Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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On this week’s Amicus Plus, cohosts Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern send the smokeless cigar bar to New Jersey—the source of two major and not-very-welcome surprises in recent days. First up: a lopsided decision from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals striking down the Garden State’s ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, in which some very liberal jurists sided with the broadest possible reading of the Second Amendment. Next: the announcement that about 400 noncitizens have voted in New Jersey over the last few years due to the state’s own software glitch.
Both of these developments represent some wildly unfortunate timing. The Supreme Court will take up the constitutionality of assault-weapons bans this coming term. And Trump’s Mega-MAGA Justice Department is champing at the bit to suppress votes in the midterm elections under the false claim that noncitizen voting is a widespread and epic phenomenon across the country. (It’s not).
Podcast production by Sara Burningham and Sophie Summergrad // Video production by Micah Phillips
Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Join at slate.com/youtubeplus?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=link&utm_content=Amicus&utm_campaign=show_description&tpcc=youtube-link-show_description-Amicus
On this week’s Amicus Plus, cohosts Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern send the smokeless cigar bar to New Jersey—the source of two major and not-very-welcome surprises in recent days. First up: a lopsided decision from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals striking down the Garden State’s ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, in which some very liberal jurists sided with the broadest possible reading of the Second Amendment. Next: the announcement that about 400 noncitizens have voted in New Jersey over the last few years due to the state’s own software glitch.
Both of these developments represent some wildly unfortunate timing. The Supreme Court will take up the constitutionality of assault-weapons bans this coming term. And Trump’s Mega-MAGA Justice Department is champing at the bit to suppress votes in the midterm elections under the false claim that noncitizen voting is a widespread and epic phenomenon across the country. (It’s not).
Podcast production by Sara Burningham and Sophie Summergrad // Video production by Micah Phillips
