of state crimes: Office of the Pardon Attorney. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Updated June 16, 2025. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/pardon/frequently-asked-questions Can a president pardon himself (asking for a friend): Watson, Kathryn. “Can a President Pardon Himself?” Updated May 30, 2024. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/can-a-president-pardon-himself/ If you don’t understand what Mack meant by “a common law principle,” here’s a nice primer: UC Berkeley School of Law. “The Common Law and Civil Law Traditions [PDF].” https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CommonLawCivilLawTraditions.pdf You cannot indict a sitting president: Legal Information Institute. “Indictment of Presidents.” Reviewed March 2023. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/indictment_of_presidents Can a president pardon someone for future charges? The short answer is yes: Office of the Pardon Attorney. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Updated June 16, 2025. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/pardon/frequently-asked-questions Ford pardoned Nixon in advance of any charges being brought: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. “Nixon Pardon.” https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/digital-research-room/library-collections/topic-guides/nixon-pardon What the pardon clause says: Article II, Section 2, Clause 1: “…he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” By the delegates who wrote the Constitution: National Archives. “Meet the Framers of the Constitution.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/founding-fathers Here are some of John Adams’ thoughts on government (you can imagine what he would do to your face): Adams, John. “III. Thoughts on Government.” April 1776. National Archives. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-04-02-0026-0004 Sovereign immunity’s a thing: Legal Information Institute. “Sovereign Immunity.” Reviewed April 2025. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sovereign_immunity Trump v. United States: Oyez. “Trump v. United States.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/23-939 Some of the implications of the Supreme Court ruling: Cole, David and Kaufman, Brett Max. “Supreme Court Grants Trump, Future Presidents a Blank Check to Break the Law [Commentary.]” July 3, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/supreme-court-grants-trump-future-presidents-a-blank-check-to-break-the-law How does one impeach a president (asking for a friend): USA.gov. “How Federal Impeachment Works.” Updated April 14, 2025. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment It doesn’t have to be a federal law for them to be impeached: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S4.4.2 Historical Background on Impeachable Offenses.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S4-4-2/ALDE_00000699/ We’re going with criming now: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criming THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS ARE IN TWO YEARS: U.S. Vote Foundation. “What are Midterm General Elections?” https://www.usvotefoundation.org/what-are-midterm-elections In stereo: https://youtu.be/Jne9t8sHpUc?si=XfiD4n308rcLfDlw Usually, if the FBI is doing an investigation, it’s not public knowledge: FBI. “Can I Obtain Detailed Information About a Current FBI Investigation That I See in the News?” https://www.fbi.gov/about/faqs/can-i-obtain-detailed-information-about-a-current-fbi-investigation-that-i-see-in-the-news If you didn’t get the Signal joke: Palmer, Kathryn. “Mike Waltz and the Signal Chat Fiasco: A Recap of His Involvement.” May 1, 2025. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/01/mike-waltz-signal-group-chat/83386583007/ See Mueller Report: Department of Justice. “Report On the Investigation Into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election [PDF with redactions].” https://www.justice.gov/archives/sco/file/1373816/dl?inline= When Bill Barr, rather duplicitously and cowardly, tried to characterize it as even Mueller had cleared him: American Bar Association. “Mueller Finds No Collusion with Russia, Leaves Obstruction Question Open.” March 25, 2019. https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2019/03/mueller-concludes-investigation/ And Mueller issued a statement basically saying, “That’s not what I said.”: Breslow, Jason. “READ: Mueller's Letter Expressing Concern About Barr's Summary of His Report.” May 1, 2019. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2019/05/01/719004457/read-muellers-letter-expressing-concern-about-barr-s-summary-of-his-report While we highly encourage Mack to write a book someday, the title Profiles in Cowardice has been taken: Kenneth Foard McCallion. Profiles in Cowardice in the Trump Era. (Bryant Park Press, Inc., 2021). Previous presidents have granted pardons that look awful dodgy: Zeitz, Joshua. “4 Presidential Pardons From History That Were Way More Controversial Than Biden’s.” December 4, 2024. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/12/04/biden-presidential-pardon-controversy-00192404 Pardoning a bunch of people who have committed violence on your behalf: Reilly, Ryan J. “Trump Pardons Roughly 1,500 Criminal Defendants Charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol Attack.” January 20, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/trump-set-pardon-defendants-stormed-capitol-jan-6-2021-rcna187735 When the news cycle is going against you, issue a bunch of pardons: Flowers, Viola. “Here Are All of the Celebrities Trump has Pardoned so Far.” May 29, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/are-celebrities-trump-pardoned-far-rcna209736 At the time of our recording, this is what they were trying to shove through Congress: Hubbard, Kaia and Yilek, Caitlin. “Here’s What’s in Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Passed by Congress.” July 4, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whats-in-trump-big-beautiful-bill-senate-version/ If you would like to see all of the people pardoned by the current president, including fun facts like which of them were supposed to serve life sentences and what crimes they had been convicted of by the United States Department of Justice: Offices of the Pardon Attorney. “Clemency Grants by President Donald J. Trump (2025-Present).” Updated May 30, 2025. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/pardon/clemency-grants-president-donald-j-trump-2025-present If you don’t remember that scene from Jurassic Park: https://youtu.be/nnun8y7r8_U?si=ncqAAUrTakvfewXW A pardon is for a specific one-time event: Dreisbach, Tom. “Criminal Records of Jan. 6 Rioters Pardoned by Trump Include Rape, Domestic Violence.” January 30, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/30/nx-s1-5276336/donald-trump-jan-6-rape-assault-pardons-rioters Didn’t Biden pardon Liz Cheney: Aljazeera. “Biden Hands Preemptive Pardons to Family, Allies Citing Trump Retaliation.” January 21, 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/biden-hands-preemptive-pardons-to-family-allies-citing-trump-retaliation For anybody at home who doesn’t know who Timothy McVeigh is: FBI. “Oklahoma City Bombing.” https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/oklahoma-city-bombing In case you were wondering what Trump was doing during that time: Geewax, Marilyn. “Trump’s Financial Movies in the ‘90s: ‘Genius’ or ‘Colossal Failure’?” October 3, 2016. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2016/10/03/496314538/trumps-financial-moves-in-the-90s-genius-or-colossal-failure There was a Supreme Court case on this: De Vogue, Ariane and Cole, Devan. “Supreme Court Says Person Can be Charged and Tried in State and Federal Court for Same Conduct.” June 17, 2019. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/17/politics/supreme-court-double-jeopardy-clause-case We must have gotten our true crime stories confused, y’all. Apologies. Ángel Maturino Reséndiz, the Railroad Killer, was only tried for murder in the state of Texas, though he was convicted of other violent crimes in other states previously: Palmer, Emily. “He Rode the Rails Killing People: How Authorities Tracked Down a Serial Killer.” May 12, 2024. People. https://people.com/people-magazine-investigates-angel-maturino-resendiz-railroad-killer-8646357 Clinton pardoning Marc Rich (that’s a classic): Time. “Notorious Presidential Pardons: Marc Rich, 2001.” https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1862257_1862325_1862324,00.html Biden pardoning his son: Ferreira Santos, Sofia. “Biden Gives Son Hunter ‘Unconditional’ Pardon.” December 2, 2024. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwl3venz39o Ford did make a point that we all knew what he did: “Shortly after 8:00 o’clock the next morning James St. Clair came to my office. Although he did not spell out in detail the new evidence, there was no question in my mind that he considered these revelations to be so damaging that impeachment in the House was a certainty and conviction in the Senate a high probability.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “President Ford’s Statement on Pardoning Richard Nixon, 1974.” https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/president-fords-statement-pardoning-richard-nixon-1974 Even somebody like Nixon could feel a certain amount of shame for some things: CBS News. “Richard Nixon’s Resignation Speech [Archive video.]” August 8, 1974. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_DrUaJEBtE Singapore Sling: https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/1825/singapore-sling-raffles-formula If you want to get into the nuance of cherry liquor vs. cherry brandy: Dingwall, Kate. “Cherry Heering vs. Cherry Liqueur: What’s the Difference?” June 6, 2024. Food and Wine. https://www.foodandwine.com/cherry-heering-vs-cherry-liqueur-8659440 Apparently, it did originate in the bar of the Raffles Hotel: Raffles. “Where the Singapore Sling was Born.” https://www.raffles.com/singapore/dining/long-bar/ Diluted: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diluted Not deluded: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deluded Gin and Bitters: https://www.thespruceeats.com/pink-gin-classic-cocktail-759332 Manhattan: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/manhattan-2/ Dark and Stormy: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/dark-n-stormy/ Steve watched Andor: https://ondisneyplus.disney.com/show/andor Anne watched Daredevil: Born Again: https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-85e7a914-c8e6-41db-95df-c740dc2cf1b7 We all watched Rogue One: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3748528/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk Remember? The Alamo: https://www.thealamo.org/ If you would like a nice summary of the Alamo history we discuss: SanAntonio.gov. “Mission San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo).” https://www.sanantonio.gov/Mission-Trails/Mission-Trails-Historic-Sites/Detail-Page/ArtMID/16185/ArticleID/4459/Mission-San-Antonio-de-Valero-The-Alamo As convincing as Steve sounded, we could not verify that they didn’t finish the bell towers because of taxation. Here’s a map of the Alamo so you can follow along with Mack’s and Steve’s descriptions: The Alamo. “Map of the Grounds.” https://www.thealamo.org/map Learn more about the Alamo restoration that Mack visited: The Alamo. “Alamo Plan.” https://www.thealamo.org/support/alamo-plan Not familiar with the history of the Woolworth’s lunch counter in San Antonio? Learn about it from someone who was there: Biediger, Shari. “San Antonio Woman Recalls Her Role in 1960 Woolworth Sit-in to Desegregate Lunch Counters.” February 6, 2023. https://sanantonioreport.org/san-antonio-1960-woolworth-sit-in-segregation/ The Ralston Family Collections Center: The Alamo. “Alamo Exhibit.” https://www.thealamo.org/support/alamo-plan/alamo-collections-center Yep, that Phil Collins: Cobler, Nicole. “Phil Collins’ Star Rises Over the Alamo.” Updated March 11, 2015. San Antonio Express-News. https://www.expressnews.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/article/Phil-Collins-star-rises-over-the-Alamo-6128672.php Daughters of the Republic of Texas: https://www.drtinfo.org/Members/Members/About-Us/Who-We-Are.aspx?hkey=10153a9c-2543-4967-b2da-838d568e767a Chacho’s no longer lists a Screwrita on their menu, but maybe if you ask nicely…: https://chachos.com/ He’s pardoning people to enable them to support him illegally and violently: Benen, Steve. “Jan. 6 Rioter Who Encouraged Violence Against Police Hired to Work in Trump’s DOJ [Opinion].” July 2, 2025. MSNBC. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jan-6-rioter-encouraged-violence-police-hired-work-trumps-doj-rcna216452 Mack and Steve are right, there are a lot of various reasons why people support Trump. These are just a few issues that some have cited: Doherty, Carrol; Kiley, Jocelyn; and Deane, Claudia. “What Trump Supporters Believe and Expect.” November 12, 2024. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/11/13/what-trump-supporters-believe-and-expect/ The perceived idea of culture: Alfonseca, Kiara. “Culture wars: How identity became the center of politics in America.” July 7, 2023. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/culture-wars-identity-center-politics-america/story?id=100768380 And finding a fly in your chardonnay (or anything else mentioned in the Alanis Morrissett song) is not ironic. But you already knew that because every time that song is played or gets mentioned, someone you know points it out, including Mack and Steve while we were recording but Anne cut that part out because, ohemgee, can’t we as a collective civilization move on already?

Listen to Mack and Steve discuss checks, balances, and how it always comes back to we, the people. REFERENCES There’s three coequal branches: The White House. “Our Government.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/government/ Take France: Georgetown Law Library. “The Structure of the French Legal System.” https://guides.ll.georgetown.edu/francelegalresearch/legalsystem Or Britain: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. “Overview of the Judiciary.” https://www.judiciary.uk/about-the-judiciary/history-of-the-judiciary-in-england-and-wales/history-of-the-judiciary/ What you would call a civil law system: Legal Information Institute. “Civil Law.” Reviewed October 2022. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/civil_law Stemming from Roman law code, which was codified under Justinian: Jolowicz, Herbert Felix, and Kiralfy, Alber Roland. “The Law of Justinian.” Reviewed March 26, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-law/The-law-of-Justinian Later you had the Napoleonic code: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Napoleonic Code.” Updated April 30, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Napoleonic-Code We were part of the common law tradition that comes from England: Legal Information Institute. “Common Law.” Reviewed May 2020. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/common_law Even in states where judges are elected: Ballotpedia. “Judicial Election Methods by State.” https://ballotpedia.org/Judicial_election_methods_by_state What a negative election is: National Conference of State Legislatures. “Recall of State Officials.” https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/recall-of-state-officials Georgia does it that way: Ballotpedia. “Laws Governing Recall in Georgia.” https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_recall_in_Georgia The ground zero of law: National Archives. “The Constitution of the Unites States: A Transcription.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript Three-fourths of the state ratifying conventions voted to ratify, and eventually all of them did: NCC Staff. “The Day the Constitution Was Ratified.” June 21, 2024. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-day-the-constitution-was-ratified The entire“supreme law of the land” quote: “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.” Constitution Annotated. “Article VI.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-6/ A little about how it got ratified: Glover, Lorri. “Nothing Inevitable: The Struggle for Ratification.” Organization of American Historians. https://www.oah.org/tah/the-american-republic/nothing-inevitable-the-struggle-for-ratification/ In case you are unfamiliar with this thing called precedent: Legal Information Institute. “Precedent.” Reviewed March 2024. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/precedent They ruled that somebody shouldn’t be deported from the country: Martínez-Beltrán, Sergio. “Supreme Court Extends Pause on Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act in Texas.” May 16, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/05/16/g-s1-67244/supreme-court-texas-alien-enemies-act That’s what you usually think about when you think about judges, the ones under Article III: United States Courts. “Types of Federal Judges.” https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/types-federal-judges You have to be appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate: Offices of the United States Attorneys. “Introduction to the Federal Court System.” https://www.justice.gov/usao/justice-101/federal-courts But then you serve for life: Lee, Hyungi. “Lifetime Appointments of Federal Judges: A Double-Edged Sword.” November 22, 2024. The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. https://www.law.georgetown.edu/legal-ethics-journal/blog/lifetime-appointments-of-federal-judges-a-double-edged-sword/ That’s happened, like, a handful of times in our history that federal judges have been impeached and expelled by the senate: Federal Judicial Center. “Impeachments of Federal Judges.” https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/impeachments-federal-judges There’s also a provision that says congress can’t mess with your salary: Legal Information Institute. “28 U.S. Code § 371 - Retirement on salary; retirement in senior status.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/371 It’s the federal district courts: Federal Bar Association. “About U.S. Federal Courts.” https://www.fedbar.org/for-the-public/about-u-s-federal-courts/ This is also where interest groups play a role. For a lot of Republican presidents, the Federalist Society: Haq, Zoya. “How the Federalist Society Shaped America’s Judiciary.” November 4, 2024. Yale News. https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2024/11/04/how-the-federalist-society-shaped-americas-judiciary/ There are interest groups that are relevant to what Democrats want (but they aren’t generally considered as influential): Mandery, Evan. “Why There’s No Liberal Federalist Society.” January 23, 2019. Politico. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/01/23/why-theres-no-liberal-federalist-society-224033/ There’s also the American Bar Association: American Bar Association. “About the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.” https://www.americanbar.org/groups/committees/federal_judiciary/about_us/ A federal magistrate judge, which is a different thing: Federal Judicial Center. “Magistrate Judgeships.” https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/magistrate-judgeships The senate judiciary committee: U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/committee Whoever the majority leader is, who has a fair amount of power for what happens in the senate: Wallner, James. “What Makes Senate Leaders So Powerful?” August 1, 2018. LegBranch.org. https://www.legbranch.org/2018-8-1-what-makes-senate-leaders-so-powerful/ Despite Mack’s misgivings, here’s a nice checks and balances diagram: Ben’s Guide. “Branches of Government [Infographic].” https://bensguide.gpo.gov/images/Branches-of-Government.jpg If you are not as old as Steve and didn’t get the three ring circus reference: Schoolhouse Rock. “America – Three Ring Government [Nostalgic cartoon].” YouTube. https://youtu.be/pKSGyiT-o3o?si=SnwUUn9adsc0fYA7 Parliament appointed judges in England: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. “Judicial Appointments.” https://www.judiciary.uk/about-the-judiciary/our-justice-system/jud-acc-ind/jud-appts/ Learn a little about infographics (and why they’re very simplified versions of the complete story): University of Hull. “What is an Infographic?” April 2, 2025. https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/infographics/Introduction Every Federalist paper is addressed to the people of the state of New York: Library of Congress. “Full Text of the Federalist Papers.” https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/full-text Federalist 78, Hamilton makes the argument that having an independent judiciary, it’s not just a choice, it’s essential when you have a constitutional system: Hamilton, Alexander. “Federalist No. 78.” Library of Congress. https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/text-71-80#s-lg-box-wrapper-25493470 The idea of judicial review: Tate, C. Neal. “Judicial Review.” Updated May 8, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/judicial-review In Marbury v. Madison: Urofsky, Melvin I. “Marbury v. Madison.” Updated May 12, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Marbury-v-Madison You have this keystone: Chicago Architecture Center. “Keystone.” https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/architecture-encyclopedia/keystone If you didn’t get the Pennsylvania joke: Bonatesta, Lara. “Why is Pennsylvania Called the Keystone State?” Updated September 27, 2023. ABC27 News. https://www.abc27.com/digital-originals/why-is-pennsylvania-called-the-keystone-state/ That’s more of a column (architectural metaphors are hard): Chicago Architecture Center. “Column.” https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/architecture-encyclopedia/column What if the president doesn’t do what the supreme court says? That’s happened before: Federal Judicial Center. “Executive Enforcement of Judicial Orders.” https://www.fjc.gov/history/administration/executive-enforcement-judicial-orders A brief history of Andrew Jackson violating the treaties with the Cherokee nation: Office of the Historian. “Indian Treaties and the Removal Act of 1830.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/indian-treaties There are a bunch of people right now in an El Salvadorean prison that don’t deserve what they got: Vega, Cecilia. “U.S. Sent 238 Migrants to Salvadoran Mega-prison; Documents Indicate Most Have No Apparent Criminal Records [Video and transcript].” April 6, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-records-show-about-migrants-sent-to-salvadoran-prison-60-minutes-transcript/ The entire quote from Abraham Lincoln: “If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” Address by Abraham Lincoln before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois as it appeared in the Sangamo Journal, February 3, 1838. Reprinted from Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, 8 vols. (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1953), 1:108–115. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/2629860.0006.103/--perpetuation-of-our-political-institutions-address?rgn=main;view=fulltext I was busy over here trying to become the pope: Tanno, Sophie; Lamb, Christopher; Mortensen, Antonia. “Trump Posts AI Image of Himself as Pope, Leaving Catholics Offended and Unamused as Conclave Nears.” May 4, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/04/world/trump-ai-image-pope-intl-hnk One example of a district court ruling going against the administration: Faguy, Ana. “Trump’s Mass Firings to Remain on Hold, Appeals Court Rules.” May 31, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c071xj4m5gyo If you want a refresher on due process: The Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Due Process.” Updated May 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/due-process A little about Mack’s reference to use of person versus American: Legal Information Institute. “Amdt5.4.3 Persons.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-5/persons There have been some polls in the aftermath of this: Marquette University. “New Marquette Law School Poll National Survey Finds Strong Support for Authority of Courts in Cases Involving President.” May 22, 2025. https://www.marquette.edu/news-center/2025/law-poll-finds-strong-support-for-authority-of-courts-in-cases-involving-president.php The one that came out at 1:30 in the morning on a Saturday: Howe, Amy. “Justices Temporarily Bar Government from Removing Venezuelan Men Under Alien Enemies Act.” April 19, 2025. SCOTUS Blog. https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/04/justices-temporarily-bar-government-from-removing-venezuelan-men-under-alien-enemies-act/ We are seeing that judges aren’t trusting the government anymore: Tucker, Eric, and Durkin Richer, Alanna. “Justice Department Lawyers Struggle to Win Over Judges in Legal Challenges to Trump’s Agenda.” May 1, 2025. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/justice-department-lawyers-struggle-to-win-over-judges-in-legal-challenges-to-trumps-agenda Like, say, the FBI: Faguy, Ana. “Who is Kash Patel? Trump’s New FBI Director Vows to Shake Up the Agency.” February 20, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rqpp52j5vo Including the librarian of the Library of Congress: Italie, Hillel. “Firing, Hiring and a Mystery: The 225-Year-Old Library of Congress has Never Had a Moment Like This.” May 15, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/library-of-congress-card-history-librarian-firings-83d9e862a68832d8076773a7eb16114f One version of the Kill Devil cocktail: https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/15608/kill-devil Mack was paraphrasing William Shakespeare. Here’s the entire quote: “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” Not Trader Joe’s: https://tradervics.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqCNokq1fsmEggRdLHcpEbE2zyynhFOyVA8w2kwR_f8WvB6rFkb Not Trader Vic’s: https://www.traderjoes.com/home I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic’s. (His hair was perfect.): https://youtu.be/qae25976UgA?si=dKekT62IL8m6fqa7 Pat O’Brian’s in the French Quarter (known for their Hurricanes): https://patobriens.com/ Café Du Mond in the French Quarter (not known for tea and donut holes): https://shop.cafedumonde.com/ One version of the Jack Rose cocktail: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/jack-rose/ If you want to be that guy: https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-your-own-grenadine-76029 If you would like to purchase the online game, “Survive the Tyrant”, that Steve is playing: https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/507744 The underground: Bisson, T. N., and Blondel, F. P. “The Resistance of France.” Updated May 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/France/The-Resistance The deep state: Merriam-Webster. “Deep state.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20state Remember the popularity of the CIA saboteur handbook: Central Intelligence Agency. “The Art of Simple Sabotage.” April 1, 2019. https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/the-art-of-simple-sabotage/ Teamster: Teamsters. “Teamsters and Civil Rights.” https://teamster.org/about/teamster-history/teamsters-and-civil-rights/ When Dobbs was overturned: Oyez. “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2021/19-1392 Posts on social media about camping in another state: Sung, Morgan, and Goggin, Ben. “Post-Roe, ‘Camping’ Has Become Code for Abortions. Activists Say it May Put People at Risk.” June 30, 2022. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/camping-meme-roe-v-wade-abortion-ban-rcna35765 If you would like more information on how you can facilitate camping: https://abortionfunds.org/ Government cheese caves in Missouri: The Farmlink Project. “Cheese Caves and Food Surpluses: Why the U.S. Government Currently Stores 1.4 Billion lbs of Cheese.” https://www.farmlinkproject.org/stories-and-features/cheese-caves-and-food-surpluses-why-the-u-s-government-currently-stores-1-4-billion-lbs-of-cheese When they actually invented fondue: Zaino, Caitlan. “Tracing Fondue’s Mysterious Origins.” February 12, 2013. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20130212-tracing-fondues-mysterious-origins In Italy you can go to the parmesan cave: Japhe, Brad. “Every Cheese Lover Should Visit the Parmesan Cheese Trail in Italy — Here’s How to Do It Right.” Updated May 18, 2023. Travel and Leisure. https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/italy-parmesan-cheese-trail-guide The mozzarella region of Italy is Campania: Eataly. “The World of Mozzarella.” https://www.eataly.ca/news/mozzarella-varieties/ Rest easy, dear listeners, the government cheese was eventually made into American cheese and distributed to the public: Roderique-Jones, Anne. “We May Have Solved the Missouri Cheese Cave Mystery.” August 17, 2024. Food and Wine. https://www.foodandwine.com/missouri-cheese-caves-8631084 Kind of like a National Strategic Petroleum Reserve: U.S. Department of Energy. “SPR Quick Facts.” https://www.energy.gov/ceser/spr-quick-facts Steve’s right. That’s really cold for a cave. They probably refrigerated the cheese cave: National Cave and Karst Research Institute. “Cave Environment.” https://nckri.org/caves/cave-environment/ He’s a lovely human being: https://www.cartercenter.org/about/experts/jimmy_carter.html The Navy nuclear program when it was run by Rickover: Atomic Heritage Foundation. “Hyman G. Rickover.” https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/profile/hyman-g-rickover/ Maybe underhanded stuff that the Regan administration did about the hostages in Iran: Yang, John. “Expert Analyzes New Account of GOP Deal That Used Iran Hostage Crisis for Gain [Video and transcript].” March 19, 2023. The hub-and-spoke versus the hierarchy thing: Liddell, Christopher.  “Design a Coherent White House Structure.” 2024. The Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/year-zero-five-year-presidency/design-coherent-white-house-structure You need the chief of staff as a gate keeper, among other things: Tsuji, Chinatsu. “White House Chief of Staff.” Reviewed March 12, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/White-House-Chief-of-Staff Congratulations to Shannon and Brian! Thanks for sponsoring the scotch! It’s like Napolean crowning himself: History.com Editors. “Napoleon Crowned Emperor.” March 4, 2010. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-2/napoleon-crowned-emperor VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS! June 7, there’s a mayor runoff in San Antonio: City of San Antonio. “Mayor and City Council Runoff Election Slated for June 7.” https://www.sa.gov/Directory/News-Releases/Mayor-and-City-Council-Runoff-Election-Slated-for-June-7 Republicans refuse to have town halls with their own constituents: Sainato, Michael. “Angry Florida Voters Hold ‘Empty Chair’ Town Halls for Absent Republicans.” April 29, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/29/empty-chair-town-hall-republicans-florida How to write a physical letter to congress: Boston Children’s Museum. “How to Write a Letter to Your Congressperson [Video].” October 20, 2020. YouTube. https://youtu.be/XKiLLQTkHZY?si=kS2LoAWB0Etb-8-P Steve was paraphrasing Margaret Mead. Here’s the entire quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” And NPC means “nonplayer character.” But you already knew that.

