Opening Arguments - OA239: The Fourth Circuit’s Puzzling Emoluments Ruling

Today's episode takes a deep dive into the just-released one-page order by the Fourth Circuit staying all discovery in the Emoluments litigation brought by Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh.  How do we fill more than an hour's worth of time on one page?  Why is this ruling really, really bad for everyone??  Listen and find out!

We begin, however, with a brief foray up Yodel Mountain to discuss (1) the reports circulating that Michael Cohen's phone was in Prague in the summer of 2016, and (2) the ethics review of "Acting" Attorney General Matthew Whitaker concerning the Mueller probe.

After that, it's time for a deep dive into the Emoluments litigation, the strange procedural posture of Trump's response, and what this means for civil litigation generally (and this case in particular).  You won't want to miss it!

Then we end with an all new Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #107 on defamation.  As always, if you'd like to play along with us, 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!

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. Click here to read the Whitaker ethics review letter, and here to read the Steele dossier.
  2. We last discussed the Emoluments litigation in Episode 226.
  3. You can check out all of these documents:  the Fourth Circuit's order, the motion to stay, and the opposition filed by Frosh.
  4. Trump's argument is based on 28 USC § 1292(b) and relies on Fernandez-Roque v. Smith, 671 F.2d 426 (11th Cir. 1982).

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Don't forget the OA Facebook Community!

For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki

And email us at openarguments@gmail.com

 

Read Me a Poem - “The Planet on the Table” by Wallace Stevens

Amanda Holmes reads Wallace Stevens’s poem, “The Planet on the Table.” Have a suggestion for a poem? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.


This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.



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The Gist - The Babies Are Not All Right

On The Gist, why do daily news podcasts think they can take off for the holidays?

In the interview, journalist Priska Neely has been writing about the rates of black infant mortality and why they’re so much higher than American infant mortality rates overall. She joins us today to discuss the possible reasons, including community support systems, health care–related problems, and how racism factors into it all.

In the Spiel, Donald Trump visits Iraq and says a lot.

This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers:

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The NewsWorthy - Special Episode: Best of ‘Thing to Know Thursday’ Interviews – Thursday, December 27th, 2018

Today we have a special episode for you on this Thursday, December 27th, 2018! 

Instead of our typical roundup of the day's news in less than 10 minutes, we're using this holiday week to refresh our memories about some of the "Thing to Know Thursday" interviews from 2018!

Every Thursday (after the day's news), experts have shared their knowledge about a variety of topics - from self-driving cars and a possible Space Force to online dating and the royal wedding. 

So today, you'll hear short clips from several of those interviews as we take a look back at the topics of the year. Enjoy! 

Find links to the full interviews in today's show notes at  https://www.theNewsWorthy.com (just click Episodes).

Serious Inquiries Only - SIO173: Voicemail: Ethics, Robots, FGM Laws, and More!

Got a great voicemail episode for you fine folks! There were a lot of really excellent calls this month. Please keep them coming for next month! This week's topics include: doing business with conservatives, robots taking all the jobs, FGM laws in the US, the QED mental health panel, meditation, and how I stopped being a conservative!

Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point!

Support the show at seriouspod.com/support!

Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod

For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

Stuff They Don't Want You To Know - CLASSIC: The Mysterious Origins of Christmas

Chances are that you've heard of the alleged war on Christmas, which some believe is an effort to distance the celebration from its origins. But what are those origins, exactly -- and where do modern Christmas traditions come from? Tune in to learn more. Join Ben and Matt as they delve into some of the murky origins of what we call Christmas in today's classic episode.

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They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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