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- [00:00]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Foreign.
- [00:10]
Joyce Vance
Welcome back to Sisters in law with Barb McQuaid, Kimberly Atkins store, and me, Joyce Vance. Jill will be back next week. We are already missing her. We've got so much going on this week. We'll be talking about John Bolton's guilty plea. We will be talking about Donald Trump's nominations of both Bill Pulte to be the DNI and Todd Blanche to be the ag. It's sort of hard to know which one is worse. And then finally, we'll talk about the ongoing fallout from the Supreme Court's decision in Calais and what you need to know about an Alabama case that many people think is the death knell of the Voting Rights Act. So lots of hardcore serious stuff at the intersection of law and politics this week. But before we get there, I have a summer question for y'.
- [00:59]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
All.
- [00:59]
Joyce Vance
I have become sort of obsessed in the last week with making a hot fudge sundae every night after dinner. And I've been sort of liberal in my interpretation of hot fudge because last night I had a caramel sundae with mascarpone ice cream, a local ice cream that I got at the grocery store here. I mean, it has been really, really fun. So what I need to know, what are your favorite ice cream flavors, y'?
- [01:26]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
All?
- [01:26]
Joyce Vance
Kim, I know you're an ice cream girl, aren't you?
- [01:29]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Well, I have a very, very specific ice cream taste that I'm sure Barb, my fellow Detroiter, would understand a lot. So I think a lot of people don't know. Here's a fun fact. Everybody knows Stroh's, the beers, the beer company. Well, Stroh's needed something to do during Prohibition, so Stroh started making ice cream. And Stroh still makes ice cream. And I have to tell you, it is the most delicious, creamy ice cream that you could ever get. Like, I wouldn't eat Breyers or anything else growing up because none of it, like Breyers tasted like chalk to me compared to Stroh's. And my favorite favorite flavor to this day is black cherry. So sometimes when I go home to visit my family, my mom will buy some and have it in the freezer for me. But that when I think of the best ice cream ever is Stroh's black cherry. That may not make the best hot fudge sundae for you, but, you know, you can experiment. But if you want fudge again, Detroit Classic Sanders Fudge, we have it in our fridge right now here in D.C. there is no better fudge. They also do caramel it's just so delicious, you know? Is this just me being nostalgic? I think my taste is maybe 25% nostalgia, but 75% legit deliciousness, so.
- [02:47]
Barbara McQuaid
Oh, yeah. Canada.
- [02:48]
Joyce Vance
So where do I find Stroh's ice cream? Do I have to go to Detroit? Because I will.
- [02:53]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
I think I have only seen that in Michigan. But you can get Sanders fudge outside of Michigan. But I've only seen Stroh's ice cream at the Kroger in Michigan, so we'll try to find a way to ship you some. Joyce.
- [03:06]
Joyce Vance
No, I'm gonna go hang out at the McQuades house for a weekend. Barb, when can I. Come on.
- [03:10]
Barbara McQuaid
We'll hook you up. We'll hook you up. I can't attest. Stroh's does make a good ice cream. Kim, I thought you might go with the Boston cooler, which is Vernors over vanilla ice cream. Also a very good.
- [03:21]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Yeah, classic.
- [03:23]
Barbara McQuaid
Also a Detroit classic. Yeah, that's good stuff. And black cherry. You know, in the summertime, sometimes we go up north, and if you're anywhere near Traverse City, you got to go with the black cherry ice cream. It's the only way to go. You know, I spent most of my life as a fruity ice cream girl, but I have to say, in my advanced age, I've really shifted over to more of the cookie dough and salty caramel flavors. I have to say that's. That's probably a tie. You know, Salty caramel wasn't a thing, I don't think, when I was a kid, but it's become very popular, and for good reason, because it's very delicious. There's an ice cream parlor in Ann Arbor called Blank Slate, and they. They make great ice cream. And I am a sucker for their salty caramel. It's delicious.
- [04:06]
Joyce Vance
You know, I think this is the problem with ice cream. There just isn't really a bad choice. And there was one summer when our kids were little. Bob got me an ice cream maker, and I got obsessed with making garden ice cream. Like, I made this sherbet that was watermelon with basil in it. I did weird stuff like that, whatever was ripe. I never did make squash ice cream, although I threatened. And I still think it would be good. Right. Make a custard with squash in it and then freeze it. It's not that different from pumpkin. Don't give me that look, Kimberly. I think it would be legit over. Right. Brown sugar and summer squash. I think that has potential.
- [04:45]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
I guess squash is Technically a fruit.
- [04:47]
Barbara McQuaid
So, okay, you need a lot of brown sugar to make it worthwhile.
- [04:51]
Joyce Vance
But I'm with Barb. I mean, I think salty caramel. Ooh, tough to beat. Summer always changes how we get dressed. The mood is lighter, the weather is uplifting, and we want pieces that feel lighter and more breathable to match it. Pieces made with better materials that just look effortless and feel good the moment you put them on. That's why here at Sisters In Law, we keep coming back to Quint's. They focus on high quality essentials like breathable linen, soft organic cotton and washable silk. And it's all without the luxury markup. It's that rare balance where everything feels elevated but still easy. And Barb, you know, I just broke down. I don't usually do this for Bob, but I bought him four of their fabulous lightweight men's cotton T shirts for summer. They're really gorgeous and it didn't break the bank.
- [05:51]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Yeah.
- [05:52]
Barbara McQuaid
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- [06:43]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
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- [07:49]
Barbara McQuaid
Well, news reports indicate that John Bolton has reached a plea deal with the Justice Department. The former National Security Advisor was charged with disclosing classified information. And Kim, can you remind our listeners about the charges of John Bolton and what the reported terms of the plea deal are?
- [08:09]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Yeah, so recall that John Bolton was originally hit with an 18 count indictment and it stemmed from him writing his memoir and using what the Justice Department says was classified material in writing his personal notes in preparation for this memoir and then using a messaging app to share more than a thousand pages of this notes, which included, according to the Justice Department, national defense information, with two family members, his wife and daughter, who do not and have not ever, as far as I know, held security clearance. So he entered into a plea deal, as you said this week, and under the terms, he pled guilty to a pled. I don't even. He pleaded guilty to a single count of illegal retention of classified information, and he will pay a fine of about $2.5 million. He could still face some jail time up to five years, but he also could get none. The, the, the general sentencing guidelines call for zero to five years for this one charge. So that was a pretty interesting turn of events this week. But I think as we'll get into and we've discussed before, I think his case was a little different than other classified documents investigations that we've seen.
