Political Gabfest

David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson talk to civil rights journalist and WHYY radio host Cherri Gregg about the Pennsylvania midterm campaigns. 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 Need to set up your Slat...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the final midterm sprint; the latest British Prime Minister; and Trump’s legal troubles.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Adrian Wooldridge for Bloomberg: “ Rishi Sunak Is a New and Old-Fashioned Tory ” Barton Gellman for The Atlantic: “ The Impeachment of Joe Biden ” The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward's Twenty...

David Plotz talks with with author  Tom Perrotta  about why Tracy Flick doesn’t have the life she dreamed of in his new novel,  Tracy Flick Can’t Win . A sequel to Perrotta’s 1998 novel  Election ,  Tracy Flick Can’t Win  meets up with Tracy Flick decades later where she’s a single mother and assistant principal of a New Jersey high school.  Tweet us your questions  @SlateGabfest  or email us at ...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson concerning polls for Democrats, women protesting Iran’s regime, and the trial of Arkansas’ law targeting trans kids. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Roya Hakakian for The Atlantic: “ The Bonfire of the Headscarves ” A Beginner’s Guide to America for the Immigrant and the Curious , by Roya Hakakian  Matthew Yglesias...

David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson talk to Craig Mauger of The Detroit News about the major midterm elections in the swing state of Michigan. Then the hosts speak with the Washington Post’s Yvonne Wingett Sanchez about the MAGA diehards and their opponents in Arizona’s midterm election.  Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson LA’s racism & redistricting scandal, the Andy Warhol copyright case at the Supreme Court, and developments in Putin’s war on Ukraine. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “ Putin’s Newest Annexation Is Dire for Russia Too ” Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “ The Kremlin Must Be in Cr...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the new Supreme Court term; Herschel Walker’s abortion lies; and the legal mess Dobbs created for doctors providing abortion via telemedicine. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Emily Bazelon for The New York Times Magazine: “ The Doctors Risking Everything to Offer Abortions Across State Lines ” The New York...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss potential polling inaccuracy, Brett Favre and the larger scandal of states misusing federal welfare funding, and Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s take on Italy’s neo-fascist future Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Nate Cohen for The New York Times: “ Yes, The Polling Warning Signs Are Flashing...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson New York’s massive fraud case against the Trumps; Ron DeSantis’ treatments of asylum seekers; and Dahlia Lithwick’s Lady Justice .   Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Trading Barriers: Immigration and the Remaking of Globalization , Margaret E. Peters Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America , by...

John Dickerson talks with author Ada Calhoun about her new memoir,  Also a Poet: Frank O’Hara, My Father, and Me . What started as Calhoun’s attempt to finish the biography of Frank O’Hara that her father started, turned into a gripping story of Calhoun’s relationship with her father. Calhoun and Dickerson talk about not pulling punches when it comes to how nice family members are, why you can’t p...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Ukraine’s advances with Anne Applebaum; Lindsey Graham’s national abortion ban bill; and the controversy over requiring religious schools in New York to meet minimum educational standards. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “ It’s Time to Prepare for a Ukrainian Victory ” Anne...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the inexplicable success of Trump’s special master gambit in the Espionage Act investigation, Biden calling out anti-democratic elements of the electorate; and the roots of the Jackson, MS water crisis. Here are this week’s chatters: John: Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius for The Great Courses: Turning Points in Modern History Em...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Trump’s strange legal maneuvering in the obstruction investigation; what Trump’s second term would do to U.S. democracy; and what voters deserve to know about a candidate’s health. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jonathan Rauch for The Atlantic “ Trump’s Second Term Would Look Like This ” Age of Innocence ,...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss what the special election results suggest for the midterms, an unprecedented $1.6B donation to a secretive conservative organization; and Biden’s student loan forgiveness and repayment plans. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together , by Heath...

David Plotz talks with author Mat Johnson about his new novel  Invisible Things .  Johnson’s novel tells the story of a group of astronauts that land in a bubble colony on Jupiter's biggest moon. They talk about the challenges of writing satire when reality feels fake, how mediocre people rise up by sucking up, and why we need to look at the invisible things in our daily lives.   Tweet us your que...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Benjamin Wittes discuss the Trump investigations; Liz Cheney’s defeat; and Dana Goldstein’s reporting on controversies over how to teach kids to read. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jack Goldsmith for Lawfare: “ Prosecuting Trump: A Reply to Josh Marshall ” Dana Goldstein for The New York Times: “ An Old and Contested Solution t...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Juliette Kayyem discuss the Mar-a-Lago search; the Inflation Reduction Act; and Caitlin Dickerson’s article investigating how separating families at the border became U.S. policy. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “ An American Catastrophe: The Secret History of Family Separation ” Juliette Kayye...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Heather McGhee discuss the primaries and Kansan voters’ defense of abortion; Alex Jones on trial; and Annie Lowrey’s story of surviving pregnancy in the United States.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Sam Adler-Bell for The New York Times: “ The Violent Fantasies of Blake Masters ” Jason Beeferman for The Texas Tribune: “ How San...

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...

Emily Bazelon talks with author Vanessa Hua about  her new historical fiction book,  Forbidden City . The novel tells the story of sixteen-year-old revolutionary Mei who becomes a dancer in Chairman Mao’s inner circle. Emily and Vanessa talk about Vanessa’s inspiration for the novel, the complicated dynamics between Mei and Chairman Mao, and whether we’ll hear more from Mei.  Tweet us your questio...

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Josie Duffy Rice discuss Europe’s deadly heat wave, Joe Manchin’s balk at climate legislation, and the inevitable tragedies already happening post- Roe. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Lindsay Whitehurst, Camille Fassett, and Jasen Lo for the Associated Press: “ Social Programs Weak in Many States With Tough Abortion Laws ” The...

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Mark Leibovich discuss Biden’s 2024 plans, the establishment Republicans who stand by Trump, and Herschel Walker’s alarming Senate campaign. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission , by Mark Leibovich Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “ History Will Judge...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the Supreme Court’s gutting of administrative authority in West Virginia v. EPA, the case coming next term that could upend U.S. elections, and the Highland Park shooting. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Julian Davis Mortenson and Nicholas Bagley for The Atlantic: “ The Nondelegation Doctrine Is A Fable ” ...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson are live at Sixth & I in Washington, DC discussing the new insurrection revelations; the overturning of Roe ; and the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: David French for The Dispatch: “ The Case for Prosecuting Donald Trump Just Got Much Stronger ” Kirsten M. J. Thompson, Hugh...

Emily Bazelon talks with author Keri Blakinger about her new memoir, Corrections in Ink which recounts Blakinger’s path from Olympic ambitions, to heroin addiction, to prison, and ultimately a return to life on the outside.   Blakinger launched a program to deliver her memoir to currently incarcerated readers. You can learn more here:  https://800ceoread.com/coupons/redeem/donationcorrectionsinink...