WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.919 OK, so you've got this pile of news, legal docs, 00:00:03.220 --> 00:00:06.620 commentary. It's a lot. And you need the real 00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:09.779 story, like now. That's what we do here on The 00:00:09.779 --> 00:00:12.619 Deep Dive. Today, we're diving into some recent 00:00:12.619 --> 00:00:15.980 shifts, legal stuff, things happening in Congress, 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:19.440 and some cultural moments. Our mission, find 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:21.559 the crucial bits, maybe some surprises hidden 00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:24.239 in stories that seem, you know, totally separate. 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:26.480 We've got Supreme Court analysis, some reports 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:29.579 from the Hill, and yeah, takes on current events. 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:32.020 Ready? Absolutely. Let's jump in. And, well, 00:00:32.140 --> 00:00:34.079 the first thing that really stands out is the 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:36.259 Supreme Court and this birthright citizenship 00:00:36.259 --> 00:00:38.200 executive order from Trump. I mean, you've had 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:40.000 multiple district courts look at it. They all 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:42.500 say, citing the 14th Amendment, citing precedent, 00:00:43.020 --> 00:00:45.759 it's unconstitutional. Pretty clear, you think? 00:00:45.899 --> 00:00:47.859 Right. That seems straightforward legally. But 00:00:47.859 --> 00:00:49.840 the Supreme Court, they're not just blocking 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:51.700 it or affirming those lower courts directly. 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:54.700 No, they've decided to focus on this whole issue 00:00:54.700 --> 00:00:57.719 of nationwide injunctions. Nationwide injunctions. 00:00:58.299 --> 00:01:00.799 OK, so for anyone not living in legal speak, 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:03.799 that's when one court, like a district court, 00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:06.739 says an executive order can't be enforced anywhere 00:01:06.739 --> 00:01:08.620 in the country, not just for the people suing. 00:01:08.700 --> 00:01:11.920 Exactly that. It's a big tool. And it's controversial. 00:01:12.180 --> 00:01:14.000 The government's argument is basically, hey, 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:16.640 these should be really limited. Like, maybe only 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:19.459 for class actions or when the Supreme Court itself 00:01:19.459 --> 00:01:21.920 is enforcing something. Why the pushback? They're 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:24.260 worried about district courts maybe overstepping 00:01:24.260 --> 00:01:27.980 and, you know, this idea of forum shopping. Ah, 00:01:28.280 --> 00:01:29.859 picking a court where you think you'll get a 00:01:29.859 --> 00:01:32.140 friendly judge. We've heard about that. Like 00:01:32.140 --> 00:01:34.019 with Judge Kaxmerick and the Mayfair Pristone 00:01:34.019 --> 00:01:36.340 case, right? Precisely. That's the kind of scenario 00:01:36.340 --> 00:01:38.659 they point to. But Justice Jackson had a really 00:01:38.659 --> 00:01:41.579 sharp point, didn't she? If an action is illegal, 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:45.379 like actually against the law, how can it be 00:01:45.379 --> 00:01:47.760 OK for some people but not others? Yeah, that's 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:49.560 the logical challenge to the government's position. 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:52.280 It cuts right through it. And Chief Justice Roglitz 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:54.859 seemed to suggest, well, the Supreme Court can 00:01:54.859 --> 00:01:58.260 just act fast if different courts give conflicting 00:01:58.260 --> 00:02:01.459 rulings, sort things out quickly. But Justice 00:02:01.459 --> 00:02:04.219 Kagan pushed back on that. Her point was, If 00:02:04.219 --> 00:02:07.060 you limit these nationwide injunctions, the government 00:02:07.060 --> 00:02:09.319 could just choose not to appeal a ruling it doesn't 00:02:09.319 --> 00:02:11.699 like. Oh, interesting. So they could stop an 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:13.620 issue from ever even getting to the Supreme Court. 00:02:13.740 --> 00:02:15.900 Potentially, yes. The government controls the 00:02:15.900 --> 00:02:18.560 appeal. And she pointed out the Solicitor General 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:21.900 even said they plan to fight class action certifications 00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:25.180 more often. So fewer avenues for broad challenges. 