Political Gabfest

John Dickerson talks with author Gautam Mukunda about his new book Picking Presidents: How to Make the Most Consequential Decision in the World. They talk about how Mukunda’s first book, Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter laid the groundwork for Picking Presidents. Later, Dickerson and Mukunda dig into why ‘intellectual brilliance’ – which goes beyond IQ - is a strong predictor of presidential performance and how the human portion of the job of president is changing. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Krysten Sinema leaving the Democratic party; Republicans’ good turnout, poor performance midterms; and the new documentary, Pelosi in The House. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Pelosi in the HouseHere are this week’s chatters:John: Watch Richard Nixon’s Watergate speeches at the Miller Center’s website.Emily: Jessica Blatt Press for The Philadelphia Citizen: “Hey, Phillly! Let’s Hire A Mayor!”David: Courtney Kan, Nick Miroff, Scott Higham, Steven Rich and Tyler Remmel for The Washington Post: “Cartel Rx: Fentanyl’s Deadly Surge: From Mexican Labs To U.S. Streets, A Lethal Pipeline”; The EverCrisp appleFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John get philosophical in preparation for the annual Political Gabfest Conundrum episode. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Raphael Warnock beating Herschel Walker, and oral arguments at the Supreme Court in the anti-gay marriage website designer case and the “independent state legislature” election case. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Fr. James Martin, S.J. for Outreach: “When Is Religious Liberty A Fig Leaf For Homophobia?”Ian MacDougall for ProPublica: “What’s Really at Stake in a Politically Charged Supreme Court Case on Elections”Jed Sugarmen’s thread on oral arguments in Moore v. Harper.Kevin Roose for The New York Times: “The Brilliance and Weirdness of ChatGPT”Here are this week’s chatters:John: Associated Press: “HBO To Air Nancy Pelosi Doc Shot By Daughter Alexandra”; Pelosi in the HouseNovember 28, 2022Emily: The JanesDavid: Tour Fort DeRussy with David; City Cast Portland has launched; Caitlin Doughty for The New York Times: “If You Want to Give Something Back to Nature, Give Your Body” Listener chatter from Adam Barhamand: Karen Bakker for Noema: “How To Speak Honeybee”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss ChatGPT.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Trump hosting prominent antisemites Ye (f/k/a Kanye West) and Nick Fuentes; Chinese protestors challenging their authoritarian government–with Sheena Chestnut Greitens; and Congress legislating to protect marriage equality through the Respect For Marriage Act. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Sheena Chestnut Greitens for Foreign Affairs: “Xi Jinping’s Quest for Order”Sheena Chestnut Greitens and Julian Gewirt for Foreign Affairs: “China's Troubling Vision For The Future Of Public Health”Here are this week’s chatters:John: Darby Saxbe and Magdalena Martínez García for The Conversation: “Fatherhood Changes Men’s Brains, According To Before-And-After MRI Scans”Emily: A compilation of Gabfest listeners favorite salad dressing recipes. David: City Cast is expanding to new cities; Nicole Eustace for The New York Times: “300 Years Ago, There Was a Brutal Murder. We Could Learn From the Treaty That Followed.”Listener chatter from Richard Medlicott: The Economist:”Shyam Saran Negi Never Failed In His Democratic Duty”; Alex Binley for the BBC: “Shyam Saran Negi: Man Dubbed 'india's First Voter' Dies Aged 105”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the Supreme Court challenge to the Biden administration’s immigration policy in United States v. Texas. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the future of Twitter, the ghoulish World Cup, and a minister’s allegation that Justice Alito leaked the outcome of the Hobby Lobby case.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Jodi Kantor and Jo Becker for The New York Times: “Former Anti-Abortion Leader Alleges Another Supreme Court Breach”Jodi Kantor for The New York Times: “Allegation of Supreme Court Breach Prompts Calls for Inquiry and Ethics Code”Rob Schenck for The New York Times: “I Was an Anti-Abortion Crusader. Now I Support Roe v. Wade”Kara Voght and Tim Dickinson for Rolling Stone: “SCOTUS Justices ‘Prayed With’ Her — Then Cited Her Bosses to End Roe”Here are this week’s chatters:John: Variety: “Bob Dylan Fans Who Bought $600 ‘Hand-Signed’ Books With Replica Autographs Will Receive Refunds From Publisher”Emily: Rozina Ali for The New York Times Magazine: “‘How Did This Man Think He Had the Right to Adopt This Baby?’” David: Politics and Prose: City Cast DC Live Taping with Michael Schaffer, David Plotz, and Anton Bogomazov - at Union Market; Slate’s One Year, Season 4: 1942Listener chatter from Laurent Dugois: In Broad Daylight: A Murder in Skidmore, Missouri, by Harry N MacLean; All That's Interesting: “The Story Of Ken McElroy — The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John contemplate the conundrum of what they would like to tell their younger selves but wouldn’t be able to convince them of. Submit your conundrums for the 2022 conundrum episode at slate.com/conundrum. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon talks with author Beverly Gage about her new book, G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, a detailed account of the life of the first FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover. They discuss Hoover’s hostile relationship with Martin Luther King Jr., why he should have quit at the end of the 1950s, and how Hoover’s childhood shaped his reign [MOU1] as director. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth [MOU1]“tenure”? Maybe I’m overthinking this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Trump’s campaign announcement, election denying candidates’ failures in the midterms, and guest Matthew Zeitlin on the impact the implosion of Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange FTX may have on the Effective Altruism movement.