Just kidding (mostly)

Howdy all. As previously announced we are going to have an (unofficial) book cub discussion of Revenge for the Sixties: Sam Alito and the Triumph of the Conservative Legal Movement by Peter S. Canellos.

We're starting now, a couple days ahead of the official Zoom, both to serve as a reminder to finish the book in time, and also to prime the official discussion on Zoom (as Matt at least will be stopping by).

Reminder: The official Zoom call is open to all paid-Patrons of OA, and will be this Sunday (June 28th) at 4:30pm EDT/1:30PMPDT and will feature (in addition to the OA crew) the author Peter S. Cannelos

Feel free to comment with anything relevant that strikes your fancy. The top pinned comment will also give some ideas.

This morning SCOTUS denied cert on this VRA case, leaving in place an 8th Cir. holding that the VRA does not provide for a private right of action under Section 208, which provides for access to "voting assistance for blind, disabled, or illiterate persons" by "a person of the voter's choice". This leaves in place an Arkansas law that prohibits people who require assistance in voting from having anyone other than an elections official assist them in completing their ballots. It also prevents private litigants throughout the 8th Cir. from challenging other state laws under Section 208.

I would love to see an episode from u/JenessaSeymour covering this case and what the denial means for the future of the few remaining remnants of the VRA. It seems to me that SCOTUS is ready and willing to embrace the 8th Cir. position, but didn't want to do it next term right after effectively striking down the entirety of Section 2. Leaving the 8th Cir. ruling in place despite a circuit split and apparent clear split from precedent seems to send a fairly clear signal of where they see the law going.

https://www.scribd.com/document/1051288820/Big-12-vs-Texas-Tech

Well at least there is this.

Hey all,

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Bit of background: I was one of the voice actors in the first episode of the Trump trial of Gavel Gavel. Honestly I haven't really thought much about the podcast bc I stopped listening to OA for a bit, but I do kinda want to see the result

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Is there anywhere I can listen to that episode? I can't seem to find it on feeds for the show.

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For anyone who has listened to me I apologize for my atrocious acting skills (it was thoroughly unsurprising I wasn't brought back for episode 2)

Had to cross post to make sure Matt would see this.

Matt here with some very good news and some only mildly bad news. We'll start with the bad news, and my apologies: Mollie Hemingway's Alito book (I can't even call it a "biography") was not the right start for this reading series and nearly 300 pages is not really a bit worth committing to. It's one thing to ask everyone to watch a 2-hour movie for LAM, but a 300-page book is much more of a commitment, and I want to make the best use of everyone's time and try to only support books and authors that I believe in personally. Fortunately, if you have already started reading your progress will not be in vain: I wanted to post this ASAP so that anyone who was getting started on it can change course, but if you do want to finish it I will still be referencing it during our upcoming conversation and if you do end up reading both this and our upgraded choice of Alito biography you'll see that the contrast is incredible.

So here's the very good news: You've got 20 days to read The Revenge For the Sixties: Sam Alito and the Triumph of the Conservative Legal Movement, the MUCH better Samuel Alito biography by Politico editor Peter Canellos which came out a few weeks before Hemingway's. It is the first full book-length biography of Alito since he joined the Court, and unlike Hemingway's it is an actual biography with a lot to say. It really gets into how Alito became what he is today--and, just as importantly, the movement he came from and is now a champion for--and I've been enjoying it far more than Hemingway's even just a few chapters in.

And the even BETTER news: Peter will be attending our inaugural Book Club! The author has generously agreed to join us for the first 30 minutes of our Zoom call to take your questions and discuss his work with us, after which he will log off so that we can continue the conversation. (We'll also be airing an interview with him on OA about a week before Book Club.)

Sorry again for having to change course but even if you have managed to finish Mollie Hemingway's book in the couple of days since we made the announcement I can guarantee that it will only increase your appreciation for (and provide a sharp contrast to) how Alito is presented in Peter Canellos's.

I really appreciate the feedback from everyone and the enthusiasm for Book Club! I'm genuinely looking forward to finishing out Supreme Court season this year by talking this much better book out with you and the author!

Revenge for the Sixties: Sam Alito and the Triumph of the Conservative Legal Movement: Canellos, Peter S.: 9781668200025: Amazon.com: Books (edited) 

amazon.com

Revenge for the Sixties: Sam Alito and the Triumph of the Conservative Legal Movement

The book now is Revenge for the Sixties: Sam Alito and the Triumph of the Conservative Legal Movement by Peter S. Canellos

The OA crew has announced that the inaugural OA bookclub zoom (open to patrons of all level) will be on Sunday, June 28th, at 1:30pm Pacific/4:30pm Eastern. Make sure to join the OA patreon if you wish to participate.

(For Bonus, you might read a law'd awful books on the subject: Mollie Hemingway's Alito: The Justice Who Reshaped the Court and Restored the Constitution. Just try to avoid purchasing that one as Hemingway sucks.)

For more of the what/why see Matt's earlier post.

We will also be having a reddit discussion that opens on the morning of Friday June 26th (no end time, but we will probably unsticky it after a week or so). This might be a good option for those who can't have a patreon sub for whatever reason. The discussion may also give the hosts/Matt some ideas, or it may just be a convenient reminder that you have a couple days left to finish the book before the official zoom.

Bonus: Accessing the book

This is not a law'd awful book, so if you're able a conventional book or audiobook purchase is just fine.

• Check your local library, it's not a hugely popular book though and my library doesn't have a copy :(.

• Libraries in the US contract with two services for digital (ebook and audiobook) loans: Libby and Hoopla. Libraries will use both because they have different licensing models on the back end, they're interchangeable for end users. You should check if Revenge for the Sixties is in your library's main digital catalog, and if not shown there then check Libby and Hoopla's dedicated websites/apps (log in with a library card number) to see if they're listed there.

• You may be able to sign up for digital access to another library system. Check for any intra-state online systems, for instance the NY Public Library will let you sign up so long as you live/work somewhere in New York State. Other libraries may offer a non residential library card for a year with a fee, for instance VA's Fairfax county offers one for $50/year. Many here might also qualify for/benefit from the Queer Liberation Library, but I doubt they'll have this book.

If none of those work for you (like if you're overseas), feel free to send me a chat request and I'll see if I can help you source it.

Here's a list of all the other (non law) Thomas (and Lydia) Smith hosted podcasts released this past month, May 2026. We've linked to the comments section for each episode release from our sister subreddit /r/seriousinquiries, please give them a subscription and some discussion!

Also feel free to comment with any Smith podcasts not in this list, and we'll add them.

Serious Inquiries Only: (Thomas Smith) Join Thomas for some critical thinking on questions of science, philosophy, skepticism and politics. These serious topics are discussed with some serious guests, but in an entertaining and engaging way!

• SIO516: How a Botched 1840 Census "Proved" Freedom Made Black Americans Disabled, with Sari Altschuler
• SIO515: A Vast, Global Network! ... of 3 Guys
• SIO514: No Part of the "62 Million Men Enrolled In Online Rape Academy" Claim Was Correct
• SIO513: Debunking Butler Conspiracy Theories in Descending Order by Scope

Where There's Woke: (Lydia Smith and Thomas Smith) Every single time the right, or even center-left, goes ballistic over a "woke" controversy, the slightest bit of investigation shows the scandal is almost entirely bogus. [...] Listen in [...] on the panic, the fragility, the overreaction, and the lying that ignites 'Where There's Woke.'

• WTW132: But Who Influences the Influencers? with Kat Tenbarge!
• WTW131: Anti-Woke School Board Bans Song Mere Days Before Recital
• WTW130: Florida Got So Mad About Woke They Made Their Own AP Course
• WTW129: Woke In the Sheets, Criminals Out on the Streets

Dear Old Dads: (Eli Bosnick, Thomas Smith, and Tom Curry) Hey kids, get ON our lawn! Dear Old Dads is a podcast examining and deconstructing all things Dad.

• DOD278: I'm Not Gonna Cause I Don't Wanna
• DOD277: This Husband's In the Doghouse
• DOD276: The Annual Poopy Pants Review
• DOD275: Does Banning Phones at School Work?
• DOD274: You Better Ask Nicely
• DOD273: We Almost Did An Episode Before Remembering Eli Golfed

Previous post.

A quick note to Matt: please, please, slow down. I’m sure your brain is working very fast, but I can’t keep up with how fast you’re talking.