Political Gabfest

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legislative win limiting judicial powers while hundreds of thousands of Israelis protest; Harvard University and other elite colleges’ reconsideration of legacy admissions; and the revise-or-bust status of Hunter Biden’s plea deal.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Emily...

David Plotz talks with author David Grann about his new book,  The Wager . The non-fiction book tells the harrowing story of a shipwreck off the coast of Patagonia in 1742. They discuss how the British Empire twisted fact and fiction, the process of digging through 280-year-old documents, and why you should always have citrus at sea. Tweet us your questions  @SlateGabfest  or email us at  gabfest@...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz are together again and talking about Donald Trump’s next indictment and the charges against his “false electors” in Michigan; the struggles of candidates Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, et al.; and Congressional Republicans’ culture war against the U.S. military.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: James Madison: “ Impeach...

This week, John Dickerson and David Plotz are joined by Vox’s  Marin Cogan   @marincogan  to discuss the extreme weather, heat, and floods that are wreaking havoc across the United States and around the world; the social media phenomenon of Threads; and the American love-hate relationship with cars.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Cara Buckley for The New York Times: “...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz are on vacation, but Emily taped an extra episode of Gabfest Reads for everyone. She sits down with author Monica Potts to talk about her new memoir  The Forgotten Girls . They discuss growing up in rural Arkansas, Monica’s childhood best friend Darci, and more. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and John chatter about...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz are live and on stage with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and also discuss the Supreme Court’s legitimacy problem and the not-Trump Republican candidates’ struggle.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: C-SPAN: “ Maryland State of the State Address ” Jeffrey M. Jones for Gallup: “ Trust in Federal Government Branches Con...

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Keziah Weir for Vanity Fair: “ How Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Became the Anti-vaxxer Icon of America’s Nightmares ” Matt Viser for The Washington Post: “ The complicated relationship between a presidential father and a struggling son ” Pam Belluck and Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: “ New York Passes Bill to Shield Abortion Providers Sendi...

Emily Bazelon talks with author Peter Singer about his updated and re-released book,  Animal Liberation Now . The classic text has been an integral part of the animal rights movement since its publication in 1975. They discuss what we’ve learned about animals in the last several decades, including the intelligence of animals, why people should become vegan to help with climate change, and what we'...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the federal case against Donald Trump involving national-security documents, Atlanta’s Cop City training facility, and Elizabeth Gilbert’s decision to delay her next book situated in Soviet-era Russia.    Join us for a live taping!  Political Gabfest Live in Washington, D.C. , Wednesday June 28, 7:30 p.m., Sixth & I. In-person a...

In a Gabfest Special Edition, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Donald Trump’s indictment on charges relating to classified documents and the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision on Alabama racial gerrymandering.   Here are some notes and references from today’s show: The Washington Post: “ Live Updates: Trump criminal indictment is unsealed, shows he faces 37 charges ” Robert Barnes...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the latest three Republicans battling for the presidential nomination; Oklahoma’s approval of a Catholic public-charter school; and Saudi sportswashing in golf and soccer.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Andrew Prokop for Vox: “ Trump’s next indictment is looming – and the evidence against him is trickli...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the debt-ceiling deal; the Russia-Ukraine war with the Atlantic’s Kori Schake @KoriSchake ; and the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: John Wagner for The Washington Post: “ Senate racing to pass debt ceiling bill ahead of Monday default deadline ” The Last Po...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the imminent X Date when the United States hits the debt ceiling and could default; the presidential campaign announcements of Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott; and the possibilities of regulating artificial intelligence.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Ezra Klein for The New York Times: “ Liberals Are Persuad...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the John Durham report on the FBI investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign; the mifepristone case heard by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the 12-week abortion ban in North Carolina; and the legal showdown between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: David Frum...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, discuss the $5 million jury verdict for E. Jean Carroll and against Donald Trump; joined by New York Times Mexico bureau chief Natalie Kitroeff @Nataliekitro, the end of Title 42 and the flow of migrants at the border; and the looming crisis of raise the debt ceiling or default.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Ka...

Emily Bazelon talks with author author  Curtis Sittenfeld  about her new book  Romantic Comedy .    They discuss why ordinary guys get to be with famous women, but usually not the other way around, the fun of writing a fictional version of Saturday Night Live, and how to write witty email exchanges.   Tweet us your questions  @SlateGabfest  or email us at  gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be qu...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and the New York Times’s  Jamelle Bouie   @jbouie  discuss the battle between President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy on raising the debt ceiling; the courtroom drama of E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump; and the power of Republican supermajorities in state legislatures.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Nick Mourtoupalas...

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the kick-off of President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign; the firings of Tucker Carlson from Fox News and Don Lemon from CNN; and the Bud Light marketing misstep with Insta influencer Dylan Mulvaney.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Joe Biden Campaign: “ Let’s Finish the Job ”  Aaron Zitner for the Wall S...

David Plotz talks with author  Alexandra Petri  about her new book,  Alexandra Petri’s US History: Important American Documents . They discuss how to transform staid history documents into rollicking parodies, how Petri found her “voice” multiple times, and her grander ambitions for the book. Plus, Petri reads some choice selections. Tweet us your questions  @SlateGabfest  or email us at  gabfest@...

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the $787.5 million settlement of the Dominion Voting v. Fox News defamation lawsuit; the political game being played with raising the U.S. debt ceiling; and the Russian detention of American journalist Evan Gershkovich.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jim Rutenberg and Katie Robertson for the New York Time...

This week, David Plotz and Emily Bazelon discuss the federal court rulings on the F.D.A.-approved abortion medication mifepristone, the expulsion of two Democratic representatives by the Republican-supermajority state legislature in Tennessee, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ latest ethics problem.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Adam Unikowsky for Adam’s Leg...

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus discuss Donald Trump’s arraignment; the elections of Janet Protasiewicz to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Brandon Johnson for Chicago mayor; and the possibility of No Labels playing spoiler in 2024 presidential politics.   Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Manhattan District Attorney’s Office: “ Dist...

In a Gabfest Special edition, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Donald Trump’s indictment. Here are some notes and references from today’s show: The New York Times: “ Live Updates: Trump Likely to Be Arraigned on Tuesday ” Slate Political Gabfest: The “Trump Will Be Indicted Next Tuesday” Edition Email your questions and chatters to gabfest@slate.com or Tweet us @SlateGabfest...

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to pause the legislation that will weaken Israel’s judiciary; the Congressional testimony of TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew; and the possibility of Chris Christie for President in 2024.   Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: “ Behind Protests’ Fur...

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Trump’s announcement he expects to be arrested; what ChatGPT means for the world; and interview Rachel Donadio, contributing writer for The Atlantic , about the unrest in France. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Rachel Donadio for The New York Times: “ Macron May Keep the Presidency, But Le Pen Has Already W...