Welcome to the First Things podcast.

On this episode, we'll discuss the stories of the summer thus far.

On the home front, conservatism's big wins at the Supreme Court, and abroad America's

military and diplomatic ventures in the Middle East.

I'm joined by editor Rusty Reno.

I'm senior editor Julia Yost.

Thanks for joining us.

Conservatives had a big June at the Supreme Court.

In U.S. v. Scrimetti, the judges delivered a six-to-three decision

upholding Tennessee's ban on some forms of pediatric gender transition. Mahmoud v. Taylor was a

six-to-three decision holding that parents may opt their children out of LGBTQ instruction

in public school. Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton was a

six to three decision upholding a Texas law requiring age verification for porn sites, and Medina v.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic was another six-three decision, holding that states may restrict

Planned Parenthood or other disfavored providers from receiving

funds through Medicaid. Rusty, I'm liking this court. It wasn't so long ago that a Trump appointee

wrote the majority opinion in Bostock, and now the conservative just going down my Christmas

list and giving me everything I want. What happened?

Is it the composition of the court, or is it just that the winds have shifted throughout the

country, a bit of both? Well, certainly, this court session in these final cases that come down,

the controversial ones always come at the end. This session should remind everyone

that elections matter and that the nominations in the first Trump term have created a very

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