Steve and Mack get into the legalities of militias, and they may not be what you think. They’re definitely more complicated. REFERENCES A bunch of farmers that run home to get their guns to come to the common defense against the Redcoats: American Battlefield Trust. “Lexington and Concord.” https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/lexington-and-concord Even though we have selective service: Selective Service System. “About Selective Service.” https://www.sss.gov/about/ We haven’t had the draft be active for a while: Selective Service System. “Return to the Draft.” https://www.sss.gov/about/return-to-draft/ As refenced in the Second Amendment: Constitution Annotated. “Second Amendment.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-2/ Appropriations are a bit of a bureaucratic rabbit hole, but the following gives a nice overview. In it, they use the specific examples of the Army being a multi-year appropriation (specifically, 2 years) and the Navy being a no-year appropriation: Aherne, Drew C. “Appropriations Duration of Availability: One-Year, Multi-Year, and No-Year Funds.” June 7, 2024. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48087 It’s totally legit: America’s Navy. “Riverine Command Boat.” Updated October 14, 2021. https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2171638/riverine-command-boat/ We’re talking about the Barbary pirates: Office of the Historian. “Barbary Wars, 1801–1805 and 1815–1816.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/barbary-wars The Panama Canal, when Roosevelt sent warships (not armies): Office of the Historian. “Building the Panama Canal, 1903–1914.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/panama-canal Since Mack has let us down, here is a discussion about why the founding fathers didn’t want a standing army: Mulligan, Steve P. “The Army Clause, Part 1: Overview and Historical Background” July 22, 2024. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11204 The subjugation of Ukraine is a long, sad history. Steve has a point that Stalin rather effectively oppressed the populace by land-based means: Kiger, Patrick J. “How Joseph Stalin Starved Millions in the Ukrainian Famine.” Updated April 15, 2025. History.com https://www.history.com/articles/ukrainian-famine-stalin But Anne and Mack have a point that you really can’t discount the role of the Black Sea in the situation: Satanovskii, Sergei. “Why the Black Sea is so important to Russia and Ukraine.” March 28, 2025. DW. https://www.dw.com/en/why-the-black-sea-is-so-important-to-russia-and-ukraine/a-72048886 When the Marines were created: Marines. “Brief History of the Corp.” https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Brief-Histories/ The first documented use of armed forces was in 1572 (calm down, Steve): Merriam-Webster.com. “Word History.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed%20forces#word-history Again, appropriations are complicated, y’all. The short answer is no, the Air Force and the Space Force appropriations are not necessarily limited by 2 years. The Army is the only military branch that has a specific time limit because it is the only one where that time limit is established in the Constitution. For all other military matters (including some having to do with the Navy), Congress has the ability to establish whatever time limits they want when they create the appropriation. If you want to learn more about this topic, please see the previously referenced article and/or visit the office of the Comptroller. Here's an interesting history about the Comptroller: Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). “A Brief History of the Comptroller's Office [PDF].” https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/OUSDC_History/OUSDC_History.pdf?ver=-6sQPmgwiezg_pYKtL44tw%3d%3d Not only do all the states have a National Guard, the U.S. Territories have them as well: https://www.nationalguard.mil/ There are separate State Guards for some states: Haskell, Bob. “State Guards.” June 2022. National Guard Magazine. https://www.ngaus.org/magazine/state-guards Congress has the power…: Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S8.C15.1 Congress's Power to Call Militias.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C15-1/ALDE_00001077/ Sorry Mack, “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States”: Constitution Annotated. “Article II Executive Branch.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/section-2/ The president can call them up and federalize them: Siripurapu, Anshu and Berman, Noah. “What does the U.S. National Guard Do?” Updated April 3, 2024. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-does-us-national-guard-do We have Texas National Guard units at our border because the governor has declared an emergency: Garcia, Uriel J. “Texas to build 80-acre base in Eagle Pass for National Guard troops.” February 16, 2024. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/16/texas-border-national-guard-base-eagle-pass/ If you want to get into the whole spate of federal emergencies, they are all documented by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the United States House of Representatives: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:50%20section:1621%20edition:prelim) The immigration executive order: The White House. “Protecting The American People Against Invasion.” January 20, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-american-people-against-invasion/ The executive order that reinterpreted part of the Fourteenth Amendment: The White House. “Protecting The Meaning And Value Of American Citizenship.” January 20, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/ The Insurrection Act of 1807: Faguy, Ana. “Could Trump Invoke Another Rarely-Used Law at the Border?” April 21, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qwez9zz7jo One article about the rumors of the Insurrection Act being used on January 6, 2021, from the time: Dupuy, Beatrice. “Trump Has Not Invoked the Insurrection Act of 1807.” January 13, 2021. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-9881219261 Military officers are obligated to not follow unlawful orders: Toropin, Konstantin. “What Happens if the President Issues a Potentially Illegal Order to the Military?” July 12, 2024. Military.com. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/07/12/what-happens-if-president-issues-potentially-illegal-order-military.html In combat, they could get shot: Sullivan, Dwight. “The Military's Death Penalty System.” Excerpt from 1998. Death Penalty Information Center. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/military/the-militarys-death-penalty-system Presser v. Illinois (1886): Legal Information Institute. “Presser v. State of Illinois.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/116/252 According to Google Translate, the German word for hooliganism is rowdytum. The Chicago Police Department was founded on August 15, 1835: https://www.chicagopolice.org/about/history/ Operation Lone Star has been hitting the National Guard pretty hard: Solorio, Gabriella Alcorta. “At least 17 Texas National Guardsman have died patrolling the southern border, including several suicides.” December 9, 2024. Texas Standard. https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-national-guard-operation-lone-star-soldier-deaths-suicides/ If you are unfamiliar with the Border Patrol presence in Texas: U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Sectors and Stations.” https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/along-us-borders/border-patrol-sectors Is this an effective thing: Serrano, Alejandro. “Migrant apprehensions are down at the Texas border. Have state policies had an impact?” April 22, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/22/texas-border-migrant-apprehensions-abbott-operation-lone-star/ How is the reserve different than the National Guard: The Council of State Governments. “Military 101: Understanding the Differences between Active Duty, National Guard and Reserves.” December 19, 2023. https://csg.org/2023/12/19/military-101-understanding-the-differences-between-active-duty-national-guard-and-reserves/ For those of you who are unfamiliar, here’s a brief history of San Antonio’s Fiesta and the Battle of Flowers parade: Fiesta San Antonio. “History of Fiesta.” https://fiestasanantonio.org/history-of-fiesta/ San Jacinto Day: San Jacinto Battlefield and Museum. “San Jacinto Day Celebration.” https://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/Visit/Calendar/San_Jacinto_Day_Celebration/ Mack is correct that the parade was once attended by President McKinley. Several presidents have visited, but the first president at the first Fiesta was President Harrison: Fanning, Timothy. “132 years ago, San Antonio's first presidential visit came during the first Fiesta.” April 19, 2023. San Antonio Express-News. https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/fiesta-san-antonio-first-president-visit-17905885.php If you are unfamiliar with the mole being referenced in our new cocktail, Holy Mole: America’s Test Kitchen. “Mole Sauce: What It Is, Where It Comes From, and How to Make It.” September 15, 2021. https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/1057-all-about-mole-what-it-is-where-it-comes-from-and-how-to-make-it According to Google translate 43 in Spanish is cuarenta y tres. Catorce tres means 14-3. A reserved, factual take on the Philadelphia Experiment (you’re on your own for the other versions): Naval History and Heritage Command. “Philadelphia Experiment.” November 20, 2017. https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/p/philadelphia-experiment.html The guy Tesla: Whitaker Hunt, Inez. “Nikola Tesla.” Updated April 24, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nikola-Tesla There were a lot of old warships from World War II that we gave to friendly navies. This is a practice we still do: Conference of Maritime Economists and Industrial Engineers. “The Legacy of Former U.S. Navy Ships Transferred Overseas.” https://www.coltoncompany.com/index/shipbldg/transfer.htm/ What’s degaussing: Torpedo Bay Navy Museum. “Degaussing.” https://navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-themes/technology-and-weapons/degaussing-2/ The official Stephenville, Texas website: https://www.stephenvilletx.gov/ Y’all, the name of the cow on the pole is Moo-La! (Don’t worry, we got pictures): Whitis, Joyce. “Moo-la.” The Chamber. https://www.stephenvilletexas.org/moo-la The Wikipedia entry for Stephenville, Texas at the time of this episode isn’t as exciting as it once was: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephenville,_Texas The airship in Aurora, Texas: AuroraTexas.gov. “History.” https://www.auroratexas.gov/community/history/ Zeppelins were invented in 1900: National Inventors Hall of Fame. “Ferdinand von Zeppelin.” https://www.invent.org/inductees/ferdinand-von-zeppelin If you aren’t familiar with Abrego Garcia’s case: Sardarizadeh, Shayan; Thomas, Merlyn; Horton, Jake; and Wendling, Mike. “What we know about Kilmar Abrego Garcia and MS-13 allegations.” April 30, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1k4072e3nno The Alien Enemies Act: Yon Ebright, Katherine. “The Alien Enemies Act, Explained.” Updated May 1, 2025. Brennan Center For Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/alien-enemies-act-explained During this podcast, we used certain terms like “illegal alien.” There have been several discussions over the past few years on how best to refer to the legal status of immigrants to the United States. The following article discusses the topic, and we apologize if we offended anyone with our choice of words: Bryant, Erica. “No Person is Illegal: The Language We use for Immigration Matters.” April 4, 2023. Vera. https://www.vera.org/news/no-person-is-illegal-the-language-we-use-for-immigration-matters You get due process of law: Legal Information Institute. “Due Process.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/due_process What was brought to the Supreme Court: Supreme Court of the Unites States. “Kristi Noem, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security, et al., Applicants v. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, et al.” April 7, 2025. https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24a949.html Administrative Procedure Act: Legal Information Institute. “Administrative Procedure Act.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/administrative_procedure_act Habeas corpus: Doyle, Charles. “Federal Habeas Corpus: A Legal Overview.” October 1, 2024. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RL33391 They’re not sending them back to the countries they came from: Vega, Cecilia. “U.S. Sent 238 Migrants to Salvadoran Mega-prison; Documents Indicate Most Have No Apparent Criminal Records [Video and transcript].” April 6, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-records-show-about-migrants-sent-to-salvadoran-prison-60-minutes-transcript/ A prison known for abuse and torture: Goebertus, Juanita. “Human Rights Watch declaration on prison conditions in El Salvador for the J.G.G. v. Trump case.” March 19, 2025. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/03/20/human-rights-watch-declaration-prison-conditions-el-salvador-jgg-v-trump-case After this recording, people who were born here, whose parents were not legal residents, were indeed deported to a place that was not their home country: Halpert, Madaline. “Three U.S. Citizen Children, One With Cancer, Deported to Honduras, Lawyers Say.” April 28, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8yj2n33yo Not a line that’s never been crossed before: Federal Judicial Center. “Executive Enforcement of Judicial Orders.” https://www.fjc.gov/history/administration/executive-enforcement-judicial-orders Separation of powers: Congress.gov. “Intro.7.2 Separation of Powers Under the Constitution.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/intro.7-2/ALDE_00000031/ Why some people assume the Supreme Court is in Trump’s pocket: Breidbart, Samuel. “The Supreme Court’s Presidential Immunity Ruling Undermines Democracy.” October 1, 2024. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/supreme-courts-presidential-immunity-ruling-undermines-democracy A commentary on Gorsuch’s history of rulings on Native American issues: Davidson Sorkin, Amy. “Does It Matter That Neil Gorsuch Is Committed to Native American Rights?” June 26, 2023. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/does-it-matter-that-neil-gorsuch-is-committed-to-native-american-rights About that Wisconsin election: Iqbal, Nomia and Matza, Max. “Democratic-backed judge wins Wisconsin race in setback for Elon Musk.” April 2, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8km3zg3kyo The ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/ He’ll flash the gold card: Venugopal Ramaswamy, Swapna. “For world's wealthy, a 'gold card' path to American citizenship is almost here.” April 10, 2025. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/10/gold-card-trump-lutnick-millionaires/83033022007/ 50501: https://www.fiftyfifty.one/ Derek May’s article about the march in Austin, Texas, published by our collaborator Flapper Press: May, Derek. “My First Protest.” March 13, 2025. Flapper Press. https://www.flapperpress.com/post/my-first-protest Very good, concise guides about it: Drexel University. “Safety Tips for Protests, Rallies, and Marches.” https://drexel.edu/publicsafety/crime-reports-prevention/safety-tips/safety-tips-for-protests-rallies-marches If you would like to read the Constitution: National Archives. “The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript And Wolverine is a Marvel character who has healing powers, an adamantium-enhanced skeleton, and rage issues. But you already knew that.

We’re not just chatting about the weather. I mean, we are…but there is also social commentary and a bit of moral outrage. This episode is longer than most because we left in more of the silliness. It felt called for. REFERENCES A warning for a tornado outbreak: National Weather Service. “Summary of Significant Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Outbreak of March 14–15, 2025.” https://www.weather.gov/pah/Mar14-15_2025Severe Footage of 18-wheelers getting blown off the road around Amarillo: The Weather Channel. “Powerful Winds Flip Trucks, Cause Texas Pile-Ups” [YouTube video]. March 14, 025. https://youtu.be/r64Jn4F8lXU?si=zz1e1zIZje2kSkcN The National Weather Service… https://www.weather.gov/ ...it’s part of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)… https://www.noaa.gov/ …they are in the Department of Commerce: https://www.commerce.gov/ In case you’re not that kind of engineer: NOAA. “What is Bathymetry?” https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/bathymetry.html NOAA was created in 1970: NOAA. “NOAA Heritage.” Updated October 24, 2024. https://www.noaa.gov/heritage One of two uniformed services: Vergun, David. “What’s in a Name? Demystifying the Collective Services.” March 18, 2019. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/story/Article/1787716/whats-in-a-name-demystifying-the-collective-services/ NOAA has their own small fleet of ships that do things like soundings: NOAA. “Ships of NOAA.” https://www.omao.noaa.gov/marine-operations/ships-noaa Is that why we have a surgeon general?! Hutchison, Floyd. “Surgeon General of the United States.” January 17, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/surgeon-general-of-the-United-States Ships no floaty no more: BoaterExam.com “Running Aground (Ship Grounding).” https://www.boaterexam.com/boating-resources/running-aground/ We shouldn’t overlook tsunami warnings: National Weather Service. “Understanding Tsunami Alerts.” https://www.weather.gov/safety/tsunami-alerts With apologies to Mack, it is, indeed, the U.S. Geological Survey: https://www.usgs.gov/ National Weather Service originally started as part of the Army Signal Corp: NOAA Library. “U.S. Army Signal Corps/Weather Bureau Annual Reports, 1861–1942.” https://library.noaa.gov/weather-climate/wb-annual-reports They took it from the Signal Corp to the Department of Agriculture: Chapin, Brenda.  “Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin.” USDA. https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/weekly-weather-and-crop-bulletin If you need a taco metaphor for the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning: 13 On Your Side. “Severe Weather Awareness Week: Differences Between a Watch and a Warning” [YouTube video]. March 18, 2025. https://youtu.be/lG5oIQD601w?si=0wqII507VeL_C592 Tornado emergency: National Sever Storms Laboratory. “May 3, 1999 Oklahoma/Kansas Tornado Outbreak.” NOAA. https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/about/history/may3rd/ The Galveston hurricane, the deadliest weather event in U.S. history: Weather Underground. “Hurricane and Tropical Cyclones.” Updated April 2007. https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/articles/deadliest-us-hurricanes An excellent book, by the way: Eric Larson. Isaac’s Storm: A Man, A Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History. (Vintage Books, 2000). Not to get into who was more at fault: Edwards, Chris. “Hurricane Katrina: Remembering the Federal Failures.” August 27, 2015. CATO Institute. https://www.cato.org/blog/hurricane-katrina-remembering-federal-failures Talking about storm surge: NOAA. “Storm Surge Overview.” https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/surge Katrina, offshore, was a category 5 but by the time it hit, it was category 3: National Weather Service. “Extremely Powerful Hurricane Katrina Leaves a Historic Mark on the Northern Gulf Coast.” https://www.weather.gov/mob/katrina The categories, in case you don’t know, are based on the wind speed: National Weather Service. “Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.” https://www.weather.gov/mfl/saffirsimpson Harvey was larger than Katrina in terms of breadth: Texas Division of Emergency Management. “Hurricane Harvey DR 4332.” https://tdem.texas.gov/disasters/hurricane-harvey They developed inside the flood control dams: Satija, Neena, Collier, Kiah; and Shaw, Al. “Houston Officials Let Developers Build Homes Inside Reservoirs: But No One Warned Buyers.” October 12, 2017. The Texas Tribune. https://apps.texastribune.org/harvey-reservoirs/ Don’t go swimming in that water: Coulson, Morgan. “The Visible and Unseen Dangers Lurking in Floodwater.” July 30, 2024. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2024/the-dangers-of-floodwater Houston is a swamp: Armstrong, Peter. “Houston Was Warned It Was a ‘Sitting Duck’ for Major Flood.” September 2, 2017. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/houston-flood-concrete-planning-1.4271740 By “long time” Steve means two years: Texas A&M University. “Malaria in Texas: What You Need to Know.” July 7, 2023. https://stories.tamu.edu/news/2023/07/07/malaria-in-texas-what-you-need-to-know/ Right after a measles outbreak: CDC. “Expanding Measles Outbreak in the United States and Guidance for the Upcoming Travel Season.” March 7, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/han/2025/han00522.html In case you don’t know what mosquito fogging is: CDC. “Truck Spraying.” https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/mosquito-control/truck-spraying.html DOGE set its sights on the National Weather Service: Bickerton, James. “DOGE Weather Balloon Cuts Spark Tornado Warning Alarm.” March 29, 2025. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/doge-weather-balloon-cuts-spark-tornado-warning-alarm-2052550 What does the National Weather Service do: National Weather Service. “About the NWS.” https://www.weather.gov/about Back in ye olden days, it was private fire fighters. It should be noted, though, that the London Fire Brigade takes umbrage with the notion that they would refuse to put out fires for nonpaying customers: London Fire Brigade. “Early Fire Brigades.” https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/museum/history-and-stories/early-insurance-brigades-brigades/ Benjamin Franklin started the first citywide fire protection in the U.S.: Hall of Flame. “Benjamin Franklin: Founding Father, Scientist…Firefighter?” https://hallofflame.org/benjamin-franklin/ The example of AT&T: Waters, Jennifer. “AT&T Corporation.” Updated March 31,2025. Britannica Money. https://www.britannica.com/money/ATandT-Corporation The community needs to thrive in order for members of the community at all levels to thrive: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. “Social and Community Context.” https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/social-and-community-context One time when they backpedaled: Kapur, Sahil; Alexandar, Peter; and Santaliz, Kate. “Trump Administration Rescinds Order Attempting to Freeze Federal Aid Spending.” Updated January 29, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-administration-rescinds-order-attempting-freeze-federal-aid-spen-rcna189852 The shocked Republicans: Layne, Nathan and Michalska, Aleksandra. “DOGE Job Cuts Bring Pain to Trump Heartland.” March 8, 2025. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/doge-job-cuts-shake-trump-voting-west-virginia-town-2025-03-07/ Members of congress: Tait, Robert. “Republican Backlash to Trump Tariffs Grows as Senate Rebels Decry ‘Bad Policy’.” April 3, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/03/republicans-rebuke-trump-tariffs-canada Texas didn’t do that to public education or anything: Edison, Jaden and Reid, Rob. “Texas Officials’ Claim That School Funding is At an All-Time High Ignores Inflation and Temporary Federal Money.” Updated April 1, 2025. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/28/texas-school-funding-explainer/ About that continuing resolution: Freking, Kevin and Mascaro, Lisa. “Senate Approves Funding Bill Hours Before Shutdown Deadline, Sending to Trump for Signature.” Updated March 14, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-gop-chuck-schumer-86385e644239a3dc1558b37d13094234 Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was very straightforward: Murray, Isabella. “‘Tremendous Mistake’: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Blasts Schumer Over GOP Funding Plan Vote.” March 14, 2025. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-blasts-schumer-gop-funding/story?id=119793415 Pelosi came out against Schumer: Whisnant, Gabe and Aitken, Peter. “Nancy Pelosi Delivers Remarkable Rebuke to Chuck Schumer.” Updated March 14, 2025. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/nancy-pelosi-delivers-remarkable-rebuke-chuck-schumer-2045007 Division among the Democrats: Brown, Matt. “Democrats Clashed Over Shutdown Strategy, But Part’s Crisis Runs Far Deeper.” March 19, 2025. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-clashed-over-shutdown-strategy-but-partys-crisis-runs-far-deeper Pritzker, the Governor of Illinois, put out a statement: State of Illinois Newsroom. “Gov. Pritzker’s Statement on the Government Funding Bill in Congress.” March 14, 2025. https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/gov-pritzkers-statement-on-the-government-funding-bill-in-congress The Republicans in 1994: Kennedy, Lesley. “The 1994 Midterms: When Newt Gingrich Helped Republicans Win Big.” Updated March 2, 2025. History. https://www.history.com/articles/midterm-elections-1994-republican-revolution-gingrich-contract-with-america A Manhattan: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/manhattan-2/ An odd procedural anecdote of congress: Erickson, Bo. “House Republicans Block Congress’ Ability to Challenge Trump Tariffs.” March 11, 2025. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/house-republicans-block-congress-ability-challenge-trump-tariffs-2025-03-11/ Pi Day: Anderson, Curt. “What’s Pi Day All About? Math, Science, Pies, and More.” Updated March 14, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/pi-day-celebration-math-infinite-number-f426c8659529cb07655b5f07b99ce1dd What’s an emergency: Estreicher, Samuel and Babbitt, Andrew. “Are Tariffs an Emergency Power?” April 3, 2025. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/are-tariffs-an-emergency-power Is time real: Kuhn, Robert Lawrence. “The Illusion of Time: What’s Real?” August 26, 2022. Space. https://www.space.com/29859-the-illusion-of-time.html We can talk proton decay if you want to: Lincoln, Don. “Will Protons Last Forever? Why Scientists Are Searching for Signs of Decay.” November 5, 2024. Big Think. https://bigthink.com/hard-science/will-protons-last-forever-why-scientists-are-searching-for-signs-of-decay/ There’s a whole Orwellian angle: Tavlin, Noah. “What ‘Orwellian’ Really Means” [YouTube video]. TED-Ed. https://youtu.be/oe64p-QzhNE?si=YQA8aPjpFuu09tEd In fact, Indiana wanted to pass a law that pi is 3.2. Still wacky. Still bad rounding: Gotsch, Nathan. “Pi Has An Amusing Footnote in Indiana History.” March 13, 2023. Indiana Capital Chronicle. https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/03/13/pi-from-the-sky/ Civics on the Rocks could not verify that in San Antonio it’s still on the books that it’s illegal to repair your own furniture. But if you find something, let us know. King Canute commanded the tide to stop: Van Way III, Charles. “King Canute’s Court.” 2017. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6140090/ Caligula ordered his soldiers to attack Neptune: Meddings, Alexander. “Caligula–the Mad Emperor Who Declared War on the Sea.” Walks Inside Rome. https://www.walksinsiderome.com/blog/caligula-war-on-the-sea/ Indiana, in fact, wants R. Dean Taylor: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=xeUAxcQBup0&si=-YOH_0A361noDAyL A classic geometric thing: Ornes, Stephen. “Is It Actually Impossible to ‘Square the Circle’”? December 16, 2022. Discover Magazine. https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/is-it-actually-impossible-to-square-the-circle Lots of people who are like no, it does not go at the same rate, at all: Lasky, Ronald C. “Does Time Tick at the Same Rate for Everyone?” October 24, 2014. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-time-tick-at-the-same-rate-for-everyone/ “If I Could Save Time in a Bottle”—but The Muppets version: https://youtu.be/vqUrxN0bo58?si=IjPwgQLcaUFe4DyB Chicago doesn’t really know what time it is (nor do they really care): https://youtu.be/9FzCWLOHUes?si=o9Igtl9LJzIPOejq What does that have to with the price of eggs: Yurkevich, Vanessa. “Egg Prices Are Falling. But There’s a Catch.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/02/business/egg-prices-fall-usda/index.html If we’re talking bird flu, which can jump to human beings: CDC. “H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation.” https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html The American Poultry Association: https://amerpoultryassn.com/ ConFORmation, not conFIRmation: American Kennel Club. “Get Started in Conformation Dog Shows.” https://www.akc.org/sports/conformation/get-started/ The Poultry Grading Manual from the USDA: https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/poultry-grading-manual The Cornell Library, dear listener, remains intact: https://www.library.cornell.edu/ If you would like to read about the namesake of the James E. Rice Memorial Poultry Library: Cornell University Faculty Memorial Statement. “James Edward Rice” [PDF]. https://ecommons.cornell.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/eccc45f4-c6a2-4860-8e6e-4ad231fa307f/content Good news, everyone, there’s still an American Standard of Perfection for Poultry. The latest revision was published in 2023: https://amerpoultryassn.com/store/ American National Standards Institute: https://www.ansi.org/ No relation to this podcast: The Livestock Conversancy. “Dorking Chicken.” https://livestockconservancy.org/dorking-chicken/ Dark ‘n’ Stormy: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/222547/dark-n-stormy-cocktail/ Economic signs that boycotts are working: Melville, Doug. “Do Boycotts Work? As Target’s Traffic Declines, Tesla and Others See Consumer Shifts.” March 17, 2025. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/dougmelville/2025/03/17/do-boycotts-work-as-targets-traffic-declines-tesla--others-see-shifts-with-consumers/ Tesla board members have been selling stock: Rubin, Olivia and Zahn, Max. “Tesla Board Members, Executive Sell Off Over $100 Million of Stock in Recent Weeks.” March 8, 2025. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Business/tesla-board-members-executive-sell-off-100-million/story?id=119889047 Alternatives to Amazon for buying books: https://bookshop.org/ https://www.thriftbooks.com/ This tariff thing: McDonell, Stephen. “China and US Are At Each Other’s Throats on Tariffs, and Neither is Backing Down.” April 4, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4grlzegewno The Great Depression: Duignan, Brian. “Causes of the Great Depression.” June 29, 2018. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/causes-of-the-great-depression Inflation is rising: AP News. “Federal Reserve Chief Says Trump Tariffs Likely to Raise Inflation and Slow US Economic Growth” [Video].  April 4, 2025. https://apnews.com/video/federal-reserve-chief-says-trump-tariffs-likely-to-raise-inflation-and-slow-us-economic-growth-ad772b43acc64914b0e43aa1c8ed2701 And Captain Kangaroo was a children’s television show. But you already knew that. Maybe. How old are you?

