Boom! Lawyered

This week, Imani and Jess dive into Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, a case out of Texas that could upend First Amendment free speech law. At issue in the case is a Texas law that requires age verification to visit websites that offer pornographic content. An adult entertainment trade organization, the Free Speech Coalition, is arguing that the law puts internet users’ privacy and security at risk. Plus, there’s another problem: Conservatives could weaponize the “porn ban” law to broadly ban LGBTQ+ content or sex education materials. And dozens of states are waiting in the wings to follow suit if the Supreme Court upholds it.Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment. 

This week, Jess and Imani read Chief Justice John Roberts’ annual “state of the judiciary report” so you don’t have to.It’s one of the country’s worst New Years’ traditions, and this year was no exception. In the 2024 report, Roberts waxed poetic about the importance of protecting judicial independence, comparing Black Americans’ civil rights struggle to internet criticism of judges. The one word missing from the report? “Ethics.”Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Donald Trump was elected president just over a month ago, and even though he’s not in office yet, the horrors have already started. He’s threatening to halt birthright citizenship via executive action. This week, Jess and Imani get into the history of birthright citizenship, what could happen if Trump manages to wipe it out, and how, even though people have declared he can’t upend more than a century of precedent, his cronies on the Supreme Court may help him do just that.Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti, a case out of Tennessee that could determine whether trans minors have the right to gender-affirming care. In this rapid reaction episode, Jess and Imani break down the case made by Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar and the American Civil Liberties Union’s Chase Strangio, the conservative justices’ nonsense, heartless arguments, and what they’re expecting to come out of Skrmetti. The Court’s conservatives showed a clear disdain for gender-affirming care—but regardless of the outcome, one thing is clear: Skrmetti  won’t be the end of the fight against attacks on trans rights.Mentioned in this episode:What’s Next in Skrmetti?Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.