The Constitution (Melissa's Version)
5/11/20261 hr 43 min
Kate & Leah talk to Melissa about her new book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader, or, as we like to call it at Strict HQ, The Constitution (Melissa’s Version). Then all three unravel what happened with the Virginia Supreme Court invalidating voter-approved redistricting maps, along with other voting-related shenanigans in the wake of Callais. Finally, they talk with Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, about why and how anti-abortion forces are once again targeting mifepristone.
Favorite things:
- Kate: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke; NYC Mayor Mamdani skipping the Met Gala to hang out with fashion industry workers; Chris Hayes’ interview with Molly Crabapple on Why Is This Happening?; the Artemis II crew answering kids’ questions on The Daily
- Leah: Middle of Nowhere, Kacey Musgraves; Dancing on the Wall, MUNA; “Who Will Stand Up to the Supreme Court Justices?” By Niko Bowie and Daphna Renan; “John Roberts Believes in an America That Doesn’t Exist,” by Jamelle Bouie
- Melissa: Amy Sherald’s Met Gala look
Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026!
- 6/20/26 – New York City
Learn more: http://crooked.com/events
Buy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader
Preorder a signed paperback of Leah’s book, Lawless, here.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMelissa Murray· Host0:00
Strict Scrutiny is brought to you by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. You're not alone if it feels like Groundhog Day every morning when you read the news, or even listen to what we're talking about here on Strict Scrutiny. And while it's overwhelming to see the trajectory our country is on, we all show up every day trying to find ways to make it better, to educate our neighbors, and to continue fighting for democracy. And our friends at Americans United have been doing the very same thing, day in and day out, for almost 80 years. This year alone, they filed three separate lawsuits against Trump's anti-Christian bias task force, which, spoiler alert, is anything but unbiased. AU has been tracking every mention of Christian nationalist rhetoric from this administration and partnering with many allied organizations to sue and protect our constitutional right of church and state separation, the right that protects all of our abilities to be who we are and live as we choose, so long as we don't harm others. It's easy to get apathetic, as we're all seeing and hearing these attacks on our freedoms every single day, and watching a religion be weaponized for a power grab. But now isn't the time to give up. It's the time to fight back against the growing authoritarianism in our country. Consider joining Americans United for Separation of Church and State. You can learn more by visiting au.org/crooked, because church-state separation protects us all.
Speaker 21:21
Here's a riddle for you. What costs less than my coffee, actually makes me money, and makes my mom