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After Facebook and Twitter banned thousands of accounts in the wake of the Capitol riots, fringe groups are flocking to platforms like Signal and Telegram. With the inauguration just days away, and government officials warning of violence, QAnon believers and Stop the Steal protesters are now communicating in encrypted spaces. What, if anything, is being planned? Guest: Will Sommer, politics reporter at the Daily BeastHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Facebook and Twitter banned thousands of accounts in the wake of the Capitol riots, fringe groups are flocking to platforms like Signal and Telegram. With the inauguration just days away, and government officials warning of violence, QAnon believers and Stop the Steal protesters are now communicating in encrypted spaces. What, if anything, is being planned? Guest: Will Sommer, politics reporter at the Daily BeastHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily, David and John talk about impeachment, whether Americans can be deradicalized, and guest Juliette Kayyem joins in to discuss vaccine distribution.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Emily Bazelon for the New York Times Magazine: “People Are Dying. Whom Do We Save First With the Vaccine? Identity Crisis: The 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Meaning of America by John Sides, Michael Tesler, and Lynn Vavrek Amarnath Amarasingam’s Twitter thread on de-platforming extremists. Amarnath Amarasingam, Shiraz Maher, and Charlie Winter for the Centre for Research andEvidence on Security Threats: “How Telegram Disruption Impacts Jihadist Platform Migration”The music of Ludovico EinaudiThe music of Joan ArmatradingThe music of John PrineThe music of M.I.A.The music of Joan JettThe music of Maren MorrisThe music of Joni MitchellThe music of Bob Mould and Husker DuThe music of Nick ThompsonNicholas Thompson for Wired: “To Run My Best Marathon at Age 44, I Had to Outrun My Past”“Iko Iko” performed by the Grateful Dead “You’ll Never Walk Alone” performed by Gerry and the PacemakersTusk by Fleetwood MacDesire by Bob DylanIn Search of Lost Time by Marcel ProustHere are this week’s cocktail chatters: John: Nathaniel Popper for The New York Times: “Lost Passwords Lock Millionaires Out of Their Bitcoin Fortunes”Emily: Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell David: The Dancing Bird of Paradise Scene from “Our Planet”Listener chatter from Richard Medlicott: Steven Levy for Wired: “A 25-Year-Old Bet Comes Due: Has Tech Destroyed Society?”Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John talk about the music they turn to in order to clear their heads.You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email 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.

After the storming of the Capitol, Democrats’ victories in Georgia’s runoff Senate races sort of got lost in the shuffle. But Georgia going blue for the first time in nearly two decades is a big deal. And the state's Democratic activists say the moment is still worth recognizing.Guest: Tiffany Roberts, civil rights attorney at the Southern Center for Human Rights, Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, and Renee Montgomery, activist and player on the Atlanta Dream.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The coronavirus crisis has risen to new levels in California. Even as vaccines get distributed, hospitals are maxing out their ICU capacity, and sick people in ambulances wait outside for a bed to open up. Amidst the nightmare, one first responder explains how he’s making it through. Guest: Dr. Clayton Kazan, an emergency physician in Torrance, CA, and the medical director at the L.A. County Fire Department. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With just over a week left in the Trump presidency, Congressional Democrats are asking Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and strip President Trump of his power. Is that the right way to hold the president accountable? Guest: Brian Kalt, law professor at Michigan State University. His latest book is Unable: The Law, Politics, and Limits of Section 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2009, Department of Homeland Security official, Daryl Johnson, warned the government that right-wing extremists were building power. After his report leaked to conservative media outlets, the agency sidelined Johnson and his investigations. In the meantime, right-wing extremists have only grown their ranks.Guest: Daryl Johnson, former senior analyst for domestic terrorism at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Joshua Geltzer, a former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council under President Barack Obama and the founding executive director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law. He also wrote this piece in February of 2019. Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money talks about the insurrection at the Capitol, those $2,000 stimulus checks, and Roblox’s plan to go public through a direct listing. In the Slate Plus segment: The Google union. ‘Trump’s $2,000 Stimulus Checks Are a Big Mistake’ By Lawrence H. Summers for BloombergEmail: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter:Felix Salmon on Twitter / https://twitter.com/felixsalmonEmily Peck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmilyRPeckAnna Szymanski on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Three_Guineas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, in the wake of violent protests at the Capitol, the social media platforms took unprecedented steps to rein in the president. Facebook banned his account at least through Inauguration Day. Twitter removed tweets and locked his account for 12 hours. Will these measures really make a difference? And how is it that two CEOs came to have so much power over the president’s reach?Guest: Danielle Citron, professor at UVA Law School and vice president of the Cyber Civil Rights InitiativeHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, in the wake of violent protests at the Capitol, the social media platforms took unprecedented steps to rein in the president. Facebook banned his account at least through Inauguration Day. Twitter removed tweets and locked his account for 12 hours. Will these measures really make a difference? And how is it that two CEOs came to have so much power over the president’s reach?Guest: Danielle Citron, professor at UVA Law School and vice president of the Cyber Civil Rights InitiativeHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily, John and David discuss the invasion of the U.S. Capitol and Democrats’ historic win in Georgia.