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It's conundrum season! Pass along your most pressing conundrums here: www.slate.com/conundrum. Our annual Conundrum holiday show is coming soon.This week, Emily, David and John discuss the Trump Administration's efforts to hobble the Biden transition; ethical problems in vaccine distribution; and how to deal with the damage of the election fraud lie.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Alex Kalman for the Atlantic: “The Letters That Outgoing Presidents Wrote to Their Successors”John Dickerson for The Atlantic: “Why You Don’t Mess Around With Presidential Transitions”The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: “A Framework for Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus”Kathryn Olivarius for The New York Times: “The Dangerous History of Immunoprivilege”Jeanna Smialek and Alan Rappeport for The New York Times: “Mnuchin Cites Principles in Clawing Back Fed Money. Democrats See Politics.”Kevin Roose, Mike Isaac, and Sheera Frenkel for The New York Times: “Roiled by Election, Facebook Struggles to Balance Civility and Growth”Colin Dickey for Medium: “How to Talk to a Conspiracy Theorist”To celebrate our 15th anniversary we'd love to know about your clever, politically themed, original cocktail! Please send us the details here: www.slate.com/cocktailHere are this week’s cocktail chatters: John: W.E.B. Du Bois: Writings; The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry David: Death, Sex & Money: “51 Years Loving A Man Named Sissy”; David’s twitter thread pitch for remaking Love Actually every year.Emily and listener Barbara Torrey Workman @thethirdbarbara: Twitter thread by United Farm Workers @UFWupdates featuring farm workers at work harvesting the ingredients in favorite Thanksgiving recipes. 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 the elements of pre-pandemic Thanksgiving that they won’t miss this year and don't plan to reinstate next year.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.

A Hyde Park store owner supported his neighborhood through a pandemic this spring. The favor was returned during a summer of protests. But this winter will be tough.Guest: Eric Williams, owner of The Silver Room.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Danielle Hewitt, and Elena Schwartz, with help from Frannie Kelley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2020 election has a lot of Democrats asking: What happened? As it turns out, it’s a question one outgoing member of Congress has been asking herself, too.Guest: U.S. Representative Donna Shalala, Democrat from Florida. 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 last bout of the fight for the U.S. Senate runs through Georgia. And this time, no one has any reason to pull punches. Guest: Greg Bluestein, reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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 Matz to talk election lawsuits, Trump’s lawyers, Big Law, and whether the Biden administration will put “healing” ahead of justice in the post-Trump era. In our Slate Plus segment, Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia to try to calibrate alarm about Michigan officials talking to the White House about certifying and uncertifying results. Plus, Amy Coney Barrett’s first SCOTUS vote on the death penalty and the State Supreme Court race in North Carolina that you might have missed, but has much to say about racism and the state of state of the judiciary.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 talk Steve Mnuchin’s move to cut off the Fed’s emergency funding programs, and Affirm, Airbnb and Doordash all filing to go public. In the Slate Plus segment: The holidays and COVID-19.Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Joe Biden takes office in two months, the federal government will take on a new stance in its fight to contain the coronavirus. The broad strokes of that strategy have been outlined in debates and on campaign websites, but now the real work begins.Two weeks ago, the president-elect appointed a team of 13 advisers to answer some key questions. How can the new government win the trust of the 73 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump? What would a national mask mandate look like? How will the different vaccines be distributed?A member of President-elect Biden’s COVID-19 council takes us behind the scenes.Guest: Celine Gounder, member of the Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board, and host of the American Diagnosis and Epidemic podcasts.HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Joe Biden takes office in two months, the federal government will take on a new stance in its fight to contain the coronavirus. The broad strokes of that strategy have been outlined in debates and on campaign websites, but now the real work begins.Two weeks ago, the president-elect appointed a team of 13 advisers to answer some key questions. How can the new government win the trust of the 73 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump? What would a national mask mandate look like? How will the different vaccines be distributed?A member of President-elect Biden’s COVID-19 council takes us behind the scenes.Guest: Celine Gounder, member of the Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board, and host of the American Diagnosis and Epidemic podcasts.HostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As part of our 15th anniversary celebration please share an original political cocktail recipe with us. Visit www.slate.com/cocktail to submit your recipe!Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Emily Bazelon for The New York Times Magazine: “The Pandemic Election”Isaac Chotiner for The New Yorker: “How We Can Contain the Second Wave of the Coronavirus”Mike Pence for The Wall Street Journal: “There Isn’t a Coronavirus ‘Second Wave’”Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi CoatesBetween the World and Me on HBOTa-Nehisi Coates for The Atlantic: “The Case for Reparations”The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi CoatesJosie Duffy Rice for Vanity Fair: “The Abolition Movement”Barack Obama for The Atlantic: “I’m Not Yet Ready to Abandon the Possibility of America”Jed Sugerman for The Washington Post: “Trump’s Legal Challenges to the Election Will Help Democrats”Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: Emily: Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America by Mark A. Bradley John: John’s fundraising page for Covenant House's Virtual Sleep Out; Charlotte Regan’s short documentary, “No Ball Games: Life and Play Through the Eyes of Children Across the UK”David: Washington Post: “Fort Hood is named for a Confederate traitor. Is it time for ‘Fort Benavidez’?” Listener chatter from Mike @rifenbury: Kanazawa Kenichi video For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David and John discuss the holiday movies they’d like to see made.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.

There are two basic camps of thought when it comes to upholding the norms and laws that the Trump administration has broken. On the one hand: How will these norms and laws ever be respected again, if President Trump and the people around him are not investigated, and possibly charged, for any abuses? One the other hand: Could additional investigations into Trump tear the country apart?Guest: Dahlia Lithwick, host of the Amicus podcast. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Biden and his chief of staff have negotiated a massive fiscal stimulus package before. How should the incoming administration regard the 2009 Recovery Act -- as a blueprint, or a cautionary tale?Guest: Mike Grunwald, senior writer for Politico Magazine and author of The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bob Moore has covered all kinds of crises as a journalist in El Paso, Texas. But the COVID-19 surge is enough to make him crack. There’s a time for dispassionate journalism. This isn’t it. Guest: Bob Moore, founder of El Paso Matters.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 the summer of 2020, a group of people tried to imagine the most likely outcomes of the presidential election. They nailed it. But what may come next is harder to fathom. Guest: Rosa Brooks, co-founder of the Transition Integrity Project. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jacob Weisberg returns to Slate Money to discuss the impact of Pfizer’s vaccine announcement, Spotify’s acquisition of Megaphone to and Supreme being sold for $2.1 billion.In the Slate Plus segment: Jacob on the White House transition. Sales of Gap's khaki pants almost doubled after MSNBC 'chartthrob' Steve Kornacki wore them for his election-week coverage by Grace Dean for Business Insider. When It Comes to Steve Kornacki, Please Don’t Cock Block Leslie Jones by Halle Keifer for New York Magazine. Can Supreme survive its acquisition by VF Corp? By Marc Bain for Quartz. Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Barack Obama first won the White House, back in 2008, with Joe Biden as his vice president, the executive branch’s stance towards tech and tech companies was seen as cooperative, progressive, and forward-thinking. This time around, the tech giants can expect a very different relationship.Will Biden be the president to finally rein in big tech?Guest: Cecilia Kang, technology reporter at The New York TimesHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Barack Obama first won the White House, back in 2008, with Joe Biden as his vice president, the executive branch’s stance towards tech and tech companies was seen as cooperative, progressive, and forward-thinking. This time around, the tech giants can expect a very different relationship.Will Biden be the president to finally rein in big tech?Guest: Cecilia Kang, technology reporter at The New York TimesHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Slate Political Gabfest is turning 15 years old! We will be celebrating with a special live show on Dec 9th-- with wine! Please join us (drinking is optional). Learn more here.Notes and references from this week’s show:Karl Rove for The Wall Street Journal: “This Election Result Won’t Be Overturned” Rich Lowry for Politico: “The Completely Insane Electoral College Strategy”The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency by Chris Whipple Michael D. Shear and Lisa Friedman for the New York Times: “Biden Could Roll Back Trump Agenda with Blitz of Executive Actions”Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: As part of our 15th anniversary celebration we'd love to have your ideas for politically themed cocktails. Please submit an original recipe (or 2) here!Emily: Reis Thebault for the Washington Post: “Robin Kemp Lost Her News Job in Clayton County, Ga. — But She Kept Reporting the News. It Paid Off on Election Week.John: The Queen's Gambit; Garner's Quotations: A Modern Miscellany by Dwight Garner David: Robyn Dixon for the Washington Post: “Azerbaijan’s Drones Owned the Battlefield in Nagorno-Karabakh — and Showed Future of Warfare” Listener chatter from Joshua Weaver @we4v3r: Grace Perry for Chicago Magazine: “No One Can Agree On What Malört Tastes Like, But the Descriptions Are Always Amazing”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 Emily, David, and John discuss how to redesign the inauguration in order to account for the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.