00:02:25.460 --> 00:02:28.039 It really seems like a procedural maze. It is. 00:02:28.099 --> 00:02:29.979 And then you had the New Jersey Solicitor General 00:02:29.979 --> 00:02:32.560 making a very direct point about this specific 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:37.699 case. Without a nationwide injunction, your citizenship 00:02:37.699 --> 00:02:40.180 status could literally depend on which state 00:02:40.180 --> 00:02:42.780 you were born in. Under the 14th Amendment, that 00:02:42.780 --> 00:02:45.939 seems problematic. Usually problematic. So this 00:02:45.939 --> 00:02:48.080 was heard on the emergency docket. Yes, which 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:50.099 usually means a quicker decision. We're likely 00:02:50.099 --> 00:02:54.060 looking at something by early July before their 00:02:54.060 --> 00:02:56.639 term ends. And it does feel a bit like that presidential 00:02:56.639 --> 00:02:58.639 immunity case, doesn't it? Yeah. Focusing on 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:01.240 the process, the structure, maybe less on the 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:03.840 core facts or the constitutional question itself. 00:03:04.099 --> 00:03:06.159 There's definitely a parallel there. You know, 00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:08.840 Justice Kavanaugh even mentioned presidents sometimes. 00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:12.020 pushing the envelope with executive orders, though 00:03:12.020 --> 00:03:14.599 the example used, the El Salvador prison policy, 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:18.560 feels maybe a bit different in scale to ending 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:21.060 birthright citizenship. Right. It's a fascinating 00:03:21.060 --> 00:03:24.199 approach by the court. OK, so shifting from the 00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:28.620 courts to Congress, are we seeing any real signs 00:03:28.620 --> 00:03:31.759 of Republicans breaking ranks with Trump a bit 00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:33.800 more? Well, that's the million dollar question, 00:03:33.879 --> 00:03:35.539 isn't it? We've seen flickers before that didn't 00:03:35.539 --> 00:03:38.139 amount to much, but this disapproval over the 00:03:38.139 --> 00:03:41.060 Qatari government giving Trump that luxury plane, 00:03:41.099 --> 00:03:43.319 that feels a little different. Who's speaking 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:45.500 out? You've got some pretty prominent names. 00:03:45.659 --> 00:03:49.180 Senators Wicker, Thune, Cruz, Hawley, Rand Paul, 00:03:49.340 --> 00:03:51.900 Tim Scott. Quite a few are voicing concerns. 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:53.780 Wicker's comment was pretty poignant, wasn't 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:55.719 it? Comparing it to the U .S. moving into the 00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:57.879 Qatari embassy. Yeah, that's strong language. 00:03:58.060 --> 00:04:00.560 It suggests a real level of discomfort, maybe 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:03.319 even an implied threat of Senate action if these 00:04:03.319 --> 00:04:05.180 concerns aren't addressed. And it's not just 00:04:05.180 --> 00:04:07.400 the plane, right? There's this Library of Congress 00:04:07.400 --> 00:04:10.599 situation, too. Right. Our sources say Senate 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:12.900 Republicans might be OK with current staff being 00:04:12.900 --> 00:04:15.740 terminated, but they're pushing back hard against 00:04:15.740 --> 00:04:18.420 Trump installing replacements seen as just, well, 00:04:19.200 --> 00:04:21.480 unqualified flumppies. Protecting the institution, 00:04:21.579 --> 00:04:23.339 maybe. Seems like it. And that connects to the 00:04:23.339 --> 00:04:25.560 budget, too. There's talk of real resistance 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:28.420 in the Senate to Trump's budget ideas. Like what? 00:04:28.699 --> 00:04:31.600 Senator Ron Johnson gave that colorful warning 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:34.560 about getting schlonged financially. It points 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:36.899 to a desire among some Republicans to hold the 00:04:36.899 --> 00:04:40.120 line on deficits, maybe even cut spending, though 00:04:40.120 --> 00:04:43.000 notably not Medicaid or clean energy subsidies, 00:04:43.339 --> 00:04:46.019 interestingly, and maybe even skip more tax cuts. 00:04:46.139 --> 00:04:48.100 So even if Speaker Johnson gets something through 00:04:48.100 --> 00:04:50.180 that, house. It sounds like it could hit a wall 00:04:50.180 --> 00:04:52.560 in the Senate. Very likely. There seems to be 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:54.920 significant Senate opposition shaping up against 00:04:54.920 --> 00:04:57.079 any big house passed bill along those lines. 00:04:57.300 --> 00:04:59.279 Shows the internal party differences, especially 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:01.879 on money matters. It feels a bit like that emperor's 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:05.540 new clothes story. If a few speak up and nothing 00:05:05.540 --> 00:05:09.000 bad happens, maybe more will. That's the potential 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:11.899 dynamic. But, you know, our sources are clear. 