Opening Arguments - OA187: Lowering the Lukumi Bar?

Today's Bonus Episode asks if there's a way to make sense of the Supreme Court's Lukumi jurisprudence in light of this week's rulings in Trump v. Hawaii (the Travel Ban), Masterpiece Cakeshop, and the somewhat surprising decision to remand the Arlene's Flowers case back to the state of Washington. We begin, however, by checking in with the Southern District of New York's Order approving the Taint Team's review of documents seized from Michael Cohen's offices by the Department of Justice.  How many documents did the Team recommend the Court withhold as privileged?  The answer may surprise you! After that, we revisit the thesis advanced by Andrew Seidel in Episode 180 that the Supreme Court's decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop might result in a more vigorous application of its 1993 decision in Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, 508 U.S. 520 (1993). Next, we break down the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in NIFLA v. Becerra, in which the Court struck down a California law regulating so-called "crisis pregnancy centers." After all that, we end with an all new Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #82 involving the legality of a search for heroin.  If you'd like to play along, just retweet our episode on Twitter or share it on Facebook along with your guess and the #TTTBE hashtag.  We'll release the answer on next Tuesday's episode along with our favorite entry! Recent Appearances None!  If you'd like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com. Show Notes & Links
  1. Check out the Southern District of New York's Order regarding Cohen's meager haul of privileged documents.
  2. Andrew Seidel set forth his "Lukumi bar" thesis in Episode 180; you can read Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, 508 U.S. 520 (1993) for yourself and then compare it with both Trump v. Hawaii and Masterpiece Cakeshop.
  3. We discussed Planned Parenthood v. Casey at length in a two-part series:  Episode 27 and Episode 28; you might want to compare the statute approved in that case with the one struck down by the Court in NIFLA v. Becerra.
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You're Wrong About - The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Mike tells Sarah that America’s most devastating oil spill was not, in fact, a DUI. Digressions include “Titanic" (obviously), the Cuyahoga River, Jennifer Lopez and marshmallows. Punitive damages make a triumphant return. Mike, a professional writer, continues to misuse the word “literally.”

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - With Kennedy Gone, What’s on the Chopping Block?

The Supreme Court’s 2017 term ended with some blockbuster opinions and, most dramatically, Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement announcement. On a special edition of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate legal writer Mark Joseph Stern and University of California, Irvine, law professor Leah Litman to discuss what it all means.

Yes, it's a Supreme Court Breakfast Table without a Breakfast Table!

Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook. Our email is amicus@slate.com

Podcast production by June Thomas.

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The Gist - In 12,000 Words

On The Gist, President Trump’s demonization of journalists is awful, but it’s not the first thing to blame for the Capital Gazette shooting.

The Atlantic recently ran a lengthy article about kids who consider the process of gender transition. Many critics took issue with the author’s approach, accusing him of bias and an obsession with trans children. But were his efforts really in bad faith? Alex Barasch wrote a response to the piece for Slate and joins us to add to the debate.

In the Spiel, FBI agents Lisa Page and Peter Strzok were sloppy, but their take on Trump was right on the money.

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Motley Fool Money - The Motley Fool Turns 25

Nike hits an all-time high. Bed Bath & Beyond flounders, as BJ’s Wholesale Club has a surprisingly strong IPO. Amazon moves in on the pharmacy business. McCormick serves up a spicy quarter. And the SEC has a few questions for National Beverage. Jason Moser, Ron Gross, and Matt Argersinger analyze those stories and share why they’ve got their eyes on Lam Research, Snap, and Delta Airlines. Plus, David Gardner reflects on the 25th anniversary of The Motley Fool and shares a few stocks on his radar.

Thanks to Blooom for supporting Motley Fool Money. Get a month free with blooom401k.com/fool and use the promo code “fool”.

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