How can humor be used as a political weapon? Heather and Joanne discuss the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner and the power of American comedy. They explore Seba Smith and his iconic Jack Downing character, Alice Duer Miller’s poetic suffragist satire, and Dick Gregory’s truth-telling on issues of race and class. 

What do comedians and historians have in common? Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

Uncover history's impact on today's issues and get sharp insights into news at the intersection of law and politics with the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter. Sign up for free here: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/not-a-joke-humor-as-politics/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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Heather and Joanne discuss the contentious issue of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s financial ties to billionaire and conservative activist Harlan Crow. They also look at three earlier conflict-of-interest controversies involving Supreme Court justices: Samuel Chase’s 1804 impeachment over his pronounced Federalist leanings, Stephen J. Field’s 1880s relationships with railroad magnates, and Abe Fortas’ 1969 resignation following the revelation of his acceptance of consulting fees from a felonious financier. 

Is it ethical for professors to accept gifts from their students? Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

Uncover history's impact on today's issues and get sharp insights into news at the intersection of law and politics with the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter. Sign up for free here: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/supreme-court-scandals-a-story-of-justice/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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Heather and Joanne discuss the political climate surrounding the dramatic expulsion and reinstatement of Tennessee legislators Justin Jones and Justin Pearson. They also place the controversy within the history of state legislative expulsions, from the White Supremacist 1875 Mississippi Plan, to the 1920 attacks on New York State Socialist politicians, to the failed 1986 GOP quest to oust anti-war activist Tom Hayden from the California State Assembly. 

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. This week, they discuss their emotional responses to the Tennessee legislative expulsions. Head to: cafe.com/history

Listen to “Up Against The Mob: The Springfield Crew”: apple.co/3x4sgYj

For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/expulsions-and-ousters-the-threat-in-tennessee/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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President Biden has formally declared that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is being wrongfully detained in Russia. Heather and Joanne reflect on Gershkovich’s plight and look at three other political detainments in American history: the 1776 arrest by the British of Continental Army Major General Charles Lee, the 1861 Confederate capture of New York Congressman Alfred Ely, and the 1974 abduction by the Symbionese Liberation Army of California heiress Patty Hearst. 

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. This week, they discuss their memories of hostage-taking and bomb scares in the early 1970s. Head to: cafe.com/history

Listen to “Up Against The Mob: The Springfield Crew”: apple.co/3x4sgYj

For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/hostages-as-messages/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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President Biden recently met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, reaffirming the U.S.-Canada relationship and announcing the countries’ joint efforts at tackling a range of issues, from immigration to climate change. Heather and Joanne use the meeting as a springboard to discuss the ups and downs of America’s relationship with its Northern neighbor, from Revolutionary War attempts by colonists to draft Canada into the War, to Secretary of State William Henry Seward’s 1860s quest to annex British Columbia, to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s meteoric rise. 

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. This week, they discuss their early understandings of other nations. Head to: cafe.com/history

Listen to “Up Against The Mob: The Springfield Crew”: apple.co/3x4sgYj

For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/canada-and-the-one-way-mirror/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg remains in the spotlight amid a widely expected indictment by his office of former President Donald Trump. Heather and Joanne place DA Bragg’s unprecedented position in the history of New York County District Attorneys, from 1800s duellists to the patrician Robert Morgenthau. How have past DAs balanced the pursuit of justice against the pressure of partisan politics?

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

Listen to “Up Against The Mob: The Springfield Crew”: apple.co/3x4sgYj

For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/district-attorneys-where-the-rubber-meets-the-road/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has sparked a larger conversation about the role of financial institutions in American life. Heather and Joanne reflect on the cultural and aesthetic history of banks, from the Greek Revival-influenced Second Bank of the United States, to the robberies of express trains in the late 1800s, to the emergence of ornate Art Deco banks during the high-flying 1920s. 

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

Listen to “Up Against The Mob: The Springfield Crew”: apple.co/3x4sgYj

For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/why-americans-hate-and-love-banks/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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This week, we are making Backstage, usually only available to members of CAFE Insider, available for all Now & Then listeners. Backstage is where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the ideas that formed the episode. 

During the main Now & Then episode, Heather and Joanne discussed four pioneering women journalists. In Backstage, they reflect on the barriers they have faced as women historians. 

Join CAFE Insider to listen to more installments of “Backstage,” and get access to all the exclusive content. Head to: cafe.com/history

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Heather and Joanne discuss the increased visibility–and resultant online abuse–of women journalists in 2023, and reflect on four pioneering voices: Anne Royall, Martha Gellhorn, Ethel Payne, and Lisa Olson. What barriers have American women climbed over to have a voice in reporting the nation’s news? 

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

Listen to “Up Against The Mob: The Springfield Crew”: apple.co/3x4sgYj

For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/women-journalists-and-their-fight-to-be-heard/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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Heather and Joanne discuss how the aftermath of the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio resembles past American debates over the handling of waste. They talk about New York City’s 19th century sanitation pigs, the rise of the “Garbage Ladies” in Progressive Era Chicago, and the long shadow of the 1978 Love Canal crisis. 

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

Listen to the first two episodes of “Up Against The Mob: The Springfield Crew”: apple.co/3x4sgYj

For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/trash-and-pollution-who-pays/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices