Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trump Has a Plan for the Midterms, SCOTUS May Help


On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick checks in with Protect Democracy co-founder Ian Bassin about the United States’ speedy retreat from democracy, and how lawyers seeking to protect the constitution are adapting their strategies for Trump 2.0. While Trump’s second term is following an authoritarian playbook, some courts are acting as speed bumps, while others (we’re looking at you, SCOTUS), are increasingly pickled in right-wing brine. The velocity of America’s descent into illiberalism is startling and dangerous, but Bassin argues it is also potentially self-defeating, thanks to Trump’s historic unpopularity that is growing faster than his ability to consolidate power. The two discuss Protect Democracy’s shift from a litigation-heavy strategy to combining court fights with coalition-building, and Ian outlines threats to the 2026 elections—“deceive, disrupt, deny”—including efforts like the SAVE Act and why the President’s decision to deploy ICE to stand around in airports around the country is a clear effort to normalize their presence at polling places in November. But he also stresses that overwhelming participation and public organizing are the ultimate backstops if election results are contested.


Suggested reading: protectdemocracy.org/executive-override/


Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More or Less - How much water does AI consume?

As Artificial Intelligence continues to expand rapidly, some people have raised concerns about its potential environmental impact - in particular its use of water, which is used to cool both data centres and the power generators that supply them with electricity.

One recent book on AI contained the alarming prediction that AI could consume between 4 and 6 trillion litres a year by 2027. Could this eye-popping figure be right? If not, what is the correct figure, and is it a big number?

The devil, as ever, is in the detail, and with the help of expert Alex de Vries-Gao, the More or Loss team has taken a deep dive to get to the truth about AI and water consumption.

If you’ve seen a number in the news and you think More or Less should take a look, email the team on moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Producer / Reporter: Nathan Gower Series Producer: Tom Colls Programme Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: Dave O’Neil Editor: Richard Vadon

Global News Podcast - US says Iran war could end in ‘weeks’

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 foreign ministers meeting in France that the war on Iran could continue for another few weeks, and that Washington was ahead of schedule in many of its war objectives. Also: the UN warns there are now no safe spaces left for civilians in Lebanon as Israel continues its attacks; Ukraine fears the conflict in the Middle East is making the world forget Kyiv's conflict with Russia; Germany warns that the threat from Russia has never been more urgent; the US golfing star, Tiger Woods, has been arrested on charges of driving under the influence after rolling his car in a crash in Florida; US officials say the personal email account of the FBI director Kash Patel has been breached by hackers; the specialist equipment helping Slovenia's world class ski-jumpers; and the pros and cons of taking life advice from AI.

The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

It Could Happen Here - It Could Happen Here Weekly 225

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file. 

- Prairieland and Antifa Terrorism

- The Scariest Court in America feat. Steven Monacelli & Dr. Michael Phillips

- Israel’s Attack on Lebanon

- Shadow Banking: The Once and Future Economic Apocalypse

- Executive Disorder: ICE at Airports, New DHS Secretary, Iran Negotiations

You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today!

http://apple.co/coolerzone

Sources/Links:

Prairieland and Antifa Terrorism

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.410488/gov.uscourts.txnd.410488.367.0.pdf 

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.410488/gov.uscourts.txnd.410488.366.0.pdf

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/antifa-cell-members-convicted-prairieland-ice-detention-center-shooting

https://www.nacdl.org/getattachment/f536e696-072c-4982-bc47-d2dc7f42f766/gov-uscourts-txnd-411041-89-0_1.pdf

https://prairielanddefendants.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Superseding-Indictment-2.pdf

https://www.keranews.org/criminal-justice/2026-03-03/prairieland-ice-detention-center-shooting-trial-defendants-self-defense-third-party-defense-theory-judge-mark-pittman

https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/march-3rd-federal-trial-day-7/

https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/march-6th-federal-trial-day-10/

https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/march-10-federal-trial-day-12/

https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/march-10-federal-trial-day-12/#kyle-shideler-prosecutions-antifa-expert-redirect

https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/february-26-federal-trial-day-5/

https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/february-27th-federal-trial-day-6/

https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/march-9th-federal-trial-day-11/

