Elie Mystal

Justice Correspondent & Columnist

@ElieNYC

Elie Mystal is The Nation’s justice correspondent and the host of its legal podcast, Contempt of Court. He is also an Alfred Knobler Fellow at the Type Media Center. His first book is the New York Times bestseller Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, published by The New Press. Elie can be followed @ElieNYC.

In this photo illustration, the social medias applications logos, Twitter, Messenger, Telegram, Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat, Gmail, Facebook and Google are displayed on the screen of an Apple iPhone.

The Supreme Court Has Decided Not to Break the Internet—Yet The Supreme Court Has Decided Not to Break the Internet—Yet

In a rare unanimous ruling, the nine justices left Section 230 intact—and ruled not to hold social media companies liable for terrorist-related content.

May 19, 2023 / Elie Mystal

A group of protesters gathered at Washington Square Park in New York City, calling for the arrest of Marine veteran Danny Penny in the subway choke hold that killed Jordan Neely

Vigilante Killings on the Subway Are Not Legal or Moral Vigilante Killings on the Subway Are Not Legal or Moral

Days after Daniel Penny was charged with killing Jordan Neely, a pro-vigilante crowd has emerged to defend his actions. But what are they really saying?

May 16, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Jordan Neely lies unconscious on the floor of the F train after another passenger placed him in a chokehold on Monday, May 1, 2023, in New York.

One Man Killed Jordan Neely—but We All Failed Him One Man Killed Jordan Neely—but We All Failed Him

Everything about Neely’s death is a symptom of our collective rot—from the way we treat poverty as a crime to the way we treat soldiers as weapons that can be stowed.

May 4, 2023 / Editorial / Elie Mystal

Tennessee Republicans Are Showing Exactly How Deep American Racism Goes

Tennessee Republicans Are Showing Exactly How Deep American Racism Goes Tennessee Republicans Are Showing Exactly How Deep American Racism Goes

The Republicans’ attempt to push two Black legislators out of the Tennessee statehouse was an object lesson in bigotry.

May 3, 2023 / Column / Elie Mystal

MoveOn activists call for the impeachment of Justice Clarence Thomas outside of the US Supreme Court Building

Democrats Respond to the Festering Supreme Court Rot by… Calling a Hearing Democrats Respond to the Festering Supreme Court Rot by… Calling a Hearing

It’s time for Congress to start treating the Supreme Court like it's subject to law, not to the ethically compromised whims of its nine members.

Apr 28, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Tucker Carlson laughing

What I’ll Remember Most About Tucker Carlson? His Ability to Unleash the Haters. What I’ll Remember Most About Tucker Carlson? His Ability to Unleash the Haters.

Like so many others, I still bear the psychic scars of Carlson’s drive to stir up his base. But that drive had nothing to do with why Fox fired him.

Apr 26, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Protests at the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court Has Preserved Access to the Abortion Pill—Over Alito’s Salty Objection The Supreme Court Has Preserved Access to the Abortion Pill—Over Alito’s Salty Objection

The ruling, which stays a nationwide ban on mifepristone by a rogue Texas judge, is a rare, if perhaps temporary, victory.

Apr 21, 2023 / Elie Mystal

“FOX NEWS LIED” billboard

The Lesson of the Dominion Suit? Corporations Won’t Save Us From Fox. The Lesson of the Dominion Suit? Corporations Won’t Save Us From Fox.

The Dominion settlement is disappointing, but our legal system isn’t designed to take down corporate media giants.

Apr 20, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Packages of mifepristone tablets

The Fifth Circuit’s Abortion Pill Ruling Was All About Sowing Confusion The Fifth Circuit’s Abortion Pill Ruling Was All About Sowing Confusion

While the decision partially overturned an earlier ruling banning the sale of mifepristone, it also reaffirmed some of that ruling’s more troubling and dangerous logic.

Apr 14, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Donald Trump attends UFC 287 at Kaseya Center

Trump Is Fighting His Indictment Like a Lawless Thug Trump Is Fighting His Indictment Like a Lawless Thug

He would rather threaten violence outside of a courthouse than make a reasonable argument inside of one.

Apr 13, 2023 / Editorial / Elie Mystal for The Nation

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