Podcasts about attorney general sessions

Providing her clients with the most up-to-date information necessary to operate and invest in successful cannabis and ancillary businesses.Lauren Rudick the Co-Founder Hiller, PC was a member of the legal team that brought an action against former Attorney General Sessions and the federal government seeking, among other things, a declaration that the mis-classification of cannabis as a Schedule I drug is unconstitutional, on, among other things, due process, equal protection, free speech, and commerce clause grounds.   She joins Joy Beckerman to talk about her cannabis career.  Her involvement in many cannabis organizations including, treasurer of the International Cannabis Bar Association, Directors for Breeder's Best, the cannabis industry's first “record label style producer” of unique cannabis genetics, and  Vice-Chair of the Cannabis Law and Policy Committee of the American Bar Association provides her with an unmatched understanding of the industry. Produced by PodConxHemp Barons - https://podconx.com/podcasts/hemp-baronsJoy Beckerman - https://podconx.com/guests/joy-beckermanHemp Ace International - http://www.hempace.com/Lauren Rudick - https://podconx.com/guests/lauren-rudickHiller, PC - http://www.hillerpc.com/

Based on an executive order signed by President Trump in 2017 that promotes free speech and religious liberty, Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education recently announced it would no longer enforce a statute preventing religious organizations from providing education services to students. Learn more at FirstLiberty.org/Briefing. This episode really begins back in May of 2017. That’s when President Donald Trump, just three months into his presidency, walked to the Rose Garden of the White House and signed the Executive Order Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty.  That Executive Order commissioned a memo offering guidance to the executive branch by the Attorney General of the United States, then Jeff Sessions.  Several months later, the Department of Justice issued that guidance and, about a year later, held a summit on religious liberty at DOJ headquarters, announcing the formation of a religious liberty task force. That task force provided on-the-ground guidance to executive agencies like the Department of Education, which brings us to the point of this episode.  Secretary Betsy DeVos recently sent a letter to Congress explaining that the Department of Education would no longer enforce a federal statute prohibiting religious organizations from providing educational services to students.  DeVos noted that the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in Trinity Lutheran v. Comer, as explained by the DOJ in former Attorney General Sessions’ memo, requires federal law to permit religious organizations to participate at the same level as secular organizations. I agree with Secretary DeVos who said, “Those seeking to provide high-quality educational services to students and teachers should not be discriminated against simply based on the religious character of their organization.” To learn how First Liberty is protecting religious liberty for all Americans, visit FirstLiberty.org.

Part 6 of 12 from Section II. Factual Results of the Obstruction Investigation. This subsection of Volume 2, pages 90-98, discusses direction from the President, intended for Attorney General Sessions, to deliver a speech announcing limitations on the Special Counsel to limit the scope to investigating election meddling for future elections only. The President's Efforts to Curtail the Special Counsel Investigation (0:10) The President Asks Corey Lewandowski to Deliver a Message to Sessions to Curtail the Special Counsel Investigation (1:00) The President Follows Up with Lewandowski (3:47) The President Publicly Criticizes Sessions in a New York Times Interview (5:50) The President Orders Priebus to Demand Sessions's Resignation (7:24) Analysis (11:46) Obstructive act (12:02) Nexus to a proceeding (13:12) Intent (13:48) Mueller Report Audio - muellerreportaudio.com Presented by Timberlane Media Support via PayPal: donate@timberlanemedia.com Donate with Crypto Music by Lee Rosevere

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights hosted a press call to discuss the need for the Senate Judiciary Committee to determine whether Attorney General nominee William Barr is committed to upholding the civil rights of all people. With Barr’s confirmation hearings beginning on Tuesday January 15th it is crucial that the nation’s top law enforcement officer and leader of the U.S. Department of Justice is committed to our country’s ongoing progress toward equal justice. Civil rights leaders joining the call were Kristine Lucius, Executive Vice President for Policy, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Janai Nelson, Associate Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., Michael Collins, Director of National Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance, Avideh Moussavian, Legislative Director, National Immigration Law Center and Sharon McGowan, Chief Strategy Officer and Legal Director, Lambda Legal. First Kristine Lucius from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights stated, “Under former Attorney General Sessions, we saw nearly unbridled disdain for the Justice Department’s vital role as the nation’s primary agency for protecting people’s rights. For nearly two years, Sessions destroyed families and communities by attacking voting rights, restarting the War on Drugs, failing to enforce constitutional policing policies, rolling back protections for LGBTQ individuals and justifying officials separating children from their parents and locking immigrant children in cages. William Barr’s record suggests more of the same. Our families and communities deserve better and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have an obligation to seek assurances from Mr. Barr that he will not be Sessions 2.0.” Then Janai Nelson, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., added, “If confirmed, William Barr will inherit the abominable legacy of Jeff Sessions, who established policies that undermined and attacked the civil rights of communities of color. The Trump Justice Department has dismantled racial diversity efforts and rescinded guidance on racial disparities in school discipline and special education, promoted voter suppression and abdicated its obligation to protect the civil rights of persons who encounter the criminal justice system. Senators must determine whether Barr will continue to weaponize the Justice Department and eviscerate civil rights protections or whether his record suggests that he can repair and restore integrity and fairness to the Justice Department and ensure that all persons are treated equally under the law. Next we heard from Michael Collins, Drug Policy Alliance, who added, “Trump is appointing someone who has long been a cheerleader for mass incarceration and the war on drugs. It shows the Administration’s true colors and undermines any recent criminal justice reforms. During this nomination process, I hope that Senators from both parties take Barr to task for his retrograde views on drug policy and criminal justice, instead of giving him an easy ride like they did with Jeff Sessions.” Then Avideh Moussavian, National Immigration Law Center stated, “William Barr’s own track record and his unmitigated support for former Attorney General Sessions is cause for serious alarm. In his own right, Barr has supported border militarization, criminalization of migrants, and subjecting vulnerable populations of HIV+ Haitian asylum seekers to indefinite detention. His open praise for Sessions -- from explicitly supporting the first and most egregious version of Trump's Muslim ban to implicitly supporting policies to turn immigration judges into mass deportation agents and forcibly cage thousands of children in order to coerce their parents to abandon their legal right to claim asylum -- shows he will continue to weaponize the role of the DOJ and Attorney General to devastate the rights of those who most need its protection.” Then we heard from Sharon McGowan, Lambda Legal and former senior official in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice who concluded, “Jeff Sessions transformed the Department of Justice from a guardian of civil rights into a weapon of discrimination and bigotry and William Barr has made clear that he is eager to pick up where Sessions left off. As Attorney General under George H.W. Bush, Barr defended what CBS News described as ‘the world’s first and only detention camp for refugees with HIV’ and only just a few weeks ago, William Barr ‘saluted’ Jeff Sessions for his efforts to nullify legal protections for LGBT people. The Department of Justice needs new leadership to get it back in the business of defending civil rights and equal justice under law for all people. William Barr, through his own words and actions, has proven himself unworthy for this important role.” The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. Hear 450+ LGBT Interviews @OUTTAKE VOICES

Hoover Institution fellows Richard Epstein and Adam White debate Attorney General Sessions’s resignation, and the appointment of Matthew Whittaker as his temporary replacement. Did you like the show? Please rate, review, and subscribe! (Playing time: 38:34)

THE HOME FOR PROGRESSIVE POLITICS This Week’s Discussion: In this week’s episode we address the midterm elections: who won; what they mean; and what they portend for the future.  Did the capture of the House by Democrats save US democracy?  How should Democrats utilize their newfound power?  Also, Trump fires Attorney General Sessions, and what that might mean for democracy.  The latest mass murder indicates again that this is just standard operating procedure in the US, but perhaps there is some hope for addressing this crisis.  Amazon announces the locations of its second headquarters.  What does this mean for NY City, one of the "winning" bidders?      *Also available on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube -Please SUBSCRIBE   THE HOME FOR PROGRESSIVE POLITICS Forward Nation Radio with Professor David Leventhal    Visit forwardnationradio.com for all shows, fun toons, stats, and more. If you love what you heard, Like Us and share on Facebook - Instagram - Twitter    

Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigns at Trump's request. He recused himself from oversight of the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. In a letter to Trump, Sessions wrote he had been “honored to serve as Attorney General” and had “worked to implement the law enforcement agenda based on the rule of law that formed a central part of your campaign for the presidency.” Trump tweeted that Sessions would be replaced on an acting basis by Matthew G. Whitaker, who had been serving as Sessions' chief of staff. “We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! ... A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date,” Trump tweeted. What's really going on here?Voter turnout in the 2018 midterm elections appears to have surpassed previous midterms significantly, but it will be a while before we know the full numbers. An estimated 113 million people participated in the elections, making this the first midterm in history to exceed 100 million votes, with 49 percent of eligible voters participating in the contests. As a result, divided government returns to Washington, and the Democrats picked up seven governorships. What does this say about the president, the country and our politics?The Democrats took the House and flipped seven governors' seats in Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Wisconsin and other states. As the leadership is expected to be organized, can the Democrats build from this towards 2020, or are they making the same mistakes they made in 2016? Have they learned anything? The Blue Wave only washed ashore on the House side of the beach and was smaller than the historic trend. Was the Blue Wave ever a reality, or was it just hype from talking heads? GUESTS:Dr. Khalilah Dean-Brown — Associate professor of political science at Quinnipiac University, political analyst, advisor and co-author of "50 Years of the Voting Rights Act: The State of Race in Politics.Dr. Mamie Locke — Politician and educator. She was a member of the Hampton, Virginia, city council from 1996–2004, and mayor from 2000–2004. Since 2004, she has been a member of the Senate of Virginia from the second district and a professor of political science at Hampton University.Dr. Pearl Ford-Dowe — Assistant professor of political science at the University of Arkansas and currently serves as chair. She has published numerous articles and book chapters that have appeared in journals such as the Journal of Black Studies; Presidential Studies Quarterly; Race Class & Gender; Political Psychology; Polity; and Social Science Quarterly. Jon Jeter — Author and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist with more than 20 years of journalistic experience. He is a former Washington Post bureau chief and award-winning foreign correspondent.Greg Palast — Author and award-winning investigative reporter featured in The Guardian, Nation Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, BBC and other high profile media outlets.

As the results are finalized, it's clear that the Senate will remain in GOP control while the House fades to the left. What does this mean for the country and President Trump? Congressman Jim Jordan joins Sean to talk about the election and where he sees the party moving. Plus, Attorney General Sessions resigns. What does this mean for President Trump? The Sean Hannity Show is on weekdays from 3 pm to 6 pm ET on iHeartRadio and Hannity.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Reformation Day may have been last week, but we're still talking about it, this time by way of the Prophet Jeremiah... Also,  Bloggers and host sued for what amounts to negative Yelp reviews, and Attorney General Sessions called to repentance during Religious Liberty speech; (aasha bee bee)Asia Bibi released from Pakistani prison over hardliner objections, and Reformation Day isn’t quite over yet today on Radical Grace Radio. Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/garyheld Visit our Website www.RadicalGraceRadio.com  

CBS News Washington Correspondent / Executive Editor Steve Dorsey talks to WDEL's Allan Loudell from Washington

Family Separation, Mandatory Detention and DenaturalizationDiscussion with Paromita Shah on the effective criminalization of immigration and the right to asylum through mandatory detention and unlawful entry and unlawful re-entry prosecutions. We discuss family detainment and separation at the border and the deportation of undocumented parents of US citizen minors. Additionally, we discuss the recent Supreme Court decision of Dimaya, due process in immigration court and Attorney General Sessions’s use of self-referral to make radical changes in our immigration jurisprudence. We also discuss Operation Janus, the De-naturalization Task Force and the intersection of immigration and criminal law.For More Info:http://www.nationalimmigrationproject.org/pract_advisories/gen/2018_19Jun_activists.htmlhttp://www.nationalimmigrationproject.org/pract_advisories/gen/2018_05Jul_Pereira.htmlhttp://www.nationalimmigrationproject.org/PDFs/practitioners/practice_advisories/crim/2018_26Apr_sessions-v-dimaya.pdfhttps://cgrs.uchastings.edu/a-b-backgrounderhttps://uchastings.app.box.com/s/57k2hk6rpyjh7bbmebld4195r2wsdzt0https://www.dropbox.com/s/lplnnufjbwci0xn/CBP%20Report%20ACLU_IHRC%205.23%20FINAL.pdf?dl=0https://theintercept.com/2018/02/14/ice-denaturalization-naturalized-citizen-immigration/https://news.vice.com/article/the-us-keeps-mistakenly-deporting-its-own-citizenshttps://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/immigration-zero-tolerance-children-families-limbo/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/trumps-child-separation-policy-has-grievously-harmed-parents-deported-without-their-children.html

Pastor wanted to talk about life imitating art because he also wanted to talk about life imitating parables. Before listening to the show, can you guess what the oldest known parable is in the Bible? Also...   Blood moon coming and no one’s trying to profit by it, United Methodist clergy go after Attorney General Sessions, Televangelist Jim Bakker wants to cure your venereal disease, and parables coming to life give us something to think about today on Radical Grace Radio. Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/garyheld Visit our Website www.RadicalGraceRadio.com  

  Happy Friday! This evening I want to address the way that the media has portrayed immigration law enforcement efforts and why it is vital to provide the truth, something the mainstream media refuses to do! For example, I recently participated in an interview for the Conservative website, The Federalist, in which the focus was on Attorney General Sessions’ policy of revamping up prosecution of illegal aliens who attempt to enter the United States without inspection along the U.S./Mexican border. The article was just published with the title, Sessions’ New Border Measures Aren’t As Bad As Media Portray, But Could Be Better: Parents expose their children to great danger by involving them in the crime of illegal U.S. entry. But doing so helps them gain entry. The Department of Justice should handle that humanely. I was happy to provide my perspectives to set the record straight.   We will consider other examples where the media refuses to be honest and objective. Please read my articles and, if you like them, post the links on FaceBook along with a link to my radio show.  Be a part of my “Bucket Brigade of Truth” and tell your friends and neighbors about my program- and mywebsite, remember Democracy is not a “Spectator Sport!”

First Lady Melania Trump announced her "Be Best" campaign, an effort to educate America's youth on key issues impacting our society. Sean carried the entire remarks by the First Lady and reacts to the power of this great program. Plus, why is Attorney General Sessions being threatened with contempt? The Sean Hannity Show is on weekdays from 3 pm to 6 pm ET on iHeartRadio and Hannity.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

On August 24, 2017, ACS hosted a call on the most recent challenge to DACA. In June 2012, President Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (“DACA”), which allowed qualifying young people who were brought to the United States as children to request that any removal action against them be deferred in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion. Subsequent programs (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (“DAPA”) and the 2014 “expanded DACA”) were preliminarily enjoined by a Texas federal judge, whose decision was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and ultimately by an evenly divided U.S. Supreme Court. Now the Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, and 10 other state Attorneys General have written to Attorney General Sessions indicating their intent to challenge the 2012 DACA in court unless the administration agrees to rescind the program by September 5, 2017.   Featuring: Caroline Fredrickson, ACS President, Moderator Lorella Praeli, ACLU Director of Immigration Policy and Campaigns Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar, Clinical Professor of Law; Director, Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, Penn State Law

Please join the host of Stand For Truth Radio SUSAN KNOWLES as she gives you her perspective for the entire hour on Monday, April 23, 2018 at 6pmPT/9pmET.I'll bring you my thoughts about what's happening in the world of current news and politics.Tonight I'll be sharing my opinion Real vs. Fake news and why it's happening, Attorney General Sessions, DNC lawsuit, Pompeo and why you should be aware of what's currently happening in California.I hope you will join me!Catch all of my shows on Spreaker.com. Stand For Truth Radio with Susan Knowles with all shows including Knowles On The News and God's Views On Political News.Susan Knowles is the author of the popular children's book featured on the Todd Starnes Radio Show on March 9, 2018, "My Ears Are Not Like Yours." Her book offers encouragement and hope to young children and is available on Amazon.com.Susan is a licensed psychotherapist, former practicing Family Law attorney, online conservative radio talk show personality and producer at Stand For Truth Radio.She has appeared as a guest on The Glenn Beck Show, The Pat & Stu Show and The Rick Amato Show on One America News Network.Susan has also been a frequent guest on The Morning Blaze with Doc Thompson. In addition, she has made guest appearances on  AM 760 KFMB, 600 KOGO News Radio San Diego, 106.7 WYAY FM in Atlanta, News Radio 610 WIOD in Miami, Fla. and Overnight America with Jon Grayson.Susan is also a former Contributor to TheBlaze.

Please join the host of Stand For Truth Radio SUSAN KNOWLES as she gives you her perspective for the entire hour on Monday, April 23, 2018 at 6pmPT/9pmET.I'll bring you my thoughts about what's happening in the world of current news and politics.Tonight I'll be sharing my opinion Real vs. Fake news and why it's happening, Attorney General Sessions, DNC lawsuit, Pompeo and why you should be aware of what's currently happening in California.I hope you will join me!Catch all of my shows on Spreaker.com. Stand For Truth Radio with Susan Knowles with all shows including Knowles On The News and God's Views On Political News.Susan Knowles is the author of the popular children's book featured on the Todd Starnes Radio Show on March 9, 2018, "My Ears Are Not Like Yours." Her book offers encouragement and hope to young children and is available on Amazon.com.Susan is a licensed psychotherapist, former practicing Family Law attorney, online conservative radio talk show personality and producer at Stand For Truth Radio.She has appeared as a guest on The Glenn Beck Show, The Pat & Stu Show and The Rick Amato Show on One America News Network.Susan has also been a frequent guest on The Morning Blaze with Doc Thompson. In addition, she has made guest appearances on  AM 760 KFMB, 600 KOGO News Radio San Diego, 106.7 WYAY FM in Atlanta, News Radio 610 WIOD in Miami, Fla. and Overnight America with Jon Grayson.Susan is also a former Contributor to TheBlaze.

Tonight; the Guatemalans causing an uproar at the border. Attorney General Sessions gets a nod in Miami. A roller coaster ride on the stock market this week. China and Trump go tit for tat over trade. Trump's continued tirade on Amazon! Also highlight of the week! The final four. Very exciting! My love of the Easter tradition and more! Always an interesting perspective on everyday issues.

WILL MUELLER PREVAIL - IN RUSSIA PROBE! =====================================   Will Special Prosecutor Bob Mueller Prevail Over Trump In The Russia Probe? Mueller Is An Ex-Marine (Vietnam War) -- A Republican 'Straight Arrow" --- AND --- RELENTLESS, To A Fault!   He Took Down The Infamous New York Crime Boss - (GAMBINO FAMILY) - John Gotti! - In 1992.  Gotti Died In Prison, Choking On His Own Vomit.   He Took Over The FBI Right After The September 11, 2001 Disaster - To Rebuild The Intelligence Capacity Of The FBI & Restore Faith In That Institution.   He Is Held In Nearly Universal High Regard By Most People - Irregardless Of Political Persuasion.  There Doesn't Seem To Be Any Blemishes On His Life Time Record Or Even A Hint Of Scandal Or "Irregularity".   Is He Our King Arthur - Of Camelot -  In This Brief Period Of Time --- A Shiny Place In An Otherwise Sea Of Total Darkness --- Where Mueller's Round Table Held Pure Evil & Malignancy At Bay & Carried Forward One Of History's Greatest "Take Downs" Of A Truly Malignant & Evil Demagogue!   Mueller, Mueller,  Quite The Feller, No One More Sweller Put Down A King's Knave Into The Dark & Dank Cellar!  

Revolution_The Podcast - March 18/18 Arlene Bynon & John LeBoutillier use Attorney General Sessions' rationale for firing former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe - for a "lack of candor" - and apply it to all the controversies surrounding the Trump Administration: the Trump-Mueller clash; the Stormy Daniels Case; the ongoing relationship with Putin's Russia; and all the chaos inside the Trump White House.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Alice Bonner, a docent at the newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture and retired professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, who wrote her dissertation on the Kerner Report, and Dr. Jared Ball a professor of communication studies at Morgan State University and the author of “I MiX What I Like: A MiXtape Manifesto” and you can find his writings at www.IMixWhatILike.org. Today marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the Kerner Commission report, a stunning acknowledgement of the oppression that the black community had been through and the causes of the rebellions in the recent years. President Lyndon Johnson established the commission, headed up by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner. The hosts talk about the Kerner Commission’s legacy and whether the horrific conditions and causes of the ‘60s rebellions have yet been addressed.“Criminal Injustice” continues today, about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), join the show. At a meeting with U.S. industry officials at the White House, Trump vowed to rebuild American steel and aluminum industries, saying they had been treated unfairly by other countries for decades. Brian and John speak with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen. Wall Street bankers are pushing for a significant loosening of the Volcker Rule, a part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that restricts certain kinds of speculative investments that do not benefit customers. Brad Birkenfeld, a whistleblower who exposed billions of dollars of financial fraud committed by banking giant UBS and the author of “Lucifer’s Banker: The Untold Story of How I Destroyed Swiss Bank Secrecy,” with writings at lucifersbanker.com, joins the show. President Trump told a group of senators yesterday that he favored stronger background checks for gun purchasers and was open to the idea of raising to 21 the age necessary to buy a gun. The National Rifle Association, in the meantime, was lobbying hard on Capitol Hill to either kill or water down any new firearm legislation. Dr. Wilmer Leon, a political scientist, author, and host of a nationally broadcast talk radio show on Sirius/XM channel 126, and Robert Koehler, an award-winning journalist, nationally syndicated writer, and the author of the book “Courage Grows Strong at the Wound,” join Brian and John. Russian President Vladimir Putin today laid out his key policies ahead of a presidential election that he is expected to win in 17 days. He also made the bombshell announcement that Russia has developed a cruise missile that can reach anywhere in the world, can carry a nuclear warhead, and is impossible to shoot down. Alexander Mercouris, the editor in chief of The Duran, joins the show.White House Communications Director Hope Hicks resigned yesterday hours after testifying on Capitol Hill in the Russia investigation. Hicks is only one of more than two dozen senior White House officials who have resigned in the past year. Meanwhile, Attorney General Sessions responded tersely to President Trump’s angry tweet about his handling of the investigation and to Trump’s comparison of Sessions to the cartoon character Mr. Magoo.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence who just returned from Afghanistan.Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to begin peace talks, and he offered security and other incentives to those who participate. Meanwhile, since the International Criminal Court began collecting material three months ago for a possible war crimes case involving Afghanistan, it has received a staggering 1.17 million statements from Afghans who say they were victims of ISIS, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or the Afghan government and the US-led coalition. Will the United States be able to reassert it domination over Asia? After scrapping the Trans Pacific Partnership, a cornerstone of the Obama administration’s “Pivot to Asia” strategy, the Trump administration has been pursuing the so-called “Quadrilateral Alliance,” of US, Australia, Japan, and India. Alfred McCoy, the Harrington Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of the news book: “In the Shadows of the American Century-- The Rise and Decline of US Global Power,” joins the show. In a blow to immigrant rights and basic civil liberties, the Supreme Court has ruled 5-3 to restrict the rights of immigrants held in detention centers, limiting their right to bail hearings and making it easier for authorities to detain them indefinitely. Brian and John speak with Miguel Andrade, the communications manager at the immigrant rights advocacy organization Juntos and a member of the Board of Directors of the US Human Rights Network, and Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. The anti-nuclear group Beyond Nuclear took its fight to the Supreme Court on Monday with a rare petition asking the justices to require federal regulators to change rules that exclude nuclear power plants' transmission lines from environmental review. The petition marks the first time the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to allow expedited construction of a new power plant is being challenged in the Supreme Court. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at Beyond Nuclear, joins the show. A debate has erupted over the effectiveness of the Trump and Clinton campaigns’ social media operations during the 2016 election. How does social media advertising work and what is its impact on democracy? Dr. Robert Epstein, the senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, joins Brian and John. President Trump blasted Attorney General Sessions on Twitter this morning, saying that Sessions’s decision to simply refer a FISA investigation to the Justice Department’s Inspector General was “disgraceful.” Plus, The Atlantic has new secret messages between Trump adviser Roger Stone and Wikileaks, which they’re using to bolster Stone’s claim that he was in contact with Wikileaks. The only problem is the content of the messages--they show that they were clearly not working together. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, and David Cobb, campaign manager of the 2016 Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka presidential campaign, join the show.Fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is heating up as regional powers and western corporations fight amongst each other over the right to loot the country’s vast mineral wealth. Brian and John speak with Kambale Musavuli, the national spokesman for The Friends of the Congo, and one of that country’s leading political and cultural voices.

