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Like many families during the Trump years, the Reffitts fought about politics. But not many families had a son calling the FBI on his father. Now Guy Reffitt is facing a 15-year sentence for domestic terrorism for his actions on Jan. 6 while his loved ones pick up the pieces.Guest: Ilya Marritz, senior reporter at WNYC, co-host of the Wondery podcast “Will be Wild”.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Researchers have untangled a world of illicit trade that threatens ecosystems and endangers species.Guest: Dr. Alice Hughes, Richard StewartHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second of Amicus’ Summer Series of interviews that step out of the day to day of jurisprudence to look at justice and the Supreme Court through a wide-angle lens, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by actor and playwright Heidi Schreck. Schreck created and starred in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award - nominated “What the Constitution Means to Me” and is a fierce advocate for abortion rights. Together, they try to locate the spot at the intersection of politics, law, culture, media and art that might provide a space to adequately describe the impacts of the Dobbs decision. And that is where they find the galvanizing forces and creative feats of imagination that have served previous generations in the fight for equal rights, and that will fuel the fight to come. Sign up for Slate Plus now to support our show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the merits of the Inflation Reduction Act and Larry Summers’ role in moving it along, the low GDP numbers, and a listener question about corporate landlords. In the Plus segment: This week’s Slate piece on the sham that is college financial aid.   Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In buying One Medical, Amazon is primed to be your doctor. Are they disrupting health care, or just collecting more data?Guest: Rebecca PiferHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the surprise deal for climate legislation, new January 6th revelations, and the deadliest road in America. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Carol D. Leonnig, Devlin Barrett, Josh Dawsey and Spencer S. Hsu for The Washington Post: “Justice Dept. Investigating Trump’s Actions In Jan. 6 Criminal Probe”Carol D. Leonnig and Maria Sacchetti for The Washington Post: “Secret Service Watchdog Knew in February That Texts Had Been Purged”Forbidden City, by Vanessa HuaDan Kaufman for The New Yorker: “Will Wisconsin’s Republicans Make Voting Meaningless, or Just Difficult?”Richard L. Hasen for Slate: “What the Critics Get Incredibly Wrong about the Collins-Manchin Election Bill”Marin Cogan for Vox: “The Deadliest Road In America”Robert James Schneider, Rebecca Sanders, Frank Proulx, Hamideh Moayyed for the Journal of Transport and Land Use: “United States Fatal Pedestrian Crash Hot Spot Locations And Characteristics”Unsafe At Any Speed, by Ralph NaderStrong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity, by Charles L. Marohn Jr. Allison Russell’s Outside ChildJohn Dickerson for Slate: “Getting Naked Every Night: Girlyman and the Pursuit of Creative Risk.”Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: Jonathan Bernstein for Rolling Stone: “‘She Schooled Us All’: Inside Joni Mitchell’s Stunning Return to Newport Folk Festival”; David McCabe and Mike Isaac for The New York Times: “F.T.C. Sues to Block Meta’s Virtual Reality Deal as It Confronts Big Tech”John: Oliver Whang for The New York Times: “‘Parentese’ Is Truly a Lingua Franca, Global Study Finds”David: April Rubin and Jesus Jiménez for The New York Times: “4,000 Mistreated Beagles Need Homes. These Folks Stepped Up.”Listener chatter from Mark Allender: The Dollop #283: “James Clark McReynolds, the Worst Supreme Court Justice Ever”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 by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adoption is often invoked as an alternative to abortion. But looking back at how adoption worked before Roe v. Wade—and looking at how it works now—the option is cold comfort for many people facing unintended pregnancies. Guest: Ann Fessler, author of The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The “Respect for Marriage Act” protects same-sex marriages nationwide and already has bipartisan support. If put to a vote in the Senate, it seems likely to pass. So why aren’t Democrats making it a priority?Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer at Slate.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The American southwest is in a megadrought. Water levels in lakes are dropping, threatening the local environment as well as agriculture, hydroelectric power, and the people living there. As global temperatures rise, it could be a preview of worse things to come. Guest: Dr. Jason Smerdon, ocean and climate physicist, and Lamont research professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and co-director at the Earth Institute Faculty. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liz Cheney rose through Republican leadership based on her conservative bona fides, but thanks to her prominent role in the Jan 6th committee, she’s gained donors and admirers from across the aisle. Her constituents back in Wyoming aren’t so enthusiastic though, throwing her future in Congress into doubt.  Guest: Bob Beck, news director of Wyoming Public Radio.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.