Okay, so it’s not our best show title, but you get what it’s about don’t you? Yep, we’re jumping headfirst into the chaos machine. Won’t you join us? REFERENCES There have recently been a whole bunch of executive orders: Federal Register. “2025 Donald J. Trump Executive Orders.” National Archive. https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders/donald-trump/2025 If you didn’t get the weather map joke: Stracqualursi, Veronica. “Washington Post: Trump Was the One Who Altered Dorian Trajectory Map With Sharpie.” September 6, 2019. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/06/politics/trump-sharpie-hurricane-dorian-alabama/index.html They began numbering the executive orders after the Federal Register Act was passed: McKinney, Richarch J. “A Research Guide to the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations.” September 16, 2019. Law Librarians’ Society of Washington, DC.  https://www.llsdc.org/fr-cfr-research-guide The first president to issue an executive order was George Washington: Statutes and Stories. “George Washington’s First Executive Order.” February 1, 2021. https://www.statutesandstories.com/blog_html/george-washingtons-first-executive-order/ Powers and duties under Article II: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.1 Overview of Article II, Executive Branch.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-1/ALDE_00000243/ When Biden issued an executive order saying that the Equal Rights Amendment was properly ratified and is part of the Constitution: Megerian, Chris; Superville, Darlene; and Savage, Claire. “Biden Says the Equal Rights Amendment Should Be Considered Ratified.” January 19, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-equal-rights-amendment-era-16b554dfe913797a52f894b72684bc45 The archivist of the United States was just fired by the Trump administration: Watson, Kathryn. “Trump Fires Archivist of the United States, Official Who Oversees Government Records.” February 7, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-fires-archivist-of-the-united-states-colleen-shogan/ In Trump’s first term, when the EPA issued the permit for the pipeline they initially rejected: National Association of Counties. “Trump Administration Issues Executive Order Making It Harder for States to Block Oil and Gas Pipeline Projects.” April 16, 2019. https://www.naco.org/blog/trump-administration-issues-executive-order-making-it-harder-states-block-oil-and-gas-pipeline Obama did not actually issue an executive order about marijuana but rather several guidance memoranda: Lampe, Joanna R. “Does the President Have the Power to Legalize Marijuana?” [PDF]. Updated November 4, 2021. Congressional Research Service. http://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10655 Trump made comments about DE&I policies being responsible for a plane crash while signing an executive order about air safety: Associated Press. “Trump Signs Aviation Order to Assess ‘Damage’ Done to Air Safety by Diversity Policies” [Video]. January 30, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-trump-signs-aviation-order-to-assess-damage-done-to-air-safety-by-diversity-policies The executive order Trump issued on birthright citizenship: Oliphant, J. Baxter and Copeland, Joseph. “Trump’s Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship Draws More Disapproval Than Approval.” February 21, 2025. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/21/trumps-executive-order-on-birthright-citizenship-draws-more-disapproval-than-approval/ John McCain, he was born in the Panama Canal Zone: Farley, Robert. “Was McCain Born in the USA?” May 12, 2008. Politifact. https://www.politifact.com/article/2008/may/12/born-usa/ Ted Cruz was born in Canada: Siddiqui, Sabrina. “Where Was Ted Cruz Born and Does It Matter for His Presidential Bid?” January 12, 2016. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/12/where-was-ted-cruz-born-citizenship-presidential-debate In case you don’t know who Mike Lee is and why Mack thinks he likes Ted Cruz: Svitek, Patrick. “Mike Lee Gives Ted Cruz First U.S. Senate Endorsement.” March 10, 2016. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2016/03/10/mike-lee-gives-cruz-first-us-senate-endorsement/ The Supreme Court that said he’s a king: Delahunty, Robert and Yoo, John. “The Presidential immunity Decision.” October 7, 2024. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jlpp/the-presidential-immunity-decision-robert-delahunty-john-yoo/ What’s been happening with the USAID: Knickmeyer, Ellen and Kinnard, Meg. “What USAID Does, and Why Trump and Musk Want to Get Rid of It.” February 4, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-trump-peter-marocco-8253d7dda766df89e10390c1645e78aa The firing of the FAA people: Copp, Tara. “Some of the 400 Jobs That Were Cut at the FAA Helped Support Air Safety, A Union Says.” February 19, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/faa-firings-trump-doge-safety-airlines-27390c6a7aac58063652302df5a243d3 The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order: National Archives. “The Emancipation Proclamation.” Reviewed January 28, 2022. https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation If you aren’t familiar with the movie scene, here’s a transcript: American Rhetoric. “Lincoln (2012).” https://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechlincoln13thamendmentdefense.htm The Thirteenth Amendment: Constitutional Annotated. “Thirteenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-13/ An executive order from FDR in 1941: National Archives. “Executive Order 8802: Prohibition of Discrimination in the Defense Industry (1941).” Reviewed June 25, 1941. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/executive-order-8802 We referenced curfews. Here’s an interesting article about them: Gainty, Caitjan. “Curfews Have a Dark History: No Wonder People Are Resisting Them in the Pandemic." February 2, 2022. King’s College London. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/curfews-have-a-dark-history-no-wonder-people-are-resisting-them-in-the-pandemic Blackouts in World War II: Wright Museum of World War II. “How the Home Front Became a Light During World War II Blackouts.” https://wrightmuseum.org/how-the-home-front-became-a-light-during-world-war-ii-blackouts/ Steve isn’t the only one phrasing it as a coup: Stone, Peter.  “‘This is a Coup’: Trump and Musk’s Purge is Cutting More Than Costs, Says Experts.” February 17, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/17/trump-musk-government-cost-cutting-coup The election of 2020 when Trump would not concede: Freking, Kevin. “Trump Seems to Acknowledge Biden Win, But He Won’t Concede.” November 15, 2020. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-f76f7c7c7182be4033151457ca81a9f7 And then he pardoned all of them: Mangan, Dan. “Trump Draws Anger for Praising Police After He Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioters.” March 4, 2025. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/04/trump-blasted-jan-6-capitol-riot-pardons-congress-police.html One person who was getting a little pissed with having to comply with FAA regulations: Federal Aviation Administration. “FAA Proposes $633,009 in Civil Penalties Against SpaceX.” September 17, 2024. https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-proposes-633009-civil-penalties-against-spacex Why some people can’t wait to get rid of OSHA: Ducharme, Jamie. “What is OSHA and Why Do Some Republicans Want to Disband It?” February 6, 2015. Time. https://time.com/7213433/what-is-osha-republicans-disband/ The safety cages that Steve was talking about: Braun, John. “Ladder Cages Are No Longer the Right Solution.” Simplified Safety. https://simplifiedsafety.com/blog/ladder-cages-are-no-longer-the-right-solution/ Anne was incorrect when she implied that the Trump administration had to roll back the firing of the inspectors general. That lawsuit is ongoing: Whitehurst, Lindasy. “Government Watchdogs Fired by Trump Sue His Administration and Ask a Judge to Reinstate Them." February 12, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/watchdogs-trump-mass-firing-inspectors-general-5b4629fb34a168322bf61170286efb76 The division within the FBI that handles counterintelligence for foreign influence: Dilanian, Ken. “Pam Bondi Ends FBI Effort to Combat Foreign Influence in U.S. Politics.” February 6, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/bondi-ends-fbi-effort-combat-foreign-influence-us-politics-rcna191012 In case you want to brush up on the concept of rule of law: United States Courts. “Overview: Rule of Law.” https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/overview-rule-law Rob Roy, the first official podcast drink: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/rob-roy/ There are a lot of drinks out there described as a London Fog. Mack gives his recipe in the show, but this recipe is pretty close to what we drank: https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/1186/london-fog In case you are having trouble following along with Mack’s squirrel: Tour Texas. “San Antonio Map.” https://www.tourtexas.com/texas-maps/interactive-map-san-antonio The weekly column by Garret Graff that Steve mentioned: Graff, Garrett M. “Doomsday Scenario” [Series]. https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI62eFleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHfE4AwRIBQR7IabdTuQZ5jM_7DrGcp4Yn7-kSOrdEhWaAXIA7tPlVHks3g_aem_knprGJGfFdjUhEhpIapvZQ A traditional gin and bitters: https://www.thespruceeats.com/pink-gin-classic-cocktail-759332 Angostura Bitters are made in Trinidad and Tobago (a country in the Caribbean): Angostura Bitters. “Our Story.” https://angosturabitters.com/our-story/ A much more accurate description of how Columbus Day came into being than Anne provided: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Columbus Day.” Updated February 6, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Columbus-Day But seriously, Columbus was a jackass: Lee, Alicia. “Why Cristopher Columbus Wasn’t the Hero We Learned About it School.” June 12, 2020. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/12/us/christopher-columbus-slavery-disease-trnd/index.html There are so many executive orders and so many people fighting them, it’s hard to keep track, but here is one forum that is doing their darndest: Just Security. “Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.” https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/ One of the executive orders that was rolled back within 24 hours: Copp, Tara and Izaguirre, Anthony. “Trump Administration Tries to Bring Back Fired Nuclear Weapons Workers in DOGE Reversal.” February 16, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/nuclear-doge-firings-trump-federal-916e6819104f04f44c345b7dde4904d5 There was the hiring freeze of all these VA nurses: Heckman, Jory. “VA Exempts 300,000 Health Care Positions From Governmentwide Hiring Freeze.” January 23, 2025. Federal News Network. https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring-retention/2025/01/va-exempts-300000-health-care-positions-from-governmentwide-hiring-freeze/ They cut spending to the Department of Public Transportation: Roads & Bridges. “Trump Announces Executive Order on IIJA.” January 22, 2025. https://www.roadsbridges.com/funding/news/55262700/trump-announces-executive-order-on-iija If you didn’t get the “big ball” reference, good for you. Please don’t read this explanation, it will just make you sad for the state of our country: Kamp, Majlie de Puy. “Recording Reveals New Details on Controversial DOGE Employee.” February 22, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/21/politics/doge-musk-edward-coristine-invs/index.html If you are going to join a protest: Human Rights Campaign. “Tips for Preparedness, Peaceful Protesting, and Safety.” https://www.hrc.org/resources/tips-for-preparedness-peaceful-protesting-and-safety The people who did it the first time, all wrote books: Five Books. “Resistance & Rebellion.” Updated February 6, 2025. https://fivebooks.com/books/resistance-revolution/ If you aren’t familiar with what Steve Bannon said: Aitken, Peter. “Steve Bannon’s ‘Flood the Zone’ Strategy Explained Amid Trump Policy Blitz.” February 6, 2025. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/steve-bannon-flood-zone-strategy-explained-trump-policy-blitz-2027482 And Regina George and the Plastics wore pink on Wednesdays in the movie Mean Girls. But you already knew that.

Mack and Steve tackle the home state of Texas after a listener asked, what the heck is going on here? Spoilers: it’s vouchers. References Our capital is taller: Texas State Preservation Board. “Capitol Myths and Legends.” https://tspb.texas.gov/prop/tc/tc-history/myths-legends/index.html Back to the constitution of 1876: Ericson, Joe E. & Wallace, Ernest. “Constitution of 1876.” Updated March 23, 2021. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/constitution-of-1876 Learn about the Reconstruction period in Texas (a very racist time): Moneyhon, Carl H. “Reconstruction.” August 25, 2023. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/reconstruction Learn about how often the Texas Legislature meets and for how long: Legislative Reference Library of Texas. “Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the Texas Legislature." https://lrl.texas.gov/geninfo/faq.cfm Some of the state isn’t in Central: TimeTemperature.com “Texas Time Zone – Texas Current Local Time – Daylight Saving Time.” https://www.timetemperature.com/tzus/texas_time_zone.shtml Learn about special sessions: Legislative Reference Library of Texas. “Frequently asked questions about special sessions.” https://lrl.texas.gov/sessions/specialsessions/FAQ.cfm How Texas legislators are paid: Ramsey, Ross. “Life of a Texas Lawmaker: Lousy Pay, Great Benefits.” April 13, 2012. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2012/04/13/lousy-pay-great-benefits/ It stands for State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness: Texas Education Agency. “STAAR.” https://www.texasassessment.gov/staar.html Learn about when the STAAR went to 15 end-of-course assessments and back again: Texas Education Agency. “Historical Overview of Assessment in Texas [PDF].” https://tea.texas.gov/student-assessment/reports-and-studies/2012-tech-digest-chapter-1.pdf The really, really big freeze in February ‘21: National Centers for Environmental Information. “The Great Texas Freeze: February 11–20, 2021.” February 24, 2023. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/great-texas-freeze-february-2021 Information about water facilities being required to operate in the event of a power outage: Generator Source. “Texas Water Facilities Required to Have Backup Power.” May 11, 2022. https://www.generatorsource.com/blog/May-2022/Texas-Water-Facilities-Requiring-BackUp-Power.aspx How Texas education ranks in the country: Heckler, Amber. “Texas Flunks Out in New Ranking of America’s Best School Systems.” July 31, 2024. InnovationMap. https://houston.innovationmap.com/houston-business-networking-events-february-2671105140.html Not all committee meetings are transcribed, but if they are, the transcriptions are now posted online: Legislative Reference Library of Texas. “HB 2811, 77th R.S. additional sources.” https://lrl.texas.gov/legis/billsearch/JournalsEtc.cfm?legSession=77-0&billtypeDetail=HB&billNumberDetail=2811&billSuffixDetail= Get to know the plural executive: Regalado, Daniel M. “The Texas Plural Executive.” OER Commons. https://oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/26306/overview Mack said ’76, but the constitutional convention was in 1974: Barras, Mary Lucia & Houston, Daniel. “Constitutional Convention of 1974.” Updated September 11, 2019. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/constitutional-convention-of-1974 Get to know Rick Perry: Tikkanen, Amy & Pallardy, Richard. “Rick Perry.” Updated January 30, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rick-Perry If not railroads, what does the Railroad Commission of Texas do: Railroad Commission of Texas. “About Us.” https://www.rrc.texas.gov/ How long have Republicans been running things in Texas: Ballotpedia. “Party Control of Texas state government.” https://ballotpedia.org/Party_control_of_Texas_state_government The Democratic attorney general who was arrested was Dan Morales: Ramsey, Ross. “Dan Morales Indicted.” March 10, 2003. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2003/03/10/dan-morales-indicted/ Why Anne thought the billionaire using their money to influence Republican politics might be Koch: Elliott, Philip. “Where the Koch Network Is Putting Their Money–Anywhere But Trump.” September 5, 2024. Time. https://time.com/7018266/trump-republicans-koch-network-2024/ But, no, there are other billionaires influencing politics in Texas. For instance, Tim Dunn: Gold, Russel. “The Billionaire Bully Who Wants to Turn Texas Into a Christian Theocracy.” March 2024. Texas Monthly. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/billionaire-tim-dunn-runs-texas/ And the Wilks brothers: Kofman, Ava. “A Pair of Billionaire Preachers Built the Most Powerful Political Machine in Texas. That’s Just the Start.” October 2, 2024. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/tim-dunn-farris-wilks-texas-christian-nationalism-dominionism-elections-voting An update on school vouchers in Texas: Heath, Keri. “Texas School Voucher Bill Arrives in House, Speaker Says Proposal Has Enough Support.” February 7, 2025. Austin American-Statesman. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/education/2025/02/07/school-choice-voucher-senate-bill-2-texas-house-dustin-burrows/78294683007/ It’s a ball of yarn (how Texas public schools are funded): Raise Your Hand Texas. “School Finance 101.” https://www.raiseyourhandtexas.org/policy/school-funding/school-finance/ In the states that have had vouchers, it’s not very successful: Walker, Tim. “‘No Accountability’: Vouchers Wreak Havoc on States.” February 2, 2024. National Education Association. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/no-accountability-vouchers-wreak-havoc-states In case you don’t know what Mack meant by “No Child Left Behind”: Nolen, Jeannette L. & Duignan, Brian. “No Child Left Behind.” Updated January 22, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/No-Child-Left-Behind-Act The person who was finally chosen as speaker of the Texas house: Barragán, James & Scherer, Jasper. “Reb. Dustin Burrows Voted Texas House Speaker in Blow to Insurgent GOP Movement.” January 14, 2025. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/14/dustin-burrows-david-cook-texas-house-speaker-vote/ Apparently, Tim Dunn did tell Joe Strauss to his face that he didn’t think that someone who was Jewish should be Texas speaker of the house: Scherer, Jasper & Downen, Robert. “Former Texas House Speaker Says GOP Megadonor Tim Dunn Told Him Only Christians Should Hold Leadership Positions.” April 4, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/04/tim-dunn-joe-straus-christian-texas/ The latest on Governor Abbott deploying the national guard: Office of the Texas Governor. “Governor Abbott Directs Texas Military To Coordinate With Trump Administration [Press Release].” January 27, 2025. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-directs-texas-military-to-coordinate-with-trump-administration Texas is sitting on tens of billions of dollars of surplus: Adkison, Michael. “Texas Has a $24 Billion Surplus. Here’s Where Lawmakers Want to Spend That.” January 13, 2025. CBS Austin. https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/texas-has-a-24-billion-surplus-heres-where-lawmakers-want-to-spend-that The governor is currently looking for reimbursement from the feds for the money the state has spent on troops on the border: Runnels, Ayden. “Greg Abbott Seeks $11 Billion in Federal Reimbursements for Border Security.” January 23, 2025. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/23/greg-abbott-border-security-11-billion-reimbursement/ A little bit about buoys: Guo, Kayla. “Texas’ Floating Barrier in the Rio Grande Can Stay For Now, Appeals Court Says.” July 30, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/30/texas-floating-barrier-rio-grande-court-ruling/ A little bit about that park in Eagle Pass: García, Uriel J. “In Eagle Pass, A Tense Border Standoff Between Texas and the Federal Government is Reaching a Crescendo.” January 22, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/22/texas-border-patrol-immigration-enforcement-eagle-pass-park/ There’s a lot of information about immigration out there and what constitutes a crisis. Here’s just one article for your consideration: Gramlich, John. “Migrant Encounters at U.S.-Mexico Border Have Fallen Sharply in 2024.” October 1, 2024. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/10/01/migrant-encounters-at-u-s-mexico-border-have-fallen-sharply-in-2024/ An update on Venezuelans immigrating to the U.S.: Allen, Greg. “‘Beyond Betrayal.’ Venezuelans in Florida Are Angry at Trump Immigration Policy.” February 4, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/02/04/nx-s1-5285470/venezuelans-florida-tps-immigration-trump Pink gin: https://www.thespruceeats.com/pink-gin-classic-cocktail-759332 Negroni sbagliato: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/sbagliato?srsltid=AfmBOoo6dPvJEJU37yIZ5nNAPZzInjUVEVXgM4Ys2n76b_BqslA5oegI If you, too, are old and/or uninformed about pop culture type things, here’s the whole backstory with a meme: Mack, David. “Negroni. Sbagliato. With Prosecco In It.” October 10, 2022. BuzzFeed. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/negroni-sbagliato-prosecco?fbclid=IwY2xjawITLv9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSGR73MBuO3Q_5eoqWDdMOTxTPxViHoLDB-qIZbjgFOcC7JTQkW8Du2ftg_aem_GSsekaQ1_sTOYH0q760jFQ If you have an engineer, math geek, or Mack in your life: https://www.kleinbottle.com/ A supreme court case from 1952: Oyez. “Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company v. Sawyer.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/343us579 As in creators of steel: Steelers. “The History of the Steelers Logo.” https://www.steelers.com/museum/content/text-logo-history Secretary Sawyer seized the steel mills (but not by the seashore): Legal Information Institute. “Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952).” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/youngstown_sheet_tube_co._v._sawyer_(1952) Get to know Robert H. Jackson: Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Robert H. Jackson.” Updated October 5, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-H-Jackson Not the Twilight Zone: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S1.C1.5 The President's Powers and Youngstown Framework.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C1-5/ALDE_00013794/ Not the zone of twilight: IMDB. “The Twilight Zone.” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052520/ What’s an executive order: Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response. “Executive Orders.” https://aspr.hhs.gov/S3/Pages/Executive-Orders.aspx Mack said it fast, but “unity of the executive” is an idea based on something Alexandar Hamilton wrote: Bill of Rights Institute. “Federalist 70.” https://billofrightsinstitute.org/primary-sources/federalist-no-70 The Quran is the original source for the threads aphorism. It was used to describe when people could participate in certain activities during holy days: Quran.com. “Eating, Drinking, and Sexual Intercourse are Allowed During the Nights of Ramadan.” https://quran.com/en/al-baqarah/187/tafsirs More twilight than a Stephanie Meyers book series: Bikos, Konstantin & Kher, Aparna. “Twilight, Dawn, and Dusk.” Time and Date. https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/different-types-twilight.html The Sun spans half a degree in the sky: Temming, Maria. “How Big is the Sun?” July 15, 2014. Sky & Telescope. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/how-big-is-the-sun Why sailors are whistling at manatees: Fairclough, Caty. “From Mermaids to Manatees: the Myth and the Reality.” March 2014. Smithsonian. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/marine-mammals/mermaids-manatees-myth-and-reality Boulevardier: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/boulevardier/ Why does toothpaste change the taste of orange juice: BBC Science Focus. “Why Does Toothpaste Make Everything Taste Horrible?” https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-does-toothpaste-make-everything-taste-horrible In case you were thinking about your own tea and marmalade journey: Taylor, Rupert. “Marmalade: The Bitter Truth.” January 5, 2025. Delishably. https://delishably.com/sauces-preserves/Marmalade-The-Bitter-Truth If you want to stay informed on what’s happening in the latest session of the Texas legislature: The Texas Tribune. “Texas Legislature 2025.” https://www.texastribune.org/series/texas-legislature-2025/?utm_source=articleshare&utm_medium=social Yep, there were almost fisticuffs on the floor of the Texas House: Texas Tribune Staff. “Video: Lawmakers Fight in the Texas House Amid Immigration Protests.” May 29, 2017. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2017/05/29/watch-fight-erupted-texas-house-floor-amid-immigration-protests/ John Cornyn, along with several other senators, will be running for reelection in 2026: United States Senate. “Class II – Senators Whose Terms of Service Expire in 2027.” https://www.senate.gov/senators/Class_II.htm #NoNameWeirdos Challenge: If you are providing educational or informative content, please provide accurate and thorough information. If you are venting, ranting, or mocking, consider doing so without using the egomaniacs’ names, words, or pictures. Don’t give them the satisfaction of free publicity. They hate it when they aren’t the center of attention, so we challenge you to protest creatively. And “red shirt” is a reference to Star Trek. But you already knew that.

