Sam and Emma host Dr. Leah Torres of the West Alabama Women’s Center to discuss her recent piece in Slate “Doctors in Alabama Already Turn Away Miscarrying Patients. This Will Be America’s New Normal.” Then, Sam and Emma are joined by Richard Revesz, professor and Dean Emeritus at New York University School of Law, to discuss the EPA v. West Virginia case before the Supreme Court. Emma and Sam first dive into Biden’s approval of another round of military support for Ukraine and the ever-changing story of the Uvalde police comes under more and more fire as their faulting of Robb Elementary teachers becomes another disproven factor. Dr. Torres then joins as she, Emma, and Sam unpack the soft power of the anti-abortion laws in Alabama, starting with her assuming the role of a “pariah” among her colleagues upon her migration from New Mexico as an abortion activist and provider. This immediately resulted in another colleague filing an unethical complaint against her, which the state responded to by launching a full-scale investigation into Dr. Leah Torres over “fraud,” with completely unrelated and baseless accusations over vague form responses. Next, Dr. Torres takes this idea of the state deciding what their records say and mean, and shifts into a more specific discussion of abortion access and care, particularly in a state where that care is criminalized, telling stories of her colleagues forced into fear denying treatment to 13-year-old rape victims and miscarriage patients over minuscule rules and regulations that they might not be able to disprove, before she wraps up the conversation by diving deeper into the countless ways the growing abortion rhetoric and legislation will lead to needless deaths. Then, Sam and Emma are joined by Professor Richard Revesz as they get right into the idea of the “major questions doctrine,” cousin of the non-delegation principle, and the role it plays in today’s Supreme Court ideology. After covering how it will be used in the EPA v. West Virginia, Prof Revesz dives deeper into how this doctrine takes on the administrative state, requiring specific guidelines for any government agency (whereas the non-delegation principle rejects delegation outright), the role it played in SCOTUS decisions against the CDC and OSHA, and what it can tell us about the goals of this Court. They wrap up the interview by focusing on public opinion regarding the Court, specifically, before looking at the role the legal-academic institutions across the US play in providing legitimacy to the Court. The Free Half is wrapped up as Nomiki Konst joins to announce her candidacy for NY State Senate District 59, her goals for the most progressive district in a progressive state, and what it would look like to represent Long Island City, Astoria, and Stuy Town alongside Gramercy as a member of the New York State Senate.

And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma dive right into the bad faith and pseudo-philosophical debates around trans rights, with Sam reflecting on Sam Harris’ philosophizing about torture, and the dishonest rhetoric around “silencing” while trans people are genuinely being assaulted worldwide, before the crew debates Central vs. Prospect Park and Sam spends some time listing things one can do in Prospect Park. Charles Booker’s new campaign ad hits incredible emotional heights (particularly rare as he’s a democrat) and isn’t just him asking for money on a very windy hill (cough Amy McGrath cough), Tim Pool contradicts Tim Pool’s statements on gun rights before bringing in Tim Pool’s theories on civil war to add nuance to Tim Pool’s counterarguments to civil war, and Sam and Emma dive behind the SCOTUS curtains and the apparent disrespect of Justice Roberts by the conservative leaker. They also look to the upcoming GA midterms, as Herschel Walker takes a step back from Donald Trump, plus, your IMs!

Check out Leah’s piece at Slate here: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/05/roe-dobbs-abortion-ban-reproductive-medicine-alabama.html

Donate to Nomi’s State Senate campaign here! https://secure.actblue.com/donate/kon…