In the lead-up to the 2020 election, Iowa polls had Biden and Trump running neck and neck to win the state’s 6 electoral votes. However, one poll in late October showed that Trump had taken a seven-point lead over Biden. Many political observers and Democrats dismissed it as an outlier, insisting that Iowa was up for grabs. On election night? Trump won Iowa by just over eight points.How did Ann Selzer see this coming? And what does the “Outlier Queen” have to say about the state of her industry?Guest: Ann Selzer, public opinion pollster and President of Selzer and Company.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even though the 2020 presidential race has been called for Joe Biden, President Trump is still baselessly asserting that he is the true winner. His accusations of voter fraud may give republican held legislatures all the ammo they need to further infringe on voting rights. Guest: Ari Berman, senior writer for Mother JonesSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some early exit polls showed Joe Biden winning a strong majority of Latino voters but if you look closely there’s a more complicated story. In some key areas, Biden and Democrats more broadly underperformed with Latino voters compared to Hillary Clinton in 2016. How did the Biden campaign miss the mark?Guest: Chuck Rocha, head of Nuestro PAC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Saturday, the US presidential race was called for Joe Biden, making Donald Trump a one-term president. However, the outcome of the down ballot races may spell trouble for an incoming Biden administration. 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.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz reflect on the election results, the upcoming transition, how senior Republicans are dealing with Donald Trump's loss, and what comes next for Stacey Abrams and Pete Buttigieg.You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by June Thomas.Sign up for Slate Plus to support the Political Gabfest and the rest of Slate's journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Amicus’ election law whisperer, UC Irvine election law professor Rick Hasen, to sift through the results, the non-calls, and the many, many lawsuits of this post-election moment. Then, Dahlia is joined by Jim Zirin, former federal prosecutor and author of Plaintiff in Chief: A Portrait of Donald Trump in 3,500 Lawsuits, to map out the playbook the president is pulling from today and always--from his Supreme Court picks to all-caps claims of voter fraud. In our Slate Plus segment, Mark Joseph Stern reports on the big case at the intersection of religious liberty and the right of LGBTQ people to become foster parents that was heard at the Supreme Court this week. And what, if anything, we can draw from Amy Coney Barrett’s first week on the bench (on the phone). 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 the economic ramifications of the election, China blocking the Ant IPO, and the Department of Justice’s antitrust suit against Visa.In the Slate Plus segment: How Twitter and Facebook handled the election. Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash have always argued that their workers are independent contractors, not employees. This distinction has been crucial in their rise from startups to multi-billion-dollar companies.On Tuesday, Californians sided with these companies by approving Prop 22, a ballot measure that enshrines workers’ non-employee status. Why did progressive Californians side with Big Tech? And will the rest of the country follow California’s lead?Guest: Sam Harnett, Tech and Labor reporter at KQEDHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash have always argued that their workers are independent contractors, not employees. This distinction has been crucial in their rise from startups to multi-billion-dollar companies.On Tuesday, Californians sided with these companies by approving Prop 22, a ballot measure that enshrines workers’ non-employee status. Why did progressive Californians side with Big Tech? And will the rest of the country follow California’s lead?Guest: Sam Harnett, Tech and Labor reporter at KQEDHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Nate Persily of Stanford-MIT's HealthyElections.org joins the Gabfest to discuss vote counting and election lawsuits. Emily, John and David also discuss Democrats’ down-ballot disappointments, and the problems with polling.Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: Emily: Adam Liptak for the New York Times: “Supreme Court Weighs Legacy of Same-Sex Marriage Case”John: Margaret McAleer for the Library of Congress Blog: “The Taft Papers and a Titanic Tragedy”David: Katie Pickens for Eater: “Watch: How Benton’s Makes Its Perfectly Smoky Bacon”Listener chatter from @ionictonic: Twisted Sifter: “This Animation of How Bridges Were Constructed in 14th Century Prague is Amazing”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 Emily, David, and John talk about the lighter stories they want to indulge in whenever the Trump era comes to close.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.

