Opening Arguments - OA259: Your Guide to the Congressional Investigations

Today's extra-long episode contains your guide to the Congressional Investigations, and specifically the 81 document requests sent out by Rep. Jerry Nadler to various Trump-related individuals and entities in connection with the Democratic Congress's larger investigation into corruption, ties with Russia, and general criminal behavior by the administration.  What does it all mean?  Who are the key players?  Listen and find out!

We begin, however, with a brief Andrew Was Right -- Michael Cohen is producing drafts of his Congressional testimony, which may support his claim that Trump's personal lawyer, Jay "ACLJ" Sekulow edited his testimony to suborn perjury.

Then, it's time for an in-depth look at the various documents requested by Rep. Nadler.  What does it all mean?  We break down the four major "buckets" of inquiries and tell you about some familiar faces... and some surprising new ones.

After that, it's time to take a look into recent developments in the Jeffrey Epstein case and correct some reporting as to whether his non-prosecution agreement has really been torn up by the courts.  (It hasn't.)

We end, as always, with a brand new Thomas Takes the Bar Exam Question #117 about the use of university space for a debate on affirmative action.  As always, remember to follow our Twitter feed (@Openargs) and like our Facebook Page so that you too can play along with #TTTBE!

AppearancesAndrew was just a guest host on Episode 91 of the Skepticrat; go check it out!  And 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. Cohen to produce drafts of his testimony to Congress. 2. Congressional Investigations 162 documents served on 81 different people. Documents here: 3. Here’s a handy guide to who’s who in the investigation. 4. Here’s Hope Hicks’s documents request. 5. Here’s our tweet out to Rep. Nadler regarding Nader’s document requests: 6. Epstein. This is the text of the Crime Victims’ Rights Act of 2004, 18 U.S.C. § 3771. 7. Judge Marra’s ruling can be found here.

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For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

And email us at openarguments@gmail.com

 

The Gist - The Endless Fact Check

On The Gist, Stormy is in the news (but not that Stormy).

In the interview, Donald Trump speaks many untruths every day, and someone has to track them all. Somehow that task has fallen to a Canadian. The Toronto Star’s Daniel Dale is here to tell us what counts as a lie, why details matter, and how neither the left nor the right seem satisfied with his work.

In the Spiel, theology isn’t all that interesting… unless there’s drama involved, of course.

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Pod Save America - “Fox News-addled automatons.”

Congress launches investigations into Donald Trump that could lay the groundwork for impeachment, Democrats decide against allowing Fox News to host a primary debate, and five potential Democratic contenders decide against running for president in 2020. Then John Legend joins Jon Lovett in studio to talk about his new song and mini-documentary series that features the stories of activists and community leaders. Also – Pod Save America is going on tour! Get your tickets now: crooked.com/events.

New Books in Native American Studies - Daniel Immerwahr, “How to Hide an Empire: The History of the Greater United States” (FSG, 2019)

“Is America an Empire?” is a popular question for pundits and historians, likely because it sets off such a provocative debate. All too often, however, people use empire simply because the United States is a hegemon, ignoring the country’s imperial traits to focus simply on its power. Dr. Daniel Immerwahr’s book How to Hide an Empire: The History of the Greater United States (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019) corrects this by explicitly focusing on the country’s territories and territories overseas possessions.

Dr. Immerwahr begins at the country’s founding as apprehension over aggressive westward settlement gave way to enthusiastic land grabs by pioneers such as Daniel Boone. Propelled by an astonishingly high birth rate and immigration, Euroamericans displaced indigenous peoples. In addition to this more familiar narrative, other factors drove territorial expansion. A desperate need for fertilizers led to the annexation of nearly one hundred “guano islands” in the Pacific and Caribbean, followed by the annexation of even more territory following the Spanish-American War in 1898. These new territories, including Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam, and others enjoyed an uneasy relationship with the United States: they did not enjoy constitutional protections but nevertheless had a close relationship with what they called the mainland. While the United States backed away from traditional colonialism after 1945, what emerged instead was a “pointillist empire” that depended on bases and new uses of older territory to function.

Zeb Larson is a PhD Candidate in History at The Ohio State University. His research is about the anti-apartheid movement in the United States. To suggest a recent title or to contact him, please send an e-mail to zeb.larson@gmail.com.

 

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The Intelligence from The Economist - Guilt and association: Paul Manafort

President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager can expect to have the book thrown at him at his sentencing today—the first for crimes revealed by Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Mr Trump’s campaign. Following a tense stand-off with Pakistan, we look at how Hindu nationalism has shaped Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s time in office, and will shape his re-election campaign. And, how North Korean refugees ship money home illicitly.

What Next - What Next | Daily News and Analysis – Listening to Ilhan Omar

House Democrats have scuttled a plan to chide Rep. Ilhan Omar over remarks she made about the U.S.-Israel relationship. Why were her words so triggering? Is she making a fair point? And what should she do now?

Guest: Slate economics and policy writer Jordan Weissmann.

Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or sending an email to whatnext@slate.com. Follow us on Instagram for updates on the show.

Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Anna Martin.


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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Listening to Ilhan Omar

House Democrats have scuttled a plan to chide Rep. Ilhan Omar over remarks she made about the U.S.-Israel relationship. Why were her words so triggering? Is she making a fair point? And what should she do now?

Guest: Slate economics and policy writer Jordan Weissmann.

Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or sending an email to whatnext@slate.com. Follow us on Instagram for updates on the show.

Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Anna Martin.

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