From WNYC Studios, I'm Brian Lerer. This is my daily politics podcast. It's Friday, February 21st.

Back with us now is Ellie Mistal, Justice Correspondent for The Nation, and author of the book,

Allow Me to Retort,

A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution, and the forthcoming next month, Bad Law, Ten Popular

Laws that are ruining America. We'll talk to Ellie now about several of his recent articles in

the nation, one about New York City Mayor Eric Adams, one that questions over reliance on the courts to challenge

what Ellie calls the Trump and Musk coup and one that accuses Musk of out-and-out racism in some of

his policies and statements. Some news headlines related to all these that you may or may not have

heard yet. Trump has just announced plans to rescind protected status

for about half a million Haitians currently here legally

while he's offering refugee status,

specifically to white South Africans.

There are already about 35 lawsuits trying to stop

what plaintiffs claim is illegal overreach. In the chainsaw-style

slashings of congressionally mandated spending and government services, just last night,

one judge ruled that the administration is flaunting his order to restore funding to USAID

while its ultimate fate is debated. And a judge might decide any time whether to allow

the Trump Justice Department to suspend the corruption charges against Mayor Adams, as Governor

Kathy Hockel decides not to remove Adams from office, but try to have the state oversee his actions

more closely with a suspicion that he's now

in a quid pro quo deal with Trump. Ellie always good to have you. Welcome back to WNYC.

Woo, lots to get to, isn't there? What wonderful times we live in. I hope you have until about

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