Executive Disorder: California Elections, SCOTUS Approves GOP Map, Greg Bovino Update
The Supreme Court has effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act by allowing Alabama to use a racially gerrymandered map that eliminates a Black majority district, marking a devastating blow to multiracial democracy. In a four-page unsigned shadow docket ruling, the Court declared that a district court’s order requiring a fairer map failed to meet new, nearly impossible standards—requiring plaintiffs to submit an alternative map that matches the state’s partisan goals and proving racial block voting without considering party affiliation. This decision, driven by a conservative majority, makes it nearly impossible to challenge discriminatory maps, effectively legalizing racist gerrymandering. Meanwhile, in California, reality TV star Spencer Pratt is surging in the L.A. mayoral race, fueled by viral AI-generated campaign videos and a $2.7 million fundraising haul—despite being exposed for lying about living in a trailer after his home burned down. His campaign, a mix of performative rage and right-wing populism, reflects a broader crisis of political engagement, where voters are turning to spectacle over substance. On the federal level, the Office of Management and Budget is formalizing the 'Doge cuts' by centralizing all grant approvals in the hands of political appointees, destroying scientific peer review and threatening American research.
The Supreme Court has made racial gerrymandering legally unchallengable by requiring plaintiffs to submit maps that match the state's partisan goals.
Spencer Pratt’s L.A. mayoral campaign is fueled by AI-generated videos and lies about living in a trailer, proving reality TV is now a viable political vehicle.
The OMB is centralizing all federal grants under one political appointee, destroying scientific peer review and threatening American research.
Greg Bovino claims 100 million people are 'illegal aliens' based on traffic data in Charlotte—proof of how fascist logic uses absurdity to justify ethnic cleansing.
The Voting Rights Act is now unenforceable because the Court refuses to accept that intentional racial discrimination can be proven by effect alone.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Patagonia Lawsuit: Brand vs. Drag Queen
A drag performer named Wynne Wiley, who uses the stage name Patagonia, is being sued by the outdoor clothing brand Patagonia for trademark infringement. The case centers on whether a drag queen can trademark a name and logo that closely resemble the brand's iconic mountain silhouette. The hosts debate the ethics of corporate intellectual property, questioning whether a billion-dollar company should own the rights to a natural landscape. They highlight the irony that Patagonia has military contracts and is not the altruistic environmentalist it portrays.
The F-15E Pilot Who Was Shot Down Twice
A U.S. Air Force F-15E pilot was shot down over Iran in April, and the week before, he was also shot down over Q8. The hosts mock the absurdity of a pilot being shot down twice in a week, questioning whether he should be allowed to fly again. They speculate that the military may be desperate for pilots, and joke that the desert gods demand an F-15 sacrifice every six days.
Marco Rubio’s Afrikaner Refugee Program
“It's not about vetting. It's specifically about people who can quote-unquote assimilate. I wonder what the economic strata of the Afrikaners getting refugee status are. In terms of the way that Rubio is looking at it, their economic strata is white.”
Medicaid Work Requirements: A Humanitarian Crisis
The federal government is imposing a new rule requiring 80 hours of work or volunteering per month for Medicaid recipients in 40 states. The hosts warn this will kill vulnerable people, especially trans and disabled individuals, due to bureaucratic delays and the impossibility of meeting the requirement. They call for organizing volunteer coordination to help people comply.
Iran’s Escalation and the F-15E Shootdown
Iran shot down an F-15E with a Chinese-made anti-ship missile in the Persian Gulf. The hosts discuss the geopolitical implications, including China’s role in supplying Iran with weapons and the risk of regional war. They also note that Trump told Netanyahu he was 'fucking crazy' and that the U.S. is now in a dangerous position with both Iran and Israel.
“The macro level implication of this is that the Voting Rights Act is unenforceable. Like, the parts of the Voting Rights Act that are supposed to protect from literally this specific thing, this specific thing of intentionally diluting black people's votes so that they can't elect candidates was the Jim Crow practice that this part of the Voting Rights Act was specifically designed to do and... You can't do that anymore. It is just the Supreme Court has decided that this part of the Voting Rights Act doesn't exist.”
“So this is like if Clavicular ran for office in 10 years. 20 years. And, you know, it's a reality TV show. There's parts of it that are scripted. There's parts of it that are enhanced. But you can't fake that fucking vein popping out of his head.”
“He says 30 years ago, illegal immigrants were absent from large portions of American territory. I don't know where he's getting that information. He said he began seriously examining these numbers in 2008. He then says that around 2006, he found some information from Bear Stearns. That's a bank. They're like an investment bank, I think. He claims that drove his number.”
Host
greg bovino
person
patagonia
brand
spencer pratt
person
supreme court
organization
alabama
place
office of management and budget
organization
therapy gecko
media
winni wiley
person
f-15e
other
marco rubio
person
It Could Happen Here Weekly 234
3h 32m • 5/30/2026
3662 - California Election Conspiracy Idiocy; Trump's Crony Judges w/ David Dayen, Josh Orton
2h 34m • 6/9/2026
Hour 2: Democrats have a Patriotism Problem
36m • 6/5/2026
Can corruption drive voter turnout?
27m • 6/6/2026
Spencer Pratt Crashes and Burns, and a Historic Knicks Comeback with Cassie Wilson and Dave Roth
46m • 6/12/2026
It Could Happen Here Weekly 234
3h 32m • 5/30/2026
CZM Book Club: The End, Like Sand, by Margaret Killjoy
35m • 5/31/2026
Bears! And the Guys Who Don’t Like Them
1h 17m • 6/1/2026
How to Potluck Your Way to a Union
43m • 6/2/2026
The War on Iran and Convergences of Fascism
26m • 6/4/2026
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