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Yuval Levin for the National Review: “Failures of Leadership in a Populist Age”Anne Applebaum for the Atlantic: “History Will Judge the Complicit”Emily Bazelon for the New York Times Magazine: “The Pandemic Election”Emily Bazelon for Slate in 2013: “Voting Rights 2.0”Steven Lance for Atavist: “The Secret Formula: Could Shrunken Heads From the Amazon Hold the Key to Curing Cancer? One Man Thought So—and Spent a Lifetime Trying to Prove It.” A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812,by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: John: Agence France-Presse, “Exceptionally Well-Preserved Snack Bar Unearthed in Pompeii”David: David Segal for the New York Times: “It’s Mother vs. Son in Britain’s Priciest Divorce War” Emily: Tweet by Kyle Machulis @qDo of the most important competitive dog dancing videoListener chatter from Cyrus Farivar @cfarivar: Jason Kottke for Kottke.org: “The Last Documented Widow of a Civil War Veteran Has Died at the Age of 101”Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John consider in what time period they would first go to see a doctor, given what we know now about the history of medicine.You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email 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.

On Wednesday, as Democrats celebrated wins in Georgia that gave them control of the Senate and as U.S. lawmakers convened to certify Joe Biden’s election win, President Trump addressed supporters gathered outside the White House. He told them to walk to the Capitol and tell Republicans to “take back our country.”Two Slate correspondents were there -- one walking with the violent mob as it stormed the Capitol, and another in the building as it went on lockdown. Guests: Aymann Ismail, staff writer for Slate, and Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Congress will meet in a joint session to confirm Joe Biden’s election as the 46th president of the United States. Even though the process is ceremonial, some Republicans are using it as a last-ditch effort to vindicate President Trump and burnish their own Trumpist bona fides. Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics reporter.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So far, the vaccine roll out in the United States has been underwhelming. States are scrambling to get doses out to patients before they expire. We won’t be behind schedule on vaccine distribution forever, but to make matters worse, a more infectious variant of COVID-19 has increased the urgency. Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli is a health and science reporter with the New York Times.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday, Georgia voters will decide which party holds the majority in the United States senate. Activists like Nse Ufot have been criss crossing the state trying to rally new voters to the polls. Will this flurry of activity flip Georgia blue again? Guest: Nse Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Project Cleve Wootson, National Political Reporter for the Washington PostSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The incarceration of tens of thousands of Japanese Americans in the 1940s is one of the most shameful acts in American history. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Judge Edward M Chen and Don Tamaki, members of the legal team that worked to clear Fred Korematsu’s name almost 40 years after his conviction, to discuss the overlooked context, corruption, and cover-up that enabled the policy, and to examine how the Supreme Court has yet to fully contend with the legacy of Korematsu v United States. They also unpack the lessons the case offers for the present moment.The documentary discussed is Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066.Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jacob Goldstein of Planet Money joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Anna Szymanski to talk about his book Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing and explain the varied history of this thing we call “money”.In the Slate Plus segment: A deeper dive into Jacob’s wonky Numbers Round number. Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Kramer always made sure you heard him loud and clear. He was a playwright, a novelist, but he was perhaps best known for his work as an AIDS activist. In the 1980s and 1990s, Kramer sought to wake up the world to the plague that was killing millions of people through provocative demonstrations, fiery essays, and righteous anger. A world class troublemaker, Kramer died last week leaving a body of work that could serve as a lesson for this moment in American history.Guest: Mark Harris, a journalist and writer at New York Magazine.For a closer look at the history of ACT UP check out: United in Anger: A History of ACT UP.This episode originally aired June 2020. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz reminisce about 15 years of podcasting together. They look back on past mistakes and deliver fresh kindnesses. This live show was recorded on Dec 9, 2020.You can watch a special tribute video here and a video of the entire 15th Anniversary Show is here. Here are some references from this week’s show: Jonathan Rauch for the Atlantic: “How American Politics Went Insane” Conor Friedersdorf for the Atlantic: “Working Mom Arrested for Letting Her 9-Year-Old Play Alone at Park” Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: John: The Washington Post: “Sept. 8 in History: Evel Knievel’s Canyon Jump, Nixon Pardon” Emily: Catrin Einhorn and Christopher Flavelle for The New York Times: “A Race Against Time to Rescue a Reef From Climate Change” David: Washington Post: “Plastic Surgeons Say Business Is Up, Partly Because Clients Don’t Like How They Look On Zoom” Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John share politically-themed cocktail recipes from listeners and of their own.You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email 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.

On Friday, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87. Her work as a lawyer and a judge forever changed how women are viewed under United States law. As the nation mourns, her absence sparks a fight in the senate about who is going to choose the next Supreme Court Justice. Guest: Dahlia Lithwick, host of Slate’s Amicus podcast. This episode originally aired September, 2020. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the summer, comedian Laurie Kilmartin took to Twitter to joke about something that wasn’t funny: Her mom was dying. JoAnn Kilmartin, Laurie’s mother, had contracted the coronavirus in her nursing home and was on her deathbed only a few miles from Laurie’s home in southern California. Guest: Laurie Kilmartin, comedian and author of Dead People Suck: A Guide for Survivors of the Newly Departed.We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in June, 2020. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hybrid learning is a massive educational experiment playing out in schools across the country. No two classrooms are alike. We took a look at one teacher’s experience. Guest: Christopher Pinto, a high school math and statistics teacher outside Houston, Texas. This episode originally aired in September, 2020. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zach Carter joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Anna Szymanski to talk about his book The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes and discuss the life and philosophy of the man whose ideas built the foundation for modern economics. In the Slate Plus segment: Best books of 2020. Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The images are familiar now. The police in their face shields, armed with batons and cans of pepper spray. The protestors, sporting bruises, pouring milk on each others’ faces. What happened in the spring might make you feel uncomfortable and angry. Kellie Carter-Jackson says: that’s the point. And she says that a nice, peaceful protest may not accomplish the structural change America needs.Guest: Kellie Carter-Jackson, PhD, a professor at Wellesley College and the author of Force & Freedom: Black Abolitionists the Politics of Violence.This episode originally aired in June, 2020. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily, John, and David end 2020 considering listeners’ most perplexing conundrums—with special guest Alexandra Petri!Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:The Life of George Washington: With Curious Anecdotes, Equally Honourable to Himself, and Exemplary to His Young Countrymen by Mason Locke WeemsMarching Bands Are Just Homeless Orchestras, Half-Empty Thoughts Vol. 1 by Tim SiedellAtlas Shrugged by Ayn RandThe Fountainhead by Ayn RandWar and Peace by Leo TolstoyFifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James David G. Savage for The Los Angeles Times: “Clarence Thomas is His Own ManThe Glory and The Dream by William ManchesterThe Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-ReedEminent Victorians by Lytton Strachey The Twelve Caesars by SuetoniusThe Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill WatersonFYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, NetflixFyre Fraud, HuluBlack Mirror: “Nosedive,” NetflixBlack Mirror: “Arkangel,” NetflixHere are some of the conundrums tackled on the show: To save the world from eventual destruction, you have to live and work in one of two locations that you cannot leave for three years: one on the ocean floor, the other on the moon. Which do you choose and why? What pre-1900 social custom (especially one related to how people interact with each other in public) that has fallen out of fashion should be revived in 2021 and beyond?Would you rather have read War and Peace but not be able to talk about it, or to have read Atlas Shrugged and have to talk about it?A pair of 80s style magical leg warmers must be visibly worn all day to activate superhuman cheetah speed. Do you wear them? For the rest of quarantine, you must share your home with a fictional character. Who is your new roommate?You can have your portrait painted by any artist from any period of history, or your biography written by any author. Whom would you pick?If you could banish any widely accepted canard from people’s minds, what would it be?If you, and only you, could see one statistic hovering over every person’s head, what would you want it to be?Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, John, and Alexandra explore some bonus conundrums.You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email 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.

The coronavirus that gave rise to our present pandemic started in China as a bat virus that eventually made contact with humans. Researchers say this leap between species was highly predictable – so why were communities and governments caught flat-footed? Guest: Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance.This episode originally aired in March, 2020.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick talks to Justice Stephen Breyer of the US Supreme Court for a Slate Plus exclusive, as part of Slate’s 80 over 80 coverage. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congress has agreed on another stimulus package, but to do so both Republicans and Democrats had to give up on high-priority demands. Why did this bill take so long, and why isn’t anyone all that excited about it?Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Slate's senior business and economics correspondentSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Anna Szymanski, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies. In this special holiday preview episode, Felix and Anna are joined by Yinka Adegoke, the Africa editor for Quartz, to discuss the classic Christmas/commodities-trading comedy Trading Places. They talk about the rampant 1980s-ness of it all, what is actually happening with the frozen concentrated orange juice, and how the film stacks up as a finance movie overall. Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States is contending with a computer hack unprecedented in scope, and it could take months or even years to understand exactly what happened. But the hack has roots in vulnerabilities understood since the beginning of the internet, so why and how did this happen? Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s "War Stories" columnist Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to talk about lessons learned from this election cycle, and what it’s like to be in the eye of the “unleash the kraken” storm. Next, Dahlia talks with Professor Steve Vladeck of the University of Texas School of Law about Bill Barr’s departure from the Justice Department, and they try to shed some light on the latest signals emerging from the Supreme Court’s shadow docket. In our Slate Plus segment, Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia for all the Supreme Court news we couldn’t cram into the main show, including analysis of the Covid closure cases and Mitch McConnell’s unprecedented lame-duck judicial appointment spree. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show.Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Anna Szymanski discuss Massachusetts regulators’ complaint against the Robinhood app, how MacKenzie Scott is giving away billions, and all the One Percenters leaving big cities.In the Slate Plus segment: Currency manipulation. Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the presidential election, local Republicans in states that Joe Biden flipped blue have been arguing about what went wrong. The difference in Georgia is, the election isn’t totally over - and the upcoming runoff election will decide which party controls the Senate.So with all eyes on Georgia, why do the state's Republicans seem just as intent on tearing into each other as holding onto their seats?Guest: Rusty Paul, Mayor of Sandy Springs, Georgia.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily, John and David discuss the massive Russian hack-- with guest Alex Stamos, Bill Barr’s resignation, and Joe Biden’s cabinet.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Alex Stamos for The Washington Post: “Enough Is Enough. Here’s What We Should Do to Defend Against the Next Russian Cyberattacks.”John Dickerson for 60 Minutes: “Excited Delirium: The Controversial Syndrome That Can Be Used to Protect Police From Misconduct Charges”Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: John: Thomas B. Edsall for The New York Times: “America, We Have a Problem”; The New Yorker Documentary, Episode 30: “The Man Who Invented More Than Eight Hundred Iconic Toys”Emily: Daniel Nichanian for The Appeal: “Newly Elected Prosecutors Are Challenging The Death Penalty”; Rob Hayes for KABC: “LA County Da George Gascon's Plan To Reduce Sentences Sparks Concern From His Own Prosecutors”; Daniel Nichanian’s Twitter feed, @taniel David: Azam Ahmed for The New York Times: “She Stalked Her Daughter’s Killers Across Mexico, One by One”Listener chatter from @greenneck: Eric Simons for Bay News: “With Fewer than 2,000 Butterflies Counted So Far, Western Monarch Takes an Astonishing Step Closer to Extinction”Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John discuss John’s reporting on “excited delirium,” the dubious medical justification for an increasing number of deaths of young Black men in police custody.You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email 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.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement played an outsized role in manifesting Trump’s hard-line immigration policies. How might ICE change under Biden?Guest: Hamed Aleaziz, immigration reporter at BuzzFeed News.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All year, we’ve seen how COVID-19 surges can persuade state officials to take the pandemic seriously. But the resistance in Florida is something special: There, Governor Ron DeSantis has been particularly opposed to sharing case data or imposing measures to minimize viral spread.Guest: Mary Ellen Klas, reporter for the Miami Herald. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, one of the world’s leading AI ethics researchers, Timnit Gebru, left Google. Google says she resigned. Timnit says she was fired. In the days since, Timnit’s departure has turned into a public relations crisis for the search giant, prompting its CEO to issue a public apology. What happened behind the scenes at Google that led to Timnit’s dismissal? Guest: Timnit Gebru, AI ethics researcher, and the co-founder of Black in AI. HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, one of the world’s leading AI ethics researchers, Timnit Gebru, left Google. Google says she resigned. Timnit says she was fired. In the days since, Timnit’s departure has turned into a public relations crisis for the search giant, prompting its CEO to issue a public apology. What happened behind the scenes at Google that led to Timnit’s dismissal? Guest: Timnit Gebru, AI ethics researcher, and the co-founder of Black in AI. HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After months of anticipation, the first FDA-authorized coronavirus vaccine has begun distribution. But even with an effective vaccine in hand, big questions remain. How are vaccines being distributed? And with so many lives on the line, who gets it first?Guest: Sarah Owermohle, reporter for Politico and the Prescription Pulse newsletter. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Anna Szymanski discuss the DoorDash and Airbnb IPOs, the massive antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, and vaccine ethics. In the Slate Plus segment: Should we just take away Zuck’s special shares?Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the FTC and more than 40 state attorneys general brought antitrust lawsuits against Facebook. And they’re not pulling their punches. They are calling for Facebook to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp into independent companies. In other words, breakup.The lawsuits represent some of the most significant antitrust action in the United States in the last 40 years. Will they get results?Guest:Tony Romm, tech policy reporter at the Washington PostHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the FTC and more than 40 state attorneys general brought antitrust lawsuits against Facebook. And they’re not pulling their punches. They are calling for Facebook to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp into independent companies. In other words, breakup.The lawsuits represent some of the most significant antitrust action in the United States in the last 40 years. Will they get results?Guest:Tony Romm, tech policy reporter at the Washington PostHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily, John and David talk about the coup attempt, Facebook’s legal troubles, and which presidential norms to restore or discard, with guest Tim Wu.It's conundrum season! Pass along your most pressing conundrums here: www.slate.com/conundrum. Our annual Conundrum show is coming soon.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Tim Wu for the New York Times: “What Really Saved the Republic From Trump?”Zeynep Tufekci for the Atlantic: “ ‘This Must Be Your First’ ”They Might Be GiantsHere are this week’s cocktail chatters: John: Dalya Alberge for the Guardian: “ ‘Sistine Chapel of the Ancients' Rock Art Discovered in Remote Amazon Forest”David: Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History of David Copperfield Emily: Esmé E. Deprez for Bloomberg Businessweek: “How Medela Lost Moms”Listener chatter from Charlotte Hope, @charlottehope: Elizabeth Yuko for Architectural Digest: “How Previous Epidemics Impacted Home Design”Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John consider a question from listener Daniela Koontz about ideal road trips.You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email 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.

As Joe Biden assembles his cabinet, he has an opportunity to remake America’s image on the global stage. What if the US was seen as a cooperative partner rather than a big-footed global leader? Guest: Peter Beinart, contributing opinion writer to the New York Times and editor-at-large for Jewish Currents. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Teachers unions are catching flack for obstructing a return to in-person school. The president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, says teachers want to be in school. The question still is, can it be done safely? Guest: Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As COVID ravages the American plains, the Cherokee nation stands alone – an example of how government might work to contain the virus. The tribe long ago gave up waiting for the federal government to come through on its promise of fully-funded health care, and invested in state-of-the-art healthcare infrastructure, just in time. But as winter sets in, Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. worries his community can’t remain an island forever.Guest: Chuck Hoskin, Jr. is the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the NFL has asserted that they would continue with their regular season this fall. They’ve kept their word. They’ve also had significant outbreaks -- and the virus keeps interrupting the season. What explains the NFL’s determination to white-knuckle it through the year? Guest: Bomani Jones, host of The Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast, from ESPN. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Jack Goldsmith, Harvard Law professor, senior Hoover Institution fellow, co-founder of the Lawfare blog, and co-author (with Bob Bauer) of After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency. They unpack the presidential pardon power and try to figure out what Attorney General Bill Barr is up to with John Durham’s investigation of the investigation into the 2016 election. In our Slate Plus segment, Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia to analyse what’s been happening at the Supreme Court in the last 14 days, including last week’s religious freedom decision weighing public worship in the pandemic, the latest Census case, and Justice Samuel Alito’s eagerness to hear from Pennsylvania. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show.Podcast production by Sara Burningham.. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Anna Szymanski discuss Salesforce’s $27.7 billion acquisition of Slack, Nasdaq’s proposed plan to require more diverse boards, and Amazon’s big hiring spree. In the Slate Plus segment: Will we go back to the movies?Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.