From Gorsuch to Snore-much: Trump's boring SCOTUS pick
Lincoln's Last Murder Trial
Did you know that Abraham Lincoln did murder trials? Neither did I -- until I read Dan Abrams' book "Lincoln's Last Trial." Abrams, Chief Legal Analyst for ABC News, has written a page-turner that reads more like a fictional courtroom drama than the highly-documented account of a murder case that helped propel Lincoln to the White House. But this is a meticulously researched book, primarily due to the amazing fact that Lincoln, fresh off the Lincoln-Douglas debates (where transcriptions of his remarks would run in newspapers), hired his transcriber to take notes on the proceedings. Don't miss my podcast discussion with Dan Abrams about Lincoln's Last Trial. I Get Counseling When I heard Dr. Wendy Mogel on Dax Shepard's podcast "Experts on Expert," I knew I wanted to talk to her about her new book, "Voice Lessons For Parents." Except, instead of this being a normal podcast "interview," Dr. Mogel basically served as a personal counselor for my wife and me, as we asked her questions about how to raise our two boys. If you have kids--or even if you don't--my podcast interview with Dr. Wendy Mogel is both educational and fun. Coming Up on the Podcast This week, I talked to author and historian David Pietrusza about the 100th anniversary of the death of Theodore Roosevelt's youngest son, Quentin - a tragedy which had a profound impact on the former President. I also talked to Dr. Alexander Görlach, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, about how to save liberal democracy. Stay tuned for these episodes by downloading the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget to support the show on Patreon. Still Smarting From SCOTUS While everyone else has moved on, I'm still reeling from the snubbing of Amy Coney Barrett. Sure, Brett Kavanaugh will probably turn out to be a fine Supreme Court Justice, but it strikes me that Trump -- who is normally game to pick a fight in the court of public opinion -- settled on a "safe" choice. Sad! My latest column makes the case for why that's true. Over at the DMZ Show, Bill Scher and I talked about this topic. Check out our discussion. Odds and Ends... I have a big announcement coming in next week's newsletter about a potential new project -- but one I'll need your help on. For those who have already listened to my podcast interview with Dr. Wendy Mogel, be advised that plans for The Lewis Family Lemonade Stand are currently being enacted. As President Trump prepares to meet with Vladmir Putin, here are my concerns. It’s been out for a while, but I finally caught “The Incredibles 2” a couple weeks back. Two thumbs up for anyone looking for a fun kid-friendly summer film.