- [09:38]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah, I agree with that. And by the way, Kim, you should know that the pled pleaded debate is one that rages in U.S. attorney's offices. I was always like you in the pleaded camp, but I know it slipped.
- [09:50]
Joyce Vance
It is absolutely. I will die on this hill.
- [09:57]
Barbara McQuaid
I will die with you because it's team.
- [10:04]
Joyce Vance
You know, Barb was with Preet last Sunday. You were with Preet, right? Last Sunday. And Preet, who is our colleague in the Southern district of New York, Preet is team Pled along with me. So I don't know.
- [10:16]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
All right, so we'll do a cage fight. Yeah.
- [10:18]
Barbara McQuaid
Oh, yeah.
- [10:19]
Joyce Vance
Hey, we can do it at the White House, y'.
- [10:21]
Barbara McQuaid
All.
- [10:23]
Joyce Vance
Let's go.
- [10:24]
Barbara McQuaid
Can I just interject, completely unrelated to any of this? I, you know, I've been on this book tour this week signing books, and I had two people come up to me and tell me a book talk,
- [10:34]
Joyce Vance
you know, with my book.
- [10:35]
Barbara McQuaid
They're buying my book, telling me how much they enjoy receiving my newsletter, Civil Discourse with joyous fans. They think we're the same person.
- [10:45]
Joyce Vance
I will never understand why people think that we look so much alike. But I am so deeply complimented by that and so sorry you have to live with it.
- [10:54]
Barbara McQuaid
No, no, Sam, it's very flattering. Just make sure you always uphold the brand. All right, let's get back to the conversation about John Bolton. You know, as Kim said, it's hard to find the right comparable. This case reminds me a little bit of the case against General Petraeus. Remember that he was allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor. Do you think this is comparable to the Petraeus case? Is Bolton being treated more harshly or do you think his case is different?
- [11:25]
Joyce Vance
You know, I think that that comparison is a fair one and it's an important one because the cases have real similarities. But there are also some meaningful differences that cut both ways. Both cases involve a senior national security official who sharing classified material with unauthorized individuals for private purposes, not for espionage. That's the first key similarity. But Bolton shares more than a thousand pages of diary like NSA notes, including information that's classified up to the top secret SCI level. And he does that with two family members who lack security clearances. Of course, Petraeus shared notes with his biographer slash girlfriend, Paula Broadwell, but it was over a shorter period of time and fewer items. Importantly, though, neither man was accused of sharing information with a foreign adversary for money or for ideology. But the scale is just so very different. Bolton's conduct allegedly runs From April of 2018 to August of 2025, seven years, over a thousand pages of information. Some of the worst instances include intelligence about future attacks and sensitive shared with the U.S. by a foreign partner. So very different from Petraeus in that sense. And then we get to the Iranian half of Bolton because he is, you know, sharing this material constantly, and that makes him a target. And that really exposes the United States to serious, serious danger. So is Bolton being treated more harshly? That's the question that you pose, Barbara. On the surface, yes. But the comparison is very complicated. Bolton's deal resolves this 18 count felony indictment Kim was talking about down to a single count of retention of classified information with a whopper of a fine in excess of $2 million and the possibility of avoiding prison. Although that's not for certain. That's up to the judge.
- [13:38]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah, that's right. And you know, I think, as you mentioned to me, one of the key differences too, you know, what they both did was a violation of the trust that they received in exchange for the privilege of serving and having access to America's secrets. But sending information over his private email is what John Bolton did, and that is what was apparently hacked. He got some response back from arena like, hey, John, guess what we have, you know, we. We've got all this classified information. He fronted that himself to the FBI and said, it looks like I've been hacked. But that was how it was detected. And that's why you don't put this stuff over your, you know, commercial, private email or a signal that, for that matter, because there is that risk that it gets intercepted and you're a target when you have a position of, you know, sensitivity like the National Security advisor.
- [14:34]
Joyce Vance
Can I just be petty here for a second and say that Bolton is doing this on the same timeline where he and others are sharply critical of Hillary Clinton over the whole private server thing? And, you know, hypocrisy bears its own rewards. Right. But John Bolton is nothing if not hypocritical in this whole exercise.
- [14:53]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah. Well, Kim, I also want to ask you about how it compares to some of the other cases we've been seeing more recently in the Trump administration. I saw, I think it was the Wall Street Journal today tried to group Bolton with Jim Comey and Letitia James, saying, well, this is one more episode of weaponized Justice Department and going after Trump's enemies. Do you think that this case is legit, or is this one more episode of Trump's retribution campaign?
- [15:22]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Well, listen, I have no doubt that Trump is enjoying this, that he is thrilled because Bolton is such a, became such a strong critic of Donald Trump and his actions. And I'm sure the fact that he faced charges in the first place may have had to do with the fact that it was under Pam Bondi and the Justice Department. But it's important for people to remember that, A, as we've pointed out, what he did was not good, it was very bad, and B, the investigation into this began during the Biden administration, unlike the probes into Letitia James and James Comey. So I don't think the origins of this were politically motivated. I think, as you said, he got this information from Iran, he took it to the FBI, and an investigation was open. And that seems pretty much to me like the normal course of things. He also, again, he voluntarily went. So if you want to distinguish it from, oh, I don't know, President Trump's, he didn't try to stonewall or say that the documents were really his or anything like that. So it does not feel particularly politically motivated. I don't know. At the time, in the Biden administration, they investigated, and they chose at the time not to bring charges. They made that decision and it reversed in the Trump administration. Was that political? Quite possibly. But it doesn't take away from the fact that what he did was wrong. It was illegal. And I'm glad that he's taking responsibility and striking this plea deal. I think that was the right thing for him to do.