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R41333

https://www.keranews.org/criminal-justice/2026-03-10/dario-sanchez-prairieland-ice-shooting

The Scariest Court in America feat. Steven Monacelli & Dr. Michael Phillips

Jack Bass,  “John Minor Wisdom, Appeals Court Judge Who Helped to End Segregation, Dies at 93,” New York Times, May 16, 1999, https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/16/us/john-minor-wisdom-appeals-court-judge-who-helped-to-end-segregation-dies.html

Jonathan Entin, “The Surprising History of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals,” Governing, January 23, 2024, https://www.governing.com/policy/the-surprising-history-of-the-5th-circuit-court-of-appeals.

Eleanor Klibanoff,  “Again and again, U.S. Supreme Court slaps down 5th Circuit,” The Texas Tribune, July 3, 2024, https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/supreme-court-5th-circuit-court-rulings-texas-overturned/

Mattathias Schwartz, “This Federal Judge Is the ‘Tip of the Spear’ of Trump-Era Conservatism,” New York Times, August 9, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/us/judge-ho-trump-border.html

Israel’s Attack on Lebanon

Lebanese news source Megaphone news – https://megaphone.news

Elia at +972mag - https://www.972mag.com/israels-renewed-war-on-lebanon-is-about-more-than-just-hezbollah/

Death toll and displacement numbers in Lebanon - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/22/hezbollah-attack-kills-one-in-north-israel-as-assault-on-lebanon-continues

Nathan Brown on “Israel’s Forever Wars” - https://carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/diwan/2026/03/dominance-degradation-and-debilitation

Land for peace concept - https://archive.unescwa.org/land-peace-principle

Foundation for Defense of Democracy on “Peace for Land” - https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/01/23/peace-for-land-not-land-for-peace/

The book Beware of Small States - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/david-hirst/beware-of-small-states/9780786744411/?lens=bold-type-books

The Fire These Times podcast - https://thefirethesetimes.com/

Shadow Banking: The Once and Future Economic Apocalypse

https://www.fsb.org/work-of-the-fsb/financial-innovation-and-structural-change/non-bank-financial-intermediation/

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/11/shadow-banking-is-now-a-52-trillion-industry-and-posing-risks.html

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7992100/

https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2013/06/basics.htm

https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/inside-the-cdo-market-that-catalyzed-the-financial-crisis

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48512#ifn146

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26153238

https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/economists/adrian/1306adri_map.pdf

https://tellerwindow.newyorkfed.org/2025/10/17/nbfis-in-focus-the-basics-of-private-credit/

https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/bank-lending-to-private-credit-size-characteristics-and-financial-stability-implications-20250523.html

https://libcom.org/article/debt-first-5000-years-david-graeber

Executive Disorder: ICE at Airports, New DHS Secretary, Iran Negotiations

https://x.com/Holden_Culotta/status/2034419794099777620?s=20

https://www.semafor.com/article/03/18/2026/fbi-investigates-national-security-aide-who-resigned-over-war

https://abcnews.com/Politics/pentagon-plans-national-guard-dc-2029-2-us/story?id=131234530

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/openai-shutting-down-sora-ai-video-app-1236546187/

https://x.com/cspan/status/2036514340896121179?s=20

https://x.com/atrupar/status/2036105325326016658?s=20

https://x.com/atrupar/status/2036083777164775452

https://x.com/atrupar/status/2036253584090685709?s=20

https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/5799345-ice-deployment-tsa-criticism/

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/us/tsa-data-ice-deportation-san-francisco-airport.html

https://punchbowl.news/archive/32326-am/

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116275668825285445

https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2036511652275703864?s=20

