THE NORTHERN PODCAST (NAS STUDIO)

Huge news for lawyers: You can now listen to Strict Scrutiny for CLE credits in California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington, and Oregon! More info at crooked.com/strict_cleKate is joined by Liz Oyer, former DOJ pardon attorney and federal public defender, to tick through last week’s news. Among the items covered: Todd Blanche’s swearing-in by lackey Emil Bove, the latest attempt by the administration to expand executive privilege, the renewed vendetta against the Fed’s Lisa Cook, and John Roberts’ Substack debut…That’s right, the Chief is out here postin’. Then, a conversation with Julia Angwin and Ami Fields-Meyer about their new book, On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear. Check out Liz’s podcast, Is This Really Legal?.Favorite things: Kate: Just Security’s Reinvention Blueprints; One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention, Maryam Tahmasebi; John Oliver on the DOJ; Trump’s catering cart caper Liz:How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University, Theo Baker; The Things We Never Say, Elizabeth Strout; Ponies (Peacock) Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyGet tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE on November 6th in Washington, DC: Crookedcon.comBuy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah’s book, Lawless, now out in paperbackFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyFor a transcript of an episode of Strict Scrutiny please email [email protected]

In part one of our two-part Know Your Rights series, Leah speaks with Brooklyn Law School’s Jocelyn Simonson about copwatching. They cover what the law says about filming police and federal officers like ICE agents, the line between protected observation and unlawful interference, and how to think about navigating the gap between exercising your constitutional rights and personal safety. Jocelyn’s book is Radical Acts of Justice: How Ordinary People Are Dismantling Incarceration.Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyGet tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE on November 6th in Washington, DC: Crookedcon.comBuy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah’s book, Lawless, now out in paperbackFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyFor a transcript of an episode of Strict Scrutiny please email [email protected]

Melissa and Justice Correspondent for The Nation Elie Mystal sift through the results of last week’s primaries, including good news from Missouri and Kansas, with a detour on why Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed needs to shape up on Court reform. Then, the latest installment of Todd Blanche’s confirmation process for Attorney General and the many misdeeds at the department he hopes to permanently lead: letting insurrectionists off the hook, the targeting of the Southern Poverty Law Center as well as a progressive judge who used to work there, and assaults on the fourth estate. Also: welcome to the resistance…Jeanine Pirro? And finally, a late-breaking update on the Trump administration's continuing war on birthright citizenship. Favorite things: Elie: Jouppi v. AlaskaMelissa:Crash Into Me, Robinne Lee Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyGet tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE on November 6th in Washington, DC: Crookedcon.comBuy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah’s book, Lawless, now out in paperbackFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyFor a transcript of an episode of Strict Scrutiny please email [email protected]

Huge news for lawyers: You can now listen to Strict Scrutiny for CLE credits in California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington, and Oregon! More info at crooked.com/strict_cleKate and Leah have good news and bad news. The good: The Paramount/Warner Brothers merger is on hold, the Tate brothers are facing extradition, and Todd Blanche’s nomination for AG has hit a roadblock. The bad: …Everything else. They also cover the ongoing prosecution of Jim Comey for seashell art, and speak with UCLA Law’s Rick Hasen about Trump’s effort to assert presidential control over federal elections. Then, Kate checks in with Farah Diaz-Tello, senior counsel and legal director for If/When/How, on what she and her colleagues are seeing when it comes to the use of the criminal law to target both abortion and people who experience pregnancy loss after Dobbs.Favorite things: Kate: Olga Dies Dreaming, Xochitl Gonzalez; A Setback for the MAGA Media Takeover, Michelle Goldberg (NYT); Dancing to Stave Off Dementia, Emily Goligoski (Harper's Bazaar); Creating the Administrative Constitution: The Lost One Hundred Years of American Administrative Law, Jerry L. Mashaw Leah: Music, Fashion, Film, Charli xcx; Who's the Clown?, Audrey Hobert; This Is the Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy, Ben Wikler; Why Do We Tolerate Elon Musk's Racist Commentary?, Jamelle Bouie (New York Times); Supreme Court Job Approval Slumps to Record Low (Gallup)Rick: Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole (Netflix); Lucky (Apple); The Elephants in the Room: How Trump Voters Seized the Party from Republican Leaders, Seth Masket; Backlash Presidents: From Transformative to Reactionary Leaders in American History, Julia R. Azari Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyGet tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE on November 6th in Washington, DC: Crookedcon.comBuy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah’s book, Lawless, now out in paperbackFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyFor a transcript of an episode of Strict Scrutiny please email [email protected]