- [16:58]
Joyce Vance
And, you know, can I just add to what Kim is saying? Because I think these cases, there's always a dimension that the public is maybe less aware of, but that's important because to prosecute a John Bolton in court, the government has a real problem on its hands. And this may be why the Biden administration didn't go forward. Inevitably, in order to prove your case, there's some classified information that gets exposed, and that can be very difficult and very dicey to navigate. And sometimes, I mean, that, quite frankly, is I think, why with Petraeus, he was permitted to plead to a misdemeanor charge. Now we've got Bolton, who will plead to a felony. He really benefits like crazy from this, this deal. The idea that he won't have to do jail time and probably the judge will. Will sentence with a light hand, if for no other reason than because the judge will know that this is not someone that the Bureau of Prisons wants to have to keep safe while they're in prison. He would go to a facility probably like, which is in north Alabama, my district, which has a minimum security camp, which he would be eligible for. Tough to keep somebody who has a bounty on his head from Iran safe in that sort of a setting. So I think he cut a really favorable deal for himself. The government has less exposure for what they have to put forward. But the point that I'm trying to make with this long dragged out comment is that these cases are difficult and what sometimes looks like just a slap on the wrist, as opposed to the gut punch that these guys deserve for doing this, is to keep the rest of us safe, to protect national security.
- [18:39]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah, it's difficult to try a case like this without revealing some of the very secrets that you are concerned about protecting in the first place. Well, let me just wrap up by asking you both what effect, if any, this case has on the way we ought to view President Trump's own retention of national defense information. Does this just amplify this is a big deal? This is a crime? Or does it suggest that it all depends on who you are and what kind of treatment you get?
- [19:07]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Well, I feel like in this case, there are clear through lines that show the difference between Trump's case and literally every other classified documents investigation, including that into former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence. It has to do with how much you cop to it, how much you cooperate, how much you take responsibility, as opposed to completely pretending like you're a king and everything you touch is yours, even when it deals with national security. I shudder to think about what is going to go on at the end of this term in Trump because he was let off the hook. And this is part of the problem with Aileen Cannon. He was totally let off the hook with this. So we've seen how the President operates. Once he gets away with something, he takes it. Once he's given an inch, he takes three miles, unity decision. And he's now, ever since then, he's acted like a king, I think now, I mean, I don't. There's no telling where classified documents are. He's probably already stashing them away in anticipation because he doesn't think that the law applies to him. So I think the lesson he learned was exactly the wrong one. But his case is so different from any of these other classified cases, even John Bolton's, which, again, he did something wrong. It's not even a comparison.
- [20:33]
Joyce Vance
Yeah, I think Kim absolutely nails it. I have very little to add, except to say, and this is to the point that you're making, Trump goes above and beyond the original crime by obstructing justice. Right. By lying about it, by trying to withhold documents from the government. Everything about Trump's situation is very different from these other cases. You know, Donald Trump never came in and, you know, never said, look, I'd like to plead guilty to a misdemeanor demeanor. And his case might have been very different had he done that, but this is someone who can never acknowledge when he's wrong.
- [21:18]
Barbara McQuaid
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- [22:08]
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- [23:02]
Joyce Vance
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- [24:43]
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- [26:53]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Well, this was the week of some pretty bad luck for some of Donald Trump's cabinet nominees. It seems that the fact that that fealty has become the number one qualification that the President seeks in choosing who is in his cabinet is starting to come back to bite him. Because the higher the fealty, maybe the lower the qualifications. I don't know. It seems that some of his latest picks are even too much for Senate Republicans to swallow. To wit, Joyce, tell us about Bill Pulte. Trump's choice to replace Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence. Deeply steeped in the intelligence community, is he not? Why was he picked?
- [27:40]
Joyce Vance
Oh, yeah. So deeply steeped. Yeah, just like a fine tea. Look, Bill Pulte has zero qualification for this job. He might be able to build you a house or he might be able to boss around the guys that can build you a house, but he doesn't know anything about being the Director of National Intelligence. And something that we've all been talking about this week, you know, most, most Cabinet level Jobs don't have a statutory qualification, but the DNI has to be somebody with deep, extensive experience in national security. That's not Bill Pulte. And that's why Trump is putting him in places, the acting rather than trying to get him confirmed, because he is absolutely unconfirmable. He has that one quality that matters to Trump. Kim, you know, I was gonna say loyalty. I love that you say fealty. Cause I think we're not very far away from the mom where King Trump sits on a throne and makes people walk up the carpet towards him and kneel before he knights them. I mean, we're awfully close to that. Pulte has a track record that a Donald Trump loves because he used his position at Fannie and Freddie to pull mortgage documentation. And that's what led to the. Although it's now been dismissed. But to the prosecution of Tish James, the New York Attorney General, there was a case that was never formally brought, but that Trump used as an excuse to fed Governor Lisa Cook. So Pulte has really delivered for Trump up until now, and Trump is clearly counting on more of the same.
- [29:15]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Yeah, and he has done it all while not exactly making friends along the way, even within the Cabinet. One of my favorite Bill Pulte stories is the fact that Treasury Secretary Scott Besant reportedly had words with him at the White House and threatened to punch him in the bleeping face. So he seems like a real nice
- [29:38]
Joyce Vance
guy, just a normal, ordinary, cabinet level exchange man. Come on, Kim, don't be so picky.
- [29:46]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Okay. So, Barb, you know, as we've hinted at, not all GOP senators are into him. In fact, you know, as Joyce pointed out, it looks like his run at DNI may not last very long. What do you think of that?
- [30:02]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah. You know, even today, President Trump said it's just temporary. He won't last that long. Don't worry about it.
- [30:09]
Joyce Vance
Just long enough to mess with the election.
