Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Biden's gaffe in speaking too honestly about Russia; Trump’s missing phone logs; and Ginni Thomas’s efforts to subvert the election. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Bob Woodward and Robert Costa for The Washington Post: “Jan. 6 White House Logs Given To House Show 7-Hour Gap In Trump Calls” Hugo Lowell for The Guardian: “Trump Used White House Phone For Call On January 6 That Was Not On Official Log” Bob Woodward and...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 5 min
David Plotz and John Dickerson are joined by Ruth Marcus to discuss Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing; Ukraine keeps fighting through atrocity; and more allegations of Republican candidates committing domestic abuse. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Dana Milbank for the Washington Post: “Cruz Attacks Jackson For ‘Critical Race Theory’—But Sends His Own Daughters to Learn It” Henry Olsen for the Washington Post: “Republicans Are Right to Oppose Ketanji Brown Ja...
Mar 24, 2022•56 min
Emily Bazelon talks with author Meghan O’Rourke about germ theory, biomarkers, medical mysteries, long COVID and the quest to return to health as chronicled in her new book The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 22, 2022•31 min
Emily and David are joined by guest host Juliette Kayyem to discuss the arming of Ukraine, how to prepare for the next pandemic or catastrophe, and daylight savings time debates. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Megan Garber for The Atlantic: “The Grim Stagecraft of Zelensky’s Selfie Videos” Atul Gawande for The New Yorker: “Costa Ricans Live Longer Than We Do. What's the Secret?” The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters, by Juliette Kayyem Here’s ...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Ukraine's fighting spirit, rising gas prices, and conformity on campus. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: The Science of Politics podcast: “Does the Public Respond to Threats to Democracy?” The Basic Writings of John Stuart Mill: On Liberty, the Subjection of Women and Utilitarianism The Guns of August, by Barbara W. Tuchman Emma Camp for the New York Times: “I Came to College Eager to Debate. I Found Self-Censorship ...
Mar 10, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Ukraine's resistance, the State of the Union, and an increasing backlash against reformer prosecutors. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Thomas L. Friedman for The New York Times: “I See Three Scenarios for How This War Ends” Anne Appelbaum for the Atlantic: “The Bad Guys Are Winning” Gal Beckerman for The Atlantic: “How Zelensky Gave the World a Jewish Hero” Rebecca Davis O’Brien for The New York Times: “How This ‘Pro...
Mar 03, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Stanford Law professor Nathaniel Persily joins David and Emily to discuss President Biden’s nomination for associate justice of the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson. You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (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 th...
Feb 25, 2022•20 min
Emily and David are joined by guest host Jane Coaston. The three discuss Putin's war with guest Julia Ioffe and also the GOP attacks on transgender children, and Democrats’ “hack gap.” Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Julia Ioffe for Puck News: “Will Putin Get His World War III?” Anne Appelbaum for The Atlantic: “The Reason Putin Would Risk War” The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood Here’s this week’s chatter: David: Work at City Cast; David’s “Exploring a Secret Fort”...
Feb 24, 2022•51 min
Gabfest reads is a new monthly series from the hosts of the Political Gabfest. This month David Plotz talks with author Florence Williams about divorce, affection, good friendships, and her new book Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 20, 2022•36 min
Josie Duffy Rice, David Plotz and John Dickerson discuss America's radicalized parents; what the midterms may bring; and the Sandy Hook families’ victory. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Clara Jeffrey for Mother Jones: “What Pundits Don’t Understand About the San Francisco Recall” Jasper Scherer and Benjamin Wermund for The Houston Chronicle: “We Asked All 143 Texas GOP Congressional Candidates About Biden's Win. Only 13 Call it Legitimate.” John Dickerson for the Atlan...
Feb 17, 2022•56 min
Emily, John and David dig into SCOTUS's failure to enforce the Voting Rights Act, the GOP's embrace of January 6th rioters, and protests in Canada. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: John Dickerson for The Atlantic: “The GOP Has No Standards Now” Adela Suliman for The Washington Post: “Marjorie Taylor Greene says Nancy Pelosi leads ‘gazpacho police,’ causing collective spit take” Brett Samuels for The Hill: “Pence breaks with Trump: 'I had no right to overturn the election...