How can the slaughter of high school students be so polarizing? It is agonizing beyond any writer’s ability to convey, but a political football to begin another round of pro- and anti-Trump throwdowns? I didn’t see that coming out of the sorrow from the Florida shooting. It was like an instant replay of reactions that we witnessed after the massacre in Sutherland Springs, Texas and every awful massacre since Columbine. It has left commentary without a purpose. If everyone — always — makes the same demands, nearly instantly; without any room for consideration of the specifics of the murderer’s motivation and history, it’s hard to imagine what “change” will avail. A place to start for us would be hearings. I got the idea from my NBC colleague Chuck Todd. I put it to Education Secretary DeVos and Attorney General Sessions. They both agreed. If hearings occur, we need one more promise: for everyone to actually hear the viewpoints presented. Let’s stop the outrage and just listen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

re: Legalize it? Whether you are for legalization or against it, it is almost certain that someone you know is being helped by medical cannabis.  The movement for legalized marijuana is spreading across the nation, in spite of the recent decision by Attorney General Sessions to rescind the Cole Memorandum under which many cannabis businesses had been operating. Teresa had a chance to catch up with cannabis business attorney, activist, and educator Pamela Epstein.  A prominent player in the push for legalization, Epstein continues to help those who want to enter the business and who encounter a fractured and frustating regulatory climate that seems to change daily. In this interview,  Pamela tells the personal story that drove her to take on the risk-filled world of cannabis and which continues to motivate her in spite of setbacks and legal challenges.  If you've been wondering what's going on with marijuana regulation lately, or you are interested in getting into the cannabis business, you need to listen to this interview. File under: #legal-marijuana, #cannabis, #cannabis business, #cannabis-regulation, #marijuana, #pamelaepstein, #cannabisattorney, #medical-marijuana,  PS: Are you someone who is currently in the legal cannabis business but having trouble finding solutions to manage your cashflow?  Well, stuffing it under your mattress or burying it in the backyard is NOT the best way to safeguard your wealth.  Call TJ at 925-776-4368 to learn about a PRIVATE, discrete, compliant, "seed to sale" solution for banking that might be able to help.  Or shoot off an email to imaverick3@gmail.com.

Having devoted both of last month’s podcasts to aspects of “Federalism,” I certainly didn’t plan on returning to the subject so soon. But a podcast committed to how the latest controversies showcase the context behind key constitutional dynamics just can’t pass up the teaching moment afforded by Attorney General Sessions’ recent announcement that the Trump […]

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author, Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Randy Credico an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.President Trump said last night, perhaps in an unguarded moment, that he was willing to speak under oath with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The president’s attorneys quickly backtracked. Meanwhile, Mueller and his staff met last week with Attorney General Sessions, as the investigation seems to be turning more and more toward obstruction of justice and money laundering. Russia no longer seems to be in the mix.Today, Brian and John begin a new weekly segment that called “Criminal Injustice.” They will look at some of the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors, and at how justice is so routinely denied to so many Americans. In today’s segment, judges in the state of Oklahoma are sending people arrested on minor drug charges to a program called CAAIR—Christian Alcoholics and Addicts in Recovery. But in reality, they’re sent to work in dangerous chicken processing plants. Prisons in America are based on slave labor. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), join the show.The World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland has begun, although controversy is hovering over the meeting in light of President Trump’s America First trade policy and his recent comments about poor countries. Brian and John speak with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist.The Trump Administration has slashed aid to UNRWA, the United Nations agency that assists Palestinian refugees, a move that experts in the region say will cause “life threatening conditions.” Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins the show.It appears that there will be only one candidate for president of Egypt in that country’s upcoming elections: military dictator Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi. All other candidates have been systematically thrown out of the race and removed from the ballot. And one former SIS supporter, himself a general, was arrested yesterday. Vijay Prashad, the director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, joins Brian and John.A court in Brazil has upheld the conviction and nine-and-a-half year sentence of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on charges of corruption and bribery, upending that country’s presidential race, which Lula leads widely in the polls. Aline Piva, with Brazilian Expats for Democracy, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.The United Nations is hosting in Vienna what it calls “the last hope” for peace in Syria. Representatives of both the Syrian government and the opposition will attend today. Brian and John speak with Shabbir Razvi, an economist and political analyst.

This week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions repealed the Cole Memo, which had previously directed the Justice Department not to use federal resources to target states that had passed recreational or medicinal marijuana legislation. On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to continue the policy of the Obama administration on the issue, and expressed hesitance to interfere with the states that have passed individual legislation that contradicts federal marijuana prohibition. Now, a bipartisan backlash has some commentators suggesting that a federal law legalizing marijuana may be at hand. And there is hope: House Resolution 1227, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act, would remove marijuana as a Schedule I drug, and end federal prosecution in states that have legalized marijuana. It appears that a new libertarian sentiment, in both parties, is going to provide plenty of pushback for Attorney General Sessions.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, whistleblower and former FBI special agent and by author Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer. The New York Times is reporting that President Trump enlisted his attorney to demand that Attorney General Sessions not recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Is this obstruction of justice or a meaningless detail seized upon by the media?Pakistan today expressed “deep disappointment” today after President Trump announced a cutoff in security aid to the country. Marvin Weinbaum, Scholar-in-Residence for the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan Studies, joins the show.For the third year in a row, American police officers killed more than 1,000 people, even as the rates of violent crimes continue their historic declines. Brian and John speak with Abraham Marquez, a community organizer and activist.Spain’s Supreme Court has refused to release Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras, who has been in prison for two months because of his role in the region’s push for independence. Meanwhile Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was released from prison today after a controversial pardon on medical grounds. Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst, joins the show.French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to crack down on so-called “fake news”. Macron argues that he’s protecting democracy, but critics see this move as a serious threat to free speech. Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief of The Duran, joins Brian and John.The case of the “J20” Trump inauguration protesters continues as a lawsuit alleges that the police pepper sprayed a 10-year-old as they broke up the demonstration. What will happen to the 188 protesters still facing charges? Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent, joins the show.The Dow Jones stock index opened above 25,000 today for the first time ever. Is this a sign of a booming economy, or are we in a bubble? Economics professor and author Dr. Jack Rasmus joins Brian and John.