- [30:11]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah, Well, a couple of things about this. So I know John Thune, who's the Senate Majority Leader, said this is an important position. We can't have a politicized Director of National intelligence. And Mitch McConnell said this is a position that requires extensive experience and we will not stand for anyone who, who's not qualified. So I thought that was interesting. But, you know, it doesn't require a, a Senate confirmation to be in acting. And he's going to be there for 210 days. That's seven months. And one of the things President Trump has suggested he'll do is you know, you have a lot more flexibility when you're in acting. And he wants him to fire people in the intelligence community so that the incoming Director of National Intelligence will have a clean slate. And he. And why, who do you want to fire and why do you want to fire him? It's just too big. Which jobs, which, which job descriptions do you think are unnecessary? Mr. President, you may recall when Doge was in there cutting jobs, they just slashed jobs kind of willy nilly. And it turned out they also slashed people who were in charge of the nuclear program. And they, oops, we better bring those people back. So I worry about that. And as Joy said, you know, know, what could possibly go wrong in these seven months? It's a really long time. We are at war with Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism. The reason we have a Director of National Intelligence is because after 9 11, Congress concluded, based on the 911 Commission, that there was a lack of one centralized leader over all 18 intelligence agencies. To make sure we were connecting the dots. That's the job of the Director of National Intelligence, also to lead the President's daily brief on what are the most urgent threats, what happened overnight. That's the person. And we've got Bill Pulte, who has no experience in this regard. I think it's incredibly dangerous to have someone like this at the helm.
- [32:08]
Joyce Vance
Hey, Kim, can I. I know that this is sort of a little bit off topic, but I think it is on topic. And Barb is our national security expert.
- [32:17]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
She is.
- [32:18]
Joyce Vance
Barb, the FISA is due. Section 702 is due to be re upped. Warrantless collection on foreign subjects. Can you talk a little bit about how Democrats might be able to use that to get some leverage over Pulte?
- [32:32]
Barbara McQuaid
Yes. So section 702 is an important part of the national security toolkit, as they like to say. But it is one that is controversial because it allows the intelligence community to collect communications of non US Persons who are overseas as the targets. But of course, they sometimes talk to American citizens. And so even though they're collecting on targets who are non US Citizens overseas, in, in the collection data are conversations and text messages and emails with US Persons. The intelligence community is able to query all of that data without a warrant if it relates to an intelligence purpose, not a criminal investigation. That means all of us. And if you have someone who is not carefully following the rules, one could worry about whether they're going to use that to collect information on, you know, say, Trump's enemies. But it presents this, perhaps opportunity. There is a strong desire to renew its sunsets from time to time, which forces Congress to review it before they can reauthorize it.
- [33:42]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Yeah, they're reviewing it right now.
- [33:44]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah. And so that timing, I think, is suggesting, could be used as a package. Right. As a lever to say, if you want this authority, which you very much want, if you want us to continue it, then we need a Director of National Intelligence who is someone with the required extensive experience in intelligence. So I think they have an opportunity here to withhold their approval of the renewal of section 702 if the President persists in pushing even an acting Director of National Intelligence without any experience.
- [34:17]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Yeah. And I'm gonna spitball here and think that they may get some Republicans to join them, too, because I know some, like Lisa Murkowski, have really not been thrilled with this Pulte appointment one bit. And they've even tried to bar him from simultaneously serving as acting DNI and also remaining in the. I keep forgetting the name of the administration that he's also. Yes. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, where he is authorized to dig up dirt on the people that Donald Trump doesn't like. So there's a lot of stuff going on here. But let's. We would be remiss if we did not spend a little bit of time focusing on one of our favorite subjects, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who really, really wants the permanent job so bad. So much so that he tried to set up a slush fund for Donald Trump and his buddies. His supporters, including January 6 rioters, fell apart, but not as to Donald Trump. Barb, things aren't looking so great for him in the Senate either, huh?
- [35:27]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah. You know, it's. I think John Thune said it's hard to say, you know, the majority.
- [35:32]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
And that's bad. Okay. When the, when the majority leader is like, that's not. That's not a good sign.
- [35:40]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah. You know, Charles Grassley, who has often been a opponent of doj, he has said, like, oh, it's. It. Of course it's good to go. We approved him a little over a year ago for the deputy position. It's the same guy. And so I expect him to sail through. But there are others. And, you know, there's some people now who have been. Been liberated from their allegiance to Donald Trump, like John Cornyn, who lost his. His primary election in face of opposition by Donald Trump and Senator Cassidy. So there's some people there who may be able to. Tom Tillis, another. They may be able to vote their conscience here because of. They they are no longer seeking a seat to run for reelection. But I think one thing that's very different from the Senate confirmation vote that occurred when Todd Blanche was nominated for Deputy Attorney General, which is early 2025, is now we have seen what he is like at the helm. He led the review and release of the Epstein files. And by accounts of members of Congress, there are still many documents that have yet to be disclosed because he is holding onto deliberative process privilege, despite the fact that the statute itself said that that would should not be honored. We've seen the way he has overseen indictments against the Southern Poverty Law center and the Seashells case, and that he even tried to put together this slush fund for Trump. And even though here's the cynic in me, they were pretty quick to walk back the compensation fund for weaponization victims, like, okay, forget about it. We won't do that. They have not walked back. Back. What may have been the real important crux of the deal, which was to give Trump immunity from audits and civil claims from the IRS for anything he might have done in the past. Some experts estimate that his past tax bill is over $100 million. You know, Trump doesn't care about his supporters, right? Like, oh, okay, yeah, forget, we'll walk that back. What he really wants is this hundred million dollar gift. And so it may be that this set of experiences that we have seen Todd Blanche participate in might make it a different vote that we see than we saw a year and a half ago.
- [37:56]
Joyce Vance
You know, can I add one other element in too? Because the thing about Todd Blanche is there's something for everybody to hate here, right? I mean, Barb has covered the key ones, but there's so much more with Blanche. And if you're in a close race in a state or in a district where people care about the Epstein survivors, the victims of Epstein. Todd Blanche is the guy who went to a federal prison, interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell, and gave her the sweetheart deal of a lifetime. She's now sitting in a minimum security facility where she is not eligible to be by virtue of her conviction. She's got like a puppy that she's raising. She gets good food.
- [38:40]
Barbara McQuaid
Wait, it's a puppy.
- [38:41]
Joyce Vance
She does.
- [38:42]
Barbara McQuaid
She has a pupp.
- [38:44]
Joyce Vance
You know that program BOP does where they let inmates raise service dogs or something like that for the first year? She's in on that. I mean, here's the deal, right? If you are take your pick of Republicans in tight races and this could be a difficult year for them in any event. And you're thinking about how this is going to play in late October when your opponent, when the Democrat that you're running against, you know, starts coming out and talking about what happened with Ghislaine Maxwell, I think you may be very hesitant to vote to confirm Todd Blanche. To be honest with y', all, I'm not really sure he'll even come up for a vote.