Mack and Steve discuss the government worker bees who don’t serve at the pleasure of the president, and how the new administration wants to change that under the auspices of 2025. Also, there may be a UFO flap. Stay tuned! REFERENCES What’s the civil service? Page, Edward C. & Bridges, Edward. “Civil Service.” Updated December 15, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/civil-service Let’s talk about the Pendleton Act: National Archives. “Pendleton Act (1883).” Reviewed February 8, 2022. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/pendleton-act The problem with the spoils system: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Spoils system.” March 28, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/spoils-system The civil service in China: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Chinese civil service.”  May 12, 2020. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chinese-civil-service How long did Imperial China last: National Geographic. “Imperial China’s Dynasties.” https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/imperial-chinas-dynasties/ The Pendleton Act was named for Ohioan George Hunt Pendleton: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. “Pendleton, George Hunt.” https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/p000203 It is indeed President Chester ALAN Arthur: Historical Society of the New York Courts. “Chester Alan Arthur.” https://history.nycourts.gov/figure/chester-alan-arthur/ How many political appointees are there: Center for Presidential Transition. “Presidential appointments are hard to track – and growing.” September 26, 2024. https://presidentialtransition.org/presidential-appointments-are-hard-to-track-and-growing/ Garfield, the president: The White House. “James Garfield.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/james-garfield/ Garfield, the cat who likes lasagna: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Garfield.” Updated November 5, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Garfield Who is Charles Guiteau and why did he kill a president: Bellamy, Jay. “A Stalwart of Stalwarts.” 2016. National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2016/fall/guiteau Ladies, gentlemen, and those not bound by the binary, Mr. Johnny Cash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuucpkMEFVM A brief overview of Project 2025: Wendling, Mike. “Project 2025: The right-wing wish list for another Trump presidency.” September 11, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c977njnvq2do If you want to get Project 2025 from the source: https://www.project2025.org/ The whole Schedule F thing: Bednar, Nick. “A Primer on the Civil Service and the Trump Administration.” December 2, 2024. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/a-primer-on-the-civil-service-and-the-trump-administration The removal power: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S3.3.4 Removal Power as the President's Primary Means of Supervision.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S3-3-4/ALDE_00000098/ Why Andrew Johnson was impeached, kind of, on a pretext: PBS. “The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson.” https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/grant-impeachment/ Though regular employment law mostly applies to everybody, federal and state employees do have specific regulations regarding their jobs: U.S. Department of Labor. “Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor.” https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/majorlaws If you want to get to know some of those specific regulations: Library of Congress. “Federal Civil Service Employment Law: A Beginner’s Guide.” https://guides.loc.gov/federal-civil-service-employment-law Not technically civil service, the staff of congress: Council on Foundations. “Roles of Congressional Staff Members.” https://cof.org/content/roles-congressional-staff-members How do the budget allotments work for members of congress: United States House of Representatives. “What is the Statement of Disbursements (SODs)?” https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/open-government/statement-of-disbursements/frequently-asked-questions Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s approach to paying her staff: Akin, Stephanie. “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s call for a ‘living wage’ starts in her office.” February 22, 2019. Roll Call. https://rollcall.com/2019/02/22/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-call-for-a-living-wage-starts-in-her-office/ Trump isn’t pretending anymore: Slattery, Gram. “Project 2025: what is it and how is it connected to Trump?” December 19, 2024. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-project-2025-how-is-it-connected-trump-2024-12-19/ Not familiar with the Heritage Foundation: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Heritage Foundation.” Updated: December 5, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Heritage-Foundation Or you could go to the source: https://secured.heritage.org/ An opinion piece that discusses the idea of smaller government: Janoff-Bulman, Ronnie. “The Myth of Limited Government.” Yale University Press. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2023/04/28/the-myth-of-limited-government%EF%BF%BC/ National Weather Service: https://www.weather.gov/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): https://www.noaa.gov/ Who does earthquakes: https://www.usgs.gov/ For the show notes, we could find no reports that state that AccuWeather was more accurate than other weather forecasters except for ones that were published by AccuWeather themselves based on their own data. If you find one that is independent, please let us know. Want to learn more about who owns AccuWeather and their claims about its accuracy? Adams, Susan. “The Real Cloud Wars: The $6 Billion Battle Over The Future of Weather Forecasting.” June 24, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2019/06/24/the-real-cloud-wars-the-6-billion-battle-over-the-future-of-weather-forecasting/ Just in case you were wondering, AccuWeather does acknowledge climate change: AccuWeather. “Climate Change.” https://corporate.accuweather.com/resources/climate-change/ Is the National Weather Service not allowed to have an app: Shepherd, Marshall. “Why Doesn’t the National Weather Service Have a Weather App?” August 13, 2019. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2019/08/12/why-doesnt-the-national-weather-service-have-a-weather-app/ But the National Weather Service sure is trying hard: https://www.weather.gov/lox/mobileSplash NASA app: https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-app/ National Park Service app: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/digital/nps-apps.htm Currently, you do not have to pay to file your taxes: IRS. “Choose a trusted partner to file your taxes.” https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/ The idea of the deep state: Merriam-Webster. “Deep state.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20state How pissed Trump was at Jeff Sessions: BBC. “Trump fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions.” November 8, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46132348 Trump fired a few people by tweet: Cillizza, Chris. “Donald Trump actually doesn’t like firing people in person.” Updated September 28, 2022. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/28/politics/donald-trump-firing-twitter/index.html It’s inspectorS general, not inspector generalS: https://www.ignet.gov/ In case you didn’t get the Battlestar reference: https://youtu.be/wQVgGOgYthg?si=P-CoBQOt2VzsYrEg Technically, the first inspector general was Thomas Conway, but he was quickly replaced by the “Father of the Inspector General system” Baron Frederick William Augustus von Steuben: Defense Intelligence Agency Office of the Inspector General. “History of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Office of the Inspector General.” https://oig.dia.mil/About-Us/A-Brief-History/  Get to know the Baron: American Battlefield Trust. “Baron von Steuben.” https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/baron-von-steuben And Mack was correct, Baron von Steuben became Inspector General in 1778 and the German Empire was founded in 1871:  Strauss, Gerald & Barkin, Kenneth. “Germany from 1871 to 1918.” Updated December 31, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/Germany-from-1871-to-1918 Just in case your family isn’t from Prussia: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Prussia.” October 28, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Prussia Don’t know the joy of a Junior League Cookbook: Campbell, Larrison. “My Mother’s Old Junior League Cookbooks Seemed Like a Retro Joke – Instead They Were Extemely Satisfying.” May 20, 2020. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/05/retro-junior-league-cookbooks-reflect-motherhood?srsltid=AfmBOooQPOJX_3lCuCCmvHdLIo9847KS8XF3ieoMwNKEF7hNM6lCc_qh Not Steve’s, but one version of a Hot Toddy: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/hot-toddy/ Not Steve’s, but one version of a Wassail: https://cookieandkate.com/wassail-cocktail/ Not Steve’s, but one version of Hot Buttered Rum: https://wholefully.com/hot-buttered-rum-recipe/ The podcast that Steve is listening to: “Next Comes What” by Andrea Pitzer 1,400 acres that Texas has just offered up: Garcia, Berenice. “Texas offers Trump administrations more land and support for mass deportations." November 26, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/26/texas-donald-trump-deportation-land-offer/ The podcast that Anne heard about: “The Project 2025 Emergency Book Club Comedy Podcast Project” by Josh di Donato Should the U.S. Post Office be privatized: Katz, Eric. “USPS privatization again under consideration, Trump says.” December 16, 2024. Government Executive. https://www.govexec.com/management/2024/12/usps-privatization-again-under-consideration-trump-says/401705/ If you’re a jet geek too: National Museum of the United States Air Force. “Lockheed F-94C Starfire.” https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/198078/lockheed-f-94c-starfire/ The 1952 UFO Flap: Sullivan, Missy. “In 1952, ‘Flying Saucers’ Over Washington Sent the Press Into a Frenzy.” Updated November 3, 2023. History.com. https://www.history.com/news/ufos-washington-dc-news-reports If you somehow missed hearing about the alleged drones over New Jersey: Collins, Dave. “Mystery drone sightings continue in New Jersey and across the US. Here’s what we know.” December 20, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/drones-new-jersey-what-to-know-e6f565f5d51d9d47ad140e7e7d131842 Yep, drones in Virginia too: Barnes, Sophia. “’Deeply concerned’: Mystery drones seen in Virginia, governor says as lawmakers seek answers.” December 16, 2024. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/deeply-concerned-mystery-drones-seen-in-virginia-governor-says-as-lawmakers-seek-answers/3792866/ We’re pretty sure they’re not from an Iranian mothership: Debusmann, Jr., Bernd. “Mystery New Jersey drones not from Iranian ‘mothership’ – Pentagon.” December 12, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrwz91wqd9o It was the former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan who was taken aback by the constellation Orion: Nguyen, Danny. “Those drones spotted from Maryland to New Jersey? No big deal, say feds.” December 15, 2024. The Baltimore Banner. https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/local-news/drones-sightings-maryland-new-jersey-orbs-NK22G2FS5JCDVIIB2C3ZNJAIBI/ If you don’t know why Mack sounds like Jessie Ventura because you haven’t seen the X-Files episode “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space,” please watch it: https://youtu.be/e1K5Y1ZOZw8?si=qDF9xt1ONmCGO7jD Also, RIP Jimmy Carter and Alex Trebek. And if, like Steve, you’re very defensive about Venus: Byrd, Deborah. “Why is Venus so bright in our Earth’s sky?” September 17, 2023. EarthSky. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/why-is-venus-so-bright/ It’s not an actual book: Kratz, Jessie. “Saucers Over Washington: the History of Project Blue Book.” National Archives. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2019/12/19/saucers-over-washington-the-history-of-project-blue-book/ Á la coelacanth: Smithsonian. “Coelacanth.” https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/fish/coelacanth The Navy gun camera footage from a few years ago: CNBC Television. “Watch the Pentagon’s three declassified UFO videos taken by U.S. Navy pilots.” April 28, 2020. https://youtu.be/rO_M0hLlJ-Q?si=Mvfm4PCTwb1bsEZg Steve and Mack weren’t kidding about that distillery in Indiana: Goldfarb, Aaron. “How Can Different Craft Whiskeys Come From One Big Distillery?” January 2, 2018. Whiskey Advocate. https://whiskyadvocate.com/different-craft-whiskey-mgp-distillery A little about whiskey being made in Texas: Gray, Kevin. “The Untold Story of Texas Whiskey’s Dramatic Past.” June 20, 2023. Inside Hook. https://www.insidehook.com/drinks/untold-story-texas-whiskeys-dramatic-past The people in charge of DOGE: Honderich, Holly. “What we know about Musk’s cost-cutting mission.” December 5, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23vkd57471o The week where Elon Musk commanded the GOPs in Congress to tank the deal they had already negotiated for themselves…: Matza, Max & Zurcher, Anthony. “US avoids government shutdown after days of political turmoil.” December 21, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjzwq7pg0go In case you don’t know who Sid Miller is: https://texasagriculture.gov/About/Commissioner-Miller Anne was incorrect when she characterized Matt Gaetz as a child molester. He’s a child rapist: Lamber, Lisa. “Four revelations from the House ethics report on Matt Gaetz.” December 24, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mvpmnm9gno A clown car coalition: Ingram, David. “Elon Musk accused of censoring conservatives on X who disagree with him about immigration.” December 27, 2024. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/elon-musk-accused-censoring-laura-loomer-maga-republicans-x-rcna185569 The reason why Texas school vouchers were killed: Despart, Zach & Lopez, Brian. “Texas House votes to remove school vouchers from massive education bill.” November 16, 2023. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/16/texas-house-school-vouchers/ And the guys were singing “Mah Na Mah Na” from the Muppets. But you already knew that.

Just in case you were wondering, yes, Mack has tried to tell you about this twice and it has been cut twice. Cheers!

Mack, Steve, and Anne hold a group therapy session after the election. Seriously, we recorded this two days after getting the news and the discussion runs the gamut of emotions. Mostly angry. There’s a lot of cussing. Nobody stayed on topic very well. Also, a dog was in the room with us and that got picked up by the mic. This isn’t our finest work. Feel free to skip this one and meet us back in the new year. Happy holidays. Be excellent to one another. References Some crazy-ass people burning ballots: Boyette, Chris and Almasy, Steve. “Police are searching for a man they say set three fires at ballot drop boxes: Here’s what we know about the suspect.” Updated October 31, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/31/us/ballot-box-fires-suspect-what-we-know/index.html Russia calling in bomb threats: FBI. “FBI Statement on Bomb Threats to Polling Locations.” November 5, 2024. https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-statement-on-bomb-threats-to-polling-locations Kamala Harris’ concession speech: Time Staff. “Read Vice President Kamala Harris’ Full Concession Speech.” Updated Novemeber 7, 2024. Time. https://time.com/7173617/kamala-harris-concession-speech-full-transcript/ About the polls before the election: Croucher, Shane. “Were 2024 Election Polls Wrong? Pollsters Give Verdicts.” Updated November 8, 2024. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/were-2024-election-polls-wrong-pollsters-give-verdicts-1982170 On brand for Trump: Hubbard, Kaia. “Trump says ‘whether the women like it or not, I’m going to protect them’ at Wisconsin rally.” Updated October 31, 2024. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-protecting-women-whether-they-like-it-or-not-wisconsin/ Trump mouthpieces: Laws, Jasmine. “Fox News Host Says Wife Voting for Harris is the Same Thing as Having an Affair.” Updated November 1, 2024. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/fox-news-host-says-wife-voting-harris-same-thing-affair-1977971 Yep, one of Trump’s campaign managers was a woman: Miller, Zeke; Price, Michelle L.; and Colvin, Jill. “Trump names campaign manager Susie Wiles as next White House Chief of staff.” November 7, 2024. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-names-campaign-manager-susie-wiles-as-next-white-house-chief-of-staff Exit poll data trends: Montanaro, Domenico; Moore, Elena; McMillan, Nick; Hanzhang Jin, Connie; and Wood, Daniel. “In this election, demographics did not determine how people voted.” November 22, 2024. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/11/22/nx-s1-5199119/2024-election-exit-polls-demographics-black-latino-voters Perceptions of economy: Brenan, Megan. “Economy Most Important Issue to 2024 Presidential Vote.” October 9, 2024. https://news.gallup.com/poll/651719/economy-important-issue-2024-presidential-vote.aspx The economy: Bureau of Economic Analysis. “Gross Domestic Product, Third Quarter 2024 (Second Estimate) and Corporate Profits (Preliminary).” November 27, 2024. BEA.gov. https://www.bea.gov/news/2024/gross-domestic-product-third-quarter-2024-second-estimate-and-corporate-profits When Trump talks about immigrants to the United States: Vega, Cecilia. “Trump’s mass deportation plan for undocumented immigrants could cost billions a year.” October 27, 2024. 60 Minutes. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-mass-deportation-plan-cost-consequences-60-minutes-transcript/ The most up-to-date numbers of voter turnout we could find before posting this episode: Beaumont, Thomas; Sweedler, Maya; Kaufmann, Parker; and Lodhi, Humera. “Trump won about 2.5M more votes this year than he did in 2020: This is where he did it.” Updated November 26, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-swing-states-votes-79f4495b4a0d2039a0a92b5dbdceb7aa No, the difference in number of voters does not mean there was voter fraud, on either side: Czopeck, Madison. “Fact check: Trump’s 2024 win doesn’t prove claims that the 2020 election was stolen.” November 7, 2024. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-check-trumps-2024-win-doesnt-prove-claims-that-the-2020-election-was-stolen The turnout, specifically, for younger men: Anderson, Estelle. “CIRCLE releases preliminary findings about youth voting patterns in 2024 election.” November 20, 2024. The Tufts Daily. https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024/11/circle-releases-preliminary-findings-about-youth-voting-patterns-in-2024-election A story about San Antonio’s ongoing stance as a sanctuary city: Drusch, Andrea. “Scarred by ‘sanctuary city’ law, San Antonio wants local police excluded from new border bills.” November 9, 2023. San Antonio Report. https://sanantonioreport.org/san-antonio-senate-bill-4-immigration-enforcement/ Our so-called governor shipping off immigrants to other states: Strickler, Laura and Martinez, Didi. “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vows to keep busing migrants north. One problem: Not enough migrants.” August 14, 2024. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/texas-gov-greg-abbott-vows-keep-busing-migrants-north-one-problem-not-rcna166412 A slightly more objective view than Anne’s of the Texas Republican Party’s reaction to COVID-19: Platoff, Emma. “A singular figure in Texas’ coronavirus response, Gov. Greg Abbott leads a state headed in an alarming direction.” July 11, 2020. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/11/texas-greg-abbott-coronavirus-response/ Judge Wolff’s legacy: San Antonio Report Staff. “On the eve of his retirement, a look back at Nelson Wolff’s half century of public service.” December 29, 2022. San Antonio Report. https://sanantonioreport.org/nelson-wolff-retirement-half-century-public-service/ IN 2026, EVERY HOUSE SEAT AND ONE-THIRD OF SENATE SEATS ARE UP FOR ELECTION: USA.gov. “Congressional elections and midterm elections.” Updated August 21, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/midterm-elections Since our recording, the chair of the Texas Democratic Party has indeed stepped down: Scherer, Jasper. “Texas Democratic Party chair steps down after dismal election performance.” November 8, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/08/texas-democrat-party-resigns-gilberto-hinojosa/ Legal groups you can support: American Civil Liberties Union: https://www.aclu.org/ Southern Poverty Law Center: https://www.splcenter.org/ NAACP: https://naacp.org/ Western Environmental Law Center: https://westernlaw.org/ A little about sheriffs working with ICE during Trump's first term: Cenziper, Debbie; Muller, Madson; Beals, Monique; Holland, Rebecca; and Ba Tran, Andrew. “Under Trump, ICE aggressively recruited sheriffs as partners to question and detain undocumented immigrants.” November 23, 2021. The Washinton Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2021/trump-ice-sheriffs-immigrants-287g/ One hate crime the day after the election: Jimenez, Kayla; Carless, Will; Limehouse, Jonathan; Bischoff, Laura A.; and Benjamin II, Terry. “Black college students nationwide targeted in racist texts; investigations underway.” Updated November 9, 2024. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/07/racist-plantation-text-message/76112532007/ Learn about violence perpetrated against trans people: “Specifically, Black transgender women, who face multiple layers of violence due to their gender identity, gender, and race, comprise 61% of all victims of fatal violence against transgender and gender-expansive people.” Human Rights Campaign. “The Epidemic of Violence Against the Transgender and Gender-Expansive Community in the U.S.: The 2024 Report.” https://reports.hrc.org/an-epidemic-of-violence-2024 Learn about VPNs: Stobing, Chris. “Why You Need a VPN, and How to Choose the Right One.” Updated October 25, 2024. PC Mag. https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-is-a-vpn-and-why-you-need-one DuckDuckGo is a search engine: https://duckduckgo.com/ If you don’t know what a brownshirt is: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “SA: Nazi organization.” Updated November 19, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/SA-Nazi-organization “Rule of law” is an abstracted concept in some ways: World Justice Project. “What is the Rule of Law?” https://worldjusticeproject.org/about-us/overview/what-rule-law A little more complicated than fight or flight: Guy-Evans, Olivia. “Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn: How We Respond to Threats.” Updated on November 9, 2023. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/fight-flight-freeze-fawn.html A little bit about stress and the care response: McGonigal, Kelly. “How to make stress your friend.” June 2013. TEDGlobal. https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare A little about Portugal’s immigration laws: Makan, Ajay. “How Portugal Quietly Became a Migration Hub.” May 21, 2022. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/21/portugal-europe-migration-undocumented-work-residency-citizenship-south-asia/ If, like Anne, this is the first time you’ve witnessed a beveled vs. chamfered corners discussion: Atlantic Stainless. “Bevel vs. Chamfer Edges: Differences and Applications Explored.” January 21, 2024. https://www.atlanticstainless.com/news/bevel-vs-chamfer-edges-differences-applications/ Monongalia County: https://www.monongaliacounty.gov/ Monongahela River: https://www.visitmountaineercountry.com/monongahela-river/ Satisfactory: https://www.satisfactorygame.com/ The Menswear Guy On X (née Twitter): DerekGuy@dieworkware Or if you would prefer to never use X (née Twitter) again, he’s on Instagram: Derek Guy@die_workwear The book is better: Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. (William Morrow Paperbacks, 2006). And Serenity is a reference to the name of the ship in Firefly, a space western that lasted exactly one season. But you already knew that.

Because I’m sure you want to hear what to two, old, land-owning, white guys have to say about the subject. Seriously, though, tomorrow you get to help decide which way this question gets answered. Take advantage of your moment in history. Special note to our Spotify listeners: does it feel like it’s been a while since we posted? Sorry about that! Due to a technical issue, our magic “post everywhere” button was posting everywhere but Spotify. We’ve fixed the problem and you should see new episodes going forward. If you want to listen to what you missed between March and October of 2024, all our episodes are available on our website: https://civicsontherocks.podbean.com/ Again, we apologize for the glitch! References Fourteenth Amendment: Congress.gov. “Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection and Other Rights.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-14/ What’s a fundamental right: Legal Information Institute. “Fundamental Right.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/fundamental_right#:~:text=Fundamental Benjamin Cardozo, a famous Supreme Court justice: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Benjamin Nathan Cardozo.” Reviewed July 5, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benjamin-Nathan-Cardozo Learn more about the Fourteenth Amendment, Incorporation, and Justice Cardozo’s influence on the matter: Bill of Rights Institute. “Essay: The Fourteenth Amendment and Incorporation.” https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/the-fourteenth-amendment-and-incorporation Palko v. Connecticut: Oyez. “Palko v. Connecticut.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1900-1940/302us319 The due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment: Congress.gov. “Amdt14.S1.3 Due Process Generally.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt14-S1-3/ALDE_00013743/ Fifth Amendment: Congress.gov. “Fifth Amendment.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-5/ Get fancy with the privileges or immunities clause: Congress.gov. “Amdt14.S1.2.2 Modern Doctrine on Privileges or Immunities Clause.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt14-S1-2-2/ALDE_00000815/ Full faith and credit clause: Congress.gov. “ArtlV.S1.1 Overview of Full Faith and Credit Clause.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artIV-S1-1/ALDE_00013015/ Not familiar with the opinions of “sovereign citizens”: Southern Poverty Law Center. “Sovereign Citizens Movement.” https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/sovereign-citizens-movement First Amendment: Congress.gov. “First Amendment Fundamental Freedoms.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-1/ Ninth Amendment: Congress.gov. “Ninth Amendment Unenumerated Rights.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-9/ What does it take to ratify: Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. “The Amendment Process.” https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/three-branches/amendment-process How senators were chosen then and how they are chosen now: United States Senate. “About Electing and Appointing Senators.” https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/electing-appointing-senators.htm See a timeline of who got to start voting when in the U.S.: Al Jazeera. “Who got the right to vote when?” August 18, 2020. https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2016/us-elections-2016-who-can-vote/index.html Steve is right, noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections: USA.gov. “Who Can and Cannot Vote.” Updated September 26, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/who-can-vote But Fox News remains wrong; there are not widespread instances of noncitizens voting in presidential elections: Joffe-Block, Jude. “6 Facts About False Noncitizen Voting Claims and the Election.” October 12, 2024. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/10/12/nx-s1-5147789/voting-election-2024-noncitizen-fact-check-trump Fifteenth Amendment: Congress.gov. “Fifteenth Amendment.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-15/ Thirteenth Amendment: Congress.gov. “Thirteenth Amendment.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-13/ Wesberry v. Sanders (Mack got the right case): Oyez. “Wesberry v. Sanders.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1963/22 Who’s Antonin Scalia? Smentkowski, Brian P. and Houck, Aaron M. “Antonin Scalia.” Updated: September 13, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antonin-Scalia A discussion of whether the hypocrisy was appreciated at the time: Ellis, Joseph J. “Founding Fathers.” Reviewed April 25, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Founding-Fathers A quick reminder about all the treaties we violated with the Native American tribes and marches to Oklahoma: Office of the Historian. “Indian Treaties and the Removal Act of 1830.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/indian-treaties The selective incorporation clause: Congress.gov. “Amdt14.S1.4.3 Modern Doctrine on Selective Incorporation of Bill of Rights.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt14-S1-4-3/ALDE_00013746/ Adamson v. California: Oyez. “Adamson v. California.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/332us46 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization: Oyez. “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2021/19-1392 It’s protect “every State” from invasion: Congress.gov. “Article IV Republican Form of Government.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-4/section-4/ The second bill of rights speech: Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt. “State of the Union Message to Congress.” January 11, 1944. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/archives/address_text A reflection on France’s restriction of religious garments: Diallo, Rokhaya. “What has 20 years of banning headscarves done for France?” April 12, 2024. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/12/ban-headscarves-france-secularism-exclusion-intolerance Freedom of speech on the Internet: Bischoff, Paul. “Internet Censorship 2024: A Map of Internet Censorship and Restrictions.” October 16, 2023. Comparitech. https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/internet-censorship-map/ Mack’s right, kids, hate speech is not a crime: American Library Association. “Hate Speech and Hate Crime.” https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/hate See how “consent of the governed” was expressed in the Declaration of Independence: Library of Congress. “Consent of the Governed.” https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/interactives/declaration-of-independence/consent/index.html Shenanigans like voter purges: Totenberg, Nina and Dutton, Ilana. “Supreme Court Allows Virginia to Purge Individuals From Voter Rolls.” October 30, 2024. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/10/30/g-s1-30644/supreme-court-virginia-elections Abbott’s one drop box per county rule: McCullough, Jolie. “Texas counties will be allowed only one drop-off location for mail-in ballots, state Supreme Court rules.” October 27, 2020. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/10/27/texas-voting-elections-mail-in-drop-off/ And at least one ranch: King Ranch. “The King Ranch Legacy.” https://king-ranch.com/ A press release, from the time, about the photo ID law in Georgia: ACLU. “Voting Rights Advocates Challenge Georgia Photo ID Law in Federal Court.” September 19, 2005. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/voting-rights-advocates-challenge-georgia-photo-id-law-federal-court An imagined problem: Lopez, Ashley. “How We Know Voter Fraud is Very Rare in U.S. Elections.” October 11, 2024. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/10/11/nx-s1-5147732/voter-fraud-explainer Twenty-fourth Amendment: Congress.gov. “Twenty-Fourth Amendment.” Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-24/ About poll taxes: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Poll Tax.” Reviewed November 5, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/poll-tax A brief explanation of sharecropping: PBS. “Sharecropping.” https://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/sharecropping/ An explanation of Jim Crow laws: Pilgrim, David. “What Was Jim Crow?” September 2000. Jim Crow Museum. https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/what.htm Dungeon and Dragon cocktails: Barbenheimer—Seersucker gin, Cointreau orange liquor, Peychaud’s bitters, and lime juice Ross Perot—Old Overholt rye, PAMA pomegranate liquor, Angostura bitters, lemon juice Cautionary Tale—Myers’s rum, simple syrup, black walnut bitters, lemon juice Tidal Basin—Seersucker gin, Domaine De Canton ginger liquor, Angostura bitters, lemon juice Our proportions went awry so you’re on your own there. How the Episcopal Church was, but now is not, associated with the Church of England: The Episcopal Church. “History of the Episcopal Church.” https://www.episcopalchurch.org/organizations-affiliations/history-episcopal-church/timeline/ How the Episcopal Church is organized: The Episcopal Church. “Church Governance.” https://www.episcopalchurch.org/organizations-affiliations/church-governance/ Anybody could have a bicameral legislature: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Bicameral System.” Updated September 6, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/bicameral-system But not Nebraska: Nebraska.gov. “Legislative Branch.” https://designegov.nebraska.gov/government/legislative/ Learn more about Robert Roberson’s case: Guo, Kayla. “There are warring depictions of Robert Roberson’s murder case. Here’s what to know.” October 29, 2024. Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/29/robert-roberson-shaken-baby-texas-death-row-evidence/ The doubts about shaken baby syndrome: Kukucka, Jeff and Faigman, David. “Shaken Baby Syndrome Has Been Discredited. Why is Robert Roberson Still on Death Row?” October 26, 2024. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/shaken-baby-syndrome-has-been-discredited-why-is-robert-roberson-still-on/ If you want to learn more about how pardons work in Texas: Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. “Clemency.” https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/bpp/exec_clem/exec_clem.html What the Texas Supreme Court does: Texas Judicial Branch. “Supreme court.” https://www.txcourts.gov/supreme How often the Texas Legislature meets: Legislative Directory. “About the Texas Legislature.” Texas Legislature Online. https://legdir.capitol.texas.gov/about.aspx And using dice to decide how to mix cocktails is a bad idea. But you already knew that.

Mack and Steve discuss why it always seems to the same two groups, how it really isn’t, and how that might inform your choices when voting. Wade on in, because sometimes it doesn’t feel like a party at all. References Take Britain as a counterpoint with a parliamentary system: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Parliament.” Updated: September 27, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parliament/Decline-of-the-House-of-Lords The prime minister is a member of the legislature: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Prime minister.” Updated: September 25, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/prime-minister The history of the Republican societies that became the Democratic-Republican party: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Democratic-Republican Party.” Updated: September 13, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Democratic-Republican-Party A political scientist discussing whether it does indeed lend itself to two parties: Difford, Dylan. “Duvager’s Law: More guidelines than actual rules?” March 9, 2022. Electoral Reform Society. https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/duvagers-law-more-guidelines-than-actual-rules/ Independent members of senate: Congress.gov. “Senator Angus S. King Jr.” https://www.congress.gov/member/angus-king/K000383 Congress.gov. “Senator Bernard Sanders.” https://www.congress.gov/member/bernard-sanders/S000033 Congress.gov. “Senator Krysten Sinema.” https://www.congress.gov/member/kyrsten-sinema/S001191 People were discussing what the Tea Party actually was back in the day as well: Connolly, Katie. “What is the Tea Party?” September 16, 2010. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11317202 What constitutes an actual party: Federal Election Commission. “Qualifying as a political party committee.” https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/registering-political-party/qualifying-as-a-political-party-committee/ Despite Anne’s opinion, the political parties are technically nonprofits: IRS. “Tax Information for Political Organizations.” Updated September 9, 2024. https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/political-organizations How to get on the ballot in Texas: Ballotpedia.org. “Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Texas.” https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_presidential_candidates_in_Texas All kinds of parties, or individuals, running for president you might see on the ballot in November: Ballotpedia.org. “List of registered 2024 presidential candidates.” https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_candidates,_2024#List_of_registered_2024_presidential_candidates No, you can’t list any party you want when you run for president in Texas. You must be a member of a recognized political party or run as an independent or write-in candidate: Texas Secretary of State. “Running for President in Texas (in 2024).” https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/guide/2024/president.shtml What’s an interest group: Thomas, Clive S. “Interest group.” Updated: September 16, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/interest-group Who’s Dick Armey: Congress.gov. “Representative Richard K. Armey” https://www.congress.gov/member/dick-armey/A000217 Steve said caucus: USA.gov. “Presidential primaries and caucuses.” Updated Augus 22, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/primaries-caucuses The Populist Party and the dynamic that happened there: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Populist Movement.” Updated June 3, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/event/Populist-Movement What were they getting over: Merriam-Webster. “Rook (verb).” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rooked Not the grain movement: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “The Grange Movement, 1875.” https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/grange-movement-1875 Here’s why the Progressive Era was the Progressive Era: Library of Congress. “Progressive Era to New Era, 1900–1929.” https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/progressive-era-to-new-era-1900-1929/ This is a cute video about how an amoeba subsumes its food: MocomiKids. “Nutrition in Amoeba – Feeding & Digestion Process” [YouTube video]. September 7, 2012. https://youtu.be/u7IN7HTWzLs?si=5PMMtaGpEGye2pN3 Get to know Ross Perot: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Ross Perot.” Updated September 24, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/money/Ross-Perot Want to know more about the 1992 election and who got how many votes: Levy, Michael. “United States Presidential Election of 1992.” Updated: September 17, 2924. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1992 Who’s Phil Gramm: Congress.gov. “Senator Phil Gramm” https://www.congress.gov/member/william-gramm/G000365 In case you were wondering, there is still a Reform Party: https://reformparty.org/ Who’s Pat Buchanan: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pat Buchanan.” Updated July 12, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Patrick-J-Buchanan The crash: Weinberg, John. “The Great Recession and Its Aftermath.” November 22, 2013. Federal Reserve History. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/great-recession-and-its-aftermath Bailout or handout: Davis, Marc. “A History of U.S. Government Financial Bailouts.” September 23, 2024. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/government-financial-bailout.asp Learn about the many budget battles: Bipartisan Policy Center. “Budget Battles Defining Washington: A Timeline.” Last updated February 2020. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/budget-timeline/ Who’s Ted Cruz: Congress.gov. “Senator Ted Cruz” https://www.congress.gov/member/ted-cruz/C001098 Who’s Jim DeMint: Congress.gov. “Senator Jim DeMint” https://www.congress.gov/member/james-demint/D000595 The House Freedom Caucus during the time period we were discussing in the podcast: Desilver, Drew. “What is the House Freedom Caucus, and who’s in it? October 20, 2015 Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/10/20/house-freedom-caucus-what-is-it-and-whos-in-it/ The House Freedom Caucus more recently: Desilver, Drew. “Freedom Caucus likely to play a bigger role in new GOP-let House. So who are they?” January 23, 2023. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/01/23/freedom-caucus-likely-to-play-a-bigger-role-in-new-gop-led-house-so-who-are-they/ Learn about the debt ceiling and what defaulting on it means: Desjardins, Lisa and Barajas, Joshua. “How a debt default could affect you.” May 24, 2023. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-a-debt-default-could-affect-you Some Republicans at the time saying that it wouldn’t be that bad: Reid, Tim and Johnson, Steven C. “Republican mainstream flirts with brief default.” June 7, 2011. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us-politics/republican-mainstream-flirts-with-brief-default-idUSTRE757007/ Some Republicans more recently saying they don’t mind so much that it would be bad: Lutz, Eric. “The Head of the Republican Party Literally Said a Default Could Bode 'Very Well' for the GOP.” May 25, 2023. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/05/republicans-debt-ceiling-negotiations What’s Ayn Rand have to do with Republicans: James, Frank. “Ayn Rand: Conservatives’ Abortion-Rights, Anti-Religion Inspiration.” November 14, 2011. https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2011/11/14/142300606/ayn-rand-conservatives-pro-abortion-anti-religion-inspiration What’s laissez-faire: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Laissez-faire.” Updated August 21, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/money/laissez-faire Who’s Paul Ryan: Congress.gov. “Representative Paul D. Ryan” https://www.congress.gov/member/paul-ryan/R000570 If you didn’t understand our references to Project 2025, please learn about it: Wendling, Mike. “Project 2025: The right-wing wish list for another Trump presidency.” September 11, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c977njnvq2do Obama talking about what led to Trump: Rhodan, Maya. “President Obama Says He’s Not to Blame for Donald Trump’s Rise.” March 10, 2016. Time. https://time.com/4254263/president-obama-not-to-blame-for-donald-trumps-rise/ The Libertarian Party: https://www.lp.org/ Many flavors of Libertarians: Head, Tom. “What Kind of Libertarian Are You?” September 17, 2019. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-kind-of-libertarian-are-you-721655 The Green Party: https://www.gp.org/ Who’s Gary Johnson: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Gary Johnson.” Updated May 9, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gary-Johnson Who’s Jill Stein: Tait, Robert. “Jill Stein formally launches 2024 White House bid as Green party candidate.” November 21, 2023. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/21/jill-stein-2024-presidential-election-green-party-candidate A little about RFK Jr. and spoiling: Faguy, Ana. “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. suspends campaign and back Trump.” August 23, 2024. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy5ekxlwzgo And in case you somehow missed the story about RFK Jr. and the bear: Treisman, Rachel. “RFK Jr. admits to dumping a dead bear in Central Park, solving a decade-old mystery.” August 5, 2024. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/08/05/nx-s1-5063939/rfk-jr-central-park-bear-bicycle Palestinians are being killed off in great numbers by the Israeli government: Farge, Emma and Al-Mughrabi, Nidal. “Gaza death toll, how many Palestinians has Israel’s campaign killed?” October 1, 2024. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-death-toll-how-many-palestinians-has-israels-campaign-killed-2024-07-25/ We are funding their armaments: Reuters. “Israel says it has secured $8.7 billion U.S. aid package.” September 26, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-it-has-secured-87-billion-us-aid-package-2024-09-26/ One third-party candidate running on the platform of stopping U.S. involvement in the Palestine-Israel conflict: CNN. “Third-party presidential candidate refuses to condemn Hamas’ actions” [Video]. https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2024/04/12/cornel-west-third-party-candidate-israel-hamas-nn-vpx.cnn Why the government isn’t pro-fracking: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “Hydraulic Fracturing & Health.” Reviewed: November 15, 2022. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/fracking Why being pro-fracking might get someone votes in Pennsylvania: Doran, Brady. “What is fracking in Pennsylvania?” Updated: September 30, 2024. ABC27.com. https://www.abc27.com/pennsylvania/what-is-fracking-in-pennsylvania/ Why being pro-fracking might get someone votes in the Dakotas (maybe): Holder, Sarah. “The Other Side of the North Dakota Oil Boom: Evictions.” April 2, 2024. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-02/williston-north-dakota-oil-fracking-boom-fueled-a-housing-crisis Who’s Ralph Nader: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Ralph Nader.” Updated: September 24, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ralph-Nader What’s a single issue voter: Longley, Robert. “What Are Single Issue Voters?” January 26, 2022. ToughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/single-issue-voters-5214543 How to make a Corpse Reviver #2: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/corpse-reviver-no-2/ Learn about WD-40: WD-40. “Fascinating Facts You Never Learned in School.” https://www.wd40.com/history/ How to make a Poison Ivy: https://www.cocktailbuilder.com/recipe/poison-ivy Despites us sneering in Texan, Britain has been having heat wave (for them): Reuters. “UK temperature hits 2024 high, Met Office says.” August 12, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/uk-temperature-hits-2024-high-met-office-says-2024-08-12/ So too with California: Gomez, Julia. “California faces heat wave weeks after earliest snow advisory in 20 years.” October 3, 2024. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2024/10/03/california-heat-wave-snow/75498584007/ Seriously y’all, heat safety: Ready.gov. “Extreme Heat.” https://www.ready.gov/heat If you want to take a daytrip to Fort Griffin: Texas Historical Commission. “Fort Griffin State Historic Site.” https://thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/fort-griffin I don’t know how familiar y’all are with caltrops: Reid, Robert W. “The Caltrop: A Weapon That’s Barely Changed Over 2,300 Years.” September 1, 2006. History.net. https://www.historynet.com/weaponry-the-caltrop/ If you want to read another geek explain the interior of a tetrahedron: Tralie, Christopher J. “The Tetrahedron and 109.5 Degrees.” https://www.ctralie.com/Teaching/Tetrahedron/ If you didn’t get enough info about platonic solids in our podcast: Heilbron, J.L. “Platonic solid.” Updated October 4, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/Platonic-solid Because Anne can get science-y too: Huertas, Jesus R.; Casuso, Rafael A.; Agustín, Pablo Hernansanz; and Cogliati, Sara. “Stay Fit, Stay Young: Mitochondria in Movement: The Role of Exercise in the New Mitochondrial Paradigm.” June 19, 2019. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6607712/ Here’s another reason to exercise: Ahlskog, J. Eric; Geda, Yonas E.; Graff-Radford, Neill R.; and Petersen, Ronald C. “Physical Exercise As a Preventive or Disease-Modifying Treatment of Dementia and Brain Aging.” September 2011. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3258000/ We recommend the League of Women Voters as an excellent source of information for voting: https://www.vote411.org/ Texas Tribune also has an excellent voting guide: Méndez, María and Schumacher, Yuriko. “Here’s how to vote in the Texas 2024 election.” Updated October 4, 2024. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/21/texas-voter-guide-2024-election/ Texas has done some strange things to purge voter rolls: Acevedo, Nicole. “Texas voter purge may be sending a chilling message, lawmakers and advocates warn.” August 29, 2024. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/texas-voter-purge-warning-ballots-abbott-rcna168811 And “Hans and Franz” is a reference to a Saturday Night Live skit from the 1980s. But you already knew that.

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Mack and Steve discuss if they find election poll results highly favorable, favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, unfavorable, or highly unfavorable. References A straw poll, or vote, according to Merriam-Webster:  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straw%20vote Fox News may not have handled coverage of the 2012 election as well as they could have: Folkenflik, David. “Media Circus: Fox Struggles With Obama’s Win?” November 7, 2012. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2012/11/07/164576251/media-circus-fox-struggles-with-obamas-win How much did Obama win by? National Archives. “2021 Electoral College Results.” Last reviewed: June 26, 2024. https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/2012 Iowa likes its straw poll, even if Mack does not: Pate, Paul D. “Iowa Secretary of State Shares Final Results of Iowa State Fair Presidential Straw Poll.” August 21, 2023. Iowa.gov. https://sos.iowa.gov/news/2023_08_21.html How can you tell if a poll is scientific? Bloustein Center for Survey Research. “Assessing Poll Validity.” Rutgers.edu. https://bcsr.rutgers.edu/assessing-poll-validity/ Learn about a random sample: Hayes, Adam. “Simple Random Sampling: 6 Basic Steps With Examples.” Updated: August 14, 2024. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/simple-random-sample.asp The popular vote doesn’t decide the president because we have the electoral college: USA.gov. “Electoral College.” Updated: August 22, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/electoral-college Here are the polling groups Mack listed: Pew Research Center https://www.pewresearch.org/ Gallop https://news.gallup.com/home.aspx The Harris Poll https://theharrispoll.com/ Quinnipiac University https://poll.qu.edu/ Some context for the Defense Department paying $400 for a hammer in the 80s: Freedberg, Jr., Sydney J. “The myth of the $600 hammer.” December 7, 1998. Government Executive. https://www.govexec.com/federal-news/1998/12/the-myth-of-the-600-hammer/5271/ Learn about margin of error: Mercer, Andrew. “5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls.” September 8, 2016. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/09/08/understanding-the-margin-of-error-in-election-polls/ Read about how polls incorrectly predicted that Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 election: Mercer, Andrew; Deane, Claudia; and McGeeney, Kyley. “Why 2016 election polls missed their mark.” November 9, 2016. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/11/09/why-2016-election-polls-missed-their-mark/ Why it’s not going to be Biden: Miller, Zeke; Long, Colleen; and Superville, Darlene. “Biden drops out of 2024 race after disastrous debate inflamed age concerns. VP Harris gets his nod.” July 21, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6# The Bradley, or Wilder, effect describes a phenomenon where people voted differently than they said they were going to in a poll due to the race of the candidate: Ballotpedia. “Bradley Effect.” https://ballotpedia.org/Bradley_effect The Whitman effect describes a similar phenomenon with women candidates. There was a study that found that the Bradley/Wilder effect appears to no longer occur and there is no evidence the Whitman effect ever did. Here is the reference, but please note that the journal article is behind a paywall. Hopkins, D. J. (2009). No more Wilder effect, never a Whitman effect: When and why polls mislead about Black and female candidates. The Journal of Politics, 71(3), 769–781. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381609090707 About internal polling: Askarinam, Leah. “In defense of internal polling.” February 7, 2024. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/538/defense-internal-polling/story?id=107003824 Some problems with polling, including the potential to suppress the vote: Ordway, Denise-Marie. “‘Horse race’ reporting of elections can harm voters, candidates, news outlets: What the research says.” October 23, 2023. The Journalist’s Resource. https://journalistsresource.org/politics-and-government/horse-race-reporting-election/ How third-party candidates affected the 2016 election: Jaffe, Alexandra. “By the Numbers: Third-Party Candidates Had an Outsize Impact on the Election.” November 8, 2016. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-election-day/third-party-candidates-having-outsize-impact-election-n680921 If Ohio is out, what are the current swing states? Davis, Jr., Elliot. “7 States That Could Sway the 2024 Presidential Election.” August 27, 2024. U.S. News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/7-swing-states-that-could-decide-the-2024-presidential-election What’s a protest vote? Ballotpedia. “Protest vote.” https://ballotpedia.org/Protest_vote Learn whether it’s misinformation or disinformation: Bitesize. “Misinformation v disinformation: What’s the difference?” BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z3hhvj6 What’s a push poll? Ballotpedia. “Push polling.” https://ballotpedia.org/Push_polling So, why did President Biden drop out? One opinion: Bennet, Brian, and Elliott, Philip. “Why Joe Biden Dropped Out.” July 21, 2024. Time. https://time.com/7001028/why-joe-biden-stepped-down/ In case you somehow missed out on the media’s reporting of President Biden’s debate performance: Klein, Betsy; Hunt, Kasie; Lee, MJ; Fox, Lauren; and Tausche, Kayla. “Biden’s debate performance sets off alarm bells for Democrats.” June 28, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/28/politics/joe-biden-debate-performance-panic/index.html Two guys comparing betting markets against what the polls say: CNN. “Expert: 2024 betting odds more accurate than polling data.” Video. https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2024/07/13/smr-latest-betting-odds-on-2024.cnn Who do you think will win MVP in the WNBA this season? ESPN. “WNBA 2024 awards tracker: MVP, Rookie of Year favorites, more.” August 27, 2024. https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/40484035/wnba-2024-awards-tracker-mvp-rookie-year-coach-all-league-first-team Don’t take Mack’s word for it, this is what polling says about how voters feel about education in this election: Hatfield, Jenn. “Partisan divides over K–12 education in 8 charts.” June 5, 2023. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/05/partisan-divides-over-k-12-education-in-8-charts/ Learn about consumer confidence: The Conference Board. “U.S. Consumer Confidence Rises Slightly in August.” August 27, 2024. https://www.conference-board.org/topics/consumer-confidence Protestors at a Republican event: Tareen, Sophia; Offenhartz, Jake; Williams, Corey; and Yamat, Rio. “Protestors rally peacefully at GOP convention for abortion and immigrant rights, end to war in Gaza.” July 15, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/activists-rnc-milwaukee-police-protest-march-4a315dc5f36fc9390898301d508aee20 Protestors at a Democratic event: Tareen, Sophia; Offenhartz, Jake; Cappelletti, Joey; and Skene, Lea. “Crowds of pro-Palestinian protestors rally and march outside Democratic convention’s 3rd night.” August 21, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/democratic-convention-chicago-protests-israel-hamas-war-ea3bc9193cc99a5c95ebfd1a42db924f Some reasons why American media might be cautious, even skittish, on reporting the conflict in the Middle East: Kekauoha, Alex. “Navigating the fog of war: Stanford’s discussion on media coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.” December 6, 2023. Stanford Report. https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2023/12/navigating-fog-war-stanfords-discussion-media-coverage-israel-hamas-war A look at how one poll approached the Israel-Palestine conflict: Telhami, Shibley. “Americans feel the need to be extra careful when discussing Israel-Palestine.” March 8, 2024. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/americans-feel-the-need-to-be-extra-careful-when-discussing-israel-palestine/ Immigration and the asylum system: American Immigration Council. “Asylum in the United States.” January 15, 2024. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/asylum-united-states Immigration and the border wall: U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Border Wall System – Frequently Asked Questions.” Updated: February 12, 2024. https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/border-wall/border-wall-system-frequently-asked-questions What makes a good poll question? Pew Research Center. “Writing Survey Questions.” https://www.pewresearch.org/writing-survey-questions/ How data metrics/mining techniques are used by politicians: Klosowski, Thorin. “How Political Campaigns Use Your Data to Target You.” April 16, 2024. Electronic Frontier Foundation. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/04/how-political-campaigns-use-your-data-target-you AI does not have to be accurate in any of its results: Caltech Faculty. “Can We Trust Artificial Intelligence?” Science Exchange. https://scienceexchange.caltech.edu/topics/artificial-intelligence-research/trustworthy-ai Is Texas becoming more purple? One opinion: Barabak, Mark Z. “Column: In two decades, much of the West has turned blue. Why hasn’t Texas?” December 7, 2023. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-12-07/much-of-the-west-has-turned-blue-heres-why-texas-is-an-exception Learn a little (opinionated) history about Rick Perry’s Texas Enterprise Fund: Mitchell, Matthew and Philpot, Anne. “Commentary: Enterprise Fund gives Texans’ money to their competitors.” March 22, 2017. Austin American-Statesman. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2017/03/22/commentary-enterprise-fund-gives-texans-money-to-their-competitors/9998429007/ Meta sells your data (allegedly): Cooban, Anna. “Meta accused of ‘massive, illegal’ data processing by European consumer groups.” February 20, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/29/tech/meta-data-processing-europe-gdpr/index.html How to make a whiskey sour: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/whiskey-sour/ Ingredients we used for an Almond Joy: Coconut rum, chocolate liqueur, amaretto If you want to make a Mounds: Coconut rum, chocolate liqueur Here are the candy bars we listed: Whatchamacallit https://www.hersheyland.com/whatchamacallit 100 Grand (née 100,000 Dollar Bar) https://www.backthenhistory.com/articles/the-history-of-100-grand-bars Marathon https://www.candyfavorites.com/discontinued-marathon-bar-1981?srsltid=AfmBOorLNDONOftL4_K1DObu9pym1FGHNV8sZRMCMG68hdy5HBJ8yQH1 3Musketeers https://www.3musketeers.com/ Milky Way https://www.milkywaybar.com/our-story Snickers https://www.snickers.com/our-story And Steve is right, they reformulated the Butterfinger: Campbell-Schmitt, Adam. “Butterfinger Changed Its Recipe—Here’s How It Tastes.” December 13, 2018. Food and Wine. https://www.foodandwine.com/news/butterfinger-new-recipe-taste-test Places that Steve went to while in Boston: The Freedom Trail https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/ USS Constitution https://www.nps.gov/bost/learn/historyculture/ussconst.htm “Impassioned Destruction” exhibit at the Old State House https://revolutionaryspaces.org/explore/exhibits/impassioned-destruction/ Anne provided misinformation; the Constitution resides at the National Archives Museum: https://museum.archives.gov/ If you would like some history on the George Floyd protests: National Museum of African American History & Culture. “How George Floyd’s Death Became A Catalyst for Change.” https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/how-george-floyds-death-became-catalyst-change If you would like some history on the L.A. Riots: Wallenfeldt, Jeff. “Los Angeles Riots of 1992.” Updated: August 21, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Los-Angeles-Riots-of-1992 If you would like some history on the Whiskey Rebellion: Kotowski, Peter. “Whiskey Rebellion.” The George Washington Presidential Library. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/whiskey-rebellion Our bad, Sam Adams did not participate in the Boston Tea Party, but everyone is pretty sure he helped plan it: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Samuel Adams.” Updated: July 15, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Adams And Anne and Mack were wrong. John Adams was totally THERE FOR IT (definitely a fan): Norton, Amanda. “’The Sublimity of it, charms me’: John Adams and the Boston Tea Party.” Updated: May 8, 2019. Massachusetts Historical Society. https://www.masshist.org/beehiveblog/2015/12/the-sublimity-of-it-charms-me-john-adams-and-the-boston-tea-party/ But yeah, other big names from American history weren’t so enthusiastic: Roos, Dave. “Why Some Founding Fathers Disapproved of the Boston Tea Party.” December 11, 2023. History. https://www.history.com/news/boston-tea-party-critics-ben-franklin If you want to watch the Schoolhouse Rock song about the Boston Tea Party: https://youtu.be/t-9pDZMRCpQ?si=5ltTEu5VJb35VQjR If you want to watch the Schoolhouse Rock song that Mack was singing without any copyright permission: https://youtu.be/Y6ikO6LMxF4 The other critically important Boston thing that Steve saw: Waterworks Museum https://waterworksmuseum.org/ What Mack is reading: Jon Gertner. The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation. (Penguin Books, 2013). Transistors, a pretty significant invention: Steber, George R. “The Story of the Transistor.” Nuts and Volts. https://www.nutsvolts.com/magazine/article/the-story-of-the-transistor In case you didn’t go to a technical school and didn’t learn about TI: Dennis, Michael Aaron. “Texas Instruments Incorporated.” Updated: August 22, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/Texas-Instruments-Incorporated Learn about inventions and Thomas Edison: Library of Congress. “Life of Thomas Alva Edison.” https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/biography/life-of-thomas-alva-edison Vacuum tubes are pretty if you want to search for a picture of them on your own. If you want to know important technical information about them: Sosa, Estanisalo Navarro. “Electron tube.” Updated: July 3, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/electron-tube What did Alexander Graham Bell ever do? Hochfelder, David. “Alexandar Graham Bell.” Updated: July 29, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-Graham-Bell In case you didn’t get the Watson joke: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Thomas Augustus Watson.” Updated: April 15, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Augustus-Watson If you want to learn about the breakup of Ma Bell: Gianforti, Adrian. “This Month in Business History: The Breakup of the Bell System.” January 24, 2022. History Factory. https://www.historyfactory.com/insights/this-month-in-business-history-bell-system/ Learn the distinction between pure research and applied research:  Hasa. “Difference Between pure and Applied Research.” March 16, 2017. Difference Between. https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-pure-and-vs-applied-research/ Learn about the cosmic microwave background: Howell, Elizabeth and Dobrijevic, Daisy. “What is the cosmic microwave background?” January 28, 2022. Space. https://www.space.com/33892-cosmic-microwave-background.html The more common pronunciation is conk: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conch In case you didn’t go to a liberal arts school and didn’t learn about Piggy: William Golding. Lord of the Flies. (Penguin Books, republished 2003). Learn about General Atomics: General Atomics. “History.” https://www.ga.com/about/history Learn about Southwest Research: Compton, James R. “Southwest Research Institute.” Updated: November 1, 1995. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/southwest-research-institute Learn about National Laboratories: Energy.gov. “Origins.” https://www.energy.gov/science/history How we made a Reese’s: Peanut butter whiskey, chocolate liqueur The age-old question: what is nougat? Williams, Corey. “What is Nougat and What Is It Made Of?” February 16, 2022. All Recipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-is-nougat/ Shout-out to Toblerone: Mondelēz International. “Toblerone.” https://www.mondelezinternational.com/our-brands/toblerone/ Get to know the League of Women Voters: https://www.lwv.org/ A better way to inform your vote than election projection polling: https://www.vote411.org/ And the director Quentin Tarantino is not known for telling stories in chronological order. But you already knew that.