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Donie O'Sullivan for CNN: “Facebook Fact-Checkers Will Stop Checking Trump After Presidential Bid Announcement”Matthew Zeitlin for Grid: “Sam Bankman-Fried Gave Millions To Effective Altruism. What Happens Now That The Money Is Gone?”Kelsey Piper for Vox: “Sam Bankman-Fried Tries To Explain Himself”What We Owe the Future, by William MacAskillWilliam MacAskill for Effective Altruism Forum: “EA And The Current Funding Situation”This American Life: “Watching the Watchers”Here are this week’s chatters:John: Jason P. Frank for Vulture: “Stephen Colbert, Emma Watson, and More Celebs to Relish in Pickleball Tournament”; Isabel Gonzalez for CBS News: “Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield Partner To Create Ear-Shaped, Cannabis-Infused Edibles”Emily: William Melhado for The Texas Tribune: “Federal Judge In Texas Rules That Disarming Those Under Protective Orders Violates Their Second Amendment Rights”David: Politics and Prose: City Cast DC Live Taping with Michael Schaffer, David Plotz, and Anton Bogomazov - at Union Market; Justin Jouvenal for The Washington Post: “D.C.’s Bitcoin King: Yachts, Penthouses, A Python — And Tax Dodging?”Listener chatter from Kelly Mills: The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies, by Jason FagoneFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John contemplate the Thanksgiving traditions they would like to adopt or improve. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the midterm results we have so far and the Supreme Court case that could upend family law and more for Native Americans.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Stefan Becket for CBS News: “The Unresolved 2022 House And Senate Races That Will Determine Control Of Congress”Rebecca Nagle for The Atlantic: “The Supreme Court Case That Could Break Native American Sovereignty”Leah Litman and Matthew L.M. Fletcher for The Atlantic: “​​The Necessity of the Indian Child Welfare Act”Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: Sarah McCammon for NPR: “Where Abortion Was On The Ballot, Midterm Voters Largely Signaled Support” David: David chattered about how going on a “Twitter fast” is improving his well-being. Listener chatter from Scott Grant: Sarah Linn for KCET: “The Dunites: Building a Utopia in the Oceano Dunes”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John take the under-the-radar state and local midterm results they find most interesting. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson are Live in Atlanta discussing Georgia’s midterm election with NPR-WABE’s Rose Scott, as well as increasing political violencein the U.S.; and affirmative action at the Supreme Court.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Closer Look with Rose ScottJohn Dickerson for CBS Primetime: “Political Threats And Violence In The U.S.” (Inteview with Robert Pape)Steal This Book, by Abbie HoffmanHere are this week’s chatters:John: Carrie McBride for The New York Public Library: “100 Years Ago Men and Boys Fought on the Streets of New York Over Wearing Straw Hats Past Summer”Emily: Fleishman Is in TroubleDavid: The Candy House, by Jennifer Egan; Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, by Neil Stephenson; The Immortal King Rao, by Vauhini Vara; Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr; The Circle, by Dave EggersListener chatter from John Campbell McMillian: Atlanta Police Department’s Citizen's Police AcademyFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John take listener questions live.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson talk to civil rights journalist and WHYY radio host Cherri Gregg about the Pennsylvania midterm campaigns.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the final midterm sprint; the latest British Prime Minister; and Trump’s legal troubles. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Adrian Wooldridge for Bloomberg: “Rishi Sunak Is a New and Old-Fashioned Tory”Barton Gellman for The Atlantic: “The Impeachment of Joe Biden”The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward's Twenty Interviews with President Donald TrumpNathaniel Rakich for FiveThirtyEight: “The Most Important Elections Of 2022 Could Be In State Legislatures”Brittany Bernstein for The National Review: “Why Some Trump-Country Pennsylvanians Still Aren't Sold on Dr. Oz”Anna Bower for Lawfare: “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Georgia Special Purpose Grand Juries But Were Afraid to Ask”Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: “I Write About the Law. But Could I Really Help Free a Prisoner?”The Prison Letters ProjectHere are this week’s chatters:John: States United Democracy Center; Third Way Paul Revere ProjectEmily: Charlie Savage for the New York Times: “Garland Formally Bars Justice Dept. From Seizing Reporters’ Records”David: Dhruv Mehrotra for Wired: “Hot on the Trail of a Mass-School-Shooting Hoaxer”; Ben Collins’ Twitter thread collecting favorite tweets.Listener chatter from Brian DeGeer: Theresa Vargas for The Washington Post: “Fiona Apple Uses Her Voice To Call Out Prince George’s Justice System”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily discusses The Prison Letters Project with John J. Lennon and Reginald Dwayne Betts. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Plotz talks with with author Tom Perrotta about why Tracy Flick doesn’t have the life she dreamed of in his new novel, Tracy Flick Can’t Win. A sequel to Perrotta’s 1998 novel Election, Tracy Flick Can’t Win meets up with Tracy Flick decades later where she’s a single mother and assistant principal of a New Jersey high school. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson concerning polls for Democrats, women protesting Iran’s regime, and the trial of Arkansas’ law targeting trans kids.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Roya Hakakian for The Atlantic: “The Bonfire of the Headscarves”A Beginner’s Guide to America for the Immigrant and the Curious, by Roya Hakakian Matthew Yglesias for Slow Boring: “Pre-Registering Some Takes On The Midterms: Why I Think Democrats Will Undershoot Their Polling And What It Means”Kelli María Korducki for The Atlantic: “'I Think the Women Are Winning': Roya Hakakian on Iran” Here are this week’s chatters:John: The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward's Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump; Michael Wines and Neil Vigdor for The New York Times: “Videos Show Confusion as Florida Police Arrest People on Voter Fraud Charges”Emily: Emily Heil for The Washington Post: “Olivia Wilde Solves Salad Dressing Mystery With A Nora Ephron Recipe”David: Jeff Maysh for The Atlantic: “The $30 Million Lottery Scam”Listener chatter from Lara Lowenstein: The Mountain DogsFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss Ye buying Parler. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson talk to Craig Mauger of The Detroit News about the major midterm elections in the swing state of Michigan. Then the hosts speak with the Washington Post’s Yvonne Wingett Sanchez about the MAGA diehards and their opponents in Arizona’s midterm election. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson LA’s racism & redistricting scandal, the Andy Warhol copyright case at the Supreme Court, and developments in Putin’s war on Ukraine.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Putin’s Newest Annexation Is Dire for Russia Too”Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “The Kremlin Must Be in Crisis”They Might Be Giants - Gab On (Theme to the Slate Political Gabfest)Here are this week’s chatters:John: The Cormac McCarthy JournalEmily: The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age, by Danielle Keats Citron; The Other Side of Prospect: A Story of Violence, Injustice, and the American City, by Nicholas DawidoffDavid: David chattered about dining outside in Texas.Listener chatter from Lara Lowenstein: The Mountain DogsFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John interview John Flansburgh and John Linnell of They Might Be Giants about their work and the Gabfest’s new theme song. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the new Supreme Court term; Herschel Walker’s abortion lies; and the legal mess Dobbs created for doctors providing abortion via telemedicine.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Emily Bazelon for The New York Times Magazine: “The Doctors Risking Everything to Offer Abortions Across State Lines”The New York Times: “Is Elon Musk’s Deal to Buy Twitter Back On? Here’s What We Know.”Here are this week’s chatters:John: Brian Hutton for The Irish Times: “Irishman Nears Galway After 112 Days of Rowing Across Atlantic From New York”; Damian Browne on Instagram: auld_stockEmily: CNN: “‘We've Got Weights In Fish!': See The Moment Cheaters Are Caught During Fishing Tournament’”David: Adam Dalva, The New Yorker: “Letters to Jeb Bush”Listener chatter from Jamaica Popejoy: StagedFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the latest in the saga of Elon Musk and Twitter. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss potential polling inaccuracy, Brett Favre and the larger scandal of states misusing federal welfare funding, and Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s take on Italy’s neo-fascist future Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Nate Cohen for The New York Times: “Yes, The Polling Warning Signs Are Flashing Again”Anna Wolfe and Mississippi Today’s coverage of the Mississippi welfare scandal.Annie Lowry for The Atlantic: “The Time Tax”Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, by Ruth Ben-GhiatHere are this week’s chatters:John: Adrienne LaFrance for The Atlantic: “What It's Like to Fly Into the Eye of a Hurricane”Emily: Roya Hakakian for The Atlantic: “The Bonfire of the Headscarves”David: The Guardian, YouTube: “Michael Sheen Gives Rousing Speech for Wales Football Team on A League of Their Own”Listener chatter from Meredith Francis: Paul Fairie’s Twitter thread of "A List of Things People Blamed on Jazz." For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson New York’s massive fraud case against the Trumps; Ron DeSantis’ treatments of asylum seekers; and Dahlia Lithwick’s Lady Justice. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Trading Barriers: Immigration and the Remaking of Globalization, Margaret E. PetersLady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America, by Dahlia LithwickRuth Igielnik for The New York Times: “Trump Support Remains Unmoved by Investigations, Poll Finds”Here are this week’s chatters:John: It was supposed to be...The Philosophy of Modern Song, by Bob DylanEmily: Somebody Somewhere; Reservation DogsDavid: The Space Force AnthemListener chatter from Danny Edgel: Frank Vaisvilas and Sarah Volpenhein for The Green Bay Press-Gazette: “Oneida Nation Steps In To Defend Indian Child Welfare Act In Us Supreme Court Case”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the vacation of Adnan Syed’s murder conviction. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Dickerson talks with author Ada Calhoun about her new memoir, Also a Poet: Frank O’Hara, My Father, and Me. What started as Calhoun’s attempt to finish the biography of Frank O’Hara that her father started, turned into a gripping story of Calhoun’s relationship with her father. Calhoun and Dickerson talk about not pulling punches when it comes to how nice family members are, why you can’t pre-plan a happy ending, and what her father thought of the book. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Ukraine’s advances with Anne Applebaum; Lindsey Graham’s national abortion ban bill; and the controversy over requiring religious schools in New York to meet minimum educational standards.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “It’s Time to Prepare for a Ukrainian Victory”Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “The Other Ukrainian Army”Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine, by Anne ApplebaumShtiselFill The VoidHere are this week’s chatters:John: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life,by George Saunders Emily: Shaila Dewan for The New York Times: “Philadelphia Prosecutor Is Found in Contempt by State Representatives”David: Mosaic Magazine: “The Royal Mohel and the House of Windsor’s Relationship with the Jews”Listener chatter from Andrea: NPR’s Planet Money: “Best By, Sell By, Use By”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the Death of Queen Elizabeth II. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the inexplicable success of Trump’s special master gambit in the Espionage Act investigation, Biden calling out anti-democratic elements of the electorate; and the roots of the Jackson, MS water crisis.Here are this week’s chatters:John: Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius for The Great Courses: Turning Points in Modern HistoryEmily: Jerusalem Demsas for The Atlantic: “What’s Causing Black Flight?”David: Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White BreadListener chatter from Cynthia Lerner: Ruth Marcus for The Washington Post: “I Usually Ignore The Sexism And Ageism Directed at Me. Now I’m Calling It Out.”