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/us/gregory-bovino-border-patrol.html

https://x.com/atrupar/status/2031414203920077123

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Fh_K2gxDA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fW9E2zneDg

https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/18/politics/mullin-confirmation-hearing-senate-paul-dhs

https://x.com/atrupar/status/2036510924173963558?s=20

https://archive.ph/SmBos

https://archive.vn/Xg3zP#selection-717.162-717.174 

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/25/iran-war-us-trump.html 

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/23/trump-iran-war-power-plants-energy-infrastructure-middle-east.html 

https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/trump-peace-proposal-us-iran-war-israel-pakistan/ 

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/indias-reliance-buys-5-million-barrels-iranian-oil-after-us-waiver-sources-say-2026-03-24/ 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1450zj6n48o 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrzr9ynpn1o 

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/23/oil-prices-trump-iran-strait-of-hormuz-wti-crude-middle-east-lng-gas.html 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-gets-daily-video-montage-briefing-iran-war-rcna263912 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thai-tanker-strait-hormuz-iran-6015671

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

array(3) { [0]=> string(150) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/programs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/78d30acb-8463-4c40-a5ae-ae2d0145c9ff/image.jpg?t=1751824393&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }

Planet Money - The skyscrapers that NIMBYs and zoning couldn’t stop

LIVE SHOW TOUR INFO HERE. New stories, live tapings, special guests, book signings and more. 

What would you build on a piece of land when all the normal rules go out the window?

On today’s show, how the Squamish Nation reclaimed a sliver of prime urban real estate and were liberated from zoning restrictions, to the consternation of their wealthy NIMBY neighbors.

We trace the 100 year saga of what might be the most interesting real estate development in North America right now: There’s a violent eviction, a tense legal battle, and a giant, tough decision for the Squamish Nation that culminates in the daring project that they’re building today.

It’s a story with lessons for every city trying to lower housing costs and build more.

This episode is adapted from Planet Money: A Guide To The Economic Forces That Shape Your Life. Pre-order before April 7 and you can get a poster. Details here

The working paper we mentioned on “ready-to-issue” permits in Los Angeles.

Subscribe to Planet Money+

Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.

Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.

This episode was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler with an assist from Emma Peaslee. It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer. 

To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Big Technology Podcast - Why OpenAI Killed Sora, Did Apple Just Save Siri?, Meta’s Big Loss

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) Why AI-video didn't take off 2) Who wins now that OpenAI is shutting down Sora 3) The real reason OpenAI shut down Sora 4) What happens now that OpenAI and Anthropic are competing for similar AI assistant customers 5) Anthropic's new 'Capybara' model class is coming 6) OpenAI has a big new model called Spud in the works 7) Apple's Siri fix isn't much of a fix at all 8) Meta and Youtube lose a precedent-setting court case 9) Should Big Tech be liable for teen mental health? 10) Tech stocks tank 11) OpenAI shelves ChatGPT adult mode, probably forever

---

Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice.

Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Philosophers In Space - Pluribus and the Act/Omission Distinction

Here it is, the smolderiest piece of Sci-Fi this year. Get absolutely absorbed by an all time greatest pilot episode and then settle in for the grinding horror of being a self-hating person living in a narcissist's wet dream. Then we'll save you from the horror by breaking down how incoherent The Other's ethics are and what it says about the inconsistencies in our own ethics. Plus, unsurprisingly, some very significant after dark discussion. Enjoy!

Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G

Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/

Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com

If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you!

Music by Thomas Smith: https://seriouspod.com/

Sibling shows:

Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/

Content Preview: Starfleet Academy episode 1.5 Series Acclimation Mil

PBS News Hour - World - Inside the U.S.–Israel alliance and how it led to war with Iran

The war against Iran is a fight that Israel has wanted for decades. How did Netanyahu convince President Trump to act? Can a war launched together be ended together? And is there a limit to the U.S.-Israeli partnership? Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin discusses these questions with Ronen Bergman of The New York Times, one of the premier investigative journalists in the Middle East. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy