Rational Security: The “Too Much Molly” Edition
Summary
Host Scott Anderson and guests Molly Reynolds, Molly Roberts, and Ben Wittes discuss the Trump administration’s $810 million pocket rescission, analyzing its legal implications and potential judicial remedies. The panel also evaluates the state of election security one month before the midterms, noting mixed results from recent Supreme Court decisions on voter roll purges and mail-in ballots. Finally, they examine a suspicious plague death in Siberia, questioning Russian official accounts amid concerns about biological weapons risks.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Citizens Bank cash bonus offer
Banter: The struggle of sharing last names
Introductions and episode overview
Topic 1: Pocket rescissions and budget fights
Legal mechanics of the 45-day rescission window
Congressional inaction and taxpayer-funded ads
Broader agenda: Steering funds and appropriations power
Litigation strategy and separation of powers concerns
Topic 2: Election security and voter roll purges
Sponsors: Delete.me, ForHERS, and Quo
Troops at the polls and second-order consequences
Ben Wittes' voter fraud experience and SCOTUS philosophy
Future risks: 2028 elections and mail-in ballot rules
Topic 3: Pneumonic plague death in Siberia
Russian information control and diplomatic context
Object Lesson: Pink soup and Lithuanian culture
Object Lesson: Ragtime database and Senate precedents
Object Lesson: The Big Dig podcast recommendation
Closing remarks and Lawfare media links
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