It’s the highest court in the land, but is it all that great? Steve and Mack pass judgement on the latest decisions from the Supreme Court. References Where the words “supreme court” are used in the Constitution: Constitution Annotated. “Article III.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/ Where the words “commander in chief” are used in the Constitution: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S2.C1.1.11 Presidential Power and Commander in Chief Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S2-C1-1-11/ALDE_00013473/ If you want to learn more about how Constitutional amendments are passed: Office of the Federal Register. “Constitutional Amendment Process.” National Archives. Reviewed August 15, 2016. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution In case you haven’t heard of the Heritage Foundation: Wiggins, Christopher. “What is the Heritage Foundation, the group behind the terrifying Republican Project 2025 agenda?” July 20, 2024. Advocate. https://www.advocate.com/politics/what-is-heritage-foundation If you want to know why the Heritage Foundation wants a constitutional convention: Malcolm, John. “Consideration of a Convention to Propose Amendments Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution.” February 19, 2016. The Heritage Foundation. https://www.heritage.org/the-constitution/report/consideration-convention-propose-amendments-under-article-v-the-us Read about how President Lincoln symbolically signed the 13th Amendment: National Museum of African American History & Culture. “13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.” https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/13th-amendment-constitution-united-states Learn about the Dred Scott case: Milestone Documents. “Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).” National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/dred-scott-v-sandford How many cases does the Supreme Court listen to a year: United States Court. “About the Supreme Court.” https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/about The case that Steve used as an example of original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court: Schonfeld, Zack. “New York tells Supreme Court to toss Missouri’s longshot bid to block Trump’s sentence.” July 24, 2024. The Hill. https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4791625-ny-supreme-court-block-trump-sentence/ Want to know more about the Circuit Courts of Appeals? United States Courts. “About the U.S. Courts of Appeals.” https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/court-role-and-structure/about-us-courts-appeals Alas, a writ of certiorari is not a magical spell from a 1980’s fantasy movie: Lega Information Institute. “Writ of Certiorari.” Cornell Law Score. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/writ_of_certiorari Lawrence v. Texas (2003): Oyez. “Lawrence v. Texas.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2002/02-102 Learn the long history of how Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was eventually overturned by Brown v. Board of Education (1954): United States Courts. “History – Brown v. Board of Education Re-enactment.” https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/history-brown-v-board-education-re-enactment Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022): Oyez. “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2021/19-1392 Once more, how impeachment works: United States Senate. “About Impeachment.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment.html Just in case you want to know the definition of treason in the Constitution: Constitution Annotated. “ArtIII.S3.C1.2 Levying War as Treason.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artIII-S3-C1-2/ALDE_00013525/ Poor marriage choices: Tucker, Eric. “Virginia Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, agrees to interview with Jan. 6 panel.” September 21, 2022. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/virginia-thomas-the-wife-of-justice-clarence-thomas-agrees-to-interview-with-jan-6-panel Once more, Gerald R. Ford’s perfect explanation of impeachment: Davis, Kenneth C., “The history of American impeachment.” The Smithsonian Magazine, June 12, 2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-you-need-know-about-impeachment-180963645/ What was that about yacht trips to Russia, now? Roche, Darragh. “Clarence Thomas’ Yacht Trip to Russia Raises Questions.” July 11, 2024. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/clarence-thomas-yacht-trip-russia-raises-questions-1923668 What was that about gold bars, now? Wolf, Zachary B. “Gold bars, basement carpeting and more. Here’s what prosecutors say bought off a U.S. senator.” May 12, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/12/politics/menendez-gold-cash-what-matters/index.html What the bribery statute is: Criminal Resource Manual. “2041. Bribery of Public Officials.” U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-2041-bribery-public-officials Steve is correct. Two senators have requested an investigation of Supreme Court justices for bribery: Press Release. “Oscasio-Cortez Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against Justice Thomas and Justice Alito.” July 10, 2024. House.gov. https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ocasio-cortez-introduces-articles-impeachment-against-justice-thomas-and Once more, if you need some background to the ham sandwich quip: Levin, Josh. “The Judge Who Coined ‘Indict a Ham Sandwich’ Was Himself Indicted.” November 25, 2014. Slate. https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/11/sol-wachtler-the-judge-who-coined-indict-a-ham-sandwich-was-himself-indicted.htm The recent case about bribery heard at the Supreme Court: Oyez. “Snyder v. United States.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/23-108 Learn about President Jackson and the spoils system: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Spoils system.” March 28, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/spoils-system Another Project 2025 thing: Mascaro, Lisa. “Conservatives aim to restructure U.S. government and replace it with Trump’s vision.” August 29, 2023. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/conservatives-aim-to-restructure-u-s-government-and-replace-it-with-trumps-vision Yes, former Vice President Dick Cheney shot someone in the face: Dey, Sneha. “Harry Whittington, longtime Texas GOP supporter shot by Dick Cheney in a 2006 hunding accident, dies.” February 5, 2023. Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/02/05/harry-whittington-dick-cheney/ In case you didn’t get Anne’s Winnebago joke: Sherman, Mark. “Most of Justice Thomas’ $267,000” loan for an RV seems to have been forgiven, Senate Democrats say.” October 25, 2023. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-clarence-thomas-motorcoach-loan-ethics-afed2073e0d7cf4a994256ce35d5063f In case you didn’t get Steve’s private jet joke: Quinn, Melissa. “Clarence Thomas took 3 undisclosed trips on private jet provided by GOP megadonor, committee says.” June 13, 2024. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/clarence-thomas-private-jet-flights-harlan-crow-supreme-court/ A little about sovereignty: Legal Information Institute. “Sovereignty.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sovereignty A little about federalism: Legal Information Institute. “Federalism.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/federalism A little about separation of powers: Legal Information Institute. “Separation of powers.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/separation_of_powers About the guidelines for recusal: Sherman, Mark. “To recuse or refuse? A look at Supreme Court justices’ decisions on whether to step aside in cases." May 29, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-alito-flags-recusal-capitol-riot-f4ef46683365c92e8a3ff9df7894b586?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share A lot about due process of law: Legal Information Institute. “Due process.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/due_process There’s a lot of history and debate around Dr. Bonham’s case. Here’s some info from an open source: McWha, Nicole. “Coke in Dr. Bonham’s Case: His Meaning Revisited.” May 8, 2021. University of Southern Queensland. https://lawfully.unisq.edu.au/coke-in-dr-bonhams-case-his-meaning-revisited/ Here’s a very serious look at issues of senility and appointees for life: Kaufman, Alan S. “The Precipitous Decline in Reasoning and Other Key Abilities with Age and Its Implications for Federal Judges.” December 2021. Journal of Intelligence, 9(4). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8628958/ Trump v. United States (2024): Oyez.  “Trump v. United States.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/23-939 Here is a summation of Justice Sotomayor’s dissent: Wendling, Mike. “Justice’s dissent: ‘The president is now a king above the law.’” July 1, 2024. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c035zqe7lgro Nixon v. Fitzgerald (1982): Oyez.  “Nixon v. Fitzgerald.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1981/79-1738 Here is a summation of Justice Barrett’s opinion: McCord, Mary. “Barrett’s Writing on Immunity Provides Another Path on Rehearing.” July 11, 2024. Bloomberg Law. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/barretts-writing-on-immunity-provides-another-path-on-rehearing If you want to read the opinions in their entirety, the Supreme Court posts them as PDFs: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/slipopinion/23 If you are unfamiliar with drone strikes under the Obama administration: Zenko, Micah. “Obama’s Final Drone Strike Data.” January 20, 2017. Council on Foreign Affairs. https://www.cfr.org/blog/obamas-final-drone-strike-data The specific drone strike ordered by President Trump that was referenced in this episode: Cohen, Zachary; Alkhshali, Hamdi; Khadder, Kareem; and Dewan, Angela. “U.S. drone strike ordered by Trump kills top Iranian commander in Baghdad.” January 4, 2020. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/02/middleeast/baghdad-airport-rockets/index.html If you would like to form your own opinion about increasing the number of Supreme Court justices: ProCon.org. “U.S. Supreme Court Packing – Top 3 Pros and Cons.” Updated November 15, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/us-supreme-court-packing-top-2-pros-and-cons/ Some history on the number of Supreme Court justices: Supreme Courte of the United States. “The Court as an Institution.” https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/institution.aspx There are several recipes for Pimm’s Cups out in the world. This one is closest to the cocktail on the bottle label: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/pimms-cup/ This recipe is closer to how Anne makes it: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pimms-cup-9605285 What Mack is reading: Michael Lewis. The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds. (W. W. Norton & Company, 2016). Want the definition of rational man hypothesis? APA Dictionary of Psychology. “rational-economic man.” Updated April 19, 2018. https://dictionary.apa.org/rational-economic-man From our friends and Merriam-Webster: “German heuristisch, from New Latin heuristicus, from Greek heuriskein to discover; akin to Old Irish fo-fúair he found” Merriam-Webster. “heuristics.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heuristics#word-history If you want to geek out on behavioral economics: Samson, Alain. “An Introduction to Behavioral Economics.” Behavioral Economics. https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/introduction-behavioral-economics/ The NOVA special Anne watched: NOVA. “Mind Over Money.” 2010. https://www.pbs.org/video/nova-mind-over-money/ If you want to learn about the velocity of money: Chen, James. “Velocity of Money: Definition, Formula, and Examples.” Updated November 27, 2022. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/velocity.asp If you want to know about flow rate: CFI Team. “Throughput (flow rate).” Corporate Finance Institute. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/valuation/throughput/ Who Steve follows on X (née Twitter): @Prune602. https://x.com/prune602?lang=en Learn about Russia’s financial crisis: Pomeranz, William E. “Putin’s created an economic crisis and left Moscow no easy way out.” Wilson Center. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/putins-created-economic-crisis-and-left-moscow-no-easy-way-out If you are unfamiliar with Project 2025, you can read about it for yourself: https://www.project2025.org/ The sentencing we were referencing was in regard to this case: Sisak, Michael R.; Peltz, Jennifer; Tucker, Eric; Price, Michelle L.; and Colvin, Jill. “Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes.” May 31, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0 Learn about the marble Supreme Court building: Supreme Court of the United States. “Building History.” https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/buildinghistory.aspx If you need a reminder of Russians bribing U.S. officials: FBI. “Russian Interference in 2016 U.S. Elections.” https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cyber/russian-interference-in-2016-u-s-elections Recent elections in the U.K.: Picheta, Rob; Said-Moorhouse, Lauren; Stockwell, Billy; Wilkinson, Peter; Tilotta, Sarah; Kottasová, Ivana; Edwards, Christian; Poole, Thom; and Guy, Jack. “Keir Starmer is new U.K. prime minister after landslide election win.” July 5, 2024. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/uk-general-election-results-2024-intl/index.html Recent elections in France: Associated Press. “France election highlights: Leftists win most seats, but no party wins majority.” July 7, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/live/france-election-results-updates-round-2-macron-le-pen And Tim Curry played a devil-like character named Darkness in the 1985 movie Legend. But you already knew that.

You’ve heard the term before, but did you realize how bad the situation really is? Buckle up, kids, this is a bumpy one. References Well? Steve is archaically correct. According to Merriam-Webster gerrymandering was originally pronounced with a hard g, but it now most commonly pronounced with a soft one. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerrymandering Who was Elbridge Gerry? Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. “Gov. Elbridge Gerry.” Original source: 1978. National Governors Association. https://www.nga.org/governor/elbridge-gerry/ Want to see the “Gerry-Mander” cartoon from 1813 that coined the term? Smithsonian. “Cartoon, ‘The Gerry-Mander’, 1813.” https://www.si.edu/object/cartoon-gerry-mander-1813%3Anmah_509530 Want to see what a salamander looks like in both medieval heraldry (or whatever) and real life? Marcec, Ruth. “Amphibian Conversation: Fired Up About Salamanders.” April 18, 2017. Detroit Zoo. https://detroitzooblog.org/2017/04/18/amphibian-conservation-fired-up-about-salamanders/ Learn about cracking, packing, and other terms involved with redistricting: Panjwani, Haya. “Cracking, Packing, Apportionment: Here’s A Glossary of Terms to Help You Understand Redistricting.” September 21, 2021. KERA News. https://www.keranews.org/politics/2021-09-21/cracking-packing-apportionment-heres-a-glossary-of-terms-to-help-you-understand-redistricting If you want to see the current map of the Texas senate district that Mack mentioned: The Texas Tribune. “Texas Senate District 25.” https://www.texastribune.org/directory/districts/tx-senate/25/ Yep, we’re pronouncing Bexar as Bear. Texas, y’all. Learn about constitutional amendments that involve voting: USA.gov. “Voting Rights Laws and Constitutional Amendments.” Updated: February 22, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/voting-rights Learn about women’s suffrage in the state of Wyoming: Wyoming Historical Society. “Women’s Suffrage and Women’s Rights.” https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/topics/womens-suffrage-and-womens-rights What’s going on with Nebraska? Nebraska.gov. “Nebraska Unicameral.” https://designegov.nebraska.gov/government/legislative/ Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP (May 2024): Oyez. “Alexander v. South Carolina Conference of the NAACP.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/22-807 Shaw v. Reno (1993): Oyez. “Shaw v. Reno.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1992/92-357 Learn about the bunch of marches in the 60s that were about voting: United States Civil Rights Trail. “Marching for the Vote.” https://civilrightstrail.com/experience/marching-for-the-right-to-vote/ If you would like to read Justice Kagan’s dissent: Legal Information Institute. “Alexandar v. South Carolina State Conference of the NACCP.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/22-807 Learn about gerrymandering of incarcerated peoples: Fisher, Garret, King, Taylor, and Limón, Gariella. “Prison Gerrymandering Undermines Our Democracy.” October 22, 2021. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/prison-gerrymandering-undermines-our-democracy Learn about the implications of counting persons under the age of 18 during redistricting: Stephanopoulos, Nicholas, and Chen, Jowei. “Democracy’s Denominator.” February 4, 2021. California Law Review (1011). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3779342 Learn about the implications of gerrymandering around universities and colleges: Carrasco, Maria. “Partisan Gerrymandering Targets Campuses.” October 21, 2021. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/10/22/partisan-gerrymandering-targets-college-campuses If you don’t remember the three-fifths compromise from history class: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Three-fifths compromise.” April 19, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/three-fifths-compromise If you feel so inclined to read Kevin Williamson’s argument for “better” voters: Williamson, Kevin D. “Why Not Fewer Voters?” April 6, 2021. National Review. https://nationalreview.com/2021/04/why-not-fewer-voters/ If you didn’t get the Daft Punk joke: https://youtu.be/gAjR4_CbPpQ?si=DBrfQyt10gZYLcGW Not sure how you feel about felons voting: ProCon.org. “History of Felon Voting.” June 29, 2023. https://felonvoting.procon.org/ Learn about felons voting in Florida: Brennan Center for Justice. “Voting Rights Restoration Efforts in Florida.” Updated: August 7, 2023. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-rights-restoration-efforts-florida In case you forgot, Donald Trump is a convicted felon: Becket, Stefan. “What Was Trump Convicted Of? Details on the 34 Counts and His Guilty Verdict.” June 3, 2024. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-charges-conviction-guilty-verdict/ What’s GIS? Geographic Information System Colegrove v. Green (1946): Oyez. “Colegrove v. Green.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/328us549 Baker v. Carr (1962): Oyez. “Baker v. Carr.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1960/6 Reynolds v. Sims (1964): Oyez. “Reynolds v. Sims.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1963/23 Get to know the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929: History, Art, & Archives. “The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929.” United States House of Representatives. https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1901-1950/The-Permanent-Apportionment-Act-of-1929/ The Texas Monthly article that tells you how to make a Chilton: Bond, Courtney. “The Chilton.” May 2016. Texas Monthly. https://www.texasmonthly.com/recipe/the-chilton-cocktail-recipe In case you know not of Topo Chico: Castle, Sheri. “Topo Chico is the Fizzy Water With a Loyal Fan Base.” April 26, 2024. Southern Living. https://www.southernliving.com/food/drinks/topo-chico-mineral-water How to make a Gimlet: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/gimlet/ If you want to learn how Raymond Chandler said to make a Gimlet: Raymond Chandler. The Long Goodbye. (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, Reprinted: 1988). Giant caves people take tourist trips through: Travel Texas. “Caves & Caverns.” https://www.traveltexas.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/caves-caverns/ Is it stalactite or stalagmite? NOAA Ocean Exploration. “What is the Difference Between a Stalactite and a Stalagmite?” https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/stalactite.html How close are we to fusion power? Sutter, Paul. “We’ve been ‘close’ to achieving fusion power for 50 years. When will it actually happen?” January 14, 2024. Space.com. https://www.space.com/when-will-we-achieve-fusion-power In case you hadn’t heard of the term sealioning either: Merriam-Webster. “What is ‘Sealioning’?” https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/sealioning-internet-trolling And “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi. But you already knew that.

Not to oversell it, but this type of episode is why we created this podcast. Do you really know how impeachment works? Are you sure of your dusty memories of high school civics class? Come, find out! References What is impeachment? USA.Gov. “How federal impeachment works.” Last updated February 2, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment Learn about the impeachment of King Charles I: Paradis, Michel. “Three Lessons From the First Time a Head of State Was Impeached.” October 3, 2019. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/three-lessons-first-time-head-state-was-impeached How impeachment works between the House and Senate: United States Senate. “About Impeachment.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment.htm About the impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: Mascaro, Lisa. “House votes to impeach Mayorkas in a historic rebuke of a sitting Cabinet member.” February 13, 2024. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-votes-to-impeach-mayorkas-in-a-historic-rebuke-of-a-sitting-cabinet-member What’s a writ of mandamus? Legal Information Institute. “Mandamus.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/mandamus The only other time a cabinet member was impeached: United States Senate. “Impeachment Trial of Secretary of War William Belknap, 1876.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment/impeachment-belknap.htm The bit on “60 Minutes” with the Clinton’s: 60 Minutes. “Hilary Clinton’s first 60 minutes interview.” 1992. https://youtu.be/-UqKNgrwK8E?si=FM8Fw4Yz6MQMvft6 Not familiar with Senator Gary Hart? Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Gary Hart.” May 1, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gary-Hart How did Gerald R. Ford define impeachment? Davis, Kenneth C., “The history of American impeachment.” The Smithsonian Magazine, June 12, 2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-you-need-know-about-impeachment-180963645/ Want to learn more about immigration issues in the U.S.? Kobucista, Claire, Cheatham, Amelia, and Roy, Diana. “The U.S. Immigration Debate.” Last updated June 6, 2023. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-immigration-debate-0 Senator Chuck Schumer’s formal response to the Mayorkas impeachment: Senate Democrats. “Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks on the Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas.” April 17, 2024. https://www.democrats.senate.gov/news/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-the-impeachment-trial-of-secretary-mayorkas Read about how the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas was deemed unconstitutional: Pecorin, Allison and Hutzler, Alexandra. “Senate kills Mayorkas impeachment trial, votes both articles ‘unconstitutional’.” April 17, 2024. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senators-sworn-jurors-impeachment-trial-dhs-secretary-mayorkas/story?id=109349278 What’s malfeasance? Legal Information Institute. “Malfeasance.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/malfeasance The impeachment book that Steve referenced: Charles R. Black. Impeachment: A Handbook. (Yale University Press, 2018). Learn about President Nixon’s near impeachment: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S4.4.7 President Richard Nixon and Impeachable Offenses.”  https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S4-4-7/ALDE_00000695/ The Watergate trials that happened prior to that: United States Senate. “Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/watergate.htm Which senators voted which way in Trump impeachment trial: Booker, Brakkton. “Trump Impeachment Trial Verdict: How Senators Voted.” February 13, 2021. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/trump-impeachment-trial-live-updates/2021/02/13/967539051/trump-impeachment-trial-verdict-how-senators-voted When we recorded this podcast, the New York trial was still in process. In case you were unaware of the results: Scannell, Kara, Del Valle, Lauren, and Herb, Jeremy. “Donald Trump found guilty of all 34 charges in hush money trial.” May 31, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-30-24/index.html If you need some help keeping track of all the trials that Trump is involved in: Lawfare. “The Trump Trials.” https://www.lawfaremedia.org/current-projects/the-trump-trials In case you want to read about Trump cheating charities: New York State Attorney Journal. “Donald J. Trump Pays Court-Ordered $2 Million For Illegally Using Trump Foundation Funds.” December 10, 2019. https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2019/donald-j-trump-pays-court-ordered-2-million-illegally-using-trump-foundation Don’t remember Eugene V. Debs as well as Mack and Steve? Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Eugene V. Debs.” May 31, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eugene-V-Debs In case you don’t remember, Trump bragged he could shoot someone without consequence: Dwyer, Colin. “Donald Trump: 'I Could ... Shoot Somebody, And I Wouldn't Lose Any Voters'” January 23, 2016. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/23/464129029/donald-trump-i-could-shoot-somebody-and-i-wouldnt-lose-any-voters The podcast (with a PowerPoint presentation!) that Steve referenced: Wittes, Benjamin and Anderson, Scott R. “A Criminal in the White House: How It Might Work and What It Might Mean.” November 2, 2024. Lawfare Podcast. https://youtu.be/e_9Tsoxs-UA?si=L7_FWfL6Ki2Qfijq Recipe for a gin martini: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/martini-cocktails-2009 Recipe for a Manhattan: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/manhattan-2/ Recipe for a boulevardier without Scotch because you don’t like to drink bad ideas: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/boulevardier/ More about that town in Alabama that refuses to have a mayor that Steve told us about: Walker, Adria R. “Alabama town that hasn’t held elections in decades sued to allow voting.” March 29, 2024. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/29/newbern-alabama-election-lawsuit-mayor If you want to be a geek like Steve and get to know cybersecurity guy, Bruce Schneier: https://www.schneier.com/ Yet another book that Steve referenced: Jared Diamond. The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? (Penguin Books, 2013.) The article about Kennedy and Nixon that Mack referenced: Bender, Bryan. “The Night Kennedy and Nixon Were Bunkmates.” April 29, 2022. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/04/29/jfk-nixon-bunkmates-00028388 Unfamiliar with the Taft-Hartley Act? Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Taft-Hartley Act.” June 17, 2015. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/Taft-Hartley-Act A little history on the friendship of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia: Cox, Chelsey. “Fact Check: It’s true, Ginsburg and Scalia were close friends despite ideological differences.” September 27, 2020. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/09/27/fact-check-ruth-bader-ginsburg-antonin-scalia-were-close-friends/3518592001/ And, “Stay on target,” is a Star Wars reference. But you already knew that.

