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 quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.
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Gabfest Reads: The Classic Hollywood Romance Gets a Makeover

Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says "Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest." The Gabfest, featuring Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, is the kind of informal and irreverent discussion Washington journalists have after hours over drinks.

News

Politics

Government

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the testimony of prosecution witness David Pecker in Donald Trump’s criminal trial, student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, and the Supreme Court argument on presidential immunity. 
 
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: 
Matthew Haag for The New York Times: David Pecker, Ex-National Enquirer Publisher, Details How He Aided Trump
Richard L. Hasen in the Los Angeles Times: Opinion: Why it’s hard to muster even a ‘meh’ over Trump’s New York criminal trial
J. David Goodman, David Montgomery, Jonathan Wolfe, and Jenna Russell for The New York Times: Campus Protests Over Gaza Intensify Amid Pushback by Universities and Police
Spectator Editorial Board for the Columbia Spectator: Is Columbia in crisis?
Minouche Shafik in The Wall Street Journal: Columbia University President: What I Plan to Tell Congress Tomorrow
David Schizer in CNN: Opinion: To combat antisemitism, start by following the law
Michael C. Dorf for Verdict: Federal Antidiscrimination Law Does Not Require Campus Crackdowns
J Oliver Conroy for The Guardian: ‘Media firestorm’: Israel protest at professor’s home sparks heated free-speech debate
C-SPAN: Supreme Court Hears Case on Former President Trump’s Immunity Claim
Ann Marimow for The Washington Post: Supreme Court seems poised to allow Trump trial, but not immediately
Ian Millhiser for Vox: Donald Trump already won the only Supreme Court fight that mattered

Here are this week’s chatters:
John: Stephen Clark for Ars Technica: Recoding Voyager 1—NASA’s interstellar explorer is finally making sense again
Emily: Abbie VanSickle for The Washington Post: Supreme Court Appeals Sharply Divided in Emergency Abortion Case and Angela Palermo for The Spokesman-Review: Idaho has lost 22% of its practicing obstetricians in the last 15 months, report say
David: Exploring a Secret Fort on airbnb; City Cast: Work with us.; and Eve O. Schaub for The Washington Post: Don’t waste your time recycling plastic
Listener chatter from Michael Starr in New York City: Patrick Page in All The Devils Are Here; Richard the Third by Paul Murray Kendall; and Nancy Shute for NPR: No Hunch Here: Richard III Suffered From Scoliosis Instead
 
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk about a question before the Supreme Court: can a city regulate homelessness? See Amy Howe for SCOTUSblog: Court divided over constitutionality of criminal penalties for homelessness; Esteban L. Hernandez and Meira Gebel for Axios: Supreme Court weighs case that could affect Denver’s approach to homelessness and Alayna Alvarez: Denver’s urban camping ban brings 10 years of turmoil; and Eli Saslow and Todd Heisler for The New York Times: A Sandwich Shop, a Tent City and an American Crisis. 
 
In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with David E. Sanger about his new book, New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West.
 
Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
 
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth
Research by Julie Huygen
 
Hosts
Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Election Fraud Pure and Simple

In this week’s essay, John dives deep into the loss of his beloved dog, George, the essayist’s dilemma, the comfort of quiet mornings, and more.
 
Notebook Entries:
Notebook 75, page 5. September 5, 2021
I go to the morning alone.
 
Notebook 75, page 6. September 6, 2021
Phantom nails on the stairs
 
 
References:
“Every Dog Is a Rescue Dog” by John Dickerson for The Atlantic
“Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds” by Miho Nagasawa et.al for Science
Haikus by Jennifer Gurney
“Which Pet Will Make You Happiest?” by Arthur C. Brooks for The Atlantic
“The Family Dog Is in Sync With Your Kids” by Gretchen Reynolds for The New York Times
 
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.
Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com
  
Want to listen to Navel Gazing uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Navel Gazing and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/navelgazingplus to get access wherever you listen.

Host
John Dickerson
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John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Remembering George and Defending the Morning

John Dickerson talks with author David E. Sanger about his new book, New Cold Wars. They discuss how Russia and China came to reach their new levels of power, the role the Middle East and Obama Administration played in all of this, and more.

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

Gabfest Reads: Can America Survive Its Relationships with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin?

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s first criminal trial and the Supreme Court argument on a criminal charge related to another Trump case and talk with The Atlantic’s Mark Leibovich about his profile of Governor Gavin Newsom. 
 
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Norman Eisen for CNN: Don’t call it a ‘hush money’ case
Brian Beutler for the Politix podcast: Alvin Bragg’s Liberal Critics Are Wrong
Ben Protess, Jonah E. Bromwich, Maggie Haberman, and Wesley Parnell for The New York Times: Prosecutors and Defense Lawyers Begin to Seat Jurors for Trump Trial and Maggie Haberman: A Weary Trump Appears to Doze Off in Courtroom Ahead of Criminal Trial
David Bauder for AP: Trump trial: Why can’t Americans see or hear what is going on inside the courtroom?
Ann E. Marimow for The Washington Post: Supreme Court divided over key charge against Jan. 6 rioters and Trump
Michael C. Dorf for Dorf On Law: The Ejusdem is Loose -- SCOTUS Insurrectionist Case Edition
Mark Leibovich for The Atlantic: Gavin Newsom Can’t Help Himself
HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher: Gov. Gavin Newsom

Here are this week’s chatters:
Emily: Uri Berliner in The Free Press: I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.; David Folkenflik for NPR: NPR editor Uri Berliner resigns with blast at new CEO; Alicia Montgomery for Slate: The Real Story Behind NPR’s Current Problems; A24’s Civil War; and HBO’s The Last of Us
John: The Annie E. Casey Foundation; diversitydatakids.org by Brandeis’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management: Child Opportunity Index (COI); Aliya Schneider for The Philadelphia Inquirer: ‘They’re cheating.’ President Biden floats higher tariffs on Chinese imports in Pittsburgh speech; John Dickerson for Slate’s Navel Gazing podcast; and CBS News Prime Time with John Dickerson
David: Trevor Aaronson, Sam Eifling, and Michael Mooney for Audible’s Hold Fast podcast and Jacques Billeaud for AP: Backpage founder will face Arizona retrial on charges he participated in scheme to sell sex ads
Listener chatter from Josh in Brisbane, Australia: Ross Scott’s website Stop Killing Games
 
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk with Anna Sale about her podcast, Death, Sex & Money, which is now on Slate. See Death, Sex & Money podcast: A Sociopath’s Guide to Death, Sex, and Money and Patrick Page in All The Devils Are Here. 
 
In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Tana French about her book, The Hunter: A Novel.
 
Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
 
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth
Research by Julie Huygen
 
Hosts
Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could You Be A Trump Juror?

In this week’s essay, John remembers dropping his son off at college, and trying to hold onto moments and feelings while you can. 
 
Notebook Entries:
Notebook 75, page 6. September 2021:
They chose you.
 
Notebook 15, page 4. April 2004:
Sitting with Brice by waterfall. Throwing rocks in stream. Loading sand from dump truck and loader and back again.
 
References:
What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith
Songwriter Nick Cave
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
 

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.
Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com
  
Want to listen to Navel Gazing uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Navel Gazing and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/navelgazingplus to get access wherever you listen.
 
Host
John Dickerson
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gabfest Reads: The Classic Hollywood Romance Gets a Makeover

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