Slate News

This year, the election runs through the Post Office. And we have reasons to be concerned. Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Slate’s senior business and economics 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.

Felix Salmon and Anna Szymanski are joined by Jim Tankersley of the New York Times to discuss his book The Riches of This Land: The Untold, True Story of America's Middle Class, TikTok, and the digital future of media. And in the Plus segment: The economy in the Trump era. Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past five months, city blocks have been slipping away. Bars are closed; restaurants are half-empty; retail is shuttered. As the country returns to varying states of lockdown, how long can these blocks hold on? This week: how one commercial strip on Chicago’s South Side is weathering the pandemic. Guests:Nedra Sims Fears, executive director of the Greater Chatham InitiativeBrian d'Antignac, The WoodshopJaidah Wilson-Turnbow, Frances Cocktail LoungeZoie Reams, Brown Sugar Bakery HostHenry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past five months, city blocks have been slipping away. Bars are closed; restaurants are half-empty; retail is shuttered. As the country returns to varying states of lockdown, how long can these blocks hold on? This week: how one commercial strip on Chicago’s South Side is weathering the pandemic. Guests:Nedra Sims Fears, executive director of the Greater Chatham InitiativeBrian d'Antignac, The WoodshopJaidah Wilson-Turnbow, Frances Cocktail LoungeZoie Reams, Brown Sugar Bakery HostHenry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Messing with the census, undermining the election, and guest Juliette Kayyem on competent crisis response.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Alex Thompson for Politico: “Trump’s Campaign Knocks on a Million Doors a Week. Biden’s Knocks on Zero.”Ben Smith for the New York Times: “How the Media Could Get the Election Story Wrong”Franklin Foer for the Atlantic: “Putin Is Well on His Way to Stealing the Next Election”Alice Miranda Ollstein for Politico: “Lawmakers Demand Explanation for Cutting Federal Funding to States for National Guard Deployments”Juliette Kayyem for The Atlantic: “Reopening Schools Was Just an Afterthought”Here are this week’s cocktail chatters:John: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson Emily: Deep Cover: The Drug WarsDavid: This Week in Virology, “Episode 640: Test Often, Fast Turnaround, with Michael Mina”; Elian Peltier for The New York Times: “3 Men Marooned in the Pacific Are Rescued After Writing SOS in the Sand”Listener Carol Palmer, @AgnetaAnderso: Larry Kanter for Medium “Inside the Company Trying to Solve the Global Bicycle Shortage”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 missing their work friends.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.

Even before the pandemic child care was a long, simmering crisis. With the fall approaching and school reopenings in flux, many parents are asking themselves the same question: what am I going to do with my kid? America has solved a child care crisis before, the question is whether the country can muster up the energy (and money) to do so again.Guest: Betsey Stevenson is a Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Michigan.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Schools in Oklahoma are preparing to reopen, but special education teacher Nancy Shively won’t be among the teachers going back to school. Shively, who has pre-existing medical conditions, has been forced to choose between her own health and the education of her students. She says President Trump’s response to the coronavirus has led her to question her support for him and the Republican Party. Guest: Nancy Shively, a teacher from Skiatook, Oklahoma Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tuesday’s Kansas Senate primary has Republican party leadership concerned. Polls show that Barbara Bollier, a former Republican turned Democrat, stands a chance in the general election against one of the leading Republicans in the primary, Kris Kobach. So much so in fact that a pro-Democrat super PAC has been running ads in favor of Kobach, hoping to face off against him in November. How would a Kobach win on Tuesday upend the battle for control of the Senate? And what are Republicans doing to stop him?Guest: Dave Weigel covers politics for the Washington Post.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 past couple of weeks have seen some alarming developments in the U.S.-China relationship. Among them is how the United States plans to deal with the wildly popular Chinese social media app TikTok. The debate over the social giant has reached the White House and discussions of what to do about it have ranged from an outright ban to Microsoft acquiring U.S. operations of the app.What makes TikTok a threat to national security? And what does this whole episode say about where U.S.-China relations are heading?Guest: Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, reporter for Axios and author of the Axios China newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exclusive to Slate Plus members, Dahlia Lithwick’s January interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg about the women of Harvard Law School’s class of 1959. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen to the full interview and support our show.Go to Slate.com/RBG for more on all the women of the class.Find the print version of this interview here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Anna Szymanski are joined by Felix’s cousin Thomas Harding to discuss his book, Legacy: One Family, a Cup of Tea and the Company that Took On the World , on the unusual financial history of the Salmon family, generational wealth, and financial inequality.And in the Plus segment: More with Thomas Harding.Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the last four months, federal and state eviction moratoria have kept Americans in their apartments, even if they couldn’t pay rent. Now, with financial relief in question, and moratoria set to expire, the first of the month might look very different for millions of Americans.Guests:Emily, a resident of Chicago’s Northwest SideMark Durakovic, principal at Kass ManagementPeter Hepburn, analyst at Princeton’s Eviction LabHostHenry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the last four months, federal and state eviction moratoria have kept Americans in their apartments, even if they couldn’t pay rent. Now, with financial relief in question, and moratoria set to expire, the first of the month might look very different for millions of Americans.Guests:Emily, a resident of Chicago’s Northwest SideMark Durakovic, principal at Kass ManagementPeter Hepburn, analyst at Princeton’s Eviction LabHostHenry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David, John and Ruth Marcus discuss Biden’s campaign, Big Tech, and author Anne Applebaum joins to discuss her new book Twilight of Democracy.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:John Dickerson for the Washington Post: “The Ultimate Test of Presidential Character Is Restraint”Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism by Anne ApplebaumAnne Applebaum for the Atlantic: “History Will Judge Trump’s Enablers Harshly”Here are this week’s cocktail chatters:John: The Underground Railroad and The Nickleboys by Colson Whitehead; Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-DaltonRuth: Sophie Haigney for The New Yorker: “An Elegy for the Landline in Literature”Anne: MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman by Ben HubbardDavid: Meredith Cash for Business Insider: “Take a Peek at Alabama Football's Stunning New Locker Room That Was Part of a $16 Million Renovation”Listener chatter from Mark Allender @markwallender for ProPublica: Jodi S. Cohen for ProPublica: “A Teenager Didn’t Do Her Online Schoolwork. So a Judge Sent Her to Juvenile Detention.”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 Ruth, David, and John discuss David’s dilemma concerning the best interests of his cats.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.

At the height of New York City’s “hot-spot” status during the coronavirus pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo made absentee ballots available to a wider array of voters than ever before. But state and federal agencies weren’t remotely ready for the deluge of ballots that would be mailed in. Guest: Washington Post reporter Jada Yuan. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arizona largely avoided the coronavirus when it first reached the U.S., but after a rapid reopening of the state by Governor Doug Ducey, new cases in the state exploded. Arizona now has well over 165,000 COVID cases and more than three thousand deaths. It was briefly the state with the highest coronavirus death rate in the country. Wendy Smith-Reeve left her role as Director of Arizona’s Division for Emergency Management in late March, accusing Governor Ducey of mismanaging the crisis. She says Arizona’s summer surge could have been avoided. Guest: Wendy Smith-Reeve, former Director of Arizona’s Division for Emergency ManagementSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Department of Homeland Security was built to protect the country from terrorists. But its mission was always expansive. After the bizarre detainments in Portland, we’re seeing a reckoning with what this super-agency does. Guest: Jonathan Blitzer, staff writer for the New Yorker. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in May, when House Democrats were teeing up additional coronavirus relief legislation, the Senate majority made a bet. Republicans waited to see if viral spread would diminish, making additional federal aid unnecessary. Instead, U.S. COVID-19 cases spiked. And economic problems mounted. Now, Senate Republicans are far from a consensus on a relief bill, even as coronavirus-related unemployment benefits run out. Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer. Sign up for his excellent newsletter, The Surge. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emerging markets experts Lee Buchheit and Mitu Gulati join Felix Salmon and Anna Szymanski to discuss how emerging markets are faring in the COVID-19 crisis, the Argentine debt default, and Pac-Man. And in the Plus segment: Lee’s crisis sovereign-debt-relief plan. Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the second woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, the women who went to law school with her knew something of what it had taken to get there. In the second part of this special series, Dahlia Lithwick talks to Justice Ginsburg’s classmates about their lives in the law after Harvard, and to Justice Ginsburg herself about what women in the law today can take from their stories. Read Slate’s full interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg about her own time at Harvard Law School and her memories of her female classmates here. Read the full stories of each woman’s life here. Archive of President Bill Clinton announcing his intent to nominate Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court courtesy; William J. Clinton Presidential Library.Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than any other U.S. city, New Orleans banks on its culture. From music to restaurants to parades, the city relies on a steady stream of tourists to support its many artists and institutions. In March, those tourists stopped visiting. And without them, the fragile infrastructure of clubs, venues, and performances is starting to collapse. Can New Orleans survive the coronavirus?Guests:Patrick Williams, harmonica playerJesse Paige, owner of the Blue NileAsali DeVan Ecclesiastes, Executive Director of the Ashé Cultural Arts Center Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than any other U.S. city, New Orleans banks on its culture. From music to restaurants to parades, the city relies on a steady stream of tourists to support its many artists and institutions. In March, those tourists stopped visiting. And without them, the fragile infrastructure of clubs, venues, and performances is starting to collapse. Can New Orleans survive the coronavirus?Guests:Patrick Williams, harmonica playerJesse Paige, owner of the Blue NileAsali DeVan Ecclesiastes, Executive Director of the Ashé Cultural Arts Center Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, David Plotz and Jamelle Bouie discuss Trump’s assault on Portland, the filibuster, and Julian Zelizer’s new book about Newt Gingrich’s power tactics.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 Jamelle, David, and Emily discuss the people they consider the greatest living Americans after the death of John Lewis.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Jamelle Bouie for the New York Times: “The Border War in Portland”Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party by Julian E. Zelizer The Weeds: “Biden Reloaded”Here are this week’s cocktail chatters:Jamelle: Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi by Yotam OttolenghiEmily: Amicus Presents: “The Class of RBG” by Dahlia Lithwick Dahlia Lithwick and Molly Olmstead for Slate: “The Class of RBG” Dahlia Lithwick for Slate: “It’s Amazing to Me How Distinctly I Remember Each of These WomenThe Lie That Binds by Ilyse Hogue and Ellie LangfordDavid: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieListener chatter from Joshua Bennet: Ann Gibbons for Science: “Why 536 Was 'the Worst Year to Be Alive'” 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.

Twenty-six-year-old Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by a Louisville Metro Police officer in March. Four months later, and in the wake of mass protests against police brutality, her case is still being investigated. What will justice look like for Breonna Taylor?Guest: Tessa Duvall, reporter for the Courier-JournalSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NBA has announced an ambitious plan to restart the season more than 4 months after it was abruptly halted due to the coronavirus. 22 teams have entered the COVID-free “bubble” at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida — a state with some of the highest cases of coronavirus in the country. As long as players and staff remain in the bubble, they will undergo regular coronavirus tests and face strict campus rules. So what’s life like inside the NBA bubble? And what does this experiment say about who gets access to coronavirus testing and results?Guest: Ben Golliver covers the NBA for the Washington Post. 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 goes back to where one of the most influential legal careers in US history began—Harvard Law School, September 1956—to find out what we can learn from the other women of the class of 1959, and their notorious classmate. Read Slate’s full interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg about her own time at Harvard Law School and her memories of her female classmates here. Read the full stories of each woman’s life here. Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the NIAID and member of the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, talks about the surge in cases, reopening schools and the White House’s recent attempts to discredit him. Guest: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend, disturbing video of unmarked federal agents detaining a protestor in Portland circulated on Twitter. Even the state government of Oregon was unable to identify the agents. Now, the state is suing the federal government. Oregon is seeking a restraining order to stop the unlawful detention of its citizens. Why is this happening in Portland?Guest: Jonathan Levinson, producer for Oregon Public BroadcastingSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Emily Peck, Felix Salmon, and Anna Szymanski went live on Facebook with Margaret Sullivan to discuss her book Ghosting the News and take listener questions about the local news crisis.In the Plus Segment: More with Margaret Sullivan.Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who were the nine other women of Harvard Law School's class of 1959? Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg remembers them all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After months of coronavirus lockdowns, cities are taking stock of their finances. The situation is bleak. With plummeting sales and property tax revenue, American cities of all sizes may be facing a budget crisis. What happens when local governments have to cut their budgets by double-digit percentages? Will the federal government learn from the Great Recession and intervene?Guests:Minh Nguyen, owner of Cafe TH in HoustonChris Brown, Houston City ControllerMildred Warner, professor of urban planning at Cornell. Host: Henry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After months of coronavirus lockdowns, cities are taking stock of their finances. The situation is bleak. With plummeting sales and property tax revenue, American cities of all sizes may be facing a budget crisis. What happens when local governments have to cut their budgets by double-digit percentages? Will the federal government learn from the Great Recession and intervene?Guests:Minh Nguyen, owner of Cafe TH in HoustonChris Brown, Houston City ControllerMildred Warner, professor of urban planning at Cornell. Host: Henry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily, David and guest host James Forman Jr. discuss the pandemic catastrophe, the racial justice movement, and “cancel culture.”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 James, David, and Emily discuss the program James has started at Yale Law School to help individuals from the New Haven area to get law degrees, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Neil Gross for the New York Times: “Want to Abolish the Police? Consider Becoming an Officer Instead”Paul Butler for the New York Times: “The System Must Counteract Prosecutors’ Natural Sympathies for Cops”Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill LeovyUnpacking the Boston Police Budget, ACLU MassachusettsHarper’s Magazine: “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate”Ross Douthat for The New York Times: “10 Theses About Cancel Culture”David Plotz for Business Insider: “Government Data Is Getting Worse.”Here are this week’s cocktail chatters:James: Vertellis card gameEmily: Pam Fessler and Elena Moore for NPR’s Morning Edition: “Signed, Sealed, Undelivered: Thousands Of Mail-In Ballots Rejected For Tardiness” David: Kerry Allen for the BBC: “US-China: Pompeo Dog Photo Has Netizens Asking If US Is Toying With China”Listener chatter from James Edward Dillard @jamesdillard: ChinaTalk podcast: “How Corruption Works in China” 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 early hours of Tuesday morning, the Supreme Court authorized the federal government to carry out its first execution in 17 years. Daniel Lee was convicted back in the 1990s of murdering an Arkansas family in a white supremacist plot. Attorney General William Barr pushed for his execution to take place starting last year. Why have federal executions resumed under his administration and what does it mean for the future of the death penalty?Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, covers the courts and the law for Slate.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 fall approaches, the Trump administration is calling for a full reopening of schools. Now, districts across the country are scrambling to figure out if it’s even possible to safely bring students back in the classroom at all. Guest: Laura Meckler, national education writer 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.

Swedish officials eschewed sweeping shutdowns when the pandemic hit. Some reasoned that Sweden could still power down if COVID-19 cases spiked. But the spike arrived, along with a high death rate, and still there’s been no policy change. Guest: Lena Einhorn, author, filmmaker, and former medical researcher. 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 most recent Supreme Court term saw huge progressive wins for DACA recipients, LGBTQ rights and abortion access. However, upon further inspection it’s clear that Chief Justice John Roberts is playing the long game when it comes to conservative issues on the court. Guest: Dahlia Lithwick, writes about the courts for Slate and hosts the Amicus podcastSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Emily Peck, Felix Salmon, and Anna Szymanski discuss the Robinhood app that’s gamifying the stock market, Quibi’s big failure, and the rising number of food insecure children in the US. In the Slate Plus segment: PPP shaming. Slate Money Live 7/15 at 7pm: https://slate.com/live/wednesday-night-live-with-slate-money.htmlEmail: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tens of thousands of people leave American cities every year. Normally, they’re replaced by new arrivals seeking jobs, education, and opportunity. But in a world transformed by the coronavirus, what happens if nobody arrives to replace them?Guests:Emily Badger, reporter at the New York TimesNatalie Moore, reporter at WBEZAmanda Kolson Hurley, editor at Bloomberg BusinessweekHost: Henry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tens of thousands of people leave American cities every year. Normally, they’re replaced by new arrivals seeking jobs, education, and opportunity. But in a world transformed by the coronavirus, what happens if nobody arrives to replace them?Guests:Emily Badger, reporter at the New York TimesNatalie Moore, reporter at WBEZAmanda Kolson Hurley, editor at Bloomberg BusinessweekHost: Henry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Dean Erwin Chemerinsky of Berkeley Law, associate law professor Zephyr Teachout of Fordham University, and Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern to rake over the end of the Supreme Court term, taking a close look at the Trump financial records cases, the ministerial exception cases, and a landmark decision about tribal lands in Oklahoma. Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily, John and David discuss Biden's understated presidential campaign, the new Supreme Court decisions, and Hamilton.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “Maybe This Isn’t Such a Good Time to Prosecute a Culture War”David Weigel for The Washington Post: “The Trailer: Who's Afraid of Joe Biden?”Michael W. McConnell for the New York Times: “On Religion, the Supreme Court Protects the Right to Be Different”Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy by Annette Gordon-ReedThe New York Times Magazine: “The 1619 Project”Winds of Change podcastHere are this week’s cocktail chatters:Emily: Sea Wife by Amity Gaige; “426 Years: An Examination of 25 Wrongful Convictionsin Brooklyn, New York”John: Jake Rossen for Mental Floss: “10 Examples of the Mandela Effect”; Chess.com: “What is Zugzwang?” David: Meghann Myers for Military Times: “Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, Who Testified Against Trump, Announces Retirement From the Army”Listener chatter from Emmy Rald @RaldEmmy: Phoebe Weston for The Guardian: “‘Landscape of Fear’: What a Mass of Rotting Reindeer Carcasses Taught Scientists”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 and Emily discuss the shaming of wealthy companies that took Paycheck Protection Program loans.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.

It is impossible to write a surprising book about Donald Trump, but you can’t fault people for trying. Mary Trump writes that her uncle lived an “institutionalized” life, but was plainly never loved by his parents. John Bolton writes that the president is incapable of grasping what’s best for the national interest. Both authors reach familiar conclusions with (somewhat juicy) new details. We’ll take it. Guest: Washington Post reporter Shane Harris.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Local activists never expected the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to go bust. Now they’re asking each other: How did that victory happen? And can it be replicated?Guest: Lyndsey Gilpin, founder and editor-in-chief of Southerly. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the end of May, California’s oldest prison, San Quentin, had zero reported cases of COVID-19. Now, the facility has more than 1,300. Guards are falling ill. Some inmates are refusing tests, making it difficult to track the severity of the outbreak. One federal judge says the only way to save lives at this point is for the governor to approve a widespread release of inmates. Guest: Megan Cassidy, reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Republicans have begun embracing masks. It’s a welcome change -- but it’s also an economic indicator. Guest: Slate’s Jordan Weissmann. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Emily Peck, Felix Salmon, and Anna Szymanski discuss the advertising boycott of Facebook, environmental, social, and governance investing, and the implications of the latest jobs report. In the Slate Plus segment: Netflix.Email: [email protected] production by Jessamine Molli.Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Professor Melissa Murray of NYU School of Law and Jeffrey Toobin of the New Yorker for a round table discussion of the big abortion case of the term, why Chief Justice John Roberts chose to strike down the Louisiana abortion law in June Medical Services LLC v Russo, and why opinion about Roberts’ opinion seems to be divided along very gendered lines.In the Slate Plus segment, Dahlia and Mark Joseph Stern break down the other big opinions of the week and their implications for executive power and the separation of church and state. Finally, they look ahead to what remains of the term. 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.

Since March, white-collar offices in major cities across the United States have stood empty. Now, with growing evidence that the workforce is equally effective at home, companies and designers are starting to rethink the office—what it looks like, what it’s used for, and if it’s really needed at all.But this wholesale reimagining of office life comes at a cost. How will the severe reduction of commuters transform American cities?Guests:John Capobianco, principal at IA Interior ArchitectsHannah Hackathorn, principal at UnispaceEllen Baer, BID president, Hudson Square Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since March, white-collar offices in major cities across the United States have stood empty. Now, with growing evidence that the workforce is equally effective at home, companies and designers are starting to rethink the office—what it looks like, what it’s used for, and if it’s really needed at all.But this wholesale reimagining of office life comes at a cost. How will the severe reduction of commuters transform American cities?Guests:John Capobianco, principal at IA Interior ArchitectsHannah Hackathorn, principal at UnispaceEllen Baer, BID president, Hudson Square Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.