The BradCast w/ Brad Friedman Brad Friedman

On today's 'BradCast':  We catch up on the latest developments in the first-ever criminal trial of a former president while the historic trial over Donald Trump's 2016 election interference-hush money scheme is on break for a day. DR. ALLISON GILL of the notorious 'Mueller, She Wrote' and 'Daily Beans Podcast' and attorney KEITH BARBER of Daily Kos explain the legal and political implications of new evidence and witness testimony, the judge's ruling finding Trump in criminal contempt of court for violating his gag order, and much more. Democrats outperformed pre-election polling in yet another special election for the U.S. House. A Trump-appointed appeals court ruled that Pennsylvania voters' mail-in ballots can be tossed out for minor, immaterial technical errors. A federal court rejected Louisiana's newly-drawn second majority-Black U.S. House district as 'an impermissible racial gerrymander.'

On today's 'BradCast':  American University professor Allen Lichtman has been uncannily accurate in predicting who will win presidential elections - - who does he predict will win in 2024?  Donald Trump found in criminal contempt of court in his New York hush money-election interference trial. United Auto Workers union wins big wage increases for workers in North Carolina. Indicted Arizona Republican 2020 fake elector rewarded with new RNC position. Appeals court rejects effort by West Virginia and North Carolina to block gender-affirming care for transgender people. U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency moves to reclassify marijuana, easing restrictions nationwide. The Biden Administration is racing to issue new standards to protect them from repeal under the Congressional Review Act. Plus our new 'Green News Report.'

On today's 'BradCast':  The corrupted rightwing supermajority on the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether Presidents have 'absolute immunity' for any and all crimes they commit while in office. They don't. Despite rejection by lower courts, the rightwing justices heard Donald Trump's ridiculous assertions of 'immunity,' helping him delay the federal criminal trial over his multi-pronged scheme to steal the 2020 election, thus preventing voters from obtaining critical information before the November 2024 election about whether they should grant another term to the ex-president who tried to steal the 2020 election. We delve into the absurd arguments that seem to have finally made clear to the nation that the Roberts Court is corruptly running interference for Republican policies in general, and Trump in particular. Callers weigh in on what can or should be done about any of it, as the nation stumbles its way toward November...

Encore: original airdate 4-17-2024. On today's 'BradCast': The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in 'Fischer v. U.S.,' a challenge to the criminal statute used to charge and convict hundreds of January 6 insurrectionists, including Donald Trump. Legal journalist CHRIS GEIDNER of Law Dork News discusses the case, which questions whether some January 6th insurrectionists should have been charged with obstruction of an official government proceeding. Geidner explains how a ruling could pivot on the meaning of the word 'otherwise;' the rightwing justices' newly-discovered concerns about over-criminalization; potential impacts on January 6 cases and the Trump indictment; and upcoming oral arguments on Trump's ridiculous assertions of 'absolute immunity.' Also today: Republicans' revenge impeachment against DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas quickly failed in the US Senate. Arizona GOP lawmakers again blocked repeal of the state's 1864 abortion ban. Alabama's newly-drawn, fairer House maps generated a massive surge in voter turnout in a special election.

On today's 'BradCast':  The corrupted U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on 'Trump v. United States', in which disgraced former President Donald Trump ridiculously asserts that he has 'absolute immunity' from any and all crimes committed while serving in office, including bribery, treason, sedition, murder and conspiring overturn the results of an election and keep himself in power. The court's rightwing supermajority has helped Trump delay the trial on criminal charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Former U.S. Attorney RANDALL ELIASON and former Deputy Asst. U.S. Attorney General LISA GRAVES offer insight and expertise on today's 'astonishing' oral arguments, and much more. Arizona's Attorney General indicted 16 people for acting as fake electors in an attempt to steal the 2020 election, along with Trump's former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, attorney Rudy Giuliani and others. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'

On today's 'BradCast': In Pennsylvania's primary elections, a large percentage of Republicans voted for ousted rivals of presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. President Biden signed a long-overdue aid package for Ukraine. The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether federal law requires hospitals to provide abortion care when necessary to save a patient's life. In Arizona, state Democratic lawmakers gained ground on an effort to repeal the state's 1864 abortion ban. Columnist HEATHER DIGBY PARTON of Salon and attorney KEITH BARBER of Daily Kos discuss Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York on allegations that he conspired to falsify business records to cover up hush money payments he made to a porn star, to help him cheat to win the 2016 Presidential election. Parton and Barber analyze what we've learned so far in the historic trial, the legal hurdles faced by prosecutors, and what to expect in the days ahead.