Political Gabfest

David Plotz, Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson discuss Tuesday’s primaries, the economy (is it as bad as we all think it is?), and are joined by Susan Matthews to talk Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Nellie Bowles for the Atlantic: “How San Francisco Became a Failed City”Emily Bazelon for the New York Times: “America Almost Took a Different Path Toward Abortion Rights”Derek Thompson for the Atlantic: “Everything Is Terrible, but I’m Fine” Patricia Cohen for the New York Times: “Global Growth Will Be Choked Amid Inflation and War, World Bank Says” Here’s this week’s chatter:David: Jack Hitt for the New York Times: “Want to Do Less Time? A Prison Consultant Might Be Able to Help.” John: The Economist, “The coming food catastrophe”; The Paris Review, “Henry Miller, The Art of Fiction No. 28”Emily: Moore v. HarperListener chatter from Daniel Reich: “The Path to Power” by Robert Caro For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, David, and John talk about the 20th anniversary of The Wire. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Grace Woodruff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Plotz, Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson discuss the response to the Uvalde shooting, Biden’s plan for student loan forgiveness, and a bunch of ignored subpoenas. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Jillian Peterson and James Densley, interviewed by Melanie Warner for Politico: “Two Professors Found What Creates a Mass Shooter. Will Politicians Pay Attention?”Here’s this week’s chatter:Emily: Heidi Przybyla for Politico: “‘It’s going to be an army’: Tapes reveal GOP plan to contest elections”David: Ezra Klein for the New York Times: “What America Needs Is a Liberalism That Builds” John: AP: “Over 37K voters crossed over in Georgia GOP primary in effort to block Trump-based nominees”; LiveScience: “Male mice are terrified of bananas. Here's why.” Listener chatter from Barbara Tanzler: The 11th World Potato Congress in Dublin, IrelandFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, David, and John discuss Elon Musk’s ultimatum for a full return to work. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Grace Woodruff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Dickerson talks with author Elif Batuman about coming of age as a college student in the 1990’s, and the similarities between herself and her main character in Either/Or, the sequel to The Idiot. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Kate McGee and Jolie McCullough for The Texas Tribune: “Confrontedwith mass shootings, Texas Republicans have repeatedly loosened gun laws”Bruce Leshan for WUSA9: “Other countries have been hit by school shootings – and done something” Carl Hulse for The New York Times: “How Congress Passed an Assault Weapons Ban in 1994” Rebecca Kern for Politico: “Tech companies removed the Buffalo shooting manifesto. A Texas law could make that illegal”  Emily Woodbury for St. Louis Public Radio: “Sheena Chestnut Greitens analyzes China’s tightrope walk amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”Lara Seligman for Politico: “‘Deadly serious’: U.S. quietly urging Taiwan to follow Ukraine playbook for countering China” Here are this week’s chatters:David: The Congressional Naming Commission planning to rename forts originally named for Confederate leadersEmily: The women in her New York Times piece “America Almost Took a Different Path Toward Abortion Rights” John: Trump’s losses in the Georgia Republican primary and Jason Willick’s Washington Post piece, “Why Trump’s 2024 chances are even worse than Georgia suggests”  Listener chatter from Rebecca Vernon: Marisa lati for The Washington Post: “In a massive Chinese sinkhole, scientists find a secret forest”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment John, Emily and David talk to Jody Rosen about bicycles and his new book, Two Wheels Good: The History & Mystery of the Bicycle.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Thomas B. Edsall for The New York Times: “Status Anxiety Is Blowing Wind Into Trump’s Sails”Karn Yourish and Nicholas Confessore for The New York Times: “A Fringe Conspiracy Theory, Fostered Online, Is Refashioned by the G.O.P.”Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “The Slaughter in Buffalo Hasn’t Quieted the Great Replacement Caucus”Nathaniel Rakich for FiveThirtyEight: “What Went Down During the May 17 Primary Elections” David A. Graham for The Atlantic: “John Fetterman Wins on Vibes”Greg Sargent for The Washington Post: “Say it Clearly: Republicans Just Nominated a Pro-Trump Insurrectionist”Lauren Debter for Forbes: “A Startup Wanted To Make A Better Baby Formula. It Took Five Long Years.”Mary McNamara for Los Angeles Times: “Worried About The Declining Birthrate? How About Giving Mothers a Break” Ruth Marcus for The Washington Post: “For Justice Thomas, The Roberts Court is More Feud Than Family” Here are this week’s chatters:John: Steven Goff and Molly Hensley-Clancy for The Washington Post: “U.S. Women’s And Men’s National Soccer Teams Close Pay Gap With ‘Game-Changing’ Deal”Emily: Patricia Campos Mello for Poynter: “An Unholy Coalition Torpedoes Social Media Reform Legislation in Brazil”David: “The Final Dance in Dirty Dancing, But They’re Dancing To The Muppet Show Theme Tune” by @PandamoanimumListener chatter from Dylan Bindman: Christophe Haubursin for Vox: “Who Made These Circles in The Sahara?”