Past Present

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss Carson v. Makin, the Supreme Court decision that overturns Maine's ban on giving public funds to private religious schools. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   In a victory for proponents of school choice and a major weakening of church-st...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the national tampon shortage and the history of feminine products. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   A national tampon shortage has until recently been dismissed as a minor inconvenience or even a punchline. We all drew on this Smithsoni...

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the long American tradition of June weddings. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   June wedding season is upon us, and after two years of delayed celebrations, it is especially packed. Natalia referred to this Harper's Bazaar photo essay ab...

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   Yet another mass shooting , this one at a Texas elementary school, highlights the unique American obsession with gun rights . Niki referred to this NPR piece on the ta...

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the cryptocurrency craze. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   The crash of TerraLuna is proving "crypto" to be both more than a passing trend and less than the miracle its boosters once promised. We recommended Kevin Roose's " Latecomer's...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   A deadly mass shooting in Buffalo, NY brought renewed attention to the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory widely circulated among white supremacists. Niki dr...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of adoption in the United States. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   The phrase "domestic supply of infants" in a footnote to the leaked draft Supreme Court decision regarding abortion has horrified many Americans . Niki refer...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court that overturns Roe v. Wade . Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   Politico published a leaked draft opinion , penned by Justice Samuel Alito, in which the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the landma...

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss Elon Musk's bid to buy Twitter. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   Billionaire Elon Musk made a successful $44 billion bid to acquire Twitter . Niki referred to this Los Angeles Times article about the limits of Elon Musk's "free speech a...

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss Coachella and the history of music festivals. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   The Coachella music festival has become a major cultural and commercial event . We all drew on this BBC chronology of music festivals, and Natalia referred t...

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the ongoing popularity of the true crime genre. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   When journalist Brendan Koerner took to Twitter to call out a podcast for using his work without attribution, he drew attention to the broader appetite for...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss recent developments in the politics of sex and marriage. https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   Republicans have both been sounding alarms about pedophilia and attempting to relax age-of-consent laws . Natalia referred to historian Clayton Howard's book, The Closet and the C...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss concerns over population decline. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   The rate of population growth in the United States is declining . Natalia referred to this Smithsonian article about longstanding fears about overpopulation and this Was...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss "The Great Resignation." Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   " The Great Resignation " has become a common trope in conversations about work and jobs in our current political culture. Natalia referred to this Atlantic article on the positi...

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the popularity of the Netflix show "Love Is Blind." Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   The second season of Love Is Blind is the latest in a long history of TV dating shows to capture the attention of the American public. Natalia recommen...

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss rising gas prices and the history of energy crises. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   Gas prices are surging , and Americans are frustrated. We all drew on historian Meg Jacobs' book, Panic at the Pump: The Energy Crisis and the Transfor...

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the American response to the escalating war between Russia and Ukraine. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   Russia has invaded Ukraine as the world watches . Natalia referred to philosopher Jason Stanley's article in TIME about denazificat...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the mysterious illness known as Havana Syndrome affecting U.S. diplomats around the world. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   Over 200 members of the U.S. Foreign Service and intelligence community have reported strange symptoms , includi...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the convoy of truckers that has occupied Ottawa, Canada. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   A convoy of truckers and their allies, totaling about 8,000 people, has gathered in the center of Ottawa, Canada , in protest of what they conside...

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss a controversial new Adidas ad for sports bras. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   Adidas went viral earlier this month for tweeting twenty-five sets of bare breasts in order to promote a new line of sports bras. Niki discussed this Time c...

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the cultural significance of emoji, in light of the release of new forms. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   The Unicode Consortium has released dozens of new emoji , including a pregnant man, a melting face, and multiple new family confi...

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's decision to retire. Support Past Present on Patreon: http://www.pastpresentpodcast.com/episodes Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has announced he will retire at the end of his term, a move many say is reflective of his pragmatism . Nata...

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss President Biden's first year in office. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   Public opinion of President Biden's first year in office is polarized . Neil and Niki referred to Jamelle Bouie's New York Times opinion piece comparing Biden and...

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the historical significance of the current craze over the online game Wordle. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   When a Brooklyn software engineer designed a word game as an act of love , he didn't know Wordle would become an online pheno...

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of rest and relaxation. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   As boundaries between work and home have become blurred during the pandemic, Americans have been thinking more deliberately about rest and relaxation . Neil drew on Ju...