- [39:28]
Barbara McQuaid
Wow. Wow.
- [39:30]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
We will keep an eye on here first. Maybe sycophancy doesn't pay off in the end.
- [39:35]
Barbara McQuaid
After all, loyalty is a one way street in the Trump administration. Just remember that that.
- [39:50]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
I love seafood. I love seafood. I really do. I can eat it every day.
- [39:55]
Joyce Vance
I can tell.
- [39:56]
Barbara McQuaid
Wow, that's an enthusiastic.
- [40:00]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
But I also don't love going to the grocery store. I may have mentioned that too, but one reason is when you get to the the, the fish section, you never know where it or what might be in it or how fresh it is or whether it's sustainable. And even worse, you never know how long it's been sitting out on display. I don't always believe the dates that are stamped on it. I'm sorry, I'm distrustful, y'.
- [40:25]
Joyce Vance
All.
- [40:25]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
I don't believe it. So when it comes to my home and all of our homes, we need a provider we can trust. Which is why we want to tell you about Wild Alaskan Company. They offer the best way to get wild call high quality seafood delivered to your door on your schedule. Trust us, you've never tasted fish this good. We are having Wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon. It's one of my favorite things to eat.
- [40:52]
Barbara McQuaid
We always recommend them and it's wonderful to know our listeners, friends and family are all getting the best. Each Wild Alaskan box comes with individually portioned vacuum sealed filets that are easy to press and great for any meal, whether it's quick or elevated. All of their fish is quick frozen fresh from Alaskan waters, which helps lock in its freshness, texture, flavor and key nutrients like omega 3s. Better yet, there are no GMOs, antibiotics or other additives to their catch, which means it's fish you can trust.
- [41:27]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
We really love how every order supports sustainable harvesting practice. An Alaskan fisherman whose history is tied to the region and its practices, plus becoming a member means your deliveries are flexible and at your own pace. It's an endless smorgasbord of truly feel good seafood. I love also aside from the sockeye salmon and I really do love the Pacific halibut for a tasty treat that's low in fat, high in protein and rich in omega 3s. It's really delicious and flaky whitefish that turns a savory looking bright white when you cook it. And it's perfect whether you sear it or throw it on the grill if you're feeling adventurous. It's also amazing in tacos or curry. I made fish tacos with it and it was a big hit in my house. You need to try it all and there are so many other amazing choices. I've also enjoyed the Alaskan snow crab, which is one of my favorite foods in the world.
- [42:25]
Joyce Vance
You know, I'm a huge fan of using fish to make soup. And even during the summer, there's just something really comforting about a chowder. You don't always think about doing that with fish, but you know, when I've got some of this fish in my freezer, I just go there and 30 minutes before the meal I pull out some Wild Alaska and I sort of stir it around in the pot with some potatoes and some onions. And then I use it to make soup with whatever herbs and greens I have on hand. And the recipe almost doesn't matter. It's just so delicious. Wild Alaskan company is so confident that their fish is the best that they offer a 100% satisfaction and money back guarantee. So you can try your first box risk free. Go to wildalaskan.comsisters for $35 off your first order of premium wild caught seafood. That's wildalaskan.com sisters for $35 off your first order. Thanks to Wild Alaskan Company for sponsoring this episode and for making all of our dinners more delicious. The link is in our show notes. We've spent a lot of time lately discussing the Supreme Court's decision in Calais. That's the gerrymandering case. I know you guys know all about it. Voting rights are critically important and voting is the right that unlocks all of the other rights. We've also After Calais, we've touched on this Alabama case called Milligan. It's a case that the Supreme Court decided three years ago, and Justice Roberts and Justice Kavanaugh joined the three progressive justices in a very fragile majority that forced the state to redraw its maps. You know, we found out just how fragile that majority was when Alabama went back to the court for permission to revert essentially to its old maps after Calais was on. And shocker, the Supreme Court gave them permission to do that. And that happened even after a panel of judges, two Trump appointees on that panel, found that Those maps had been drawn with an intent to discriminate against black voters. America in 2026. So, Kim, you wrote a fantastic column about this on Thursday. Can you share the points you made with us and talk about why everybody across the country, not just people in Alabama, need to be worried about Milligan?
- [45:03]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Absolutely. I mean, this case is absolutely infuriating. I will push back on one little thing you said, Joyce, when you were saying that Roberts and Kavanaugh join the progressive justices. The more I read what the three Democratic appointed justices write about voting rights and a host of other things, I actually don't think they're progressive. I actually think what they are trying to do is hold on to the jurisprudence over in this case, the Voting Rights act that had existed for six decades, including nearly the first half of the Roberts court and how it was applied. They're holding steady to the way. I don't I think sometimes because we think of politics as being very polarized right now. We talk about the conservatives on the court and the liberals as if they're at the same point in the poll. I think the conservatives are way over with my right way over here. And the three in dissent are, generally speaking, kind of somewhere center left.
- [46:02]
Joyce Vance
You know, that's such a good point, though. I'm glad you raised that right. Because progressives want to restore the Voting Rights Act. They want this new measure in Congress to pass. Absolutely. I think you're dead right. They're just trying to hold on to something that they can pick up two votes from the conservatives for to try to hold on. So that's a good point.
- [46:20]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
They are just trying to apply the Voting Rights act and the Constitution to it the way that it has been for 60 years.
- [46:25]
Barbara McQuaid
I wonder should be changed, right? Are, you know, Kagan and Sotomayor and Jackson now the conservatives hold on to the past and the others are sort of the originalists. Right?
- [46:39]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Originalist.
- [46:39]
Joyce Vance
You know, Justice Jackson is in fact a textualist.
- [46:42]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
She is.
- [46:44]
Joyce Vance
In many ways.