The incoming Mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, calls the Star-Spangled Banner an "ode to slavery." We're joined by John Dombroski, founder and president of Grand Canyon Planning. Attorney General Sessions ends the Obama era policy of ignoring federal laws on marijuana.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm Michael Santos with Prison Professors. Along with my partners, Shon Hopwood and Justin Paperny, we're glad to provide more information about how to prepare for the prison journey. Earlier episodes have given extensive biographical information on us. Complete your own due diligence. You'll see why we're exceptionally well qualified to help anyone who is going into the system.   More importantly, we're well qualified to help people who want to get out of the prison system successfully. Each of us succeeded after prison because we understood how to make good decisions as we worked our way through the journey. Always remember, the right decision at the wrong time is the wrong decision.   This episode is part of our series that we're calling how to prepare for prison. In the previous episode, we explained a bit about the process. As Dr. Stephen Covey advised in his best-selling book, it's always best to seek to understand before we seek to be understood.   In this segment of the Prison Professors podcast, we're going to discuss the importance of understanding stakeholders in the criminal justice system.     Federal Prison Hierarchy To succeed in the federal prison system, it's crucial to understand how it operates. Our partner, Shon Hopwood, tells a story that might help us illustrate the point. When Shon began serving his sentence for armed bank robbery, he wanted out. Many people in prison want out.   Shon read a case that highlighted a favorable decision. He thought the legal ruling might apply to him. Shon wrote a motion and he filed his motion in a court that he thought would grant relief. The judge refused to accept Shon's motion. Instead, the judge offered advice. He suggested that if Shon wanted to get relief in court, it would behoove him to file in an appropriate court that would have jurisdiction on his case.   Obviously, Shon went on to master the judicial system. As Steve Kroft of 60 Minute said, while serving his sentence, Shon became the most successful “jailhouse” lawyer in history. The legal briefs that he wrote for other prisoners resulted in victories in the district courts, circuit courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court. His legal victories changed laws and resulted in liberty for many people in federal prison.   But if Shon did not learn how to master federal prison first, he would not have succeeded in mastering the federal judiciary, or become a skilled jailhouse lawyer. We must take first steps first. And for people going into the prison system, it's essential to understand how the Bureau of Prisons operates.     Branches of Government Like the federal courts, the Federal Bureau of Prisons is a massive bureaucracy. Many years may have passed since some of our readers took a class in civics. As a quick reminder, our nation has three bodies of government. They include the following branches:   The Legislative Branch The Judicial Branch The Executive Branch   Our elected members of Congress make up the Legislative Branch of government. They include representatives from each of the 500+ districts in the United States, and they include the two senators that represent each state. Those members vote on legislation in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Once they're in agreement, the legislative bills go to the President. If the President signs the legislative bills, they become laws.   In our country, we have more than 90 federal Judicial Districts. For example, in California, there are four separate federal Judicial Districts—including the Northern District Court, the Central District Court, the Southern District Court, and the Eastern District Court. Each of those Districts is part of a Circuit. We separate those Circuits by geographic regions. For example , California is in the Ninth Judicial Circuit. New York is in the Second Judicial Circuit. We have the U.S. Supreme Court that presides over all Circuit and District Courts. We have more than 1,000 federal judges that preside over the various courts. Each of the judges strives to ensure that people receive due process—meaning, the judges strive to apply fairness in the courts for all.   The Executive Branch of government oversees the many different applications of government. Our president appoints people who oversee the different departments. For our purposes, we know that the Attorney General of the United States oversees the Department of Justice. And the Attorney General of the United States oversees the Director of the Bureau of Prisons. For that reason, we must understand how the hierarchy operates.     Politics and Prisoners: Earlier, I encouraged you to complete your due diligence on my partners and me. That way you could assess the veracity of our claim to have mastered our time in federal prison. It takes a lot of discipline to grow in prison. In my case, I went through 26 years.   By the time that I met our co-founder Justin Paperny in the Taft Federal Prison Camp, our country was going through a historic election. The economy was in the tank, sliding into the worst recession in recent memory. Unemployment was on the rise. Justin asked me why I followed the political race so closely.   As a prisoner, I explained, we must live with decisions that come down from the top. The president's perspective on governing will influence the policies that he wants to set. As a prisoner, we must live with those policies. If the president believes that people have a capacity to change, the president will appoint an Attorney General that shares that liberal viewpoint. If the president believes that we need to preserve the systems that are in place, then the president will appoint an Attorney General that shares such a conservative viewpoint. Policy shifts in prison will reflect the perceptions of both the president and the Attorney General.   To illustrate, let us provide two recent examples of such change.   The Second Chance Act provided prison administrators with new discretion regarding halfway house placement. Prior to the Second Chance Act, leaders in The Bureau of Prisons could authorize prisoners to serve the final six months of their sentences in a halfway house. After The Second Chance Act, leaders in The Bureau of Prisons could authorize prisoners to serve the final 12 months of their sentences in a halfway house.   Obviously, from a prisoner's perspective, 12 months in a halfway house would be better than six months in a halfway house. But it was up to the Bureau of Prisons to apply the law.   The U.S. Congress passed The Second Chance Act. But leadership in the BOP has discretion. When President Obama was in office, the Attorney General was Eric Holder. Under that administration, people in prison could have some influence on how much halfway house time they could receive. As a master of federal prison, I succeeded in putting myself on a pathway to get the full 12 months of halfway house. Similarly, as a master in the federal prison system, Justin succeeded in getting the maximum halfway house placement that was available to him.   In 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Jeff Sessions to serve as the Attorney General. Both President Trump and Attorney General Sessions had a different perspective. President Trump and AG Sessions had a conservative perspective, meaning that they believed that people should serve the maximum amount of time in federal prison. The 2017 administration cut funding to halfway houses.   But a master of federal prison would know how to cope with such change.   To prevail on maximum halfway house time—or any other matter pertaining to federal prison—Prison Professors urges people to understand the system. Pursue a strategy to get the best possible outcome, depending upon the political philosophy of the administration in power. The strategy that may result in success during a conservative administration may differ from the strategy that could result in success in a liberal administration.   To master federal prison quickly, make sure that you understand the political philosophy on both a macro and a micro level.     Directors of the Bureau of Prisons: The Bureau of Prisons is a massive organization. It employs more than 40,000 staff members that serve in six different regions. Those regions include federal prisons in most states, halfway houses in all states, regional offices, training centers, and headquarters in Washington D.C. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons presides over the entire bureaucracy. He reports to the Attorney General of the United States.   For the nearly 200,000 federal prisoners, it's important to understand the different roles in the BOP. What is the role of the Director?   Well, the Director must make sure that the prison system is operating in accordance with the wishes of the Attorney General. And the Attorney General wants the Director to operate the Bureau of Prisons in accordance with the political philosophy of the President.   The Director is not going to express concern for individual prisoner issues. Rather, the Director focuses on systemic policies. When prisoners attempt to seek relief from the Director, the prisoner reveals a lack of understanding for how the system operates. Masters understand the system. And they learn how to succeed, given the limitations of the system itself.   Unless a prisoner wants to advocate for systemic change, it doesn't make sense for him to advance arguments at the highest levels of the Bureau of Prisons. In fact, doing so can cause problems. Leaders know that the right decision at the wrong time is the wrong decision. Although people in prison may see many injustices on a systemic level, as masters, we should always have a very clear perspective. How are we defining success? What battles are we striving to win? What price are we willing to pay in pursuit of success over our battles.   By focusing on victory as we define victory, we know where to concentrate our energy. It rarely works in our interest to seek relief from the highest levels of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.   To oversee the Bureau of Prisons, the Director relies upon a large team. That team includes a Deputy Director, several Acting Directors, and several Regional Directors. It would be highly unusual for any of those directors to make decisions regarding any individuals in prison. Rather, the directors rely upon their subordinates. We should expect the subordinates to make decisions in accordance with the political philosophies of the people in power. Directors set policies and oversee budgets. Subordinates carry out those policies.   Federal Prison, an Overview: We know that the Bureau of Prisons is a massive bureaucracy. It includes many different divisions. People who want to master federal prison should broaden their understanding of how it operates. The more people understand, the more likely they become to get on the best trajectory.   Masters seek to understand more so that they can influence more.   Although a later chapter discusses custody and classification levels in detail, we can provide a brief overview here. The Bureau of Prisons categorizes in accordance with security levels. Consider the following:   ADX: This designation refers to an Administrative-Maximum U.S. Penitentiary. It is the highest level of security. Most people who serve time in an ADX start in a lower-security prison. They make decisions in prison that result in new criminal charges, or disciplinary problems. When a team or staff member identifies people in prison as being sufficiently disruptive, they may send them to an ADX penitentiary.   SMU: This designation refers to a Special Management Unit. Like the ADX, the SMU is a highly restrictive prison. Staff members may send people to an SMU when they want to restrict their communication. Although most people who are in an SMU have violent histories, it's important to remember the adage “The pen is mightier than the sword.” If staff members consider a prisoner to be a prolific writer, and the prisoner writes content that staff members consider inflammatory, they may confine the person in an SMU.   USP: This designation refers to a United States Penitentiary. In the broader community, people consider the word penitentiary as being synonymous with prison. But in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the word penitentiary has a different meaning and connotation. It means high-security. People going to a USP live in restrictive conditions. Staff members consider USPs to be more volatile. They govern USPs in response to population levels that include higher percentages of people who have violent, volatile, and disruptive histories.   FCI: This designation refers to a Federal Correctional Institution. The FCI includes both medium-security and low-security prisons.   FSL: This designation refers to a Federal Satellite Low Security Prison. The people in an FSL have the custody scoring of people in a camp. But they have some issue that prevents them from going to a camp. For example, they may have a detainer of some type, or they may have longer than 10 years to serve.   SCP: This designation refers to a Satellite Prison Camp. The camp is adjacent to a secure prison, and the inmates in the camp provide labor that keeps the prison operating.   FPC: This designation refers to a federal prison camp. It is frequently a stand-alone camp, meaning it is not tied to another prison, as with the SCP.   FCC: This designation refers to a Federal Correctional Complex. A complex will have several prisons of different security levels in a single location. People in one prison do not mix with people in another prison, but they're all in the same geographical location.   FDC, MCC, or MDC: These designations refer detention centers. People in detention centers, ordinarily, await outcomes of judicial proceedings. Although some people serve the entire term in detention centers, or they are assigned to the work cadre—performing maintenance on the prison, they are not necessarily serving time.   FMC: This designation refers to a Federal Medical Center. People who need medical attention may serve all or a portion of their time in an FMC.   FTC: This designation refers to the Federal Transfer Center, in Oklahoma. Prisoners may spend time in the FTC while traveling to other institutions, or they may serve their sentence in the FTC if they're part of a work cadre.   CI: This designation refers to a privately operated federal prison.   CO and RO: These designation refers to the Central Office and the Regional Office. We can use our understanding of the regional office and the central office to influence our placement, or to influence favorable outcomes.   Mastering the federal prison system requires some knowledge of the different types of institutions. The more we know about the Bureau of Prisons and the staff, the better we can position ourselves to get to the best possible environment.   All secure institutions include the following staff members:     Warden: The warden is the CEO of the institution. Wardens have an enormous amount of influence with regard to how the prison operates. Some wardens make themselves approachable. To the extent that a person in prison positions himself well, he can influence the warden's perception.   As a prisoner, it's crucial to begin with a clear understanding of success. Exercise discretion when it comes to approaching a warden—or anyone else. Lay the groundwork first, before asking the warden to intervene on anything. Understand that the warden has enormous power with regard to every person in the prison. In the various books that Prison Professors have written, we described how wardens influenced our success through the journey. Pay close attention to the extensive amounts of back work that we did, and also note how we were selective when requesting assistance.   Associate Wardens: The associate wardens are part of the warden's executive staff. They oversee various departments within the prison. For example, the Associate Warden of Programs will oversee unit staff. The Associate Warden of Operations will oversee facility management. The population level of the prison will influence how many AWs are available.   Department Heads: Department heads oversee specific departments. For example, the Unit Manager oversees all case managers. A Unit Manager reports directly to the Associate Warden of Programs. The Unit Manager will ask inmates to resolve matters directly with the case manager.   Line Staff: Line staff includes case managers, cook supervisors, counselors, landscape foreman, maintenance leaders, and others who work in various departments. They report to their respective department heads.   Case Managers: Case managers oversee all matters that pertain to a person's case. Once the judge sentences a person “To the custody of the attorney general,” that person becomes an “inmate” as far as concerns the system. And case managers will have direct oversight of the inmate. The inmate will not have a lawyer. The inmate must learn how to advocate for himself effectively. Case managers will be a key person to influence. Although policies guide decisions, there is always some discretion. A master will learn how to influence staff members in the Bureau of Prisons in a positive way.   Counselors: Counselors in federal prison do not offer the type of counseling that someone outside of prison would expect. Rather, they perform jobs like approving visiting lists and assigning jobs. It's best to understand the limited role that counselors play in federal prison. That way, people spare themselves the disappointment that comes from expecting too much.     Influence and Manipulation At Prison Professors, we discuss the long-term approach of influencing a positive outcome. That differs from shortsighted efforts to manipulate staff members. To influence does not mean to manipulate.   For obvious reasons, staff members are extremely cynical. Every day, staff members in prison work with convicted felons. Many of those people have criminal mindsets. That is why staff members expect inmates to lie. They expect inmates to do or say anything that will ease their burden. Masters of the system do not whine or complain about this reality. Rather, they learn how to work within the system, and how to succeed in spite of the challenges.   Masters know that the Bureau of Prisons invests a considerable amount of resources in staff development and staff training. Part of that training teaches staff members how “to be firm but fair.” The Bureau of Prisons wants to make sure the public is safe, the prisons are safe, and the staff members are safe. As such, it's extremely conservative. Training encourages staff members to rely upon policy when making decisions, and it trains them to interpret those policies conservatively. For that reason, it's crucial for masters to understand all policies. By understanding the opportunity costs that come with every decision, masters can make better progress than those who flounder.   If you want to master federal prison, work through all of the programs available through PrisonProfessors.com. You will learn our strategies for making exceptional progress in prison. More importantly, you will learn how to succeed upon release.    

On October 6, Attorney General Sessions issued a guidance regarding “Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty,” which declared as its central instruction that “to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law, religious observance and practice should be reasonably accommodated in all government activity.…” But what is “practicable and permitted by law,” what is reasonable accommodation, and how broadly might the guidance sweep? As the Supreme Court gets ready to hear oral argument in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case on December 5, join ACS for a briefing call with Gretchen Borchelt, Vice President for Reproductive Rights and Health at the National Women’s Law Center, Frederick Gedicks, Guy Anderson Chair and Professor of Law at BYU Law, and Susan Sommer, Associate Legal Director and Director of Constitutional Litigation for Lambda Legal, who will discuss what are and should be the boundaries of religious exemptions and the potential impact of the October guidance.

In light of Attorney General Sessions racist rant announcing the end of DACA I wanted to chat with immigrant rights advocates and scholars Vichet Chhuon and Jimmy Patiño. Vichet is a professor of Education and Asian American Studies who has been actively involved with the ReleaseMN8 campaign. Jimmy is a historian and professor of Chicano and Latino Studies whose research examines the “deportation regime” as it relates to Chicano activism in San Diego, California.

Darrell Castle explains DACA and discusses Attorney General Jeff Sessions' defense of the rule of law and how it applies to the ending of DACA. Transcript / Notes Hello this is Darrell Castle with today's Castle Report. Today is Friday, September 15, 2017, and on today's report I will be discussing DACA, which stands for Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals.  In June of 2012, President Obama, after Congress repeatedly denied his request for Congressional implementation, decided to take legislative action on his own authority, by executive order. President Trump campaigned on a promise of ending DACA “on his first day in office.”  It took more than eight months but he finally got around to withdrawing President Obama's executive order.  Last week Attorney General Jeff Sessions was sent out before the cameras to make the announcement that DACA would be ending.  That, in and of itself, is probably significant because President Trump is usually not shy at all about the limelight, but it is through Attorney General Sessions' remarks that we will approach this discussion because his remarks contained as fine a description of why the rule of law is important that you will ever hear or read. He said that to have a lawful system of immigration that serves the national interest, we cannot admit everyone who would like to come here.  Therein lies the rub, because so many Democrats and Republicans consider their own interests and the interests of their Party's leadership, but not the national interest. DACA was a program that provided a legal status for recipients for a renewable two year term, as well as work authorization, and participation in the social security program.  These benefits went to about 800,000 illegal aliens who were supposed to be exclusively children but apparently were also a lot of adults.  Notice I used the term “illegal aliens” to describe these people because that is the description in America's immigration laws, and it is the description used in his announcement by Jeff Sessions.   It is more accurate than the politically correct “Dreamers” that is in vogue today. Jeff Sessions described for us what President Obama did in implementing DACA. “In other words, the executive branch, through DACA, deliberately sought to achieve what the legislative branch specifically refused to authorize on multiple occasions.  Such an open-ended circumvention of immigration laws was an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the Executive Branch.” He then went on to give a description of why the rule of law is so important especially with regard to immigration. “We inherited from our founders—and have advanced—an unsurpassed legal heritage, which is the foundation of our freedom, safety, and prosperity.  As the Attorney General, it is my duty to ensure that the laws of the United States are enforced and the Constitutional order is upheld. No greater good can be done for the overall health and well-being of our Republic, than preserving and strengthening the impartial rule of law.  Societies where the rule of law is treasured are societies that tend to flourish and succeed. Societies where the rule of law is subject to political whims and personal biases tend to become societies afflicted by corruption, poverty, and human suffering. To have a lawful system of immigration that serves the national interest, we cannot admit everyone who would like to come here.  That is an open border policy and the American people have rightly rejected it.  Therefore, the nation must set and enforce a limit on how many immigrants we admit each year and that means all cannot be accepted.” Well, Amen Attorney General Sessions, I could not have said it better myself. DACA is sold to us as a system of compassion.  It would not be compassionate to take away from these “children” who were brought here by their parents or others but not by their own rational choice, the legal rights once granted to them. I would point out the rights once granted under D...

This week's "breaking news" episode covers three of the biggest stories trending at the moment:  the Utah nurse who was arrested for standing up for her patient's rights; Trump's repeal of DACA; and churches suing for relief funds. In the wake of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the guys encourage you to donate to either (or both) the Red Cross and/or Habitat for Humanity's hurricane relief efforts. We begin with the story behind the arrest of Alex Wubbels, the Utah nurse who refused to take and turn over her patient's blood to the police. In the main segment, Andrew walks us through President Trump's directive to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.  Does Andrew actually agree with a legal opinion authored by Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III??  Listen and find out! Next, Breakin' Down the Law continues with everything you wanted to know about churches suing for funds allocated to disaster relief and recovery.  Is the Friendly Atheist right when he says such a case is legally distinct from the precedent set by Trinity Lutheran v. Comer? Finally, we end with a fiendishly difficult and all-new Thomas Takes the Bar Exam Question #40 about jury instructions regarding the presumption of intent.  Remember that you can play along with #TTTBE by retweeting our episode Tweet along with your guess.  We'll release the answer on next Tuesday's episode along with our favorite entry! Recent Appearances None.  Have us on your show! Show Notes & Links This is a link to the Red Cross's page for donations for hurricane relief; and here is a link to Habitat for Humanity's hurricane relief efforts. Here is where you can find the recently-created Opening Arguments Facebook Community, which you should definitely join! You can read the relevant Supreme Court opinion, Birchfield v. North Dakota, 136 S.Ct. 2160 (2016), that Nurse Wubbels relied upon in refusing to take and turn over blood to the police. The guys first discussed illegal immigration on Episode 52 and then again in Episode 67. This is the original June 15, 2012 Napolitano DHS memo that became DACA. This the text of the recent memorandum by Attorney General Sessions rescinding DACA. The DAPA case relied upon by Sessions is Texas v. US, 86 F.Supp.3d 591 (S.D. Tex. 2015), aff'd, 809 F.3d 134 (5th Cir. 2015). We first analyzed the Trinity Lutheran v. Comer decision (along with Andrew Seidel) in Episode 82. Previously, we discussed Trinity Lutheran while the case was still pending during our three-part “You Be The Supreme Court” series:  Part 1 (Episode 14) is available here, Part 2 is available here, and Part 3 is available here. This is the Friendly Atheist article discussed during the "C" segment attempting to distinguish Trinity Lutheran v. Comer. Support us on Patreon at:  patreon.com/law Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ And email us at openarguments@gmail.com  

On July 31, ACS hosted a webinar discussion with experts on the implications for the rule of law of President Trump’s potentially removing Attorney General Sessions in the hopes of securing the dismissal of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and ending the investigation into his campaign’s embroilment with the Russian government.

Please join your host SUSAN KNOWLES as she gives you her perspective and shares her research with you (sometimes while ranting) on the following subjects:1. President Trump with another win.2. Kelly, Kelly, Kelly....Will he be a great Chief of Staff?3. Scaramucci -why it had to happen and why he may really have been there.4. Special Counsel Mueller has done something else "special" that you aren't going to like.5. Attorney General Sessions kicking butt and taking names.6. Veterans getting the worst again!

Please join your host SUSAN KNOWLES as she gives you her perspective and shares her research with you (sometimes while ranting) on the following subjects:1. President Trump with another win.2. Kelly, Kelly, Kelly....Will he be a great Chief of Staff?3. Scaramucci -why it had to happen and why he may really have been there.4. Special Counsel Mueller has done something else "special" that you aren't going to like.5. Attorney General Sessions kicking butt and taking names.6. Veterans getting the worst again!

Attorney General Sessions is going to go after leakers. How are we to trust anonymous sources? We're joined by John Dombroski, founder and president of Grand Canyon Planning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we'll talk with Kathleen Meikle, author of “A River of Tears: First Person Accounts Reveal the True Cost of Abortion”, Senior Legal Fellow Hans von Spakovsky, on Attorney General Sessions move against sanctuary cities, and we'll bring you up to date on the Senate healthcare debate and the latest in the so-called sexual revolution.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sen. Ben Sasse gave President Trump some great advice yesterday ...The GOP failed yet again when it came to stopping Obamacare ...Play by play on how the health care vote failed last night ...Bill O'Reilly joins Glenn to discuss the GOP's health care failure and his theory on why Sen. John McCain voted against getting rid of Obamacare ...What is going on between President Trump and Attorney General Sessions at this point? Bill Browder explains what's really going on in Russia ...The Magnitsky Act. What it is and why it matters ...Meet the man who lost a friend to Vladimir Putin's killer regime.  The Glenn Beck Program with Glenn Beck, Pat Gray, Stu Burguiere and Jeff Fisher, Weekdays 9a–12pm ET on TheBlaze Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich, Charlie, and Ian discuss Donald Trump's ongoing fight with Attorney General Sessions, the rise of Anthony Scaramucci, the state of Obamacare repeal, and the ban on transgendered Americans serving in the military.

Sean Noble joins Seth in studio. President Trump was being honest when he said he wished Attorney General Sessions hadn't recused himself. It took a long time to mess up health care, and it will take a long time to fix it. We're joined by John Dombroski, founder and president of Grand Canyon Planning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Glenn's experience with 'Dunkirk' over the weekend ...Masterpiece war movie ...What is happening between President Trump and Attorney General Sessions? ...Washington DC: Game of Thrones in suits & ties ...New, NAZI terrorists being trained and unleashed on Europe ...The strange entertainment tastes of Glenn Beck ...Did Glenn just bash President Trump? ...Listen to something BEFORE you criticize it! ...Devastating news about Charlie Gard  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

06-21-2017 - Vice President Pence, Attorney General Sessions speak at crime reduction summit - audio English

This week the Savages discuss Attorney General Sessions' testimony for the Russia investigation, Sean Spicer's move away from Press Secretary, the Philando Castile acquittal and some of our personal vices. 

June 20, 2017 / Susan and Rabia talk with Ames Grawert of the Brennan Center for Justice about Attorney General Sessions and the direction of criminal justice under the Trump administration. This episode is being sponsored by Away Luggage! For $20 off a suitcase, visit www.awaytravel.com/45 and use promo code ‘45' during checkout! Episode scoring music by Loch Lomond, New York Military Band and the American Quartet, Little Glass Men, Komiku, and Lobo Loco. #the45th #45thpod

On this episode of Fault Lines, Garland and Lee discuss Attorney General Sessions' Senate testimony, the rumor mill stories about Robert Mueller getting fired, and testimony by General Mattis that the we aren't “winning” in the Afghanistan conflict.Garland and Lee discuss Attorney General Sessions' Senate testimony as he comes out swinging Garland and Lee discuss the rumor mill stories about Robert Mueller getting fired and whether they are realistic. Also, the repercussions if this would happen. Garland and Lee discuss the testimony of General Mattis that the United States isn't winning the Afghanistan conflict and whether there really is a way to win this mess.

Not your Mother's radio show. Some call it a discussion, some say a debate, you decide. Join us tonight, as we talk about the Penguins-Stanley Cup Winners, the President’s Cabinet meeting, Tennis, Comey’s Special Prosecutor, NBA, Attorney General Sessions testimony, and more. Join us Tonight @ 7:15pm, EST

Attorney General Sessions testified before the Senate today and, it's pretty obvious, that he was offended by allegations he colluded with the Russian government. Sean sits down with Newt Gingrich to discuss Sessions testimony and the best next steps for the Trump administration. The Sean Hannity Show is live weekdays from 3 pm to 6 pm ET on iHeartRadio and Hannity.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Tuesday on the C4 Show C4 spent the first hour of the show talking about if Trump should fire Robert Mueller. In the second hour of the show C4 talked about Attorney General Sessions testifying in front of Congress today and how Trump has lost another decision on his travel ban. In the third hour of the show C4 was joined in studio by Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh to talk opium abuse, budgets and MD AG Brian Frosh. In the final hour of the show C4 talked about the Trump's first cabinet meeting that got ultra weird when everyone started heaping praise on the President.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats testifies today, a divide between President Trump and Attorney General Sessions and more in today's Audio Briefing.

Weekly Recap Monday May 29 Trump screws up Memorial Day Tuesday May 30 Manuel Noriega, Ousted Panamanian Dictator, Is Dead at 83 NBC NEWS Russians discussed potentially 'derogatory' information about Trump and associates during campaign CNN Flynn providing documents to Senate, first batch by June 6 CNN Kathy Griffin /Trump Head Picture Men probing Ivanka Trump brands in China arrested, missing WAPO Wednesday May 31 Trump'��s use of private cellphone raises security concerns AP Congress investigating another possible Sessions-Kislyak meeting Thursday June 1 Explanations for Kushner's meeting with head of Kremlin-linked bank don�t match up WAPO House intelligence panel subpoenas Flynn, Cohen; seeks 'unmasking' docs White House Waivers May Have Violated Ethics Rules NYT Maybe Private Russian Hackers Meddled in Election, Putin Says NYT Shifting from his previous blanket denials, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia suggested on Thursday that �patriotically minded� private Russian hackers could have been involved in cyberattacks last year that meddled in the United States presidential election. Trump leaves announces he�s leaving Paris Climate Accord Comey to testify before the Senate on June 8 at 10:00AM Trump Crisis took the Muslim ban to the Supreme court Friday June 2 Trump administration returning Senate torture report CNN Special counsel's Trump campaign investigation includes Manafort case, may expand to include Attorney General Sessions. AP Saturday June 3 London Bridge Attack

Today on The Marijuana Adjenda with Russ Belville, Kassandra Frederique from Drug Policy Alliance moderates a drug war survivor panel at "Not One Step Back" at Atlanta's Morehouse School of Medicine. The 700 Club's Pat Robertson destroys Attorney General Sessions over return to mandatory minimum sentencing policies of the past. Patients Without Time's Brian Murphy, medical marijuana activist evicted from his home in Hawaii, which protects patients' housing rights. The Medicated Gummy Bear - The Drug So Powerful It Makes Lawmakers Lose Their Minds!

David Plotz and Emily Bazelon are joined by Jacob Weisberg to discuss the maelstrom around Trump’s presidency, Roger Ailes impact on the conservative movement and Attorney General Sessions’s war on drugs. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/gabfestplus. Twitter: @SlateGabfest Facebook: facebook.com/Gabfest Email: gabfest@slate.com Show notes at slate.com/gabfest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Plotz and Emily Bazelon are joined by Jacob Weisberg to discuss the maelstrom around Trump’s presidency, Roger Ailes impact on the conservative movement and Attorney General Sessions’s war on drugs. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/gabfestplus. Twitter: @SlateGabfest Facebook: facebook.com/Gabfest Email: gabfest@slate.com Show notes at slate.com/gabfest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer Shea Gunther settles into the hosting chair for the first time and talks to Dan Goldman and Adam Smith about Attorney General Sessions' newly ramped-up war on drugs, Vermont's passage of legislative legalization, and the big money being raised (and deployed from) Canada. Produced by Shea Gunther. 

On this episode of Fault Lines, Garland and Lee discuss the Lester Holt interview in which the President contradicts the uniform story that his staff has told about the firing of the FBI Director, Attorney General Sessions' plan to double down on failed drug war policies, and the new US China trade deal that ignores the leaching of rust belt jobs to China.Garland and Lee discuss the NBC Lester Holt interview in which the President contradicts the uniform story that his staff has told about the firing of the FBI Director. They also try to decipher this morning's strange Presidential. Attorney General Sessions institutes polices that will increase mass incarceration and double down on failed drug policies. Our hosts discuss the implications of these actions on citizens and future political implications Garland and Lee discuss the new U.S. China trade deal that opens the door for big banks to earn huge profits in Asia but ignores the Presidents promise to address the loss of jobs to China in the rust belt.

Dan Pashman (The Sporkful) and Andrew Heaton (Mostly Weekly) join Negin to talk about the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency, what’s going on with North Korea, and Bill O’Reilly (finally) getting axed from Fox News. Plus, they discuss the mysterious origins of 420 and Attorney General Sessions' views on marijuana. This episode is brought to you by Aaptiv (www.aaptiv.com code: FAKE) and Credo Mobile (www.credomobile.com/fakethenation).

On the inaugural episode, we start off with a quick intro and then get right into a discussion of consent decrees [2:54-33:49], debating whether Attorney General Sessions can undo agreements that the Obama administration reached with troubled police departments around the country.Next up [starting at 33:54], we have an interview with Zephyr Teachout, counsel to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, about whether President Trump violates the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution when his businesses receive money from foreign governments. Zephyr explains what an “emolument” is, the purpose of the Constitutional ban on foreign gifts, and at least four ways Trump is violating that prohibition. Please share or provide feedback, and rate us in iTunes. You can find us at @VersusTrumpPod on twitter, or send us an email at versustrumppodcast@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we'll talk with Hans von Spakovsky, about Attorney General Sessions plant to penalize so-called Sanctuary Cities, Aaron Damiani, author of “The Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of Lent” (Moody), and Bill Gibbons, school superintendent at Cornerstone Christian Academy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Markowitz of Cardozo Law responds to Attorney General Sessions threat to sanctuary cities.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/03/27/attorney-general-sessions-sanctuary-cities-may-see-federal-grant-cuts/22013967/

The sixth week of Donald Trump’s presidency may have contained both the best and worst day of President Trump’s administration up to this point. On Tuesday night, the President delivered a fairly successful speech to a joint session of Congress, and enjoyed a solid 24 hours of (rare) positive press as a result. But the budding romance between President Trump and the news media was short-lived, as Wednesday brought some eye-opening revelations about Attorney General Sessions and his (at best) misleading answers during his Congressional confirmation hearing. The following day, AG Sessions recused himself from any investigations into the Trump campaign, which reportedly enraged the President. This bubbled over on Saturday morning, when Trump sent out a series of tweets claiming that President Obama illegally wiretapped Trump Tower during the campaign, complete with comparisons to McCarthyism and Watergate. The current President accuses the former President of illegal espionage for personal or partisan reasons – whether it’s based on a real wiretap or completely made up, this story is not over!

The sixth week of Donald Trump’s presidency may have contained both the best and worst day of President Trump’s administration up to this point. On Tuesday night, the President delivered a fairly successful speech to a joint session of Congress, and enjoyed a solid 24 hours of (rare) positive press as a result. But the budding romance between President Trump and the news media was short-lived, as Wednesday brought some eye-opening revelations about Attorney General Sessions and his (at best) misleading answers during his Congressional confirmation hearing. The following day, AG Sessions recused himself from any investigations into the Trump campaign, which reportedly enraged the President. This bubbled over on Saturday morning, when Trump sent out a series of tweets claiming that President Obama illegally wiretapped Trump Tower during the campaign, complete with comparisons to McCarthyism and Watergate. The current President accuses the former President of illegal espionage for personal or partisan reasons – whether it’s based on a real wiretap or completely made up, this story is not over!

EP76: Doug, Red & Lefty talk Attorney General Sessions, Then Doug visits with comedian Pat Dixon of New York Crime Report from crimereport.nyc and compoundmedia.com. They talk Trump, Obama, SJWs and the comedic material to found in crime. Then Night Knight joins the A.S.S

Attorney General Sessions recuses himself, Republicans struggle to recapture the narrative, and even the media knows what's going on here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Attorney General Sessions recuses himself, Republicans struggle to recapture the narrative, and even the media knows what's going on here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Substitute host Mark Davis explains why Attorney General Sessions is in hot water with the Democrats -- even though he shouldn't be.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Professors Vladeck and Chesney get into the weeds of the controversy surrounding the statements Attorney General Sessions made during his confirmation process concerning contacts with Russians.  Is there a credible case for...

In this episode, Professors Vladeck and Chesney get into the weeds of the controversy surrounding the statements Attorney General Sessions made during his confirmation process concerning contacts with Russians.  Is there a credible case for...

We're joined today by Creed Leffler to discuss using Cannabis for Cerebral Palsy, and his efforts to reschedule cannabis. And Reefer Madness' Greatest Hits: The Attorney General Sessions.

The Attorney General and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security are the most powerful domestic law enforcement officers in the United States government. In this episode, hear critical highlights from the confirmation hearings of President Trump's nominees for those jobs: Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General and General John Kelly for Secretary of DHS. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD098: USA Freedom Act: Privatization of the Patriot Act Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Attorney General Nomination, Senate Committee on the Judicary, January 10, 2017 Watch on C-SPAN Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Timestamps & Transcripts Part 1 1:12:10 Senator Chuck Grassley: During the course of the presidential campaign, you made a number of statements about the investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, relating to her handling of sensitive emails and regarding certain actions of the Clinton Foundation. You weren’t alone in that criticism—I was certainly critical in the same way, as were millions of Americans, on those matters—but now you’ve been nominated to serve as Attorney General. In light of those comments that you made, some have expressed concern about whether you can approach the Clinton matter impartially in both fact and appearance. How do you plan to address those concerns? Jeff Sessions Mr. Chairman, it was a highly contentious campaign. I, like a lot of people, made comments about the issues in that campaign with regard to Secretary Clinton, and some of the comments I made, I do believe that that could place my objectivity in question. I’ve given that thought. I believe the proper thing for me to do would be to recuse myself from any questions involving those kind of investigations that involve Secretary Clinton that were raised during the campaign or could be otherwise connected to it. Sen. Grassley: Okay. I think it’s—let me emphasize, then, with a followup question. To be very clear, you intend to recuse yourself from both the Clinton email investigation, any matters involving the Clinton Foundation, if there are any. Sessions: Yes 1:22:55 Senator Diane Feinstein: Appearing on the TV show 60 Minutes, the president-elect said that the issue of same-sex marriage was “already settled. It’s law. It was settled in the Supreme Court. It’s done, and I’m fine with that.” Do you agree that the issue of same-sex marriage is settled law? Jeff Sessions: Supreme Court has ruled on that. The dissents dissented vigorously, but it was five to four, and five justices on the Supreme Court—a majority of the court—have established the definition of marriage for the entire United States of America, and I will follow that decision. 1:30:05 Senator Orrin Hatch: In the 108th Congress, you introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 77, expressing the sense of the Congress that federal obscenity laws should be vigorously enforced throughout the United States. It passed the Senate unanimously—it pleased it, too. In fact, it is the only resolution on this subject ever passed by either the Senate or the House. Now, Senator Sessions, with your permission I want to share with you that resolution adopted last year by the Utah legislature outlining why pornography should be viewed as a public health problem, as well as some of the latest research into the harms of obscenity. Is it still your view that federal laws prohibiting adult obscenity should be vigorously enhanced? Jeff Sessions: Mr. Chairman, those laws are clear, and they are being prosecuted today and should be—continue to be effectively and vigorously prosecuted in the cases that are appropriate. Sen. Hatch: In making this a priority for the Justice Department, would you consider reestablishing a specific unit dedicated to prosecuting this category of crime? Sessions: So, that unit has been disbanded—I’m not sure I knew that, but it was a part of the Department of Justice for a long time, and I would consider that. 1:49:40 Senator Patrick Leahy: Do you agree with the president-elect, the United States can or should deny entry to all members of a particular religion? Jeff Sessions: Senator Leahy, I believe the president-elect has, subsequent to that statement, made clear that he believes the focus should be on individuals coming from countries that have history of terrorism, and he’s also indicated that his policy, and what he suggests, is strong vetting of people from those countries before they’re admitted to the United States. 1:55:35 Senator Lindsey Graham: What’s your view of Obama’s administration’s interpretation of the Wire Act law to allow online video poker, or poker gambling? Jeff Sessions: Senator Graham, I was shocked at the memorandum, I guess the enforcement memorandum, that the Department of Justice issued with regard to the Wire Act and criticized it. Apparently, there is some justification or argument that can be made to support the Department of Justice’s position, but I did oppose it when it happened, and it seemed to me to be an unusual— Graham: Would you revisit it? Sessions: I would revisit it, and I would make a decision about it based on careful study. 2:12:55 Senator Dick Durbin: Senator Graham asked this question, and I listened to your answer when he asked you what would happen to those 800,000 currently protected by President Obama’s executive order, known as DACA, who cannot be deported for two years—it’s renewable—and can work for two years, and you said, let Congress pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. You opposed the only bipartisan effort that we’ve had on the Senate floor in modern memory. And what’s going to happen to those 800,000, if you revoke that order and they are subject to deportation tomorrow, what is going to happen to them? What is the humane, legal answer to that? Jeff Sessions: Well, the first thing I would say is that my response to Senator Graham dealt with whose responsibility this is. I had a responsibility as a member of this body to express my view and vote as I believed was correct on dealing with issues of immigration. That’s not the attorney general’s role; the attorney general’s role is to enforce the law. And as you know, Senator Durbin, we’re not able financially or any other way to seek out and remove everybody that’s in the country illegally. President Trump has indicated that criminal aliens, like President Obama indicated, certainly are the top group of people, and so I would think that the best thing for us to do—and I would urge colleagues that we understand this—let’s fix this system. And then we can work together, after this lawlessness has been ended, and then we can ask the American people and enter into a dialogue about how to compassionately treat people who’ve been here a long time. Durbin: That does not answer the question about 800,000 who would be left in the lurch, whose lives would be ruined while you’re waiting on Congress for a bill that you opposed. Sessions: Well, I thought it did answer it pretty closely about what you asked, and I understand your concerns. 2:31:10 Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: As a question of law, does waterboarding constitute torture? Jeff Sessions: Well, there was a dispute about that when we had the torture definition in our law. The Department of Justice memorandum concluded that it did not necessarily prohibit that, but Congress has taken an action now that makes is absolutely improper and illegal to use waterboarding or any other form of torture in the United States by our military and by all our other departments and agencies. 2:54:50 Senator Amy Klobuchar: If you could just explain your views of the Voting Rights Act moving forward and what would happen in terms of enforcement if you were attorney general. Jeff Sessions: The Voting Rights Act that passed in 1965 was one of the most important acts to deal with racial difficulties that we face, and it changed the whole course of history, particularly in the South. There was a clear finding that there were discriminatory activities in the South that a number of states were systematically denying individuals the right to vote. And you go back into the history, you can see it plainly: actions and rules and procedures were adopted in a number of states, with the specific purpose of blocking African Americans from voting, and it was just wrong, and the Voting Rights Act confronted that. And it, in effect, targeted certain states and required any, even the most minor, changes in voting procedure, like moving a precinct across— Klobuchar: So, how would you approach this going forward? For instance, the Fifth Circuit’s decision that the Texas voter ID law discriminates against minority voters, that was written by a Bush appointee, do you agree with that decision? How would you handle this moving forward? Sessions: Well, I have not studied that. There’s going to be a debate about it, courts are ruling on it now, and that is a voter ID and whether or not that is an improper restriction on voting that adversely impacts disproportionately minority citizens. So that’s a matter that’s got to be decided. On the surface of it, it doesn’t appear to me to be that. I have publicly said I think voter ID laws properly drafted are okay, but as attorney general it’ll be my duty to study the facts in more depth to analyze the law, but fundamentally, that can be decided by Congress and the courts. 3:10:33 Senator Ben Sasse: This administration has made the case regularly that they need to exercise prosecutorial discretion because of limited resources—and, obviously, there aren’t infinite resources in the world—so what are some proper instances, in your view, when an administration might not enforce a law? Jeff Sessions:Well, critics of the immigration enforcement, the DAPA and the DACA laws, said that the prosecutorial-discretion argument went too far. It basically just eliminated the laws from the books. Secondly, with regard to that, the president’s executive—well, the order came from homeland security, not from the Department of Justice, but homeland security’s order not only said we’re not going to force the law, with regard to certain large classifications of people, but those people who’d not been given legal status under the laws of the United States were given photo IDs, work authorization, and social security numbers, and the right to participate in these government programs that would appear to be contrary to existing law. So that would, to me, suggest an overreach. Part 2 1:19:12 Senator Patrick Leahy: Would you use our federal resources to investigate and prosecute sick people who are using marijuana in accordance with their state laws even though it might violate federal law? Jeff Sessions: Well, I won’t commit to never enforcing federal law, Senator Leahy, but absolutely it’s a problem of resources for the federal government. The Department of Justice under Lynch and Holder set forth some policies that they thought were appropriate to define what cases should be prosecuted in states that have legalized, at least in some fashion, some parts of marijuana. Leahy: Do you agree with those guidelines? Sessions: I think some of them are truly valuable in evaluating cases, but fundamentally, the criticism I think that was legitimate is that they may not have been followed. Using good judgment about how to handle these cases will be a responsibility of mine. I know it won’t be an easy decision, but I will try to do my duty in a fair and just way. 1:25:13 Senator Mike Lee: Are there separation-of-powers concerns arising out of the Department of Justice’s current approach to state marijuana laws? Jeff Sessions: Well, I think one obvious concern is that the United States Congress has made the possession of marijuana, in every state, and distribution of it an illegal act. If that’s something is not desired any longer, Congress should pass a law to change the rule. It’s not so much the attorney general’s job to decide what laws to enforce; we should do our job and enforce laws effectively as we’re able. 1:48:18 Senator Dianne Feinstein: Thanks very much, Mr. Chairman. Just to begin, I would like to ask unanimous consent that all statements and written testimony sent to the committee concerning Senator Sessions be made part of the record, and I have some testimonies and letters. Chairman: Without objection, so ordered. Feinstein: Thank you very much. Senator Sessions, when I was a small child, it was during World War II, and my father took me to a racetrack south of San Francisco called Tanforan, and it had become a detention camp for Japanese American citizens, and during the length of World War II, well, thousands of families were held in this compound. And we checked with CRS that says no Japanese American was ever convicted of any sabotage against the United States during that period of time. Senator Lee, Senator Cruz, and I have tried together to enact a bill to assure that no American citizen or lawful permanent resident detained in the United States can be held indefinitely without charge or trial, pursuant to authorization of military force. So, here’s the question: do you believe that the government can, pursuant to a general authorization to use military force, indefinitely detain Americans in the United States without charge or trial? Jeff Sessions: Senator Feinstein, that’s an important question. Classically, the answer is yes. Classically, if you captured a German soldier, they could be held until the war ended. That was done, I’m sure, at the Civil War and most wars since. Feinstein: I’m talking about Americans. Sessions: I hear you. So, then, the question is, we’re in a war like we have now that’s gone on multiple years, and I would think the principal of law certainly would appear to be valid, but as reality dawns on us and wars might be even longer, it’s on us to discuss those issues. So I respect your willingness to think about that and what we should do, but in general I do believe, as Senator Graham has argued forcefully for many years, that we are in a war, and when members who—unlike the Japanese who were never proven to be associated with a military regime like the Japanese government, these individuals would have to be proven to be connected to a designated enemy of the United States. So I’ve probably explained more than I should, but that’s basically the arguments and the issues we’re facing. I respect your concerns, and I’m sure they will continue to be debated in the future. Feinstein: Well, let me just say a few things about that. I’ve served on the intelligence committee for fifteen years. I read all of it. I think I know as much as anybody about what’s happening in the United States, and this is not—these are Americans that we’re talking about. They can be picked up and detained and held without charge— Sessions: You’re talking about Americans. Feinstein: —of trial indefinitely. And that should not be the case. Sessions: Well, I understand your point, and a citizen of the United States has certain important rights. They cannot be abrogated. It is absolutely so. They cannot be detained without undergoing a habeas review, and the government surely has to prove that they are indeed connected sufficiently with an enemy action against the United States, so they couldn’t be detained. Feinstein: Well, I appreciate that. 1:52:32 Senator Dianne Feinstein: You were one of nine senators to vote against the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005. It prohibited the imposition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment of any person in the custody or control of U.S. personnel. You also voted against an amendment sponsored by Senator McCain in the 2016 Defense Authorization bill to limit interrogations to the techniques provided by the army field manual, which does not include waterboarding. Do you agree that the CIA’s former enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, are prohibited by this provision of law as now codified at 42 U.S.C. 2000dd? Jeff Sessions: It does appear to be clear that on the last act and McCain amendment would prohibit waterboarding. Feinstein:And you would enforce that. Sessions: I would enforce the law, yes. Feinstein: Thank you very much. 1:56:50 Senator John Kennedy: My name is John Kennedy. That’s really my name. 2:01:33 Senator John Kennedy: When a radical Islamic terrorist drives a truck into a group of people and kills them, we’re told that we should not judge all Muslims by the act of a few. And I agree with that. Don’t you think the same rule ought to apply when one or two law enforcement officers make a mistake? Don’t you think that same rule ought to apply to all the other 99.9 percent law enforcement officials out there who just get up every day and go to work and try to protect us? Jeff Sessions: Well, I really do. And I think those of us in high public office do need to be cautious about demeaning whole departments and whole groups of people, because within those, most any department you can find in America, surely most of the people are just wonderful public servants trying to do the right thing. So when we say these things, we can increase risk for them, we can make it harder for them to have relationships with the constituents where they’re serving, and actually result in an increase in crime and ineffectiveness in law enforcement. So, boy, these issues are—we can’t miss these issues. Kennedy: No. Part 3 3:20 Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: Does a secular attorney have anything to fear from an Attorney General Sessions in the Department of Justice? Jeff Sessions: Well, no, and I used that word in the ninety-thousand-foot level of a little concern I have that we as a nation, I believe, are reaching a level in which truth is not sufficiently respected, that the very ideal, the idea, of truth is not believed to be real, and that all of life is just a matter of your perspective and my perspective, which I think is contrary to the American heritage. So that’s just a kind of a criticism of mine, but we are not a theocracy, nobody should be required to believe anything. I share Thomas Jefferson’s words on the Memorial over here—I swear eternal hostility over any domination of the mind of man—and I think we should respect people’s views and not demand any kind of religious test for holding office. Whitehouse: And a secular person has just as good a claim to understanding the truth as a person who is religious, correct? Sessions: Well, I’m not sure. In what method? Is it less objectively committed to— Whitehouse: In the methods that an attorney would bring to bear a case. Sessions: Well, let me just say we’re going to treat anybody with different views fairly and objectively. 59:04 Senator Chris Coons: We worked together to restore funding to the federal public defender service when it was cut by sequestration, and I think that’s because we both agreed that outcomes are more fair when there’s effective representation on both sides. One of the amendments I offered to that immigration bill would have provided counsel to children who were applying for refugee status because they were fleeing violence in their home countries, in U.S. immigration proceedings. Is that something you would support? Jeff Sessions: Senator Coons, as I understand it, that is the law, that you cannot provide lawyers to illegal entrants into the country, and I don’t believe it makes a distinguished—it distinguishes between minors and adults, but I may be wrong about that. I presume that’s why you’ve offered legislation to that effect to change established law, but in general I do not believe we can afford nor should we undertake to provide free lawyers for everybody that enters the country unlawfully. I think that would be a massive undertaking. So you’re talking about children specifically, I understand that. Coons: Specifically doesn’t matter... Sessions: And I think that’s a matter that Congress would need to decide what to do about. 1:02:25 Jeff Sessions: I would not favor a registry of Muslims in the United States—no, I would not—and I think we should avoid surveillance of religious institutions unless there’s a basis to believe that a dangerous or threatening illegal activity could be carried on there. 1:28:03 Senator Lindsey Graham: Let’s talk about the law of war. I think you were asked by Senator Feinstein about the indefinite detention. Hamdi v. Rumsfeld—this is Sandra Day O’Connor’s quote: There is no bar to this nation’s holding one of its own citizens as an enemy combatant—that case involved a U.S. citizen that was captured in Afghanistan and was held as an enemy combatant. Are you familiar with that case? Jeff Sessions: Generally, yes. Not as familiar as you, but I know you’ve studied at great depth. Graham: Well, this has been a military law. This is sort of part of what I did. Do your constitutional rights as a U.S. citizen stop at the nation’s shores, or do they follow you wherever you go? Sessions: Well, you have certain rights wherever you go. Graham: So if you go to Paris, you don’t give up your Fourth Amendment right against illegal search and seizure. Could the FBI break into your hotel room in Paris and, basically, search your room without a warrant? Sessions:I don’t believe— Graham :No, they can’t. Your constitutional rights attach to you. So, to the people who say, well, he was in Afghanistan—that doesn’t matter. What the court is telling us, no American citizen has a constitutional right to join the enemy at a time of war. In Ray Quirin—that case involved German saboteurs who landed in Long Island. Are you familiar with this? Sessions: I’m very familiar with that case. I have read it. Graham: They were German saboteurs and had American-citizen contacts in the United States. They were all seized by the FBI and tried by the military. So, what I would tell Senator Feinstein and my other colleagues—the law is well settled here, that a United States citizen in other wars have been held as enemy combatants when the evidence suggests they collaborated with the enemy. Under the current law, if you’re suspected of being an enemy combatant, within a certain period of time—sixty days, I think—the government has to present you to a federal judge and prove by preponderance of the evidence that you’re a member of the organization they claim you to be a member of. Are you familiar with that—your habeas rights? Sessions: Correct, yes. Graham: So, as to how long an enemy combatant can be held, traditionally under the law of war, people are taken off the battlefield until the war is over or they’re no longer a danger. Does that make sense to you? Sessions: It does make sense, and that is my understanding of the traditional law of war. Graham: And the law of war is designed to, like, win the war. The laws around the law of war are designed to deal with conflicts and to take people off the battlefield—you can kill or capture them—and there’s no requirement like domestic criminal law, at a certain point in time they have to be presented for trial, because the goal of the law of war is to protect the nation and make sure you win the war. So when you capture somebody who’s been adjudicated a member of the enemy force, there is no concept in military law or the law of war that you have to release them in an arbitrary date because that would make no sense. So, all I’m saying is that I think you’re on solid ground and this idea of an American citizen being an enemy combatant is part of the history of the law of war, and I am very willing to work with my colleagues and make sure that indefinite detention is reasonably applied and that we can find due process rights that don’t exist in traditional law of war because this is a war without end. When do you think this war will be over? Do you think we’ll know when it’s over? Sessions: I’ve asked a number of witnesses in armed services about that, and it’s pretty clear we’re talking about decades before we have a complete alteration of this spasm in the Middle East that just seems to have legs and will continue for some time. That’s most likely what would happen. Graham: You’re about to embark on a very important job at an important time, and here’s what my suggestion would be: that we work with the Congress to come up with a legal regime that recognizes that gathering intelligence is the most important activity against radical Islam. The goal is to find out what they know. Do you agree with that? Sessions: That is a critical goal. Graham:And I have found that under military law and military intelligence gathering, no manual I’ve ever read suggested that reading Miranda rights is the best way to gather information. As a matter of fact, I’ve been involved in this business for 33 years, and if a commander came to me as a J.A.G. and said, we just captured somebody on the battlefield—you name the battlefield—they want their rights read to them, I would tell them they’re not entitled to Miranda rights. They’re entitled to Geneva Convention treatment, they’re entitled to humane treatment, they’re entitled to all the things that go with the Geneva Convention because the court has ruled that enemy combatants are subject to Geneva Convention protections. So, I just want to let you know, from my point of view, that we’re at war; I’m encouraged to hear that the new attorney general recognizes the difference between fighting a crime and fighting a war and that the next time we capture bin Laden’s son-in-law—if he’s got any more—I hope we don’t read him his Miranda rights in two weeks. I hope we keep him, humanely, as long as necessary to interrogate him to find out what the enemy may be up to. Does that make sense to you? Sessions:Well, it does. We didn’t give Miranda warnings to German and Japanese prisoners we captured, and it’s never been part of the—so they’re being detained and they’re subject to being interrogated properly and lawfully any time, any day, and they’re not entitled to a lawyer, and so forth. Graham: Right. And Miranda didn’t exist back in World War II, but it does now, but the law of the Hamdi case says this is very important, that you do not have to read an enemy combatant the Miranda rights. They do have a right to counsel in a habeas pursuit— Sessions: In a habeas corpus, you’re correct. Graham: —to see if the government got it right; you can hold them as long as it’s necessary for intelligence gathering; and you can try them in Article III course, you can try them in military commissions. As attorney general of the United States, would you accept that military commissions could be the proper venue under certain circumstances for terrorists? Sessions: Yes. Graham: Thank you. Hearing: Nomination of General John F. Kelly, USMC (Ret.) to be Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs, January 10, 2017. Watch on C-SPAN Timestamps & Transcripts 1:37:18 Senator Kamala Harris: I’d like to ask you a few questions, starting with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA. Hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients around the country are afraid right now for what this incoming administration might do to them and also what it might do to their unauthorized family members. In order to receive DACA, these young people submitted extensive paperwork to the federal government, including detailed information regarding themselves and their loved ones. They also had to qualify, as you know, for the program; and in qualifying, each person’s case was reviewed and determined on a case-by-case basis: the young person must have not been convicted of a felony or a significant misdemeanor or three or more misdemeanors; the young person must also not be deemed to pose a threat to national security or public safety; the young person must currently be in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a general-education development certificate, also known as GED, and/or have been honorably discharged as a veteran of the Coast Guard or armed forces of the United States. Among other things, DACA applicants must submit proof of identity, proof of time and admission in the United States, proof of relevant student school completion or military status, and biometric information. As part of the DACA application process, we conduct biometric and biographic background checks against a variety of databases maintained by DHS and other federal agencies. If a DACA applicant knowingly makes a misrepresentation or fails to disclose facts in an effort to obtain DACA, it is a felony, and the applicant will be treated as an immigration-enforcement priority to the fullest extent permitted by law and be subject to criminal prosecution and/or removal from the United States. This means, obviously, that applicants to DACA know that if they’re not giving us the whole truth about their story, they’re putting a target on their own backs. At the time, the Department of Homeland Security assure them that it would follow its long-standing practice of not using such information for law-enforcement purposes except in very limited circumstances. These young people are now worried that the information that they provided in good faith to our government may now be used to track them down and lead to their removal. So my question is, do you agree that under DACA, and those young people have relied—by hundreds of thousands of them have relied—on our representations, do you agree with that, that we would not use this information against them? General John Kelly: The entire development of immigration policy is ongoing right now in terms of the upcoming administration. I have not been involved in those discussions. If confirmed, I know I will be involved in those discussions. I think there’s a big spectrum of people who need to be dealt with in terms of deportation— Harris: I’m speaking specifically about DACA.General Kelly: —and those categories would be prioritized. I would guess—I’m not part of the process right now—I would guess that this category might not be the highest priority for removal. I promise you, Senator, that I will be involved in the discussion. 1:45:00 Senator Rand Paul: We have on the books, and we passed about five years ago, a law that says that an American citizen can be indefinitely detained—not an American citizen overseas, not someone captured in Syria on a battlefield. Someone captured in the United States and accused of terrorism—accused of terrorism—can be kept indefinitely. They could be sent to Guantanamo Bay, but they could be sent to a variety of places. It’s never been used—and this president has said he wouldn’t use it, but he signed it anyway, much to the chagrin of some of us—but it is on the books. And I guess my question to you would be, do you think we can adequately arrest people in our country who are somehow a threat to our homeland security? Do you think the Constitution could be good enough, that due process in our courts of law in our country would work? Or would you think there’re going to have to be times when we’re just going to have to detain people without trial? General John Kelly: I’m pretty committed to the Constitution. I was not aware of the law—it surprises me—but I think we have enough laws to help us out in that regard. Paul: A couple of years ago they decided they’d use license plate screeners, and, apparently, they’re very rapid and they can collect hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of license plates an hour. But they decided they would go to a gun show, and why this particularly concerns me is you could also conceive the people at a gun show as exercising some sort of freedom of speech or some sort of ideological belief by being at a gun show, not just wanting to buy a gun, but actually defending their Second Amendment right to buy a gun. What alarms me is that if we’re going to scan license plates at a gun show, that we might go to a pro-life rally or a pro-abortion rally, depending on who’s in charge. I don’t want the government scanning people’s license plates. I don’t want them covering and getting all of our data just so we can possibly be safe some day from something. I want the individual to be protected, but I’m not against Homeland Security going after individuals and digging as deep as you want with the proper process. So what I would ask you is your opinion on how do we defend the country? Can we do it with the traditions of looking at individuals for whom we have suspicion, or are we going to have to collect all of this data and give up our privacy in the process? General Kelly: Senator, I would go with the traditional route. The scanning of the license plates, I mean, may be a reason—I can’t think of one right now. I’m not for the mass collection of data on people. I’d go the other way. Paul: And this is an amazing amount of information we can look at. If you had all the information of everyone’s Visa purchases in the country, there’s no end. But realize that this is a big part of what your job is, is people are going to be coming to you saying, protect us; we want to be safe, but at the same time, what are we willing to give up? Can we keep what we actually believe and what we are as a people, the freedom that you are committed to as a soldier? And I hope you’ll keep that in mind. General Kelly: Sir. Paul: Thank you. 2:15:08 General John Kelly: My law-enforcement friends tell me that in the case of drugs that come in—frankly, I’m not arguing for legalization for marijuana here; I’m just saying that the only drugs I’ve really ever concerned myself with at SouthCom were the three hard drugs. All the marijuana flow that we saw was coming from some of the Caribbean islands, south. So I’d just focus on the hard drugs. Hearing: Is the Department of Justice Adequately Protecting the Public from the Impact of State Recreational Marijuana Legalization?, Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, April 05, 2016. Watch on YouTube Senate Session: Republican Senators on Surveillance Bill Reauthorization, May 15, 2015. Jeff Sessions speaks at 28:18 Senate Session: Jeff Sessions Mocks Karl Rove, June 21, 2013. Additional Reading Article: 10 Things You Didn't Know about Gen. John Kelly by Sara Clarke, US News, January 17, 2017. Article: 10 things to know about Sen. Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump's pick for Attorney General by Amber Phillips, The Washington Post, January 10, 2017. Article: Sessions failed to disclose oil interests as required, ethics experts say by Tom Hamburger, The Washington Post, January 9, 2017. Article: Trump picks retired General John Kelly to lead Homeland Security, report says by Ben Jacobs and Spencer Ackerman, The Guardian, December 7, 2016. Article: Bowe Bergdahl, Facing Desertion Trial, Asks Obama for Pardon by Charlie Savage, New York Times, December 2, 2016. Webpage: State Marijuana Laws in 2016 Map, Governing the States and Localities, November 11, 2016. Article: Gutting Habeas Corpus by Liliana Segura, The Intercept, May 4, 2016. Press Release: Senators Introduce Restoration of America's Wire Act, Senator Dianne Feinstein, June 24, 2015. Article: The Destruction of Defendant's Rights by Lincoln Caplan, The New Yorker, June 21, 2015. Commentary: The Wire Act Ñ Don't Fix What Isn't Broken by John Pappas, Roll Call, March 18, 2015. Article: Department Of Justice Flip-Flops On Internet Gambling by Nathan Vardi, Forbes, December 23, 2011. Article: Holder accused of neglecting porn by Josh Gerstein, Politico, April 16, 2011. Article: American Lawbreaking by Tim Wu, Slate, October 15, 2007. Justice Dept. Memo May 5, 2005. Supreme Court Opinion: Hamdi vs Rumsfeld by Justice O'Connor, Supreme Court, June 28, 2004. References Legal Dictionary at Cornell University: Habeas Corpus U.S. Code: Production and transportation of obscene matters for sale or distribution Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

