Open To Debate Podcast On SCOTUS; Mercury Podcast Network Expands

 With all that is going on in the U.S. government, it's the perfect time to discuss the U.S. Supreme Court. The Open To Debate podcast does that this week to great effect. It's a fascinating debate.

Then the new Mercury Podcast Network from the U.K. expands its slate of podcasts. Mercury recently has assembled several superb independent podcasts to build its network. Read about its next endeavor.

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Open To Debate On The U.S. Supreme Court

This weekend, nonpartisan debate platform Open to Debate released a new debate on "The Future of SCOTUS."
The program consists of short debates on three questions:
1. Should Supreme Court Justices Be Term Limited?
2. Should Congress Expand the Court?
3. Should External Ethics Codes Apply to the Court?

The debaters are Jeff Flake, once-member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Jamal Greene, prominent Supreme Court commentator and law professor; Cristina Rodríguez, co-chair of President Biden’s Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court; and Jeff Sessions, former United States Attorney General. The debate was taped live at the Hopkins Center in Washington, DC.

Watch or listen to the debate at OpentoDebate.org, YouTube, or your podcast platform of choice (under podcast name "Open to Debate").

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Mercury Podcast Network Expands

REDRUM’s Grace Cordell and British Murders’ Stuart Blues podcast are joining forces to develop a brand new serialized podcast, to be distributed by the newly-launched Mercury podcast network.

REDRUM, by the way, is murder spelled backwards.

Details of the new podcast are still under wraps, but it will take the popular true-crime podcasters into a new genre, while staying true to the themes their listeners know, love, and expect from them. The series is slated for Summer 2025.

Mercury was launched in February 2025 by Liam Heffernan, promising to represent the best independent podcasts in the world. Mercury will distribute the podcast. However, true to its commitment to give control back to creators, Grace Cordell will fully own the new show and all IP.

“I had been waiting for the right time to launch a second show that really taps into my passion and interest in one particular area. I've had this show in mind for some time but wanted to wait for the right collaborators to align to really elevate the idea and make it truly special,” says REDRUM host Grace Cordell.

Grace Cordell continues: “When Liam approached me about Mercury, it felt like the perfect fit. He understands what it means to be an independent podcast and his experience, knowledge, and genuine enthusiasm for the show means I know it will be right at home at Mercury. I couldn’t be more excited to be part of a team that truly values content and creators.”

“I’m delighted to welcome Grace and Stu to Mercury” says founder Liam Heffernan. “They represent everything we’re about as a network - championing the best independent podcasts and creators in the world. They are two of them, and I have no doubt their new show will be a huge hit.”

Liam continues: “Over the next year, Mercury will be partnering with even more talent to develop and launch brand-new shows on the network. We’re only just getting started!”

We need more podcast entrepreneurs like Liam Heffernan who bring together superb independent podcasts and develop a network to compete more equitably with the podcast monopolies like Spotify, iHeart, and Wondery.