There’s still a lot that’s unclear about one of the most contentious elections in recent history. Here’s what we do know: that many pollsters overestimated the depth of Biden support. That Trump held onto the white working class more than many pundits predicted. And that if Biden does become our next president, he’ll likely have to make good on his promise to be the great compromiser.Guest: Will Saletan, Slate’s national correspondent.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. 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.

We still don’t have a winner for the 2020 presidential election. It’s all coming down to states where vote-counting is happening slowly, amid a flurry of lawsuits. Guest: 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.

Larry Nance Jr. is an NBA player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s also a first-time voter. After the NBA players’ ranks exploded with activism this summer, Nance and his teammates realized that they could change their states, themselves. They were the political activists they had been waiting for.Guest: Larry Nance Jr., player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeffrey Yaw lives in the Fingerlakes region of upstate New York. He’s a recent convert to Catholicism who attended the March for Life back in January. He’s anti-abortion but pro-Medicare for All and has very little faith in the two-party system. So, with his first presidential ballot ever, he’s voting for a third-party candidate, but that doesn’t mean he’s given up on democracy.Guest: Jeffrey Yaw, a student at SUNY Geneseo and a first-time voter.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 one day to go and several hundred lawsuits around the election still swirling about, which legal cases are raising major red flags? And how could they impact not just the 2020 election, but elections going forward?Guest: Rick Hasen, an election law expert at UC–Irvine and the author of Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Notes:Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, to discuss voting and the crisis of legitimacy facing a Supreme Court embroiled in politics, the election, and an epochal shift to the right. In our Slate Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Brian Fallon of Demand Justice to discuss the whys and the wherefores of court reform. 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 the effect of the US president on the economy, dual interest rates and whether or not PetSmart and Chewy should split up. In the Slate Plus segment: The new Gmail logo. Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2016 general election changed the way we think about information online and its power to sway results. Four years later, Americans will vote amid a surge of misinformation, collected and distorted to fit political narratives.What can people and platforms do to protect the truth in this most consequential election?Guests:Renee DiResta, Research manager at the Stanford Internet ObservatoryJustin Hendrix, founder of Tech Policy Press Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2016 general election changed the way we think about information online and its power to sway results. Four years later, Americans will vote amid a surge of misinformation, collected and distorted to fit political narratives.What can people and platforms do to protect the truth in this most consequential election?Guests:Renee DiResta, Research manager at the Stanford Internet ObservatoryJustin Hendrix, founder of Tech Policy Press Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here are some references from this week’s show:David Wasserman for the Cook Political Report: “What One Florida County Could Tell Us About a ‘Gray Revolt’ on Election Night”Rosemary Quigley’s Slate diaryThe Betsy-Tacy Treasury book series by Maud Hart LovelaceRoll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. TaylorThe Anne of Green Gables book series by L.M. MontgomeryJohn Dickerson for Slate: “To the Teacher Who Changed My Life”Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: Emily: Casey Newton’s newsletter, PlatformerJohn: El País: “A Room, a Bar and a Classroom: How the Coronavirus Is Spread Through the Air”; The Intuitionist by Colson WhiteheadDavid: David asked whether there is a word for the extreme discomfort he felt watching people embarrassed in terrible ways in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Listener chatter from Alana @snarkoutgirl: Wikitongues: “Aydyn Speaking Tuvan”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 ahead of Halloween, Emily, David, and John share memories of times they were deeply scared.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.

There’s actually good news about this virus. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you’re safe.Guest: Ed Yong, staff writer for The Atlantic. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Attica Scott is the only black woman in Kentucky’s state legislature. It turns out, that doesn’t make advocating for Breonna Taylor much easier. Guest: Kentucky state Representative Attica Scott. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Elena Schwartz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafa Lombardino wasn’t planning on becoming a citizen. Originally from Brazil, Rafa has spent nearly two decades in America content with her green card. After Trump's election in 2016, though, she watched increasingly draconian immigration policies go into effect. And this year, she finally set out to make her voice heard.Guest: Rafa Lombardino, first-time voter, translator, and co-host of Translation Confessional.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 pro-choice movement is in the wilderness. For activists serving women on the margins, that’s been clear for years. Guest: Laurie Bertram Roberts, executive director of the Yellowhammer Fund. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, the Supreme Court has already entered a new era. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Heather Cox Richardson for a big-picture conversation about what that means: minority rule and the court’s role, past and present, in changing visions of democracy. In our Slate Plus segment, Mark Joseph Stern updates us on all the election-law cases. OK, not all of them—there are more than 300 cases going on in 46 states—but Mark brings us up to speed on the key cases and the worrying signals they send about what happens if the election results are contested. 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 the antitrust case against Google, the life and death of Quibi, and Purdue Pharma’s $8.3 billion fine.In the Slate Plus segment: Goldman Sachs. Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, Emily, David, and John discuss Jeffrey Toobin’s suspension from The New Yorker.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.)Here are some references from this week’s show:Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan for the New York Times: “The Real Divide in America Is Between Political Junkies and Everyone Else”Caitlin Dickerson for the New York Times: “Parents of 545 Children Separated at the Border Cannot Be Found”Michael D. Shear, Katie Benner, and Michael S. Schmidt for the New York Times: “ ‘We Need to Take Away Children,’ No Matter How Young, Justice Dept. Officials Said”Jake Tapper for CNN: “Administration Officials Alarmed by White House Push to Fast Track Lucrative 5G Spectrum Contract, Sources Say”Eric Lipton for the New York Times: “Trump Issues Order Giving Him More Leeway to Hire and Fire Federal Workers”Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: Emily: Joe Sexton for ProPublica: “He’d Waited Decades to Argue His Innocence. She Was a Judge Who Believed in Second Chances. Nobody Knew She Suffered from Alzheimer’s.”John: Nate Chinen for the New York Times: “Keith Jarrett Confronts a Future Without the Piano”David: David Plotz for Medium: “The Future is Local: That’s Why I’m Launching City Cast, a Network of Daily Local Podcasts.” Listener chatter from @greenneck: Rose Eveleth for Smithsonian Magazine: “There Are Whales Alive Today Who Were Born Before Moby Dick Was Written”Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been 22 years since the federal government last brought a meaningful legal challenge to a big tech company. Back then, when the Justice Department sued Microsoft, the outcome changed the direction of the company for years to come. Now, the Department of Justice is coming for Google. Can the search giant resist this challenge to its role as the gatekeeper of the internet?Guest: Tony Romm, technology reporter at the Washington PostHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been 22 years since the federal government last brought a meaningful legal challenge to a big tech company. Back then, when the Justice Department sued Microsoft, the outcome changed the direction of the company for years to come. Now, the Department of Justice is coming for Google. Can the search giant resist this challenge to its role as the gatekeeper of the internet?Guest: Tony Romm, technology reporter at the Washington PostHostLizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate's Political Gabfest will be published on Friday this week. Listen to this 15 second note to find out why!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.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iowa is home to less than 1% of the U.S. population. So why is this year’s Senate race the 2nd most expensive in U.S. history? Democrats hope to use all that cash to unseat a Republican star in a state that President Trump won handily in 2016.Guest: Andrew Batt, senior producer at Iowa PBSSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, maybe you’re feeling a little uneasy. Jim Newell says, despite Biden’s consistent lead in the polls, you should still totally be sweating it.Guest: 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.