Due to it being May, we decided to take our discussion to a galaxy far, far away. It went on a bit longer than intended. Also, somehow, we got to Oz. But stick with us, y’all. We eventually get back to this reality around the 18-minute mark. Enjoy, and may the force by with you. References Wookieepedia is a little vague on how the Jedi Council relates to the Galactic Senate, so the debate stands: Star Wars Fandom. “Jedi High Council.” https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jedi_High_Council But during the trial of the Ahsoka Tano, it looks like the Senate did indeed have some influence on the Jedi Council: Star Wars Fandom. “Trial of Ahsoka Tano.” https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jedi_High_Council#Trial_of_Ahsoka_Tano A little about the time limits on appropriations for the army: Constitution Annotated. “Artl.S8.C12.2 Time Limits on Appropriations for Army.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C12-2/ALDE_00001074/ In case you don’t get the reference to our current timeline: Davies, Dave. “How NYC is coping with 175,000 migrants from the Southern border.” February 15, 2024. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/02/15/1231712535/how-nyc-is-coping-with-175-000-migrants-from-the-southern-border If you would like to learn more about some of the political interpretations of the Wizard of Oz: History Collection. “16 Hidden Symbolic Messages in the Wizard of Oz You May Have Missed.” October 18, 2019. https://historycollection.com/16-hidden-symbolic-messages-in-the-wizard-of-oz-you-may-have-missed What’s a republic? Merriam-Webster Dictionary. “Republic.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/republic What’s a democracy? Merriam-Webster Dictionary. “Democracy.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy What’s a representative democracy? Raikar, Sanat Pai. “Representative democracy.” February 29, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/representative-democracy What’s an aristocracy? Merriam-Webster Dictionary. “Aristocracy.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aristocracy Wait, what does res publica mean? Latdict. “Res.” https://latin-dictionary.net/search/latin/res Latdict. “Publica.” https://latin-dictionary.net/search/latin/publica Learn about the arrests of student protestors in Austin: Simpson, Stephen, Dey, Sneha, and Melhado, William. “79 arrested amid second crackdown on UT-Austin campus.” April 30, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/30/ut-austin-protest-arrests/ McGlinchy, Audrey and McGaughy, Lauren. “UT Austin changes message again, says arrested students will be allowed on campus for any reason.” Updated May 3, 2024. KUT News. https://www.kut.org/education/2024-04-26/ut-austin-protest-arrests-campus-ban Dey, Sneha. “Gov. Greg Abbott and UT-Austin shift from championing free speech to policing protesters’ intentions.” April 29, 2024. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/29/ut-austin-pro-palestinian-demonstrations-free-speech/ In case you didn’t get the tiki torch reference: Murphy, Paul P. “White nationalists use tiki torches to light up Charlottesville march.” August 12, 2017. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/12/us/white-nationalists-tiki-torch-march-trnd/index.html  Here is one story of a protestor carrying an AR-15: Kim, Juliana. “A Maryland man has been carrying an AR-15-style rifle near a school bus stop.” May 20, 2023. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/20/1177315655/a-maryland-man-has-been-carrying-an-ar-15-style-rifle-near-a-school-bus-stop Free speech versus university policy: ACLU. “University Students’ Protest Rights.” https://www.aclutx.org/en/know-your-rights/university-students-protest-rights What are the implications of a third-party candidate? Kelly, Stephanie and Renshaw, Jarrett. “How could a third-party candidate put Trump in the White House?” March 21, 2024. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/how-third-party-candidate-could-put-trump-white-house-2024-03-20/ If you want to deep dive on the U.S. support of Israel: Masters, Jonathan and Merrow, Will. “U.S. Aid to Israel in Four Charts.” Updated April 11, 2024. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts A deep dive into Iran’s influence in the middle east: International Institute for Strategic Studies. “Iran’s Networks of Influence in the Middle East.” November 2019. https://www.iiss.org/en/publications/strategic-dossiers/iran-dossier/ If you want to learn about the bill that recently passed to give money to Israel: Jalonick, Mary Clare, Groves, Steven, and Amiri, Farnoush. “Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote.” Updated April 23, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-tiktok-senate-8fe738b17e5c4b2636bc0de11b2620b7 Learn a little about the cluster that is the floating pier: Magdy, Samy, Sewell, Abby, Knickmeyer, Ellen, and Madhani, Aamer. “Biden directs U.S. military to build temporary pier in Gaza for humanitarian aid.” March 7, 2024. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-biden-directs-u-s-military-to-build-temporary-pier-in-gaza-for-humanitarian-aid Learn about O’Rourke versus Cruz: Svitek, Patrick and Livingston, Abby. “How the race between Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke became the closest in Texas in 40 years.” November 9, 2018. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2018/11/09/ted-cruz-beto-orourke-closest-texas-race-40-years/ What happened in Florida in 2000: NCC Staff. “On this day, Bush v. Gore settles 2000 presidential race.” December 12, 2023. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-bush-v-gore-anniversary Not a literal coin toss in Virginia, though that would have worked too: McCammon, Sarah. “Virginia Republican David Yancey Wins by Tie-Breaking Drawing.” January 4, 2018. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2018/01/04/573504079/virginia-republican-david-yancey-wins-tie-breaking-drawing How to make an Old Fashioned: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/bourbon-old-fashioned/ Oh, wheated bourbon, not weeded bourbon: Rabbit Hole Distillery. “What is a ‘wheated’ bourbon and why in demand?” https://www.rabbitholedistillery.com/blogs/bourbon-101/what-is-a-wheated-bourbon-and-why-in-demand Woodford Reserve is, indeed, the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby: Wiseman, Katie and Evans, Olivia. “What to know about Woodford Reserve and their exclusive $15,000 Derby 150 Baccarat Edition bottle.” May 4, 2024. Courier Journal. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/events/kentucky-derby/2024/05/04/woodford-reserve-kentucky-derby-150-how-much-the-special-edition-bottle-costs/73570698007/ And, yes, some people did drink Woodford Reserve at Mar-a-Lago: Kravitz, Derek. “How Taxpayers Covered a $1,000 Liquor Bill for Trump Staffers (and More) at Trump’s Club.” May 1, 2019. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-inc-podcast-taxpayers-covered-liquor-bill-for-trump-staffers-and-more-mar-a-lago How to make a Whiskey Sour: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/whiskey-sour/ Donald Trump has been found in contempt: Sisak, Michael R., Peltz, Jennifer, Offenhartz, Jake, and Long, Colleen. “Hush money trial judge raises threat of jail as he finds Trump violated gag order, fines him $9K.” April 30, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-stormy-daniels-hush-money-election-2024-d2f9badee0b28a60d32bc98c0d4e783f If you need some help with the timeline of the Trump trials: Lawfare. “The Trump Trials.” https://www.lawfaremedia.org/current-projects/the-trump-trials A little about the Supreme Court debating presidential immunity: Sherman, Mark. “Supreme Court seems skeptical of Trump’s claim of absolute immunity but decision’s timing is unclear.” April 25, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-prosecution-immunity-72c885c07c77970d4380206f87b2d8ca If you want to get to know Lord Coke: Jones, Gareth H. “Sir Edward Coke.” February 22, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Coke That time David Frost interviewed President Nixon: Bailey, Jeremy D. “Transcript of Frost’s Interview with Richard Nixon.” Original interview in 1977. Teaching American History. https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/transcript-of-david-frosts-interview-with-richard-nixon/ Yes, apparently, Roger Stone has a Nixon tattoo: Byers, Dylan. “The return of Roger Stone.” April 19, 2016. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/19/politics/roger-stone-donald-trump/index.html Once more, how to make a Sazerac: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/sazerac/ Wormwood? Absinthe? Poison? What?: Hines, Nickolause. “What Is Wormwood and What Does It Do to Absinthe?” June 18, 2018. Thrillist. https://www.thrillist.com/spirits/absinthe-pastis/what-wormwood-does-to-absinthe Oh, anise liquor, not a niece liquor: Sazerac.com “Herbsaint.” https://www.sazerac.com/our-brands/sazerac-brands/herbsaint.html What did Mack mean about section 5 of the 14th amendment: Chemerinsky, Erwin and Maltz, Earl M. “Common Interpretation.” Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-xiv/clauses/703#:~:text=Maltz&text=Section%20Five%20of%20the%20Fourteenth%20Amendment%20vests%20Congress%20with%20the,the%20provisions%20of%20Section%20One. Here’s a little about the 15th amendment: National Archives. “15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Voting Rights (1870).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/15th-amendment Two Republicans still holding on: Congress.gov. “Representative Adam Kinzinger.” https://www.congress.gov/member/adam-kinzinger/K000378 Congress.gov. “Representative Liz Cheney.” https://www.congress.gov/member/liz-cheney/C001109 Who voted for the aid package: Stiles, Matt. “How each US senator voted on the $95 billion foreign aid package.” April 30, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/23/politics/senate-vote-israel-ukraine-aid-dg/index.html It doesn’t have to be a two-party system, but there are reasons why it’s a two-party system: Pruitt, Sarah. “Why Does the US Have a Two-Party System?” January 12, 2024. History. https://www.history.com/news/two-party-system-american-politics And “trimming the verge” is a reference to The Fellowship Ring. But you already knew that.

Listen to resident foremen, Mack and Steve, make the call on our system of law. There’s also some references to pandemics and hurricanes in this show. Good times! References What’s the difference between a petit jury and a grand jury? United States Courts. “Types of Juries.” https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/jury-service/types-juries Steve was wrong. Louisiana does, in fact, have juries: Louisiana State Bar Association. “Jury Duty.” https://www.lsba.org/ChildrensLaw/COAJuryDuty.aspx Anne was wrong. Petit juries and petite clothes are not spelled the same. Though no one is sure, many people credit England with the creation of the jury system: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Jury.” Updated March 12, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/jury Learn about the Magna Carta: UK Parliament. “Magna Carta.” https://www.parliament.uk/ Didn’t get the Brexit joke? BBC News. “Brexit: What you need to know about the UK leaving the EU.” December 30, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887 Steve was correct. The “Dark Ages” is no longer the term du jour. Learn about the Migration Period: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Migration period.” March 23, 2018. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Dark-Ages Learn about feudalism: Brown, Elizabeth A. R. “Feudalism.” Updated March 4, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/feudalism Learn about Common Law: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Common law.” Updated March 3, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/common-law Learn about Justinian’s Code: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Code of Justinian.” April 7, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Code-of-Justinian Learn about the Napoleonic Code: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Napoleonic Code.” November 14, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Napoleonic-Code Despite Mack’s strong wording, the Napoleonic Code did have an influence on the law system of the state of Louisiana: Scalise, Ronald. “Napoleonic Code (French Civil Code).” Updated June 28, 2023. 64 Parishes. https://64parishes.org/entry/napoleonic-code-adaptation Learn about voir dire: Brenner, David. “Voir Dire.” August 2023. State Bar of Texas. https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=articles&ContentID=60713&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm Want to know the specifics about how a search warrant is issued in Texas: Texas Constitution and Statutes. “Chapter 18. Search Warrants.” https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/htm/CR.18.htm The person who said the thing about indicting a ham sandwich was Sol Wachtler: Levin, Josh. “The Judge Who Coined ‘Indict a Ham Sandwich’ Was Himself Indicted.” November 25, 2014. Slate. https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/11/sol-wachtler-the-judge-who-coined-indict-a-ham-sandwich-was-himself-indicted.html Mack was wrong. Florida does have grand juries: Florida Supreme Court. “The Statewide Grand Jury.” Last modified March 30, 2023. https://supremecourt.flcourts.gov/News-Media/Statewide-Grand-Jury Wiretaps are different: Bureau of Justice Assistance. “Title III of The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Wiretap Act).” https://bja.ojp.gov/program/it/privacy-civil-liberties/authorities/statutes/1284 What’s a FISA court? Bureau of Justice Assistance. “The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA). https://bja.ojp.gov/program/it/privacy-civil-liberties/authorities/statutes/1286 The CIA chooses to characterize themselves slightly differently than Steve and Mack do: CIA. “Top 10 CIA Myths.” August 14, 2018. https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/top-10-cia-myths/ Steve was right. It’s called a no bill: Cornell Law School. “True Bill.” Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/true_bill Book that Steve referenced, but got the name of the author slightly mixed up: Akhil Reed Amar. The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction. (Yale University Press, 2000). That quote was, indeed, in the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776): “The civil jury trial is preferable to any other and ought to be held sacred.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/virginia-declaration-of-rights Sounds like a good podcast topic to me: ACLU. “Asset Forfeiture Abuse.” https://www.aclu.org/issues/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police/asset-forfeiture-abuse Learn about some of the injustice in the justice system: Equal Justice Initiative. “Race and The Jury: Illegal Discrimination in the Jury Selection.” https://eji.org/report/race-and-the-jury/a-history-of-discrimination-in-jury-selection/#chapter-1 In case you are unfamiliar, here is a very short history of Emmett Till’s murder: FBI. “Emmett Till.” https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/emmett-till Here’s another good podcast topic: Meyer, Jon’a F. “Plea Bargaining.” January 6, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/plea-bargaining How do you start kicking out jurors? United States Courts. “Juror Selection Process.” https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/jury-service/juror-selection-process Mack was right. It’s called a preemptory challenge: Cornell Law School. “Preemptory Challenge.” Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/peremptory_challenge Learn how federal judges are appointed for life and paid for life: United States Courts. “About Federal Judges.” https://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/about-federal-judges Alexander Hamilton (Alexandar Hamilton) wrote Federalist 78 (1778) and you can access it here: https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/historic-document-library/detail/alexander-hamilton-federalist-no-78-1788 That’s correct everyone, the Constitution lists no qualifications to become a supreme court judge: The Law Dictionary. “Qualifications to Become a Supreme Court Justice.” https://thelawdictionary.org/article/qualifications-to-become-a-supreme-court-justice/ The recipe for a London Fog cocktail: https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/1186/london-fog The recipe for a West Indian cocktail: https://www.mixology.recipes/cocktails/west-indian The recipe for a Pegu Club cocktail: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/pegu-club-2/ If you want to visit the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk: https://www.riversideiowa.gov/ Book that Mack is reading: Michael Lewis. The Premonition: A Pandemic Story. (W. W. Norton & Company, 2021). The other book by the same guy: Michael Lewis. The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. (W. W. Norton & Company, 2011). Learn about the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/index.htm Learn about Charity Dean: COVID Collaborative. “Charity Dean.” https://www.covidcollaborative.us/team/charity-dean Learn about FEMA: https://www.fema.gov/ Learn about Hurricane Katrina: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Hurricane Katrina.” Updated March 11, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Hurricane-Katrina Here’s a little overview of the White House’s pandemic plans, starting with George W. Bush: Wilensky, Gail. “The Importance of Reestablishing a Pandemic Preparedness Office at the White House.” July 9, 2020. JAMA Network. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2768321 Yes, Hewlett-Packard was built in a garage. Do you want to see it? HP Museum. “The HP Garage – The Birthplace of Silicon Valley.” https://www.hpmuseum.org/garage/garage.htm In case you never heard of him: Service to America Medals. “Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.” https://servicetoamericamedals.org/honorees/anthony-s-fauci-m-d/ If you want to know how much jurors are paid: United States Courts. “Juror Pay.” https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/jury-service/juror-pay And Anne probably won’t be replacing Justice Sotomayor on the Supreme Court. But you already knew that.

Come for the archaic units of measure, stay for the metric throwdown! The concept of an acre is so enigmatic that in a podcast titled “What’s an Acre?”, we still got it wrong. An acre is 4,840 square yards and not feet as we say repeatedly in this podcast: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Acre: Unit of measurement.” Updated February 9, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/acre-unit-of-measurement Believe it or not, the measurement of a chain is still used in the world: National Wildfire Coordinating Group. “Chain, Pace, Walking a Chain.” https://www.nwcg.gov/course/ffm/vert-horiz-and-slope/46-chain-pace-walking-a-chain Mack did not make up the name Edmund Gunter: National Museum of American History. “Surveyor’s Chain.” https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_761634 Want to deep dive into the vara and other Spanish units of measure: Reyes-Martinez, Marcos A. “The Vara: A Standard of Length With a Not-So-Standard History.” October 11, 2019. National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/vara-standard-length-not-so-standard-history Anne misspoke, they are not the Daughters of the Alamo, they are in fact: The Daughters of the Republic of Texas. https://drtinfo.org/ If, like Steve and Mack, you can’t remember your Texas history: Barker, Eugene C. “Austin, Stephen Fuller (1793–1836).” Updated February 25, 2021. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/austin-stephen-fuller According to this very serious deep dive into the cubit, it’s still in use in some locations: Stone, Mark. H. “The Cubit: A History and Measurement Commentary.” January 30, 2014. Journal of Anthropology. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/janthro/2014/489757/ The Constitution, article 1, section 8, clause 5: “...To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures...” https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i#article-section-8 “One platinum bar in France” would be a great name for a novel: National Institute of Standards and Technology. “Meter.” Updated June 2, 2021. https://www.nist.gov/si-redefinition/meter Here’s a brief overview of the metric system that notes that the second is actually considered the metric unit of time: U.S. Metric Association. “Origin of the Metric System.” Updated October 22, 2019. https://usma.org/origin-of-the-metric-system A little about time and the sexagesimal system: Lombardi, Michael A. “Why is a minute divided into 60 seconds, an hour into 60 minutes, yet there are only 24 hours in a day?” March 5, 2007. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-time-division-days-hours-minutes/ Here’s someone talking more eloquently and authoritatively about the metric system than us: Benham, Elizabeth. “Busting Myths about the Metric System.” October 6, 2020. National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/busting-myths-about-metric-system Let’s talk about temperature: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Temperature.” Updated February 13, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/temperature Steve’s favorite book: Daniel Immerwahr. How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States. (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2019). Seeking economic advantage is one reason people change the primary language they use: Tesch, Noah. “Why Do Languages Die?” February 19, 2016. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-languages-die Definition of commerce: Merriam-Webster. “Commerce.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commerce Not familiar with nautical miles and knots: National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. “What is the difference between a nautical mile and a knot?” National Ocean Service. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/nautical-mile-knot How to make a Black Velvet: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/black-velvet/ How to make a Boilermaker: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/boilermaker/ What Steve is reading: Ray Bradbury. The Illustrated Man. (Simon &Schuster, 1951). Ray Bradbury. The Martian Chronicles. (Simon &Schuster, 1950). What Mack is reading: Annie Jacobsen. Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America. (Little, Brown, and Company, 2014). Walter Lord. A Night to Remember. (Griffin, 1955). Did the U.S. military consider using gas weapons in World War II? The National World War II Museum: New Orleans. “Should We Use Poison Gas?” May 5, 2018. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/wwii-polls/roper-polls-poison-gas Factors in the decision to drop the atomic bomb: National Park Service. “Harry Truman’s Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb.” January 11, 2023. https://www.nps.gov/articles/trumanatomicbomb.htm What Anne is watching: Yamazaki, Takashi, director. Godzilla Minus One. 2023; Toho Studios Co. Ltd. 2 hours, 4 minutes. If you are disappointed that Steven didn’t go into the Whiskey Rebellion: History.com Editors. “Whiskey Rebellion.” Updated June 21, 2023. History. https://www.history.com/topics/early-us/whiskey-rebellion You’re on your own for the measurements, but here’s the song “A Bushel and a Peck”: https://youtu.be/YoVt12EyzKw?si=whrkDHRnCGsziVaD Here’s a lot about barrels: Gerali, Francesco. “Barrel (Unit of Measurement).” 2019. Engineering and Technology History Wiki. https://ethw.org/Barrel_(Unit_of_Measurement) Here’s why a pint is, in fact, not a pound the world round: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pint.” April 29, 2004. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/pint And we truly love and appreciate our tens of listeners. But you already knew that.

Mack and Steve dive into various types of immunity. Also, we go off on rockets for a while. References “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” Juvenal. Satire VI, lines 347–348. Alan Moore wrote Watchmen. Alan Moore (Author) and Dave Gibbons (Illustrator). Watchmen. (DC Comics, 1995). That guy that cracked his head open because they just shoved him: The Guardian. “Buffalo police cleared over pushing 75-year-old George Floyd protester.” April 10, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/10/buffalo-police-cleared-over-pushing-75-year-old-george-floyd-protester The NYPD not arresting people to put pressure on the mayor and city government: Ford, Matt. “The Benefits of Fewer NYPD Arrests.” December 31, 2014. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/the-benefits-of-fewer-nypd-arrests/384126/ Learn about Frank Serpico and the movie Serpico in one go: Speicher, Jeffrey. “’Serpico’: How Does the Movie Compare to the True Story?” August 20, 2023. Collider. https://collider.com/serpico-true-story/ The park in Eagle Pass, Texas is Shelby Park: García, Uriel J. “In Eagle Pass, a tense border standoff between Texas and the federal government is reaching a crescendo.” January 22, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/22/texas-border-patrol-immigration-enforcement-eagle-pass-park/ What’s federalism? Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Federalism.” Updated January 2, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/federalism The Border Patrol union supporting Texas governor, Greg Abbott: Dobkin, Rachel. “Border Patrol Union Head Praises Greg Abbott After Military Blocks Agents.” January 15, 2024. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/border-patrol-union-praise-greg-abbott-migrants-texas-eagle-pass-1860837 The law passed by the Texas legislature that Mack referenced: García, Uriel J. “Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill making illegal immigration a state crime.” December 18, 2023.  The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/18/texas-governor-abbott-bills-border-wall-illegal-entry-crime-sb3-sb4/#:~:text=Gov.%20Greg%20Abbott%20signs%20bill,Grande%20between%20ports%20of%20entry. Unfamiliar with border checkpoints: ACLU. “Know Your Rights: 100 Mile Border Zone.” https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/border-zone Some info on internal affairs: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. “Revisiting ‘Who is Guarding the Guardians’?” https://www.usccr.gov/files/pubs/guard/ch4.htm Here’s a news story where a police officer caused harm to an innocent civilian: Duncan, Jericka. “Police shoot unarmed man with hands up” [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRMYVFmEmx Here’s a news story where a police officer caused harm to a civilian guilty of speeding: Mckay, Rich and Trotta, Daniel. “Police release video of fatal shooting of Black man in Georgia.” October 18, 2023. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/police-release-video-fatal-shooting-black-man-georgia-2023-10-19/ Here’s a news story where a police officer shot someone unarmed in the back: Burke, Minyvonne. “Police officers told Los Angeles man was unarmed moments before they shot him, video shows.” September 2, 2022. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/police-officers-told-los-angeles-man-was-unarmed-moments-shot-video-sh-rcna46035 Here’s a news story where a police officer shot someone unarmed in the front: Beausoleil, Sophia. “Bodycam Video Showing Shooting of Unarmed Man Released, Former Wolfe City Officer Acquitted of Murder Charge.” September 28, 2022. NBCDFW. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/bodycam-video-showing-shooting-of-unarmed-man-released-former-wolfe-city-officer-acquitted-of-murder-charge/3084202/ Here’s a news story where the police did a search in the wrong house and someone reacted badly: Matza, Max. “Kenneth Walker: Bronna Taylor’s boyfriend wins $2m settlement.” December 12, 2022. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63953359 Here’s a news story where the police did a search in the right house and someone reacted badly: Edwards, Jeremy and Osborne, Mark. “Police officer Ricky Anderson charge with murder for shooting Black man in his bed.” August 4, 2023. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/police-officer-ricky-anderson-charged-murder-shooting-unarmed/story?id=102016997 Here’s a news story where there was no warrant, no search, just a woman in her home playing video games with her grandchild when a police officer shot her: Silva, Daniella. “Trial begins for former Texas officer who shot Black woman through a window in her home.” December 5, 2022. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trial-begins-former-texas-officer-shot-black-woman-window-home-rcna60209 Want to learn more about qualified immunity: Legal Defense Fund. “Qualified Immunity FAQ.” https://www.naacpldf.org/qualified-immunity/ Want to learn more about sovereign immunity: McCann, Miles. “State Sovereign Immunity.” November 11, 2017. National Association of Attorneys General. https://www.naag.org/attorney-general-journal/state-sovereign-immunity/ Not the dessert: American Museum of Tort Law. “What is Tort Law?” https://www.tortmuseum.org/what-is-tort-law/ The dessert: Morrissey, Ellen. “How to Tell a Torte From a Cake—Plus Our Favorite Recipes, From Sacher to Linzer Tortes.” October 27, 2023. Martha Stewart. https://www.marthastewart.com/2124450/torte-linzer-torte-sacher-torte-explained If you want to read up on the Federal Tort Claims Act: Ohn, Gerald S. “Suing A Federal Governmental Entity Under The Federal Tort Claims Act.” November 2016. Advocate Magazine. https://www.advocatemagazine.com/article/2016-november/suing-a-federal-governmental-entity-under-the-federal-tort-claims-act Want to know which states have a tort claims court: Morton, Kendall; Bidwell, Anya; Jaicomo, Patrick; and Cairns, Megan. “50 Shades of Government Immunity.” January 25, 2022. Institute for Justice. https://ij.org/report/50-shades-of-government-immunity/ One example of a police officer who should not have been a police officer after his conduct was investigated by other police officers: Lartey, Jamiles and VanSickle, Abbie. “’That could have been me’: The people Derek Chauvin choked before George Floyd.” February 5, 2021. The Marshall Project. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/02/05/that-could-have-been-me-the-people-derek-chauvin-choked-before-george-floyd Cops are used as the catch-all janitors for cities: Lopez, German. “One of the biggest problems with American policing: we rely on cops way too much.” January 24, 2016. Vox. https://www.vox.com/2016/1/24/10816536/police-reliance-melvin-russell An article about the police receiving military training: Rojas, Nikki. “Why police resist reforms to militarization.” March 3, 2023. The Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/03/expert-looks-at-how-and-why-police-resist-reforms-to-militarization/ Story that Steve referenced about a police officer who was fired for not shooting a suspect: Lartey, Jamiles. “Police officer fired for not shooting black suspect wins $175,000.” February 12, 2018. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/12/stephen-mader-west-virginia-police-officer-settles-lawsuit What are rules of engagement: Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Rules of engagement.” Updated January 2, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/rules-of-engagement-military-directives Want to see what an MRAP looks like: Oshkosh Defense. “Mine-resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP).” https://oshkoshdefense.com/vehicles/mine-resistant-ambush-protected-mrap/  Police stress and deleterious outcomes: Otto, H. Douglas and Gatens, Alysson. “Understanding Police Officer Stress: A Review of the Literature.” May 24, 2022. Illinois Criminal Justices Information Authority. https://icjia.illinois.gov/researchhub/articles/understanding-police-officer-stress-a-review-of-the-literature In case you aren’t familiar with the STFU ads: Farah, Troy. “The Pot Brothers at Law Want You to ‘Shut the Fuck Up’ Around Cops.” May 28, 2021. Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/qj8kgw/the-pot-brothers-at-law-want-you-to-shut-the-fuck-up-around-cops A little about false confessions: Innocence Project. “False Confessions.” https://innocenceproject.org/false-confessions/#:~:text=It's%20hard%20to%20imagine%20why,lying%20about%20evidence%2C%20and%20more. The interrogation technique used in the U.S. that we touched on is the Reid technique. Here is a brief overview: Pumphrey, Jade. “Using behavioral analysis interview techniques to elicit confessions.” November 27, 2018. American Military University. https://www.police1.com/police-products/interview-recording/articles/using-behavioral-analysis-interview-techniques-to-elicit-confessions-hnqZVx2g4adqiIaD/ Here’s why it’s been criticized by a lot of people: Science Direct. “Reid Technique.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/reid-technique Here’s some info about plea bargains: St. Francis School of Law. “What’s a Plea Bargain and How Does It Impact the Justice System?” December 5, 2022. https://stfrancislaw.com/blog/whats-a-plea-bargain-and-how-does-it-impact-the-justice-system/ How to make a sazerac: Garret, Dylan. “Sazerac.” June 28, 2023. Liquor. https://www.liquor.com/recipes/sazerac/ Do you think these reasons are stupid: Difford, Simon. “Why absinthe was banned.” Difford’s Guide. https://www.diffordsguide.com/g/1102/absinthe/why-absinthe-was-banned What’s a pastis: Overhiser, Sonja. “Pastis Drink.” A Couple Cooks. https://www.acouplecooks.com/pastis-drink/#:~:text=Pastis%20is%20an%20anise%2Dflavored,that%20is%20also%20lightly%20sweetened. How to make a Cape Cod: Graham, Colleen. “Cape Cod (Vodka Cranberry) Cocktail.” The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/cape-codder-recipe-759287 Because you know you want to listen to the X-Men theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAkL2-vh2Sk To make an X-Men cocktail (according to Polly Esther’s): Make a Cape Cod and add a shot of Peach Schnapps. You’re welcome. Not familiar with the X1: Smithsonian. “Bell X-1.” https://www.si.edu/object/bell-x-1%3Anasm_A19510007000 Places Steve went in Washington, D.C.: National Museum of the American Indian. https://americanindian.si.edu/ National Museum of African American History & Culture. https://nmaahc.si.edu/ National Gallery of Art. https://www.nga.gov/ Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. https://www.nps.gov/mlkm/index.htm Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/ Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center And go ahead, geek out on the X-Wing: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/X-wing_starfighter What Mack is reading: Annie Jacobsen. Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base. (Back Bay Books, 2012). Didn’t know there were human radiation experiments: Atomic Heritage Foundation. “Human Radiation Experiments.” July 11, 2017. https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/human-radiation-experiments/ Yeah, so NERVA engines: Arrighi, Robert (Editor). “Nuclear Rockets.” September 28, 2021. NASA. https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/historic-facilities/rockets-systems-area/7911-2/ Hear Freeman Dyson’s take on Project Orion: PBS. “Freeman Dyson and Project Orion” [Video]. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/command-and-control-freeman-dyson-and-project-orion/ Here’s the book that Mack thinks everyone should read: George Dyson. Project Orion: The True Story of the Atomic Spaceship. (Henry Holt and Co., 2002). What Anne’s been watching: White, Ryan, director. Good Night Oppy. 2022; Amazon Studios; 1 hour 44 minutes. And the “neutral zone” is a reference to Star Trek. But you already knew that.

