Introduction

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Jim Jordan’s efforts to become Speaker of the House; President Joe Biden’s visit to an Israel at war; and Donald Trump’s gag order.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

Robert Jimison and Kayla Guo for The New York Times: “As Speaker Chaos Grows, so Does Talk of Empowering McHenry”

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis on the Hang Up and Listen podcast: “The What Jim Jordan Knew About Sexual Abuse at Ohio State Edition”

Philip Bump for The Washington Post: “Americans see the House speaker mess as hurting the country”

John Dickerson and Charlie D’Agata for CBS News Prime Time: “Rocket Attack Destroys Hospital in Gaza”

Charlie Savage and Alan Feuer for The New York Times: “Gag Order on Trump in Election Case Leaves More Hard Questions”

Here are this week’s chatters:

John: Mallika Marshall for CBS Boston: “Hitting snooze in the morning could be beneficial, new studies say” and Will Stone for NPR: “I usually wake up just ahead of my alarm. What’s up with that?”

Emily: Shaun Walker for The Guardian: “Poland election: Law and Justice party on course to be ousted from power” and Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Poland Shows That Autocracy Is Not Inevitable”

David: “Beckham” on Netflix

Listener chatter from Phoebe Saltzstein: Brett Arends for MarketWatch: “Here’s the real cause of the Social Security funding shortfall, according to the program’s chief actuary”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David discuss Oprah Winfrey, Mitt Romney, and a presidential Dream Team and reference: Mike Allen for Axios: “Scoop: Oprah pitched a White House run with Mitt Romney, book reveals”; Romney: A Reckoning by McKay Coppins; Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger; “Pumping Iron” documentary film; and The New York Times: “First Lady Tours Coal Mine in Ohio: Mrs. Roosevelt Wears Miner’s Lighted Cap and Spends Hour and Half Underground.”

In the next Gabfest Reads, David talks with Kristi Coulter about her book, Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Julie Huygen

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