Feb 10, 2022•56 min
Emily, John and David discuss Donald Trump’s attempts to seize voting machines, the racist attacks on the yet-to-be-named SCOTUS nominee, and they are joined by Joseph Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard University's T. H. Chan School of Public Health, to discuss ways we might update U.S. COVID norms. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Joseph G. Allen for The Washington Post: “Our Playbook to Fight Covid-19 Is Outdated. Here Are 10 Updates for 2022....
Feb 03, 2022•1 hr 3 min
John, Emily and David discuss Justice Breyer’s retirement. They are joined by Anne Applebaum to talk about what global moves may be coming to address threats to Ukraine, and The Gist’s Mike Pesca covers a round robin of the week's news. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics, by Stephen Breyer Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “The Bad Guys Are Winning” The Gist Slow Burn: Watergate Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel St...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Biden’s first year, SCOTUS's block of OSHA’s vax-or-test rule, and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s busy start. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: John Dickerson for CBS Sunday Morning: “President Joe Biden: The First Year” Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel Station Eleven series on HBO Max Here’s this week’s chatter: Emily: Deep Cover, Season 2: Mob Land John: Take Note Podcast; Adam Webb for Take Note: “How to...
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss voting rights, Russia's recent moves, with guest Nina Jankowicz; and the increasing politicization of cable news. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute: Electoral Count Act of 1887 David Becker on Face the Nation: “Elections Expert David Becker Denounces ‘Efforts to Sow Confusion and Chaos’ ” Emily Bazelon for the New York Times: “Democracy Worked This Year. but It Is Under ...
Jan 13, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Jan. 6, with guest Jamelle Bouie and what to make of omicron's impact on schools, and the Theranos case. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Matt Levine for Bloomberg: “Slaying the Blood Unicorn” Wall Street Journal: Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes: History of the WSJ Investigation Emily Bazelon for the New York Times Magazine: “I Write About the Law. But Could I Really Help Free a Prisoner?” Ruddy Roye Photography Walker ...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz wrap up 2021 considering life’s many conundrums—with special guest Dwayne Betts! Questions this year include: if you could eliminate one word from the English language what would it be? If you could transport the characters of one book into the time and place of another, which would you choose? If you were ONLY able to brush your teeth in the morning or the night- which would be optimal? Special thanks to everyone who sent in conundrums for consider...
Dec 30, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the future of the Democratic party's agenda, Omicron's spread across the United States and they're joined by investigative journalist Azmat Khan to talk about the deaths of civilians overseas and the lack of accuracy from the U.S. military. Give the gift of Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membership: unlimited reading, ad-free listening, bonus content, and so much more. Here are some notes and references fro...
Dec 23, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Emily, John and David discuss January 6th revelations, Build Back Better and voting rights and they are joined by Slow Burn host Joel Anderson to talk about Season 6: The L.A. Riots. Give the gift of Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membership: unlimited reading, ad-free listening, bonus content, and so much more. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: David A. Graham for the Atlantic: “The Paperwork Coup” Barton Gellman for the Atlantic: “Tru...
Dec 16, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Emily and David are joined by guest host David Leonhardt to discuss the pandemic economy; a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics, and the Ghislaine Maxwell trial. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: John J. Mearsheimer for Foreign Affairs: “The Inevitable Rivalry: America, China, and the Tragedy of Great-Power Politics” Corey Robin for The New York Times: “Why the Biden Presidency Feels Like Such a Disappointment” The Enigma of Clarence Thomas, by Corey Robin Mike Baker for T...
