The Shadow Docket Just Won’t Quit

<p>The gang is back together as Melissa, Kate, and Leah break down this week’s mountain of legal news, including the Court’s greenlighting of Trump’s anti-DEI National Institutes of Health cuts, the president’s war on mail-in ballots, and a batshit missive from Solicitor General John Sauer. Then, Leah speaks with candidate for Michigan attorney general Eli Savit about the latest threat to marriage equality. Finally, Kate chats with Penn Law professor Serena Mayeri about her book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/marital-privilege-marriage-inequality-and-the-transformation-of-american-law-serena-mayeri/21987613?ean=9780300279443&amp;next=t">Marital Privilege: Marriage, Inequality, and the Transformation of American Law</a>.</p><p>Hosts’ and guests’ favorite things:</p><ul>

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<strong>Leah</strong>: <a href="https://www.stevevladeck.com/">One First</a>, Steve Vladeck; <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-perils-of-pleasure-pennyroyal-green-series-julie-anne-long/8938247?ean=9780061341588&amp;next=t">The Pennyroyal Green Series</a>, Julie Anne Long; <a href="https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/why-the-supreme-court-is-not-to-be-trusted/">Why the Supreme Court Is Not to Be Trusted</a>, Laurie L. Levenson (LARB)</li>

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<strong>Kate</strong>: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/opinion/trump-midterm-elections-mail-in-ballots.html">Would You Trust This Man With Your Elections?</a> By Richard Hasen (NYT); Kim Lane Scheppele’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXwQYL8d6kc">Chautauqua lecture</a>;</li>

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<strong>Melissa</strong>: <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/atmosphere-a-love-story-taylor-jenkins-reid/21972372?ean=9780593158715&amp;next=t">Atmosphere</a>, Taylor Jenkins Reid; <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/commonwealth-ann-patchett/6782769?ean=9780062491831&amp;next=t">Commonwealth</a>, Ann Patchett; <a href="https://www.hbomax.com/shows/gilded-age/2537da31-ff99-4195-a53e-e0e1ddb1d67e">The Gilded Age</a> (HBO)</li>

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<strong>Eli</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv1MwS56aCo">Jealous Type</a>, Doja Cat</li>

</ul><p></p><p>Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! </p><ul>

<li>3/6/26 – San Francisco</li>

<li>3/7/26 – Los Angeles</li>

</ul><p></p><p>Learn more: <a href="http://crooked.com/events">http://crooked.com/events</a></p><p>Order your copy of Leah's book, <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Lawless/Leah-Litman/9781668054628">Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes</a></p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/strictscrutinypodcast/?hl=en">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.threads.net/@strictscrutinypodcast">Threads</a>, and <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strictscrutiny.bsky.social">Bluesky</a></p>