Huge news for lawyers: You can now listen to Strict Scrutiny for CLE! More info at crooked.com/strict_cleFriend of the Pod Emily Amick of Emily in Your Phone joins Leah to break down the week’s legal news, and the various and sundry ways due process is getting railroaded by Trump, the courts, and the terrible (mostly) men therein. While no discussion of bad decisions would be complete without the Fifth Circuit, we also have an appearance from Senator Josh Hawley, whose effort to limit information on medical abortion options has disturbing links to the playbook used against gender-affirming care. Then, Leah speaks with Kalpana Kotagal, Commissioner at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, about being the lone Democratic appointee after Trump fired the others, and the work of the Commission in a post-independent agency world. Check out Emily’s Substack, Instagram, and her book, Democracy in Retrograde.Favorite things: Leah:The Off Campus Series, Elle Kennedy; Game of Rogues, Julie Anne Long; Andrew Tate's Empire of Abuse, Heidi Blake (+ Blake’s interview with WITHpod); Autonomy News; this decision from the Hawaii Supreme Court; Subpoenas About Reporting on Qatar Gifted Air Force One Are Withdrawn After Argument in SDNY, Matthew Russell Lee (Inner City Press) Emily: Careless People, Sarah Wynn-Williams; The God of the Woods, Liz Moore; Ride or Die (Amazon Prime); Smitten Kitchen’s zucchini pastaGet tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE on November 6th in Washington, DC: Crookedcon.comBuy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah’s book, Lawless, now out in paperbackFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyFor a transcript of an episode of Strict Scrutiny please email [email protected]

Kate brings you a triptych of legal happenings this week. First, the latest news with friend of the pod Katie Phang, including a look at Todd Blanche’s Senate confirmation hearing, which certainly confirmed one thing: once you’re Trump’s personal lawyer, you’re forever Trump’s personal lawyer. Then, a conversation about making the courts an electoral issue and why we need fresh candidates for judicial seats with Run for Something’s Amanda Litman. Finally, ahead of a crucial August 4th ballot measure in Kansas, Kate speaks with Micah Kubic, Executive Director of the ACLU of Kansas, and Emily Wales, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, about how Republicans in Kansas are trying to change how justices are selected for the state supreme court in order to walk back abortion rights. Check out Katie’s YouTube channel & Substack and pre-order Amanda Litman’s book, When We’re in Charge, in paperback.Favorite things: Kate:Road trips, HUMBEAmanda:This Is the Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy, Ben Wikler; Ungodly Rich, Katharine McGee; Down to Earth, Julia Turshen Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE on November 6th in Washington, DC: Crookedcon.comBuy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah’s book, Lawless, now out in paperbackFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyFor a transcript of an episode of Strict Scrutiny please email [email protected]

Kate is joined by returning guest and friend of the show, Kim Lane Scheppele, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton, and one of the world’s leading scholars of democratic backsliding, autocracy, and the rule of law. They discuss how the Supreme Court has been “captured,” the ways Donald Trump is attempting to remake Washington, D.C., in his image, and what Hungary can teach us about autocracy and how to recover from it.Favorite things: Kate:Emil Bove Defended Trump in Court. Then Trump Made Him a Judge, Mattathias Schwartz (NYT); Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home, Stephen Starring GrantKim:Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan; Into the Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower's Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID, Nicholas Enrich; The Dual State, Ernst Fraenkel; The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt; It Can't Happen Here, Sinclair Lewis; Borgen - Power & Glory (Netflix); Gok Wan's Easy Asian (Prime Video)Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE on November 6th in Washington, DC: Crookedcon.comBuy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah’s book, Lawless, now out in paperbackFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyFor a transcript of an episode of Strict Scrutiny please email [email protected]

Melissa, Leah, and Kate briefly recap the Court’s two major immigration decisions last week (for a deeper dive, check out last week’s emergency episode), before digging into the Second Amendment case, Wolford v. Lopez, which featured a cage match between private property rights and the right to bear arms, as well as Sam Alito’s funhouse-mirror version of history. Also covered: opinions involving green card holders, tax foreclosures, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, corporate liability for human rights abuses, and pesticides. They wrap up the show with some of the latest voting rights news.Favorite things: Leah:Kate on Hasan Minhaj’s podcast; JD Vance’s Richard Nixon revival; SDNY on trans minorsKate:Judge Patrick J. Schiltz’s opinion quashing the subpoenas to state and local Minnesota officials Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE on November 6th in Washington, DC: Crookedcon.comBuy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah’s book, Lawless, now out in paperbackFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and BlueskyFor a transcript of an episode of Strict Scrutiny please email [email protected].

In this emergency episode, Kate, Melissa, and Leah unpack the two major immigration opinions handed down by SCOTUS today. The brutal TL;DR, courtesy of Justice Sotomayor: “The consequences of today’s decision are predictable. More people will die.”Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE on November 6th in Washington, DC: Crookedcon.comBuy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah’s book, Lawless, now out in paperbackFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

The 5th Circuit gave us a doozy late on Friday night by tightening access to the abortion drug mifepristone—Leah and Melissa break it down. Then, the full crew dives deeper into the Court’s catastrophic Voting Rights Act decision in Louisiana v. Callais (for their initial reaction, check out last week’s emergency episode). Next, they recap the troubling oral arguments in Mullin v. Doe, the case about Temporary Protected Status, in which Trump’s Solicitor General tried to argue that the President’s extremely racist statements about migrants from certain countries weren’t, in fact, racist at all. Also covered: Trump’s ballroom, arguments in an important Fourth Amendment case, and how some savvy federal judges are turning the administration’s favorite legal concept—the unitary executive theory—against it. Favorite things:Kate: The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, Kiran Desai; Transcription, Ben LernerLeah: Ariana Grande’s new album announcement; Noah Kahan on tour; SCOTUS Drops The Other Shoe on the Voting Rights Act, Sherrilyn Ifill (Sherrilyn’s Newsletter); The Slaying of the Voting Rights Act by the Coward Samuel Alito, Rick Hasen (Slate); The Supreme Court is Corrupt. This is What We Can Do About It, Jamelle Bouie Melissa: Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke; Voters Can Be Disenfranchised Now, Adam Serwer (The Atlantic); Legal Defense FundGet tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026! 6/20/26 – New York City Learn more: http://crooked.com/eventsOrder Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderPreorder a signed paperback of Leah’s book, Lawless, here.Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

In a world where freedom is promised but algorithms hold the chains, Nas Modise unpacks how society has entered a new era of silent slavery—digital slavery. This episode exposes how we are tracked, watched, influenced, and controlled by devices we can’t put down and platforms we depend on. From the data we give away for free, to the manipulation of trends, to the digital prisons created by likes, follows, and online validation, nothing is the same anymore. We explore how people became products, how technology rewired human behaviour, and how the youth are being shaped by invisible systems designed to keep them distracted, predictable, and profitable. This episode forces listeners to face the uncomfortable truth: the chains are no longer on our hands—they’re in our phones.

In this episode, host Nas Modise dives deep into the art of manipulation—how people twist words, use emotions, and play mind games to control others. From the workplace to friendships, manipulation hides in plain sight, creating conflict, confusion, and distrust. We expose the tactics manipulators use, why they target certain people, and how to break free from their invisible strings. This is not just talk—it’s awareness, protection, and empowerment.

In this episode, we peel back the layers of deception to expose how manipulation works in everyday life. From fake friendships to hidden agendas, we uncover the tactics people use to control, deceive, and gain power over others. Sometimes the ones who laugh with you are the same ones who plot against you. Join us as we explore the signs of manipulation, the damage it causes, and how to protect yourself from those who wear masks of loyalty but move with intentions of betrayal.

In this episode, we step into the places they’d rather keep hidden. We strip away the lies, uncover buried truths, and reveal the fears they thought would never see the light. This is more than a story—it’s a reckoning.

In this eye-opening episode, Nas Modise takes the mask off the modern-day battlefield we call “work.” Behind the uniform, beyond the job titles, lies a hidden war — one fought with favoritism, mental exhaustion, silence, and control. This is not just a workplace. It’s a system designed to break your spirit while smiling in your face. From overlooked talent to emotional manipulation, we expose how toxic environments drain workers, kill ambition, and use fear to silence truth. Nas speaks for the unheard, the underpaid, the overworked — and those too scared to speak. If you've ever felt replaceable, voiceless, or trapped in a workplace that rewards politics over performance — this episode is for you. It’s time to wake up, take back your power, and rewrite the script. 🎧 Press play. Share your story. And remember: silence is not survival — it’s surrender. #NasModise #TheNorthernPodcast #ToxicWorkplace #WorkplaceAbuse #SpeakUp #MentalHealth #PodcastForThePeople

In this deeply reflective episode of The Northern Podcast Studio, we explore powerful topics shaping spiritual and physical journeys today. 🕊️The Eternal Question – Missing Link Between Heaven and Earth We dive into questions many are too afraid to ask – what connects us to the divine? Is there a missing link between Heaven and Earth? Modise Patrick Khoposha shares insights from his research and personal revelations on lost books, hidden teachings, and the truths humanity ignores about creation, life, and the afterlife.

In this special episode, we unpack why Nas Modise Podcast has officially rebranded to The Northern Podcast Studio. The founder, Modise Patrick Khoposha, explains that the new name reflects growth from a personal journey into a community platform where stories, truths, and powerful conversations from the North and beyond are told without limits. We also dive into the process behind our recent series on religion and politics, discussing who wrote the thought-provoking episode titles that challenged listeners to think deeper about faith, power, and control. Modise shares how each title was chosen to match real issues affecting everyday people, revealing that the titles and scripts were written entirely by him as the founder, host, and writer of The Northern Podcast Studio

Welcome to The NorthernPodcastStudio, the street talk podcast where we unpack those real moments that hit you deep. From waking up with no hope to suddenly getting a call that changes everything, from watching politics play people to seeing a hungry child smile over a piece of bread – we talk about it all. This is the place where street wisdom meets life’s raw truth. Every episode brings you stories, questions, and thoughts that people carry in their hearts but never say out loud.

In this episode, we question why schools teach us to obey before they teach us to think. Why does the education system focus more on following rules than creating new ideas? Is this why many young people fear making mistakes and struggle to innovate? Join us as we explore how true education should empower minds, not control them.

In this episode, we discuss how politicians use religion to influence people’s votes. We look at the connection between faith and power, how leaders quote scripture to gain support, and whether this is true leadership or manipulation. Join us as we unpack the hidden truths behind religion and politics in our communities today.