- [46:44]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
She is. I've written about that, too. But anyway, the Milligan case. So let's start right. So recall that Kallay essentially held, although the majority claims it wasn't the holding, but essentially held. The only way you can bring a Section 2 case alleging racial gerrymanders is to show intent. I mean, that's the, that's if you read Kagan's very, very good dissent in that case, there's no other way to read the case because they make it nearly impossible to bring a disparate impact claim alleging voter dilution of black votes, even when the record is as clear as it was in Louisiana. Right. So there's only intentional discrimination. Well, in Alabama, there was a three judge panel, two of the judges appointed by Trump that have found since 2021 repeatedly that Alabama intentionally racially gerrymandered their map to pack all the black, the majority of black voters into one district when they had enough numbers to have a second opportunity district. It doesn't mean it has to be majority black. All it means is that you have enough black people there to be able to have the voting power to elect a candidate of their choice. That's the language of the Voting Rights Act. And that they found in a ruling that was in excess of 500 pages, replete with evidence that the legislature in Alabama did it on purpose, intentionally packed them into that district in order to help Republicans win while the Supreme Court remanded that case for some reason after Klay to that three judge panel to say, hey, take another look at this in light of Klay. Now I'm like, well, what do you mean, Kalei? This is intentional gerrymandering. Case has nothing to do with Kalei. Right. Well, then in a shadow docket unsigned order dropped on Tuesday night at 9:14pm Eastern time, the court held that the three judge panel aired because one, they failed to give Alabama lawmakers the, quote, presumption of legislative good faith.
- [49:06]
Joyce Vance
Can I just say, I'm an Alabama voter, right. I read the newspapers, I talk to these guys. Not only was their discriminatory intent, they were proud of it. They wanted to tell y' all about it.
- [49:19]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah.
- [49:20]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
You had the House speaker after the first time, when the Supreme Court ruled against them in this same case and said that it was intentional discrimination, he basically said, you know what, it was five, four. So all we have to do is wait it out.
- [49:33]
Joyce Vance
And then Alabama went in, they refused to draw new maps. They drew up a discriminatory map. The three judge panel actually had to hire an expert to draw maps for the state. So, like, it wasn't a close call here.
- [49:47]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
No, it really wasn't. And they also had the nerve in this per curiam decision, which means nobody had the guts to sign it. But I don't know, in my personal opinion, it feels like an alito joint to me. We talked about the Purcell principle, which means that courts are not supposed to change election rules on the eve of an election. Now, I don't know about y', all, but to me, June in a midterm year feels like the eve of an election. And the Supreme Court held that the three judge panel can't act now because it's too close to the election. But, but Alabama lawmakers are perfectly free. It doesn't apply to them. They can change all the rules right up until they think they it's fit to change it. So that gives, that gives states in the south and elsewhere with history of racial gerrymandering a blueprint. All they have to do is wait out the clock until courts can do nothing about it it and then put their gerrymander in and know that there's no other court that can do that. Not to mention. But in, in doing this though, the Supreme Court itself violated the Purcell principle because they are the cause of all of this. It's the most outrageous shadow docket in the literal dark of night ruling that the Supreme Court has ever made on voting, voting rights. And they should be ashamed of themselves.
- [51:08]
Joyce Vance
You know, it's so hard to explain this because it's so far inside baseball, but appellate courts are supposed to give sort of a, to trial courts decisions about what the facts are. And in the absence of clear air, they're not supposed to change them. And here where the evidence is strong, solid, in your face, I mean, 500 pages. You might think that the Supreme Court would have been a little bit upset that the Alabama legislature took the point of view that it didn't have to follow the dinky little Supreme Court's direction to them. But no, they're like, Alabama, have at it, girl. And you know, the problem is this case is about gerrymandering. I can see all sorts of bad outcomes down the road where if you're a clever, coercive state legislature, maybe you decide to adopt new rules in the state legislature three days before the election. This is a fricking disaster. And I started out by saying voting is the right that unlocks all the other rights. I mean, Barb, what are your concerns? We've got this one, two punch from Clay and Milligan. Where do you think this ends up?
- [52:17]
Barbara McQuaid
I now think that, you know, it's just open season for gerrymandering, including race based gerrymandering. You know, I had taken the view that I think was wrongheaded that Chief Justice Roberts in particular, but much of this court has this sort of colorblind view of the world, which is lovely, but that's not the world we live in. And Congress has found, found that it is a compelling interest to promote voting rights. The court has even recognized that as recently as Calais, the Supreme Court even in Alito's opinion Said, we're not overturning the Voting Rights act because there is this compelling interest in protecting voting rights, and that means providing these opportunity districts. But, you know, we just. We don't see it here because there was no intent to discriminate. Now, I have. I have gone on a tirade before about why that's the wrong standard. Congress even legislated this in 1982 and said, we don't care about what your intent was. It isn't. Nice try. It is. You get equal rights to vote. And so discriminatory effect has always been enough. But what they said in Calais, discriminatory effect is not enough. There has to be intent to discriminate. Which at the. Even when Calais came out, I said, that's going to be really hard to prove because it will be really easy to show discriminatory effect without being able to show discriminatory intent unless people say it out loud. Well, now, all that misguided, colorblind, you know, intent, I thought, well, they're misguided. But now that's all off the table. Right? This is. This is a map that the court found was violated. The Voting Rights Rights act that they found had a discriminatory intent. And now they say, well, you ought to give the benefit of the doubt to the legislature. Wait, what? We've got evidence. Courts have found evidence of intent to discriminate. So where does that leave us? I don't know, because, you know, they had surrendered on political gerrymandering in the Rucho case and said, it's a political question we can't touch. Now it seems that even racial discrimination is beyond the purview of courts and so feels like it's open season. And as we saw in Tennessee, right. They've. They busted up, cracked in the term of gerrymandering, cracked up Memphis. So there's no longer a cohesive district that encompasses Memphis. It's been divided up into three separate districts. So you've got a little bit of Memphis and some suburbs and another little bit of Memphis and some suburbs, and then a third bit of Memphis and some suburbs, which now means there's no Memphis block, predominantly black, that can allow the black people.
- [54:56]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
If you look at Aiken's descent in Calais, she starts off with a hypothetical.
- [55:01]
Barbara McQuaid
Yeah, that's exactly the Memphis scenario.
- [55:03]
Joyce Vance
That.
- [55:03]
Barbara McQuaid
Exactly.
- [55:04]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
That's exactly what it is.