Dec 09, 2021•59 min
Emily, John and David discuss the Supreme Court's consideration of Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization with guest Ross Douthat. The Political Gabfest hosts also talk about how best to approach the news of the Omicron variant, and why the Cuomo brothers’ scandals matter. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Diana Greene Foster for The New York Times: “What Happens When It’s Too Late to Get an Abortion” University of California, San Francisco, Advancing New Standards i...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Emily, John and David talk about whether President Biden ought to run in 2024, the Rittenhouse verdict and former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull joins the Gabfest to talk about international relations with China. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Edward-Isaac Dovere and Jasmine Wright for CNN: “Exasperation and Dysfunction: Inside Kamala Harris' Frustrating Start as Vice President.” Jonathan Chait for New York magazine: “Joe Biden’s Big Squeeze” High Conflict, by Amanda ...
Nov 24, 2021•59 min
John, Emily and David discuss Biden’s approval numbers, authoritarianism on the rise, and they are joined by author Jay Caspian Kang to talk about his new book, The Loneliest Americans. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: FiveThirtyEight, Latest Polls Isaac Chotiner for the New Yorker: “Can Biden’s Agenda Survive Inflation?” Jason Furman for the Wall Street Journal: “Biden Can Whip Inflation and Build Back Better” The Loneliest Americans, by Jay Caspian Kang Pew Research ...
Nov 18, 2021•1 hr 11 min
John and David are joined by guest host Ruth Marcus to discuss Biden’s infrastructure win, Trump’s January 6 obstruction, and the Rittenhouse trial. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Adie Tomer, Joseph W. Kane, Caroline George, and Andrew Bourne, for The Brookings Institution: “America Has An Infrastructure Bill. What Happens Next?” Ruth Marcus for the Washington Post: “At Yale Law School, a Party Invitation Ignites a Firestorm” Josh Dawsey, Isaac Stanley-Becker, and Mich...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 4 min
John Dickerson talks with Kirsten Powers about her new book Saving Grace: speak your truth, stay centered and learn to coexist with people who drive you nuts. Powers offers advice about on how to navigate the toxic divisions within our culture without compromising personal convictions and emotional well-being. Kirsten Powers is a New York Times bestselling author, USA Today columnist, and senior political analyst for CNN, where she appears regularly on Anderson Cooper 360, CNN Tonight with Don L...
Nov 07, 2021•22 min
NYTimes columnist Ross Douthat joins the show to help untangle the implications of the off-year elections and John, Emily and David discuss the Supreme Court arguments on abortion in Texas and guns in New York. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery, by Ross Douthat Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: “It’s Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court Now” Here’s this week’s chatter: Emily: Associated Press: “University Of Florida Face...
Nov 04, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Emily, John and David talk about the Facebook Papers; Building Back (somewhat) Better; and are joined by author Pamela Paul to talk about the trivial and serious sides of her new book: 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Casey Newton for Platformer on Substack: “How The American Internet Is Turning European” Farhad Manjoo for The New York Times: “Facebook Is Bad. Fixing It Rashly Could Make It Much Worse.” Adrienne LaFrance for The Atl...
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Emily, John and David discuss Steve Bannon’s contempt of Congress, supply chain woes, and Americans pro-actively leaving their jobs. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jordan Weissmann for Slate: “The Absolute Simplest Explanation for America’s Supply Chain Woes” David J. Lynch for The Washington Post: “Inside America’s Broken Supply Chain” Derek Thompson for The Atlantic: “The Great Resignation Is Accelerating” Matt Bruenig for The People’s Policy Project: “Democratic Chi...
Oct 21, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Emily, John and David discuss the ways that U.S. democracy is in peril, the Democrats‘ strategy woes, and they are joined by author Andrea Elliott to talk about her new book Invisible Child. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Ezra Klein for The New York Times: “David Shor Is Telling Democrats What They Don’t Want to Hear” Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “Bill Clinton, Race and the Politics of the 1990s” The Ezra Klein Show. “Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews Heather ...
Oct 14, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Emily and John are joined by guest host Mary Harris (host of What Next) to talk about the dangerous debt ceiling games; blowing the whistle on Facebook; and new revelations about January 6th and the plan to overturn the election. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Wall Street Journal: The Facebook Files Wall Street Journal: The Facebook Files, A Podcast Series Nathaniel Persily for the Washington Post: “Facebook Hides Data Showing It Harms Users. Outside Scholars Need Acce...
Oct 07, 2021•57 min
