Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been returned to Maryland… where he was promptly arrested by ICE, which is threatening to deport him to Uganda. Will the courts stop it? Meanwhile, Texas tees up to defend breaking apart majority-minority districts by claiming that they were only trying to hurt Democrats, not Latinos. Also: can Trump really ban flag burning? (No.) Links: Flag Burning EO https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/prosecuting-burning-of-the-american-flag/ Abrego Garcia v. Noem [MD Docket before Judge Xinis] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69777799/abrego-garcia-v-noem/?order_by=desc Texas Redistricting 2021 (LULAC v. Abbott) https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txwd.1150387/gov.uscourts.txwd.1150387.1127.0.pdf Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod
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Ep 159 — New York Appeals Court Gives Trump Half a Billion Dollars
The Fifth Circuit says yes to drag shows, but no to workers’ rights. Donald Trump loses one fight to keep his dingbat lawyer Alina Habba on as Acting Interim Assistant Special Top Secret Temporary US Attorney for New Jersey, but wins big in a New York appellate court. And multiple courts tell Attorney General Pam Bondi to pound sand, even though she would really, really like to invade the secrecy of the grand jury to try and make everyone forget that her patron and Jeffrey Epstein were best buds. Links: US v. Giraud [challenge to Alina Habba; docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69409922/united-states-v-giraud-iii/ Trump v. New York [New York Appellate Division] https://nycourts.gov/courts/AD1/calendar/AppsMots/2025/apps/20250821/2023-04925,%20et%20ano..pdf Spectrum WT v. Wendler [5th Cir.] https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/23/23-10994-CV0.pdf SpaceX v. NLRB [5th Cir.] https://ecf.ca5.uscourts.gov/n/beam/servlet/TransportRoom?servlet=ShowDocMulti&incPdfHeader=Y&pacer=t&CSRF=csrf_1956458841209811746&incPdfHeaderDisp=Y&caseId=220409&outputType=doc&d=10658064&outputForm=view&incPdfFooter=&dls=7661567 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod
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Ep 158 — All The Defamation News That’s Fit To Pod
As Dominion Voting Systems settles its defamation suit with Newsmax, Hunter Biden is making defamation suits great again. He’s currently suing Overstock founder Patrick Byrne, and about to be sued by the first lady. Meanwhile, Media Matters scores a big victory over the Federal Trade Commission, and football coach Brian Flores notches a win against the NFL. Links: Trump v. Selzer https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69476247/trump-v-selzer/ Biden v. Byrne https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67990012/robert-hunter-biden-v-patrick-m-byrne MMFA v. FTC https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70612884/media-matters-for-america-v-federal-trade-commission/ X Corp v. MMFA https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68023366/x-corp-v-media-matters-for-america/ Flores v. NFL https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67718968/flores-v-the-national-football-league/ Aviel v. Gor https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69746961/aviel-v-gor/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod
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Sick Leave Notice
We're taking the week off due to illness. This is a 30-second explainer. Thank you for your continued listening and support!
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Ep 157 — Census 2025? No. (feat. Kel McClanahan)
We welcome back National Security Counselors’ Kel McClanahan to discuss how the Law & Chaos podcast will be suing the Trump administration. Also: no, Trump can’t order a new census just because he doesn’t like the actual numbers. And the Supreme Court tees up an argument advanced by Clarence Thomas to gut what remains of the Voting Rights Act. Links: Donate to Kel McClanahan! www.nationalsecuritylaw.org/donate Robinson v. Callais [Supreme Court docket] https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-110.html Voting Rights Act, 52 U.S.C. § 103 et seq. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/subtitle-I/chapter-103 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod
Ignorance of the law is no excuse! That’s true for a traffic stop, and it’s true if you want to participate in whatever’s left of American democracy. If the events since the 2016 election taught us anything, it’s that tuning out is not an option. Legal journalists Liz Dye and Andrew Torrez break down the week’s most important courtroom stories, so you can keep on top of this crazy news cycle. Whether it’s Texas giving two middle fingers to the Supreme Court, or Donald Trump in all the courts at once, we’ve got you covered.
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