- [55:05]
Barbara McQuaid
So I would say the. The only path back that I can see is one that is existent in some states, including Michigan, where we have a independent redistricting commission. It is not partisan. It's got members who are Republicans, members who are Democrats, members who are independent. And they are the ones who do the redistricting. And they've created, guess what, fair districts. They respect county and city borders, so they're not splitting up communities. They respect communities of interest. They have to be of relatively equal size and shape. So they're not doing these crazy snakes to try to, you know, pack or crack gray groups. And it largely works. In fact, in the election right after the redistricting last time, the first election, the Michigan House and Senate went Democratic for the first time in 40 years. So, you know, it allows people to actually have the choice that they want to have. The initiative was called voters, not politicians.
- [56:04]
Joyce Vance
So, Kim, Barb raised a really interesting point. I take the point about Michigan and independent commissions, which I think is such a great approach. I'd like to see the Alabama legislature try to pass that law, although I fear it won't happen with their viewpoint, which we've discussed. But Barb raised another really interesting point when she said that this is a court, the majority of which did not say that the Voting Rights act is unconstitutional. They didn't say it in Calais about Section two. They didn't say it in Shelby County v. Holder about Section five. They just said the way it's being used. Or in Calais, they change the standard and make it undoable. Do you think, Kim, that there might be another path back? Could Congress possibly fix this if there are pro democracy majorities after the midterm?
- [56:57]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Well, the problem. So first of all, as to the court saying, oh no, we didn't do that. That's called throwing rocks and hiding your hands. You absolutely did it. You just don't want to say that you did it. That's called gaslighting, and I really hate that. In this unsigned shadow docket order that came out at 9:14 at night that Chief Justice John Roberts or Justice Brett Kavanaugh had the cojones to explain why their ruling, what happened in the three years since they said that Alabama intentionally gerrymandered with this map to then to turn around and change their mind completely and not even have to explain themselves. I'm sorry, but the problem with congressional action when it comes to Calais is that this was a constitutional rule ruling. They ruled that these provisions of the Voting Rights act violated the equal protection clause because it stamped it trampled on the rights of white voters. So when it's a constitutional ruling, that limits Congress's ability to go in and legislate that away. So they've really broken something Fundamentally. So I know, you know, in talking to people who are doing the hard work, like Kristin Clark, who was formerly head of the civil Rights division at justice under the Biden administration, who has been working on voting rights her whole career, they think, you know, getting out to vote and getting people who believe in justice is still important to pass things like the John Lewis act that will restore a lot of what is being broken in this case. There's still a lot for Congress to do. I don't wanna be pessimistic about it. Yes. But when it comes to this constitutional ruling in Calais, we will have to wait for a Supreme Court to see the damage that it has done, how this is as bad as Dred Scott, and actually overturn that.
- [58:48]
Joyce Vance
Yeah. I think this is such an important line that you're drawing. Section five, Shelby county, the court invalidates the criteria that's being used, not the law. So Congress could come back and act. That's the John Lewis act as part of that. But there's not been any traction in Congress in lo these many years. Right. I mean, we're at 10 plus years now on that one. And what happened in Calais is devastating because of the constitutional ruling. Could Congress find a way back? You know, maybe they could, but as Kim says, it will take a different configuration or a different attitude on the Supreme Court, I guess. This court has been so changeable. Three years ago, this was unconstitutional. Who knows? You know, maybe when Barb McQuaid wins the presidency in 2028, maybe the Supreme Court will sing a different tune after that. That
- [59:42]
Barbara McQuaid
in your dreams or nightmares, as the case may be.
- [59:47]
Joyce Vance
You know, because if you got elected, man, then everybody would be like, accosting me going, President McQuade, President.
- [59:56]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
I got my vote, Barb. If I still have a vote.
- [60:10]
Joyce Vance
We love cats, and those of us who have them can't say enough great things about Smalls. Like a lot of you. For the longest time, I thought that the cat kibble they had in the grocery store was the way to go. It's right next to all the food I buy for my family. So it has to be good, right? Wrong. Once I found out that it was mostly filler corn and ingredients you can barely pronounce, I knew my cats deserved better. Better. And I sort of knew why. They had been looking at me with disdain during meal time. You know, they are cats. But now that I've made the switch to Smalls, my cats and also my wonderful grand cat Marty, who I'm taking care of this week, they have so much more Energy. Their fur is softer. Marty is so pleasant to have sitting in my lap. I think he'll show up for part of the podcast today. And they just look better and feel better. If you're a cat parent, there's no better time to try Smalls than right now. Just ask Marty.
- [61:08]
Barbara McQuaid
You know, if cats could text, they would not text you back. I saw that on social media. That's not an original joke, but I thought it was really funny.
- [61:18]
Joyce Vance
I don't know though, Barb. Like my cats would be texting like hey woman, need more food or whatever, come scratch my back. I can't even imagine what the cat text would look like.
- [61:30]
Barbara McQuaid
Smalls Fresh cat food is protein packed recipes made with preservative free 100% human grade ingredients you'd find in your fridge and it gets conveniently delivered right to your door. In addition to Joyce, they have so many outstanding reviews. One that stood out said Smalls has been the best decision I have made for my cat. He absolutely loves his food. His coat is shiny and he licks the bowl clean. High quality products, no artificial fillers or byproducts. Absolutely love Smalls.
- [62:03]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
You know, I'm not surprised. Cats use protein as their main energy source. And more protein means more fuel and sustained energy. Smalls fresh gently cooked preservative free cat food gives them high protein and improved hydration for strong bones and toned muscles. Does Small make food for people? Cause I can use some strong bones into.
- [62:26]
Joyce Vance
I was just thinking that. Right. And it would really help with getting all the proteins. Social media keeps telling me I need
- [62:32]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
to get right right. Plus a balanced diet leads to less shedding, fewer hairballs and more silky shine. I think I need those things too. Even better, lots of nutrients in Smalls food are digestible, so less junk comes out the other end. And that means less cat related odors. And that's something we can all appreciate.
- [62:55]
Barbara McQuaid
That was very, that was very delicately stated.
- [62:58]
Joyce Vance
I appreciate that even Barb survived that one.