Guest:   Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda......we will look at the Trump transition and some of the people already selected and more names under consideration........President Obama's trip to Europe and Latin America......The Democrats and Mrs. Pelosi..........the Democrats still looking for reasons to explain the 2016 election, specially the collapse of the party at the state level.........more discussion about The Electoral College............and more thoughts about an election campaign unlike any other in recent history...........     Click here for some of our friends: ....SHOP HERE FOR RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY RATES..... ...CLICK AUDIBLE.COM, YOUR SOURCE FOR AUDIO BOOKS! CHECK OUT MY FRIEND CARLOS GUEDES AND HIS MUSIC........ FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER......

Mike and Jay open the show with a look at the stunning announcement about talks between President Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. Both of the guys are hesitant to believe this will lead to anything given North Korea's track record of stringing U.S. administrations along and breaking agreements. They're also concerned that by meeting with Kim - the first time any U.S. president has agreed to talks with North Korea's leader, President Trump may be giving the regime something it's always wanted and getting little if anything in return. After that it's discussion of the suit the Department of Justice has brought against three California laws involving enforcement of federal immigration policy. In a strange twist, Attorney General Sessions is making the typical liberal argument about federal government supremacy while California is responding with traditionally conservative points about the 10th Amendment, going so far as to rely on a conservative icon, former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Both Jay and Mike think that the federal government will end up winning in court (with Jay being more sure of this than Mike) though it's likely to take several years. After that, Mike and Jay discuss the tariffs on steel and aluminum that President Trump formally announced this week. They both see this as a truly bad move that will not only hurt far more Americans than it will help, but a step that further erodes America's standing in the world and does nothing to deal with a truly significant international issue - China's ongoing, massive intellectual property theft. Finally, the Guys look at the new gun legislation enacted in Florida in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting. They consider whether the NRA's Second Amendment based lawsuit is likely to succeed (probably not) and discuss whether Florida might be a model for more states and possibly even the U.S. Congress, where not much has happened as of yet. **What Mike's Reading** [For Two Months, I Got My News From Print Newspapers. Here's What I Learned](http://nyti.ms/2p2IIVm). Farhad Manjoo **What Jay's Reading** [Parkland kids can protest, but they don't know what they are talking about](https://usat.ly/2p36l0j). Jonah Goldberg **Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possibl**e. If you're interested in supporting the show, go to [politicsguys.com/support](http://www.politicsguys.com/support). Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy