The Bulwark Podcast Arash Azizi and Jodi Kantor: Iran Has the Leverage
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May 6, 2026 
Jodi Kantor, Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter and author, and Arash Azizi, historian and writer on Iran, discuss Iran's surprising cohesion and bargaining power. They explore likely deal terms, Iran's economic resilience and leverage over energy routes. Jodi also talks about her book on launching careers, AI in hiring, and navigating early-career uncertainty.
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Roberts Helped Birth The Shadow Docket In 2016
- The Supreme Court's shadow docket expanded after 2016 when Chief Justice Roberts pushed to act quickly in a major case, overriding colleagues' concerns.
- Jodi Kantor and Adam Liptak's obtained memos reveal Roberts' behind-the-scenes push and the court's internal debate over irregular emergency interventions.
Shadow Docket Masks Substantive Private Deliberation
- Shadow docket orders often lack written legal reasoning, masking the substantive deliberations that happen privately.
- Kantor notes the public orders are short, while memos show complex debates and political calculations among justices.
Amy Coney Barrett Displays Unexpected Judicial Independence
- Amy Coney Barrett has shown independence inconsistent with early caricatures from both political sides.
- Kantor's reporting found Barrett voting with liberals on some smaller issues and carving an independent jurist reputation.