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily and David interview John about his new streaming nightly news show, CBS News Primetime. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Trump’s strange legal maneuvering in the obstruction investigation; what Trump’s second term would do to U.S. democracy; and what voters deserve to know about a candidate’s health.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Jonathan Rauch for The Atlantic “Trump’s Second Term Would Look Like This”Age of Innocence, by Edith WhartonPortrait of a Lady, by Henry JamesHeart of Darkness, by Joseph ConradLord Jim, by Joseph ConradWorking: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, by Studs Terkel This Is Chance!: The Shaking of an All-American City, a Voice That Held It Together, by Jon MooallemThe Way We Live Now, by Anthony TrollopeHere are this week’s chatters:John: Ella Koeze, Denise Lu and Charlie Smart for The New York Times: “Can You Gerrymander Your Party to Power?”Emily: Aaron Byrd, Weiyi Cai, Geoff Macdonald, Emily Rhyne, Noah Throop, Joe Ward and Jeremy White for The New York Times: “The Toss”David: CityCast DC; Bad SistersListener chatter from Michael Koehler: Christo Grozev for Bellingcat: “Socialite, Widow, Jeweller, Spy: How a GRU Agent Charmed Her Way Into NATO Circles in Italy”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the non-political books that most influenced their understanding of politics. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss what the special election results suggest for the midterms, an unprecedented $1.6B donation to a secretive conservative organization; and Biden’s student loan forgiveness and repayment plans.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGheeThe Sum of Us podcastHere are this week’s chatters:John: The Bullshit Generator; The Age of Acrimony: How Americans Fought to Fix Their Democracy, 1865-1915 Hardcover, by Jon GrinspanEmily: Igor Derysh for Salon: “‘That’s Not What Our Report Said’: Ex-Mueller Prosecutor Says Barr's Trump Memo Is ‘legally Wrong’”; The Bazelon Center for Mental Health LawDavid: Courtney E. Smith for Ultimate Classic Rock: “35 Years Ago: Los Lobos’ ‘La Bamba’ Returns Ritchie Valens to Spotlight”Listener chatter from Rebecca Vernon: Sarina E. Miller for the Washington Post: “Thanks To Middle-Schoolers Like Me, There Are At Last No More Salem ‘Witches’”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss Gavin Newsom’s veto of a bill allowing safe injection sites in California.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Plotz talks with author Mat Johnson about his new novel Invisible Things. Johnson’s novel tells the story of a group of astronauts that land in a bubble colony on Jupiter's biggest moon. They talk about the challenges of writing satire when reality feels fake, how mediocre people rise up by sucking up, and why we need to look at the invisible things in our daily lives. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Benjamin Wittes discuss the Trump investigations; Liz Cheney’s defeat; and Dana Goldstein’s reporting on controversies over how to teach kids to read.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Jack Goldsmith for Lawfare: “Prosecuting Trump: A Reply to Josh Marshall”Dana Goldstein for The New York Times: “An Old and Contested Solution to Boost Reading Scores: Phonics”Dana Goldstein The New York Times: “In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, This Guru Makes a Major Retreat”Dana Goldstein The New York Times: “New Reading Curriculum Is Mired in Debate Over Race and Gender”Belinda Luscombe for Time: “Inside the Massive Effort to Change the Way Kids Are Taught to Read”Ronald Brownstein for The Atlantic: “Liz Cheney’s Kamikaze Campaign”Invisible Things by Mat JohnsonHere are this week’s chatters:Emily: Sam Levine for The Guardian: “Memphis Prosecutor Who Charged Black Woman Over Voting Error Loses Re-Election Bid”; Kim Bellware and Lateshia Beachum for The Washington Post: “Desantis Sued By Prosecutor Suspended Over Stance On Abortion-Related Crime”Ben: The Lawfare Podcast: AlliesDavid: Dwight Garner for The New York Times: “Jared Kushner’s ‘Breaking History’ Is a Soulless and Very Selective Memoir”Listener chatter from Josh Forsythe: Elizabeth P. Derryberry, Jennifer N. Phillips, Graham E. Derryberry, Michael J. Blum, and David Luther for Science: “Singing In A Silent Spring: Birds Respond To A Half-Century Soundscape Reversion During The Covid-19 Shutdown”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and Ben discuss Ben’s performance art protests at the Russian embassy in D.C. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Juliette Kayyem discuss the Mar-a-Lago search; the Inflation Reduction Act; and Caitlin Dickerson’s article investigating how separating families at the border became U.S. policy.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “An American Catastrophe: The Secret History of Family Separation”Juliette Kayyem for The Atlantic: “The Bad and Good News About Trump’s Violent Supporters”Curated Decay: Heritage Beyond Saving, by Caitlin DeSilvey Serena Williams and Rob Haskell for Vogue: “Serena Williams Says Farewell to Tennis On Her Own Terms—And In Her Own Words”Claudia Rankine for The New York Times Magazine: “The Meaning of Serena Williams”King RichardHere are this week’s chatters:Emily: “Downbad” by PJ Frantz Juliette: Jim Farber for The New York Times: “Olivia Newton-John, Pop Singer and ‘Grease’ Star, Dies at 73”David: Jack Fitzpatrick for Bloomberg Government: “Old Capitol Stones to Be Stored Away After Decades Piled in Park”Listener chatter from Sebastian Cray: The Bingham CupFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, Juliette, and David discuss Serena Williams’ retirement from tennis. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Heather McGhee discuss the primaries and Kansan voters’ defense of abortion; Alex Jones on trial; and Annie Lowrey’s story of surviving pregnancy in the United States. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Sam Adler-Bell for The New York Times: “The Violent Fantasies of Blake Masters”Jason Beeferman for The Texas Tribune: “How Sandy Hook Lies and the Jan. 6 Inquiry Threaten to Undo Alex Jones”Annie Lowrey for The Atlantic: “American Motherhood”Annie Lowrey for The Atlantic: “The Most Important Study in the Abortion Debate”The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGheeThe Sum of Us podcastCharged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, by Emily BazelonBlack Reconstruction in America, by W. E. B. Du Bois Forbidden City, by Vanessa HuaHere are this week’s chatters:Emily: The Law & Justice Journalism ProjectHeather: A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. MaasDavid: Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke; Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke; Testament of Youth, by Vera BrittainListener chatter from Mohamed El-Sheik: Adriana E. Ramírez for The Atlantic: “Everyone Loses on Jeopardy Eventually” Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the surprise deal for climate legislation, new January 6th revelations, and the deadliest road in America. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Carol D. Leonnig, Devlin Barrett, Josh Dawsey and Spencer S. Hsu for The Washington Post: “Justice Dept. Investigating Trump’s Actions In Jan. 6 Criminal Probe”Carol D. Leonnig and Maria Sacchetti for The Washington Post: “Secret Service Watchdog Knew in February That Texts Had Been Purged”Forbidden City, by Vanessa HuaDan Kaufman for The New Yorker: “Will Wisconsin’s Republicans Make Voting Meaningless, or Just Difficult?”Richard L. Hasen for Slate: “What the Critics Get Incredibly Wrong about the Collins-Manchin Election Bill”Marin Cogan for Vox: “The Deadliest Road In America”Robert James Schneider, Rebecca Sanders, Frank Proulx, Hamideh Moayyed for the Journal of Transport and Land Use: “United States Fatal Pedestrian Crash Hot Spot Locations And Characteristics”Unsafe At Any Speed, by Ralph NaderStrong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity, by Charles L. Marohn Jr. Allison Russell’s Outside ChildJohn Dickerson for Slate: “Getting Naked Every Night: Girlyman and the Pursuit of Creative Risk.”Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: Jonathan Bernstein for Rolling Stone: “‘She Schooled Us All’: Inside Joni Mitchell’s Stunning Return to Newport Folk Festival”; David McCabe and Mike Isaac for The New York Times: “F.T.C. Sues to Block Meta’s Virtual Reality Deal as It Confronts Big Tech”John: Oliver Whang for The New York Times: “‘Parentese’ Is Truly a Lingua Franca, Global Study Finds”David: April Rubin and Jesus Jiménez for The New York Times: “4,000 Mistreated Beagles Need Homes. These Folks Stepped Up.”Listener chatter from Mark Allender: The Dollop #283: “James Clark McReynolds, the Worst Supreme Court Justice Ever”Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon talks with author Vanessa Hua about her new historical fiction book, Forbidden City. The novel tells the story of sixteen-year-old revolutionary Mei who becomes a dancer in Chairman Mao’s inner circle. Emily and Vanessa talk about Vanessa’s inspiration for the novel, the complicated dynamics between Mei and Chairman Mao, and whether we’ll hear more from Mei. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Josie Duffy Rice discuss Europe’s deadly heat wave, Joe Manchin’s balk at climate legislation, and the inevitable tragedies already happening post-Roe.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Lindsay Whitehurst, Camille Fassett, and Jasen Lo for the Associated Press: “Social Programs Weak in Many States With Tough Abortion Laws”The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness, by Meghan O'RourkeForbidden City, by Vanessa HuaHomesick and Happy: How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow, by Michael Thompson John Dickerson for Slate: “My Daughter Went Away to Camp and Changed”Here are this week’s chatters:John: Carol D. Leonnig and Maria Sacchetti for The Washington Post: “Secret Service Watchdog Knew in February That Texts Had Been Purged”Josie: Zak Cheney-Rice for New York Magazine: “Larry Wilmore Knows No Bounds”; David: Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps; Elias Esquivel for World Athletics: “Patterson Takes Surprise High Jump Gold In Oregon”Listener chatter from Mark Wegener: Gamaliel Bradford for the January 1930 issue of The Atlantic: “The Genius of the Average: Calvin Coolidge” Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Mark Leibovich discuss Biden’s 2024 plans, the establishment Republicans who stand by Trump, and Herschel Walker’s alarming Senate campaign.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission, by Mark LeibovichAnne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “History Will Judge The Complicit”Mark Leibovich for the New York Times Magazine: “Donald Trump Is Not Going Anywhere”Mark Leibovich for the New York Times: “Kevin McCarthy, Four Months After Jan. 6, Still on Defensive Over Trump”Here are this week’s chatters:John: The New York Times: “168 Writing Prompts to Spark Discussion and Reflection”Mark: Mark shared his thoughts on whether life was better before cell phones.David: City Cast DC’s July 12, 2022 newsletter.Listener chatter from Josie Beyer: Julia Medina for Sleepopolis: “Sleeping While Rowing in the Great Pacific Race”; Lat 35 Racing Team on Instagram Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the Supreme Court’s gutting of administrative authority in West Virginia v. EPA, the case coming next term that could upend U.S. elections, and the Highland Park shooting.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Julian Davis Mortenson and Nicholas Bagley for The Atlantic: “The Nondelegation Doctrine Is A Fable” Julian Davis Mortenson and Nicholas Bagley for The Columbia Law Review: "Delegation at the Founding"Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: Susan Elizabeth Shepard for Willamette Week: “A Student at an Oregon Community College Says Instructors Flunked Her for Being a Porn Actress. She’s Suing.”John: How Normal Am I?David: Twitter thread about: Jaroszewicz, et al: “How Effective Is (More) Money? Randomizing Unconditional Cash Transfer Amounts in the US”Listener chatter from Jocelyn Frank: “Humanity’s First Cosmic Gallery of Children’s Art: What the Youngest Members of Our Young Species Most Cherish About Life on Earth”Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson are live at Sixth & I in Washington, DC discussing the new insurrection revelations; the overturning of Roe; and the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:David French for The Dispatch: “The Case for Prosecuting Donald Trump Just Got Much Stronger”Kirsten M. J. Thompson, Hugh J. W. Sturrock, Diana Greene Foster, et al for JAMA Network Open: “Association of Travel Distance to Nearest Abortion Facility With Rates of Abortion”Sacred Hunger, by Barry Unsworth Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, by Karl Marlantes Meridith McGraw and Matt Dixon for Politico: “Trump Fatigue Sets In: ‘Some Donors Are Getting Sick Of The Sh--Show'”Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: Christopher Clarey for The New York Times: “Tennis Tours Penalize Wimbledon Over Ban on Russian Players”David: Emily Temple for LitHub: “Famous Authors Who Died on the Exact Same Day”John: Terri Jo Ryan for Waco History: “Crash at Crush”Don’t miss Emily’s conversation with author Keri Blakinger on her new book, Corrections in Ink, for the June 26, 2022 episode of Gabfest Reads.