00:05:12.339 --> 00:05:15.420 This resistance is still pretty limited overall. 00:05:15.740 --> 00:05:18.319 Is it a real turning point? Still very much an 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:21.819 open question. OK, let's completely change gears. 00:05:22.180 --> 00:05:25.439 These stupid distractions file. Yeah. James Comey's 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:29.279 Instagram. Oh, boy. Yeah. So the former FBI director 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:33.399 posts a picture, shells on a beach. Nice, right? 00:05:33.740 --> 00:05:36.620 Sounds harmless. Except for the comment, something 00:05:36.620 --> 00:05:39.839 about 86 and Trump being the 47th president. 00:05:40.300 --> 00:05:42.240 And almost immediately, the interpretation on 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:45.920 the right was that 86 meant assassination. Wow. 00:05:46.220 --> 00:05:48.639 OK. But 86 usually means something else entirely, 00:05:48.839 --> 00:05:50.620 doesn't it? Like in restaurants. Exactly. It 00:05:50.620 --> 00:05:52.199 means you're out of something. You removed it 00:05:52.199 --> 00:05:54.259 from the menu. That's the common understanding, 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:55.980 especially for someone like Comey, who apparently 00:05:55.980 --> 00:05:57.899 worked in food service way back when. Did he 00:05:57.899 --> 00:05:59.959 say anything? Yeah. He apologized pretty quickly, 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:02.379 said he didn't intend that meaning at all, and 00:06:02.379 --> 00:06:05.160 deleted the post once that darker interpretation 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:07.920 surfaced. But the reaction was huge. Why? Well, 00:06:07.959 --> 00:06:10.000 you've got a few things feeding into it, probably. 00:06:10.379 --> 00:06:12.319 Trump's narrative of always being attacked, right? 00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:14.800 Then there's the perception of double standards 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:17.879 in political language. What's OK for one side 00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:20.540 isn't for the other. And maybe it was just a 00:06:20.540 --> 00:06:22.819 useful distraction. Absolutely. It conveniently 00:06:22.819 --> 00:06:25.060 took the focus off other news that wasn't so 00:06:25.060 --> 00:06:27.040 great for the administration or the GOP at that 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:28.959 moment. And now he's actually being investigated 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:32.500 by Homeland Security. Reportedly, yes, at the 00:06:32.500 --> 00:06:36.920 request of HHS Secretary Kristi Noem, which seems 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:39.519 like a pretty massive escalation over an Instagram 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:41.779 comment he deleted and apologized for. Yikes. 00:06:42.719 --> 00:06:48.439 Okay, from that strangeness to maybe some schadenfreude, 00:06:48.740 --> 00:06:51.860 Kid Rock. Ah, yes, Kid Rock. Never shy with his 00:06:51.860 --> 00:06:54.180 opinions, is he? Generally known for being very 00:06:54.180 --> 00:06:56.839 outspoken, very conservative, including some, 00:06:56.839 --> 00:06:59.540 let's say, harsh anti -immigrant talk over the 00:06:59.540 --> 00:07:01.660 years. Right, and recently he was on Jesse Waters' 00:07:01.660 --> 00:07:04.279 show making some just really offensive comments 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:07.040 about women and LGBTQ folks somehow blaming them 00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:09.589 for falling birthrate. That's quite a take. It 00:07:09.589 --> 00:07:12.329 is. But here's the schadenfreude part, as our 00:07:12.329 --> 00:07:15.949 sources put it. His big restaurant in Nashville. 00:07:16.709 --> 00:07:19.790 Kid Rock's big -ass honky -tonk rock and roll 00:07:19.790 --> 00:07:22.689 steakhouse. Catchy name. What about it? Apparently 00:07:22.689 --> 00:07:25.410 it had major staffing problems recently. Lots 00:07:25.410 --> 00:07:27.370 of bad reviews online because they were so short 00:07:27.370 --> 00:07:30.769 -staffed. Okay. And the connection. The rumor, 00:07:30.949 --> 00:07:33.329 and it is a rumor, is that the staffing shortage 00:07:33.329 --> 00:07:36.810 was linked to ICE raids affecting undocumented 00:07:36.810 --> 00:07:39.069 workers at the restaurant. Wait, seriously. So 00:07:39.069 --> 00:07:41.350 the guy railing against undocumented immigrants 00:07:41.350 --> 00:07:43.589 might have been relying on them to serve steaks 00:07:43.589 --> 00:07:45.689 at his honky tonk. That's the reported irony. 