- [63:02]
Barbara McQuaid
Well, very diplomatically put. After switching to smalls, 88% of cat owners reported overall health improvements, presumably in their cats. Though they probably became healthier too with a happy cat. And the team at Smalls is so confident your cat will love their product that you can try it risk free free. That means they will refund you if your cat won't eat their food. So stop serving your little carnivore a bowl of processed shortcuts for a limited time. Because you are a sisters in law listener. You can get 60% off your first order plus free shipping and free treats for life. I think again for your cat when you head to smalls.com sisters one last time. That's 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life when you head to smalls.com sisters the link is in our show Notes.
- [64:07]
Joyce Vance
If you have a question for us, please email Sisters in law@politicon.com or tag us on social media using the hashtag Sisters in Law. If we don't get to your question during the show, we'll try to answer it during our newest show, Sisters sidebar, where we take your questions every Wednesday. You know, it's so exciting because this really is our favorite part of the show. And now we get to get together twice a week to answer your questions. So we'll get started for today. Barb, I have a question for you. It's from Megan and she asks if House and Senate sign off on adding more Supreme Court justices, could the Supreme Court itself stop that?
- [64:51]
Barbara McQuaid
Oh, what an interesting case. Very existential. I don't think so. You know, Article 3 of the Constitution establishes a judicial branch and it vests the judicial power in one Supreme Court and in such inferior cases courts as Congress may establish. And the number of justices has always been set by Congress. We've had five, seven, now nine. And so if the court were to expand to, say, 13 or some other number, I think Congress can do that. Now if they tried to do things like term limits, I think justices are appointed for life in the Constitution. I think they couldn't do that. But in terms of expanding the number, I think Congress can do it, and I don't think the courts could do anything about it.
- [65:38]
Joyce Vance
So our next question, I think I'll take this one. It comes from N, B, D, Y, I, M, P, T, nobody important, maybe at Bluesky Social. And it's a great question. They ask, what are law schools going to do about the demise of legal ethics? So I have some thoughts, but y' all feel free to jump in because when the three of us went to lunch law school, I'm going to hazard a guess that ethics was not the most important topic in any of our minds. You know, ethics, you had to take a bar exam on it, just like a mini exam. But everybody understood what ethics were. There weren't big questions in our mind. It was sort of routine. And I think now it is no longer routine. It's fresh. It's important. It's interesting. In the Democratic Institution seminar that I taught in the spring, my students really dug in on the Reading, and we had some very engaged conversations. And so I think, frankly, that what law schools do will be driven by student interest. I think it's at an all time high, and this is a new reinvigorated topic that people care about. What are y' all seeing?
- [66:49]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
No, I think that that's right. I mean, law school applications have gone up among the advisory board of, of a center that encourages law students to pursue public jobs in the public sector. And you're seeing a lot of people really wanting to do that. And it's just right now, young people, including my mentees, are really, really motivated to go to law school to do good, to do good work and to fix what's broken. So I think that it will come in a way, maybe swinging back in a way that it's taken for granted. It comes naturally that ethics is important for these students. So I think the pendulum is swinging back in that area. I hope I'm right.
- [67:35]
Joyce Vance
I think so.
- [67:37]
Barbara McQuaid
As a law professor, I think I am seeing a renewed interest in ethics, both from the institutional perspective and making sure that it is emphasized and looking for more opportunities to talk about it, and also for students who are very hungry to do the right thing and also to hold accountable those who don't. So right now I'm seeing a lot of students interested in state government as opposed to federal government government. They're attracted to the law firms who did not cave to Trump when he was extorting them. They were going to the ones that fought back. So I think they're very tuned in and they care very much about integrity in the legal profession.
- [68:12]
Joyce Vance
Yeah, I mean, our students really give me a lot of hope at this point and the fact that we're all engaged with students. Right. So many people are mentoring like you are, Kim, to try to give these students an idea of how it's supposed to be, not how it is now. So it's all very hopeful. Last question is for you. This one comes from Vivian. I like this one. It digs in on an important legal topic. Vivian asks, are universal injunctions still viable after recent Supreme Court signals?
- [68:45]
Kimberly Atkins Storey
Yeah. So that is a really, really good question. The answer, as far as I can interpret, is sometimes maybe so. One thing that I thought was really interesting about the mifepristone case case, was it in the end, the Supreme Court kept the drug available as it currently was. But the way that it got there was that a federal court made a ruling that would have halted its availability remotely to be, you know, prescribed by telehealth and sent through the mail for everyone. But it wasn't technically a universal injunction. It was an injunction that only applied side to the parties in the case, Louisiana. But the way that it was done, there was no way that pharmaceutical companies could comply with that order, just excluding Louisiana. It would have stopped the drugs availability nationwide. So I feel like that was a little loophole that had the Supreme Court okayed and said oh no, this does not violate our rule against universal injunctions would have been catastrophic. And now I work that there will be other cases where people will try to seek injunctions in that clever way to make it not technically universal but universally de facto. So that put a new thing in my head that I'm going to be watching out for. So I think your question that you're asking is really an important one. We should not take for granted that universal injunctions will not be imposed.
- [70:20]
Joyce Vance
Yeah, it's an important point and not necessarily a good one. But I think we have to be just clear eyed when we face these legal challenges. So thank thank you all for your questions. We really do love getting the opportunity to know what's going on in your minds and to answer some of your questions. Thank you for listening to Sisters in law with Barb McQuaid, Kimberly Atkins store, and me, Joyce Vance. If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate the show, send it to a friend. Be sure you follow Sisters in Law on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you never miss an episode. Join us every Saturday as we break down the biggest legal developments of the week and then catch our companion podcast, SistersSideBar every Wednesday where we answer your legal questions. You can shop for sistersinlawtotes and other goodies at Politikon and follow us on Instagram @SistersInLaw podcast and check out the special offers in this episode's show. Notes from our sponsors Quince, Delete Me, Thrive Cosmetics, Wild Alaskan and Smalls. See you next week. Sisters In Law Can I just say that whoever wrote the line stop serving your little carnivore a bowl of processed shortcuts is a freaking poetic genius. That is the best ever. The best line ever to show up in a hashtag Sisters in Law ad. I'm going to cut that out and just tack it to my wall just to make me laugh when I'm having a bad day.