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon talks with author Keri Blakinger about her new memoir, Corrections in Ink which recounts Blakinger’s path from Olympic ambitions, to heroin addiction, to prison, and ultimately a return to life on the outside. Blakinger launched a program to deliver her memoir to currently incarcerated readers. You can learn more here: https://800ceoread.com/coupons/redeem/donationcorrectionsinink Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson discuss the Supreme Court decision requiring that government funding for private schools include religious ones, the January 6th hearings, and dissension at progressive organizations.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Jack Goldsmith for The New York Times: “Prosecute Trump? Put Yourself in Merrick Garland’s Shoes.”John Dickerson for Slate: Whistlestop podcast: “The Mulligan Letters”Ryan Grim for The Intercept: “Elephant in the Zoom”Here are this week’s chatters:John: “Watergate Trial Records Digitized For 50th Anniversary of Watergate”Emily: Agnes Callard for The Boston Review: “Against Persuasion”David: HustleListener chatter from Cyrus Farivar: Tim Folger for Scientific American: “Record-Breaking Voyager Spacecraft Begin to Power Down”Be sure to tune into Emily’s conversation with author Keri Blakinger on her new book, Corrections in Ink, on Gabfest Reads on June 26, 2022. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson discuss the January 6th hearings, Jason Furman on the economy, and debates among providers of gender-affirming medical care.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Michael Dorf for Dorf on Law: “House Select Committee Hearing 2: Scoundrels, Patriots, and Collaborators”Mona Charen for The Bulwark: “Of Course Trump Is Responsible for His Lies”David Brooks for The New York Times: “The Jan. 6 Committee Has Already Blown It”Derek Thompson for The New York Times: “The Crypto Crash Is Just the Start”Emily Bazelon for The New York Times Magazine: “The Battle Over Gender Therapy” Here are this week’s chatters:John: Sharon LaFraniere and Noah Weiland for The New York Times: “F.D.A. Panel Recommends Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines for Youngest Children”Emily: Joan Walsh for The Nation: “The Backlash Against Sex Ed”David: Explore a Civil War fort with David; The New York Times: “Anthony Mancinelli, World's Oldest Working Barber, Dies at 108”; Kate Springer for CNN: “Philippines' Oldest Tattoo Artist -- Meet Whang Od Oggay”; Teller Report: “‘Working For 77 Years’ The Secret of The Long Run of a 100-Year-Old Civil Servant”Listener chatter from Andy Scarpelli: The Biodesign Challenge For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, John, and David discuss what they are looking forward to reading and watching this summer.Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony DoerrThe Immortal King Rao, by Vauhini Vara Swann's Way, by Marcel ProustPhysical Season TwoLoving Day, by Mat Johnson Invisible Things, by Mat JohnsonManhattan Beach, by Jennifer Egan A Visit From The Goon Squad, by Jennifer EganThe AmericansTweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Plotz, Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson discuss Tuesday’s primaries, the economy (is it as bad as we all think it is?), and are joined by Susan Matthews to talk Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Nellie Bowles for the Atlantic: “How San Francisco Became a Failed City”Emily Bazelon for the New York Times: “America Almost Took a Different Path Toward Abortion Rights”Derek Thompson for the Atlantic: “Everything Is Terrible, but I’m Fine” Patricia Cohen for the New York Times: “Global Growth Will Be Choked Amid Inflation and War, World Bank Says” Here’s this week’s chatter:David: Jack Hitt for the New York Times: “Want to Do Less Time? A Prison Consultant Might Be Able to Help.” John: The Economist, “The coming food catastrophe”; The Paris Review, “Henry Miller, The Art of Fiction No. 28”Emily: Moore v. HarperListener chatter from Daniel Reich: “The Path to Power” by Robert Caro For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, David, and John talk about the 20th anniversary of The Wire. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Grace Woodruff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Plotz, Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson discuss the response to the Uvalde shooting, Biden’s plan for student loan forgiveness, and a bunch of ignored subpoenas. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Jillian Peterson and James Densley, interviewed by Melanie Warner for Politico: “Two Professors Found What Creates a Mass Shooter. Will Politicians Pay Attention?”Here’s this week’s chatter:Emily: Heidi Przybyla for Politico: “‘It’s going to be an army’: Tapes reveal GOP plan to contest elections”David: Ezra Klein for the New York Times: “What America Needs Is a Liberalism That Builds” John: AP: “Over 37K voters crossed over in Georgia GOP primary in effort to block Trump-based nominees”; LiveScience: “Male mice are terrified of bananas. Here's why.” Listener chatter from Barbara Tanzler: The 11th World Potato Congress in Dublin, IrelandFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, David, and John discuss Elon Musk’s ultimatum for a full return to work. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Grace Woodruff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Dickerson talks with author Elif Batuman about coming of age as a college student in the 1990’s, and the similarities between herself and her main character in Either/Or, the sequel to The Idiot. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Kate McGee and Jolie McCullough for The Texas Tribune: “Confrontedwith mass shootings, Texas Republicans have repeatedly loosened gun laws”Bruce Leshan for WUSA9: “Other countries have been hit by school shootings – and done something” Carl Hulse for The New York Times: “How Congress Passed an Assault Weapons Ban in 1994” Rebecca Kern for Politico: “Tech companies removed the Buffalo shooting manifesto. A Texas law could make that illegal” Emily Woodbury for St. Louis Public Radio: “Sheena Chestnut Greitens analyzes China’s tightrope walk amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”Lara Seligman for Politico: “‘Deadly serious’: U.S. quietly urging Taiwan to follow Ukraine playbook for countering China” Here are this week’s chatters:David: The Congressional Naming Commission planning to rename forts originally named for Confederate leadersEmily: The women in her New York Times piece “America Almost Took a Different Path Toward Abortion Rights” John: Trump’s losses in the Georgia Republican primary and Jason Willick’s Washington Post piece, “Why Trump’s 2024 chances are even worse than Georgia suggests” Listener chatter from Rebecca Vernon: Marisa lati for The Washington Post: “In a massive Chinese sinkhole, scientists find a secret forest”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment John, Emily and David talk to Jody Rosen about bicycles and his new book, Two Wheels Good: The History & Mystery of the Bicycle.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Thomas B. Edsall for The New York Times: “Status Anxiety Is Blowing Wind Into Trump’s Sails”Karn Yourish and Nicholas Confessore for The New York Times: “A Fringe Conspiracy Theory, Fostered Online, Is Refashioned by the G.O.P.”Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “The Slaughter in Buffalo Hasn’t Quieted the Great Replacement Caucus”Nathaniel Rakich for FiveThirtyEight: “What Went Down During the May 17 Primary Elections” David A. Graham for The Atlantic: “John Fetterman Wins on Vibes”Greg Sargent for The Washington Post: “Say it Clearly: Republicans Just Nominated a Pro-Trump Insurrectionist”Lauren Debter for Forbes: “A Startup Wanted To Make A Better Baby Formula. It Took Five Long Years.”Mary McNamara for Los Angeles Times: “Worried About The Declining Birthrate? How About Giving Mothers a Break” Ruth Marcus for The Washington Post: “For Justice Thomas, The Roberts Court is More Feud Than Family” Here are this week’s chatters:John: Steven Goff and Molly Hensley-Clancy for The Washington Post: “U.S. Women’s And Men’s National Soccer Teams Close Pay Gap With ‘Game-Changing’ Deal”Emily: Patricia Campos Mello for Poynter: “An Unholy Coalition Torpedoes Social Media Reform Legislation in Brazil”David: “The Final Dance in Dirty Dancing, But They’re Dancing To The Muppet Show Theme Tune” by @PandamoanimumListener chatter from Dylan Bindman: Christophe Haubursin for Vox: “Who Made These Circles in The Sahara?”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John discuss Justice Clarence Thomas’ recent comments and the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Michael C. Dorf for Dorf on Law: “In a Post-Roe World, Can States Prevent Women From Seeking Abortions Out-of-State?”Ruth Graham for The New York Times: “A Pastor and His Congregation Part Ways”Ruth Graham and Elizabeth Dias for The New York Times: “The Growing Religious Fervor in the American Right: ‘This Is a Jesus Movement’”The Great Evangelical Recession: 6 Factors That Will Crash the American Church...and How to Prepare by John DickersonHere are this week’s chatters:Emily: Forbidden City, by Vanessa Hua; A River of Stars by Vanessa Hua; Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids, by Scott Hershovitz John: Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City, by Andrea Elliott; Jon Ward for Christianity Today: “Being a Political Journalist Made Me a Better Christian”; The Bob Dylan Center; John Dickerson for CBS This Morning: “Bob Dylan Center: A Window Into the Voice of a Generation”David: Mother Jones: “How Private Equity Looted America”; Our Earth: “Cool Airplane Camera Views on Lufthansa”Listener chatter from Nicholas Gaffney: Alex Hanson for The Valley News: “Croydon Reverses Slashing Of School Budget After Voters Turn Out For Special Meeting”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the things they do today that would horrify their 25-year-old selves.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Ruth Marcus for The Washington Post: “The Leaked Draft Roe Opinion Is A Disaster For The Supreme”Edwin Meese III for The Washington Post: “Did The Conservative Legal Movement Succeed? That All Depends On Whether The Supreme Court Overrules Roe V. Wade.”Reginald Dwayne Betts for The New York Times Magazine: “Could an Ex-Convict Become an Attorney? I Intended to Find Out”Here are this week’s chatters:Ruth: Julia Clancy for Eating Well: “What Is an Air Fryer and Should You Buy One?”James: The Other Side of Prospect: A Story of Violence, Injustice, and the American City,by Nicholas Dawidoff Emily: She’s getting a puppy! Send your advice.Listener chatter from Joe Stracci: Kevin Kelly for The Techium: “103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily and Ruth interview James about his innovative programs at Yale’s Center for Law and Racial Justice.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, Title 42, and the current prayer in school debate.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Daphne Keller for The Center for Internet and Society: “What Does The DSA Say?”John Dickerson for Slate: “Born Identity”Here are this week’s chatters:David: Ed Kilgore for New York Magazine: “Utah Democrats Endorse Independent Evan McMullin in Challenge to Mike Lee”; CityCast.fm/jobs John: Reddit thread: “This is a 3200-year old attendance sheet found in Deir el-Medina, Egypt. Reasons for worker absence include ‘embalming brother’, ‘brewing beer’ and ‘bitten by scorpion’”; The British Museum: Ostracon Emily: Ronald Brownstein for The Atlantic: “Why California Wants to Recall Its Most Progressive Prosecutors”; Vanessa Romo for NPR: “The LA Sheriff Now Says No Charges For The Reporter Who Wrote About A Cover-Up”Listener chatter from J.T. Horn: Mary Pols for Downeast Magazine "Why Maine Owes Its Most Breathtaking Public Lands to One 1972 Newspaper Story" For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss John’s prescient 2011 piece about Trump’s birtherism.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the ways that the war in Ukraine may be influencing China's future plans with guest Malcolm Turnbull; the mask mandate ruling; whether it matters that the RNC has rejected presidential debates; and Gabfest producer Jocelyn Frank signs off after many years of producing the show.Here are this week’s chatters:David: Mark Emem for CCN: “Jeff Bezos Missed 20,000% Gains After $250K Google Stake in 1998”John: Kathryn Olivarius: “Necropolis: Yellow Fever, Immunity, And Capitalism In The Deep South, 1800-1860”Emily: Rachel M. Cohen for the Intercept: “At a Pivotal Moment, Democrats Failed to Modernize Elections”Listener chatter from Randy Switt: Christopher P. Hammon and Victoria L. Vish for National Law Review: “Eleventh Circuit: Service Charges Are Wages, Not Tips, Under FLSA”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment long-time Gabfest producer Jocelyn Frank shares her experiences making the show with Emily, David, and John.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Plotz talks with author Amy Bloom about her journey to support the death, by suicide, of her husband, chronicled in her new book In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the approaching midterms, inflation, and whether social media is imperiling U.S. democracy—with guest Simon Bazelon.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Simon Bazelon for Slow Boring: “Democrats Are Sleepwalking Into A Senate Disaster”Thomas B. Edsall for The New York Times: “Trump Poses a Test Democracy Is Failing”Matthew H. Graham and Milan W. Svolik for The American Political Science Review: “Democracy in America? Partisanship, Polarization, and the Robustness of Support for Democracy in the United States”Jonathan Haidt for The Atlantic: “Why The Last Ten Years of American Life Have Been So Stupid”Paul Krugman for The New York Times: “Inflation Is About to Come Down — but Don't Get Too Excited”Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again, by Johann HariThe Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, by Jonathan HaidtHere are this week’s chatters:David: Little Dorrit, by Charles DickensJohn: Macbeth on BroadwayEmily: Christine Charnosky for Law.com: “A University of Arizona Law Grad on How the GRE Changed Her Life”; University of Arizona Law’s Innovation for Justice work Listener chatter from Nick Gaffney: Alex Hanson for the Valley News: “Croydon School Budget Cut Sets Up High-Stakes Battle Over Future of Town's Education System”; Alex Hanson for the Valley News: “Budget Cut Looks Bleak For Schools After Croydon Meeting”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, John, and David discuss what constitutes time well spent.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily, John and David discuss Russia’s war crimes; Disney’s reaction to “don’t say gay”; and Amazon’s first union.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Andrew Exum for The Atlantic: “The Russian Military Has Descended Into Inhumanity”Noam Scheiber for The New York Times: “Amazon Workers Who Won a Union Their Way Open Labor Leaders’ Eyes”Microsoft: “The Rise of the Triple Peak Day”When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, by Daniel H. Pink Here are this week’s chatters:David: Jessica Contrera for The Washington Post: “The Remarkable Brain of a Carpet Cleaner Who Speaks 24 Languages”; The Wedding Party; Smithsonian National Museum of African Art: “Iké Udé: Nollywood Portraits”John: Jill Lawless for The Associated Press: “Darwin Notebooks Missing For 20 Years Returned to Cambridge”; Darwin Correspondence Project: “Fanny Owen”Emily: Twitter thread by Manvir Singh @mnvrsngh on time spent “doing nothing” in small-scale, non-industrial societies. Listener chatter from Kate Conquest: “The Avian Soap Opera Unfolding Atop This Berkeley Bell Tower Has Humans Riveted”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, John, and David discuss the trend of working a “third shift.”Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Biden's gaffe in speaking too honestly about Russia; Trump’s missing phone logs; and Ginni Thomas’s efforts to subvert the election.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Bob Woodward and Robert Costa for The Washington Post: “Jan. 6 White House Logs Given To House Show 7-Hour Gap In Trump Calls”Hugo Lowell for The Guardian: “Trump Used White House Phone For Call On January 6 That Was Not On Official Log”Bob Woodward and Robert Costa for The Washington Post: “Virginia Thomas Urged White House Chief to Pursue Unrelenting Efforts to Overturn the 2020 Election, Texts Show”Benjamin Wittes for Lawfare: “Donald Trump, John Eastman and the Silence of the Justice Department”Karl Rove for The Wall Street Journal: “Republicans’ Jan. 6 Responsibility”Here are this week’s chatters:David: Beforeigners; City CastJohn: Anna P. Kambhampaty for The New York Times: “Want to See the Weirdest of Wikipedia? Look No Further.”; Morning Brew newsletter; Elden Ring video gameEmily: “The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Refutation”; Anne Frank HouseListener chatter from Andre Walker: All The Sex I've Ever Had at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, John, and David discuss what they would do if they needed to disappear. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Plotz and John Dickerson are joined by Ruth Marcus to discuss Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing; Ukraine keeps fighting through atrocity; and more allegations of Republican candidates committing domestic abuse.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Dana Milbank for the Washington Post: “Cruz Attacks Jackson For ‘Critical Race Theory’—But Sends His Own Daughters to Learn It”Henry Olsen for the Washington Post: “Republicans Are Right to Oppose Ketanji Brown Jackson”Here’s this week’s chatter:David: BioHacked: Family Secrets: “The Genius Experiment: Part 1”; The Genius Factory, by David Plotz; The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World, by Riley Black John: Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century, by Dana StevensRuth: Christine Emba for The Washington Post: “Consent Is Not Enough. We Need A New Sexual Ethic.”; Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, by Christine EmbaListener chatter from Eric Jason Martin: Nick Paumgarten for the New Yorker: “Retirement the Margaritaville Way."For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Ruth, John, and David discuss their strangest behaviors.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.