00:07:45.910 --> 00:07:48.509 If true, it's, well, it's textbook hypocrisy, 00:07:48.610 --> 00:07:50.629 isn't it? A pretty stark disconnect. A way to 00:07:50.629 --> 00:07:53.089 justice, some might call it. Yeah. Okay, let's 00:07:53.089 --> 00:07:55.310 find something maybe a bit more uplifting. Freud 00:07:55.310 --> 00:07:58.589 and Freud, perhaps. Yeah. Utah. Yes. This is 00:07:58.589 --> 00:08:00.689 a great example of clever resistance or maybe 00:08:00.689 --> 00:08:03.250 malicious compliance. You know, Utah, mostly 00:08:03.250 --> 00:08:05.370 conservative state, but Salt Lake City is quite 00:08:05.370 --> 00:08:07.649 liberal. Right. So the state passed this law, 00:08:07.810 --> 00:08:11.149 HB 77. It restricts flags on government buildings, 00:08:11.449 --> 00:08:14.009 schools. Seems pretty clearly aimed at limiting 00:08:14.009 --> 00:08:16.069 pride flags, right? That was the general read 00:08:16.069 --> 00:08:19.509 on it, yeah. But Salt Lake City's response? Brilliant, 00:08:19.670 --> 00:08:21.910 they didn't just defy the law, they worked within 00:08:21.910 --> 00:08:24.470 it. They created new city flags, several of them. 00:08:24.910 --> 00:08:27.769 They all feature the seagull lily, which is already 00:08:27.769 --> 00:08:30.889 a recognized city symbol, totally legit. And 00:08:30.889 --> 00:08:33.269 these new seagull lily flags are specifically 00:08:33.269 --> 00:08:37.289 designed in color schemes to represent the LGBTQIA 00:08:37.289 --> 00:08:40.210 plus community, the transgender community, and 00:08:40.210 --> 00:08:42.210 the black and African American residents. Oh, 00:08:42.210 --> 00:08:44.509 that's smart. Because the law allows cities to 00:08:44.509 --> 00:08:46.929 fly their own flags. Exactly. So they are technically 00:08:46.929 --> 00:08:49.529 following the law. Here are our official city 00:08:49.529 --> 00:08:52.690 flags while completely getting around the intended 00:08:52.690 --> 00:08:54.909 purpose of the law, which was to exclude those 00:08:54.909 --> 00:08:57.190 other flags. You have to imagine the state lawmakers 00:08:57.190 --> 00:09:00.350 aren't thrilled. Probably not. It's just a fantastic 00:09:00.350 --> 00:09:02.830 example of how hard it is to actually police 00:09:02.830 --> 00:09:05.610 thoughts or expressions of identity. People find 00:09:05.610 --> 00:09:08.110 ways. It's creative and sends a clear message 00:09:08.110 --> 00:09:11.000 of inclusion. Love that. OK, finally, let's quickly 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:13.500 check back in with the House, that tax and spending 00:09:13.500 --> 00:09:16.519 package. Right. Reports are they're pushing ahead 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:19.340 with a key committee vote. Seems Speaker Johnson's 00:09:19.340 --> 00:09:21.460 team has been working overtime to smooth things 00:09:21.460 --> 00:09:24.059 over, especially with some physical hawks who 00:09:24.059 --> 00:09:26.480 had last -minute objections. Any specific sticking 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:28.980 points? Medicaid provisions were mentioned as 00:09:28.980 --> 00:09:31.279 something needing extra effort to get everyone 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:34.259 on board, but the leadership seems... You know, 00:09:34.460 --> 00:09:36.460 cautionately optimistic, they'll get it through 00:09:36.460 --> 00:09:37.960 committee. But that's just committee, right? 00:09:38.139 --> 00:09:40.620 Correct. Even if it passes there, expect more 00:09:40.620 --> 00:09:43.100 negotiations, probably over the weekend before 00:09:43.100 --> 00:09:45.580 it actually hits the House floor for a full vote 00:09:45.580 --> 00:09:48.500 next week. Still some hurdles to clear. It shows 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:50.940 how tough it is keeping the caucus together on 00:09:50.940 --> 00:09:53.639 these big bills. OK, so wrapping up this deep 00:09:53.639 --> 00:09:57.440 dive. Quite a journey. We saw the Supreme Court 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:00.100 getting into the weeds on procedure with birthright 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:02.899 citizenship, maybe avoiding the core issue for 00:10:02.899 --> 00:10:06.980 now. We saw some potential, maybe small, cracks 00:10:06.980 --> 00:10:09.580 in GOP unity around Trump, particularly in the 00:10:09.580 --> 00:10:12.799 Senate. Witnessed the predictable explosion over 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:16.559 a Comey Instagram post and the strange investigation 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:18.820 that followed. Noted the rather delicious irony 00:10:18.820 --> 00:10:21.480 surrounding Kid Rock's alleged staffing woes. 00:10:21.629 --> 00:10:24.529 And cheered on Salt Lake City's very clever flag 00:10:24.529 --> 00:10:27.929 solution in Utah. Plus, the ongoing budget battles 00:10:27.929 --> 00:10:30.809 in the house. Yeah, a real mix. And maybe a final 00:10:30.809 --> 00:10:34.019 thought for you, the listener, is this. How do 00:10:34.019 --> 00:10:36.799 these different pieces connect? Are they isolated 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:38.840 incidents or do they show us something bigger 00:10:38.840 --> 00:10:40.860 about where things are politically, socially 00:10:40.860 --> 00:10:42.940 right now? Right. Think about the motivations, 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:46.460 legal tactics, political survival, standing up 00:10:46.460 --> 00:10:49.919 for identity, pure hypocrisy, and what the consequences 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:51.399 might be down the road for all these different 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:53.279 situations. Lots to mull over.