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John discuss Justice Clarence Thomas’ recent comments and the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Michael C. Dorf for Dorf on Law: “In a Post-Roe World, Can States Prevent Women From Seeking Abortions Out-of-State?”Ruth Graham for The New York Times: “A Pastor and His Congregation Part Ways”Ruth Graham and Elizabeth Dias for The New York Times: “The Growing Religious Fervor in the American Right: ‘This Is a Jesus Movement’”The Great Evangelical Recession: 6 Factors That Will Crash the American Church...and How to Prepare by John DickersonHere are this week’s chatters:Emily: Forbidden City, by Vanessa Hua; A River of Stars by Vanessa Hua; Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids, by Scott Hershovitz John: Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City, by Andrea Elliott; Jon Ward for Christianity Today: “Being a Political Journalist Made Me a Better Christian”; The Bob Dylan Center; John Dickerson for CBS This Morning: “Bob Dylan Center: A Window Into the Voice of a Generation”David: Mother Jones: “How Private Equity Looted America”; Our Earth: “Cool Airplane Camera Views on Lufthansa”Listener chatter from Nicholas Gaffney: Alex Hanson for The Valley News: “Croydon Reverses Slashing Of School Budget After Voters Turn Out For Special Meeting”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the things they do today that would horrify their 25-year-old selves.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Ruth Marcus for The Washington Post: “The Leaked Draft Roe Opinion Is A Disaster For The Supreme”Edwin Meese III for The Washington Post: “Did The Conservative Legal Movement Succeed? That All Depends On Whether The Supreme Court Overrules Roe V. Wade.”Reginald Dwayne Betts for The New York Times Magazine: “Could an Ex-Convict Become an Attorney? I Intended to Find Out”Here are this week’s chatters:Ruth: Julia Clancy for Eating Well: “What Is an Air Fryer and Should You Buy One?”James: The Other Side of Prospect: A Story of Violence, Injustice, and the American City,by Nicholas Dawidoff Emily: She’s getting a puppy! Send your advice.Listener chatter from Joe Stracci: Kevin Kelly for The Techium: “103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily and Ruth interview James about his innovative programs at Yale’s Center for Law and Racial Justice.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, Title 42, and the current prayer in school debate.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Daphne Keller for The Center for Internet and Society: “What Does The DSA Say?”John Dickerson for Slate: “Born Identity”Here are this week’s chatters:David: Ed Kilgore for New York Magazine: “Utah Democrats Endorse Independent Evan McMullin in Challenge to Mike Lee”; CityCast.fm/jobs John: Reddit thread: “This is a 3200-year old attendance sheet found in Deir el-Medina, Egypt. Reasons for worker absence include ‘embalming brother’, ‘brewing beer’ and ‘bitten by scorpion’”; The British Museum: Ostracon Emily: Ronald Brownstein for The Atlantic: “Why California Wants to Recall Its Most Progressive Prosecutors”; Vanessa Romo for NPR: “The LA Sheriff Now Says No Charges For The Reporter Who Wrote About A Cover-Up”Listener chatter from J.T. Horn: Mary Pols for Downeast Magazine "Why Maine Owes Its Most Breathtaking Public Lands to One 1972 Newspaper Story" For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss John’s prescient 2011 piece about Trump’s birtherism.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the ways that the war in Ukraine may be influencing China's future plans with guest Malcolm Turnbull; the mask mandate ruling; whether it matters that the RNC has rejected presidential debates; and Gabfest producer Jocelyn Frank signs off after many years of producing the show.Here are this week’s chatters:David: Mark Emem for CCN: “Jeff Bezos Missed 20,000% Gains After $250K Google Stake in 1998”John: Kathryn Olivarius: “Necropolis: Yellow Fever, Immunity, And Capitalism In The Deep South, 1800-1860”Emily: Rachel M. Cohen for the Intercept: “At a Pivotal Moment, Democrats Failed to Modernize Elections”Listener chatter from Randy Switt: Christopher P. Hammon and Victoria L. Vish for National Law Review: “Eleventh Circuit: Service Charges Are Wages, Not Tips, Under FLSA”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment long-time Gabfest producer Jocelyn Frank shares her experiences making the show with Emily, David, and John.Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Plotz talks with author Amy Bloom about her journey to support the death, by suicide, of her husband, chronicled in her new book In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (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