Not to overstate the case, but the primary elections are where we can stage our revolution and overthrow the government! Listen to Mack and Steven discuss why the primaries are where it’s at. If you need a refresher: USA.gov. “Presidential primaries and caucuses.” https://www.usa.gov/primaries-caucuses Because some people disagree with Mack’s opinion of the Iowa caucus: Oliphant, James. “Iowa Caucus 2024: How does it work and why is it important?” January 2, 2024. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/iowa-caucus-2024-how-does-it-work-why-is-it-important-2023-12-19/ Who shot what in the Federalist Party? American Experience. “The Federalist and the Republican Party.” PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/duel-federalist-and-republican-party/ Apparently, it was a bit of a misnomer but: U.S.History.org. “The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System.” https://www.ushistory.org/us/23a.asp If you are a bit fuzzy on the 1824 election: Levy, Michael. “United States presidential election of 1824.” Last updated April 26, 2017. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1824/additional-info#history If you want to see John Quincy Adams’ really, really awesome facial hair: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/john-quincy-adams/ In case you don’t actually know them as Whigs: Bomboy, Scott. “On this day, the Whig Party becomes a national force.” December 4, 2022.  National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-the-whig-party-becomes-a-national-force When the Republicans got created: U.S.History.org. “The Origins of the Republican Party.” https://www.ushistory.org/gop/origins.htm Some history of conventions and primaries: Library of Congress. “Political Primaries: How Are Candidates Nominated?” https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/elections/presidential-election-process/political-primaries-how-are-candidates-nominated/ If you want to know more about Hubert Humphrey and his campaign in 1968: Smith, Stephen and Ellis, Kate. “Campaign ’68.” APM Reports. https://features.apmreports.org/arw/campaign68/e1.html What happened to the Republicans in 1964: Perlstein, Rick. “How the 1964 Republican Convention Sparked a Revolution From the Right.” August 2008. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/1964-republican-convention-revolution-from-the-right-915921/ Some information about low voter turnout at primaries: Ferrer, Joshua and Throning, Michael. “2022 Primary Turnout: Trends and Lessons for Boosting Participation.” March 6, 2023. Bipartisan Policy Center. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/2022-primary-turnout/ Was Joe Biden elected as a senator to Delaware before you were born? Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. “Biden, Joseph Robinette (Joe), Jr.” https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/B000444 Never spent much time thinking about Bill Clinton’s conservative policies? Stein, Judith and Lichtenstein, Nelson. “Bill Clinton Campaigned as a Progressive. Why Didn’t He Govern Like One?” September 8, 2023. Mother Jones. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/09/bill-clinton-a-fabulous-failure-nelson-lichtenstein-judith-stein/ Some info about voter turnout in Texas primaries, in particular: Cai, Mandi and Dey, Sneha. “Nearly 18% of registered Texas voters cast 2022 primary ballots.” Updated March 24, 2022. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/14/texas-primary-voting-turnout/ The last time a Democrat held a statewide office in Texas: Selby, W. Gardner. “Texas Democrats shut out of statewide office longer than Democrats in other states.” September 26, 2012. PolitiFact. https://www.politifact.com/article/2012/sep/26/texas-democrats-have-lost-statewide-elections-long/ New to ranked-choice voting, too? Ballotpedia. “Ranked-choice voting (RCV).” https://ballotpedia.org/Ranked-choice_voting_(RCV) Primaries, coming fast: National Conference of State Legislatures. “2024 State Primary Election Dates.” Updated December 11, 2023. https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/2024-state-primary-election-dates The actual Supreme Court case that overturned Texas White primaries: Smith v. Allwright, 321 U.S. 649 (1944) If you would like to learn more about Smith v. Allwright: Legal Defense Fund. “Landmark: Smith V. Allwright.” https://www.naacpldf.org/case-issue/landmark-smith-v-allwright/ Texas v. White was a completely different shining moment of Texas history: Texas State Historical Association. “Texas v. White.” Updated August 4, 2020. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/texas-v-white Wait, what happened with the 1948 election of Lyndon B. Johnson for senate? Mangan, James W. “AP Was There: Uncovering Lyndon B. Johnson’s stolen election.” March 31, 2023. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/lbj-stolen-election-box-13-mangan-c818e478ec509c65585d3094bda69f96 If you would like to try a Lisbon flight: French 75. https://www.liquor.com/recipes/french-75-2/ Champagne Cocktail. https://www.acouplecooks.com/the-classic-champagne-cocktail/ Cointreau. https://www.cointreau.com/us/en/ Bourbon. The law’s the law: Schiessel, Courtney. “Why You Shouldn’t Call Sparkling Wine ‘Champagne’.” October 18, 2018. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/courtneyschiessl/2018/10/18/champagne-sparkling-wine-difference/?sh=7b6157f02081 And if you want to get snooty with cheese: Olmsted, Larry. “What You're Really Getting When You Buy Parmesan Cheese in America.” October 30, 2019. Serious Eats. https://www.seriouseats.com/best-parmesan-cheese-parmigiano-reggiano-labeling#:~:text=Among%20cheese%20aficionados%2C%20Parmesan%20is,Reggio%20in%20Italy's%20Emilia%2DRomagna. What Mack is reading: Annie Jacobsen. The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency. (Back Bay Books, 2016). What Steve is reading: Andy Weir. The Martian. (Broadway Books, 2014). Richard Haass. The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens. (Penguin Press, 2023). About Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears: National Archives. “President Andrew Jackson’s Message to Congress ‘On Indian Removal’ (1830).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/jacksons-message-to-congress-on-indian-removal Case where the Supreme Court sided with the Cherokee Nation: Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 30 U.S. 5 Pet. 1 1 (1831) A history of voting rights in the U.S.: Al Jazeera. “Who got the right to vote when? A history of voting rights in America.” Updated August 18, 2020. https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2016/us-elections-2016-who-can-vote/index.html Scurvy? MedlinePlus. “Scurvy.” https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000355.htm “Play it, Sam.” Interesting Facts. “Humphry Bogart never says ‘Play it again, Sam’ in ‘Casablanca’.” https://www.interestingfacts.com/fact/61f84432025e2c0009c02631 Malt is a grain product: MasterClass. “What Is Malt? Discover How Malt is Made.” Updated May 5, 2022. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-malt How do we get more people to vote? Dionne Jr., E. J. and Rapoport, Miles. “A Dozen Ways to Increase Voting in the United States.” September 12, 2022. Carnegie Corporation of New York. https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/dozen-ways-increase-voting-united-states/ A little more info about the O’Rourke/Cruz election: Ramsey, Ross. “Analysis: One last Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke Texas election headline.” November 6, 2018. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2018/11/06/analysis-last-ted-cruz-beto-orourke-texas-election/ Yes, older people are more likely to vote: Brandon, Emily. “Why Older Citizens are More Likely to Vote.” October 5, 2020. U.S. News. https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/aging/articles/why-older-citizens-are-more-likely-to-vote And people have been debating who Ilsa Lund was really in love with since the movie Casablanca debuted. But you already knew that.

Mack and Steve wade into the role the United States plays in the world’s conflicts. This includes talking about several examples like the current war between Israel and Palestine. Fair warning: this episode covers some heavier topics than our previous ones have. References Just because they both like to say it a lot: Merriam-Webster. “Hegemony.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegemony Everything that’s going on in Ukraine: AP News. “Russia-Ukraine War.” https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine If you don’t live in Mauritania: Gerteiny, Alfred G., Stewart, Charles C., Toupet, Charles Henri, and Deschamps, Hubert Jules. “Mauritania.” November 7, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Mauritania New to NATO? NATO. “What is NATO?” https://www.nato.int/nato-welcome/ Foreign Affairs archive articles are behind a paywall, but if you would like some context about Mack’s reference to Germany and nuclear weapons, here’s a nice overview: Mendhelsohn, Jack. “NATO’s Nuclear Weapons: The Rationale for ‘No First Use’.” Arms Control Association. https://www.armscontrol.org/act/1999-07/features/natos-nuclear-weapons-rationale-first-use Don’t remember when Samuel Huntington was all the rage? Betts, Richard K. “Samuel P. Huntington: American political scientist.” Britannica. Last updated April 14, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-P-Huntington Brush up on your Warsaw Pact: NATO. “What Was The Warsaw Pact?” https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/declassified_138294.htm#:~:text=The%20Warsaw%20Pact%20was%20a,(Albania%20withdrew%20in%201968). We couldn’t find a solid academic source that concisely describes the political theory of a “Concert of Nations” that wasn’t behind a paywall, but it is derived from the Concert of Europe which you can read about here: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Concert of Europe.” Last updated February 22, 2016. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Concert-of-Europe Want to get to know the United Nations: United Nations. “Welcome to the United Nations.” https://www.un.org/ A detailed account about the U.S. role in Lebanon: Office of the Historian. “The Regan Administration and Lebanon, 1981–1984.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1981-1988/lebanon A brief overview of what happened in Bosnia: Holocaust Museum Houston. “Genocide in Bosnia.” https://hmh.org/library/research/genocide-in-bosnia-guide/ The town hall meeting featuring Secretary of State Madeline Albright where Ohio State students protested was actually about the Iraq war. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/fcLaKGNDtzo?si=ysZTDCE0Rcguh0Hw What we’re doing in Ukraine: U.S. Department of Defense. “Russian War in Ukraine Timeline.” https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/Support-for-Ukraine/Timeline/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20the%20United%20States,and%20brutal%20invasion%20on%20Feb. U.S. role that may not have been that helpful in Central and South America: Isacson, Adam. “The United States’ Influence on Latin America’s New Militarism.” November 22, 2021. WOLA. https://www.wola.org/analysis/the-united-states-influence-on-latin-americas-new-militarism/ Do Americans support Israel’s attack on Palestine? Santhanam, Laura. “Poll: Majority of Americans sympathize with Israel but growing number say military response in Gaza ‘too much’.” November 12, 2023. PBS News Hour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/poll-majority-of-americans-sympathize-with-israel-but-growing-number-say-military-response-in-gaza-too-much An article about Israeli claims of finding a Hamas headquarters in a hospital: Al-Mughrabi, Nidal. “Hamas command centre, weapons found at Gaza hospital, Israeli military says.” November 15, 2023. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-raids-gazas-al-shifa-hospital-2023-11-15/ An article about the recent escalation of hostilities in the West Bank: Goldenberg, Tia and Mohammed, Majdi. “Israeli forces kill at least 8 Palestinians in surging West Bank violence, health officials say.” November 26, 2023. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/west-bank-palestinians-israel-military-raid-3deed25c4c14a5e3048778cbc79523c5 There is an extensive political history behind whether Israelis support Benjamin Netanyahu or not. This article focuses on the time period after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. Frayer, Lauren. “After Hamas attack, most Israelis want Netanyahu to resign, according to poll.” November 11, 2023. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/11/11/1211767117/israel-netanyahu-growing-opposition-hamas-war-gaza A tactical analysis (with very little description of violence) of the October 7 attack: Ragad, Abdelali, Irvine-Brown, Richard, Garman, Benedict, and Seddon, Sean. “How Hamas built a force to attack Israel on 7 October.” November 27, 2023. BBC Arabic and BBC Verify. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67480680 If you need help understanding the size of Gaza and the population living there: Moriarty, Dylan, Berkowitz, Bonnie. “Visualizing the size of Gaza City compared with U.S. cities.” October 17, 2023. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/17/gaza-size-population-comparison/ Several sources agree that as of the first week of November 2023, over 10,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began bombing Gaza in response to the October 7th attack by Hamas. The exact number has been called into question and this article discusses the complexity of creating an accurate death toll: BBC Verify team. “How the dead are counted in Gaza.” November 15, 2023. BBC Verify. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67347201 A history of antisemitism in the United States: Center for Antisemitism Research. “Antisemitic Attitudes in America: Topline Findings.” January 12, 2023. Anti-Defamation League. https://www.adl.org/resources/report/antisemitic-attitudes-america-topline-findings A brief overview of the long history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine: Center for Preventive Action. “Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.” Updated November 27, 2023. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/israeli-palestinian-conflict President Biden’s documented response to the October 7th attack: The White House. “Remarks by President Biden on the October 7th Terrorist Attacks and the Resilience of the State of Israel and its People: Tel Aviv, Israel.” October 18, 2023. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/10/18/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-october-7th-terrorist-attacks-and-the-resilience-of-the-state-of-israel-and-its-people-tel-aviv-israel/#:~:text=We're%20working%20with%20partners,return%20of%20all%20these%20hostages. In case you are not aware of what we meant when we referenced the U.S. response to 9/11: Council on Foreign Relations. “1999–2021: The U.S. War in Afghanistan.” https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-war-afghanistan How the U.K. and the League of Nations are involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: GCHQ. “The Palestine Mandate.” https://www.gchq.gov.uk/information/palestine-mandate And now, for something completely different...bless Secret of the Booze for creating Griswold punch. May it become a tradition for you as it has been for Anne and her family: https://youtu.be/g96DEG2WTF8?si=cRGd4KLjAsfbqF0o Christmas movies we referenced: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) A Christmas Story (1983) Die Hard (1988) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) If you don’t know why Steve felt the need to tell you that the ice cream was Blue Bell, it’s because it’s very very important in Texas. For example, here is an article explaining how we don’t even let a petty thing like listeria dissuade us from Blue Bell: Castro, Lauren. “Blue Bell is Still My Ice Cream of Choice.” March 21, 2023. Texas Monthly. https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/blue-bell-is-still-my-ice-cream-of-choice/ If you, too, want to want to impress your family and friends by making amazing eggnog (but for the love of all things holy, don’t substitute Laphroaig): https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/eggnog-recipe2-2013745 In case, like Anne, you didn’t get Mack’s ham sandwich joke: Levin, Josh. “The Judge Who Coined ‘Indict a Ham Sandwich’ Was Himself Indicted.” November 25, 2014. Slate. https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/11/sol-wachtler-the-judge-who-coined-indict-a-ham-sandwich-was-himself-indicted.html Podcast that Steve is listening to: David Priess for Lawfare. “Science Fiction and International Relations with Stephen Dyson.” July 27, 2023. Chatter (podcast). https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-chatter-podcast-science-fiction-and-international-relations-with-stephen-dyson One way to make a vieux carré: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/vieux-carre/ But Mack prefers to use the recipe in: Stanley Clisby Arthur. Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em. (Pelican Publishing, 1977). Old square in Spanish is plaza vieja. RIP Dianne Feinstein: Blood, Michael R. and Jalonick, Mary Clare. “Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, trailblazer and champion of liberal priorities, dies at age 90.” October 4, 2023. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-dead-c831f3228ac44faa9653234570bb8ce9 How often do you think about the Roman Senate: Cartwright, Mark. “Roman Senate.” December 12, 2016. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Senate/ What could “better quality voter” be coded language for: Bella, Timothy. “A GOP lawmaker says the ‘quality’ of a vote matters. Critics say that’s ‘straight out of Jim Crow.’” March 13, 2021. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/13/arizona-quality-votes-kavanagh/ You’ve heard Steve and Mack’s opinion. Here’s what the State of Texas says the Texas Enterprise Fund is for: The State of Texas Governor. “Texas Enterprise Fund.” https://gov.texas.gov/business/page/texas-enterprise-fund In case you aren’t completely familiar with the Texas constitutional amendments we’re discussing: Texas Secretary of State. “Constitutional Amendment Election Sample Ballot.” November 7, 2023. https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/forms/2023-sample-ballot-final.pdf A little ozone history: Walker, Kira. “What happened to the world’s ozone hole?” January 9, 2023. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220321-what-happened-to-the-worlds-ozone-hole Learn about the Clean Air Act: EPA. “Clean Air Act Requirements and History.” Last updated on August 8, 2023. https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/clean-air-act-requirements-and-history#:~:text=To%20protect%20public%20health%20and%20welfare%20nationwide%2C%20the%20Clean%20Air,based%20on%20the%20latest%20science. Learn about acid rain: EPA. “What is Acid Rain?” Last updated June 1, 2023. https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain#:~:text=Acid%20rain%2C%20or%20acid%20deposition,even%20dust%20that%20is%20acidic. And the “Galactic Empire” is a reference to Star Wars. But you already knew that.

Mack and Steve talk about taxes, highway budgets, and there are two (count ‘em two!) separate references to presidential speeches! Come join the fun! What one doctor has to say about health insurance: Shmerling, Robert H. “Is our healthcare system broken?” July 13, 2021. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-our-healthcare-system-broken-202107132542 Does Jeff Bezos pay any taxes: Eisinger, Jesse, Ernsthausen, Jeff, and Kiel, Paul. “The secret IRS files: Trove of never-before-seen records reveal how the wealthiest avoid income tax.” June 8, 2021. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/the-secret-irs-files-trove-of-never-before-seen-records-reveal-how-the-wealthiest-avoid-income-tax Curious about how long it would take you to earn as much money as Jeff Bezos: Merelli, Annalisa. “The average US worker would need 10 times the length of all human history to earn as much as Jeff Bezos.” October 10, 2019. Quartz. https://qz.com/1723454/this-is-how-long-an-average-us-worker-needs-to-become-a-billionaire What Warren Buffett had to say about his secretary’s taxes: Isidore, Chris. “Buffett says he’s still paying lower tax rate than his secretary.” March 4, 2013. CNN Business. https://money.cnn.com/2013/03/04/news/economy/buffett-secretary-taxes/index.html Want to learn more about education vouchers in Texas: Osteen, Olivia. “Texas’ governor is pushing major school choice bill: What it means – and will it pass?” October 24, 2023. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/texas-governor-pushing-major-school-choice-bill-means/story?id=104050942 Want more info about the “special” sessions: The Texas Politics Project. “Special sessions of the Texas legislature.” https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/archive/html/bur/features/0404_02/slide1.html Want to read the book that is the Texas Constitution: Texas Legislative Council. “General reference.” As amended through the May 7, 2022, election. https://tlc.texas.gov/docs/legref/TxConst.pdf What is the term for a Texas governor (asking for a friend): U.S. Term Limits. “Which states have term limits on governor?” https://www.termlimits.com/which-states-have-term-limits-on-governor/ Is the Texas attorney general a crook? You decide: The Texas Tribune. “Ken Paxton Impeachment.” https://www.texastribune.org/series/ken-paxton-impeachment-texas-attorney-general/ Yes, other states have offices that deal with railroads. But the Texas Railroad Commissioner is a fairly unique post because they no longer oversee the railroads. So, what do they do, according to their office: Railroad Commission of Texas. “About us.” https://www.rrc.texas.gov/about-us/ In case you were wondering who now runs the Texas railroads: Federal Railroad Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. https://railroads.dot.gov/ Not familiar with West Texas Intermediate: Chen, James. “West Texas Intermediate (WTI): Definition and use as a benchmark.” June 13, 2022. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/wti.asp Why yes, the U.S. is a net oil exporter: U.S. Energy Information Administration. “How much petroleum does the United States import and export?” https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&t=6#:~:text=The%20resulting%20total%20net%20petroleum,million%20b%2Fd%20in%202022. Yep, Texas has earthquakes: Douglas, Erin. “Earthquakes in Texas doubled in 2021. Scientists cite years of oil companies injecting sludgy water underground.” February 8, 2022. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/08/west-texas-earthquakes-fracking/ Curious to learn a little history about the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) not maintaining roads due to budget cuts: Floyd, Ian. “Plans to convert paved roads to gravel begins despite local concerns.” August 19, 2013. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2013/08/19/conversion-of-roads-to-gravel-met-with-concern/ What about TxDOT’s current budget, you say: Texas Department of Transportation. “Funding Brochure 2023.” https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/fin/funding-brochure-2023.pdf Unfamiliar with the concept of a farm to market or ranch to market road: Texas Department of Transportation. “Farm/Ranch to Market Facts.” https://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/fmfacts.htm#:~:text=Texas%20is%20the%20only%20state,have%20Farm%20to%20Market%20Roads. The toll road that goes around Austin is 130, Anne approves of it, and you can find it here: General Texas Regional Mobility Authority. “Open Toll Roads Map." https://www.mobilityauthority.com/pay-your-toll/roads/map Want more info on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Second Bill of Rights: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. “1944 State of the Union Address: FDR’s ‘Second Bill of Rights’ or ‘Economic Bill of Rights’ speech.” http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/archives/stateoftheunion.html When were flu shots made: World Health Organization. “History of the influenza vaccine.” https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/history-of-vaccination/history-of-influenza-vaccination If you don’t want to go to the last episode to look up How to Hide an Empire: Daniel Immerwahr. How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States. (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2019). Mack knows a lot about U.S. aircraft carriers and so can you: U.S. Naval Institute. “USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker.” October 30, 2023. https://news.usni.org/2023/10/30/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-oct-30-2023#more-106578 The F-35, we’re sure is a very nice fighter plane, but: Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. “Fact Sheet: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Costs and challenges.” April 7, 2016 (updated July 2021). https://armscontrolcenter.org/f-35-joint-strike-fighter-costs-challenges/ Want more info on Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address: National Archives. “President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address.” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-dwight-d-eisenhowers-farewell-address Love who now: Matthew 22:37-40  Who inherits the Earth again: Psalms 37:11 How to make a margarita cocktail: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/margarita/ Wait, there’s tequila with sugar in it: Difford’s Guide for Discerning Drinkers. “Tequila: Classifications, categories, & classes.” https://www.diffordsguide.com/g/1084/tequila/classifications Our listener, Jason, recommends the following mezcal, and we concur: Luminar Mezcal Need to brush up on the Fibonacci sequence to mix cocktails: Math is Fun. “Fibonacci sequence.” https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/fibonacci-sequence.html Mack and Anne still politely disagree in Texan, but Steve may be on to something when it comes to putting your alcohol in the freezer: Gane, Tamara. “This is why you should never store booze in the freezer.” February 14, 2022. Southern Living. https://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/storing-liquor-in-freezer What Steve is reading: Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer (editors). Myth America: Historians Take The Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past. (Basic Books, 2023) What Mack is reading: Boethius. Consolation of Philosophy. (Penguin Classics, 1999). Want to find out if you’re are part neanderthal like Mack through the National Geographic Genographic Project? Well, I have some bad news for you: National Geographic. “Genographic DNA ancestry discontinuation: About the project.” https://help.nationalgeographic.com/?path=s/article/Genographics-DNA-Ancestry How often do you think about the Roman empire: The Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Roman Empire”. Last updated October 4, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Roman-Empire Mack recommends you read the book of Job along with your Boethius: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%201&version=NIV How to make a Moscow mule: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/moscow-mule-cocktail-recipe/ Apparently, everyone from Michigan has a thing about Vernor’s ginger ale: Detroit Historical Society. “Vernor’s Ginger Ale.” https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/vernors-ginger-ale There are a few reasons why we aren’t fond of Vladimir Putin, but here’s a solid one: International Criminal Court. “Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue arrest warrants against Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lovova-Belova.” March 17, 2023. https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and#:~:text=Mr%20Vladimir%20Vladimirovich%20Putin%2C%20born,articles%208(2)(a Mack DID NOT find a source about Russian soldiers being paid in bottles of vodka, but Anne did find this interesting article so the bit was left in: Kamieński, Łukasz. “Russian troops are battling high and drunk: It’s nothing new.” July 11, 2023. The Hill. https://thehill.com/opinion/international/4088951-russia-is-losing-in-ukraine-because-of-its-army-of-addicts/ “what didn’t you do to bury me/but you forgot that I was a seed” Dinos Christianopoulos. The Body and the Wormwood. (1978) Want to learn about challenge coins: Lange, Katie. “The challenge coin tradition: Do you know how it started?” October 8, 2017. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.defense.gov/News/Inside-DOD/Blog/article/2567302/the-challenge-coin-tradition-do-you-know-how-it-started/ Please vote. If you need help voting: https://www.vote411.org/ Yes, of course, Moscow mules as in Moscow, Texas: Texas Almanac. “Towns: Moscow.” https://texasalmanac.com/places/moscow And “Starfleet vessel” is a reference to Star Trek. But you already knew that.