Virginia Heffernan talks to Antonia Noori Farzan of the Phoenix New Times to get a background on the now pardoned ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio and just what the sentiment is in Phoenix and Maricopa County about the events of the last week. Then, Slate's Mark Joseph Stern joins Virginia to talk about the legal aspects of the President's pardon and why this may set a dangerous precedent moving forward.

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Felix Salmon of Fusion, political risk consultant Anna Szymanski, and Slate Moneybox columnist Jordan Weissmann discuss:

-       Passive investing

-       Driscoll’s strawberries

-       The banana marke

Check out other Panoply podcasts at panoply.fm.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter:@felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @JHWeissmann

Production by Daniel Schroeder

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The hype surrounding the Saturday night fight between boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and MMA fighter Conor McGregor is overtly racially charged. Why? Because people are eating it up, says Wesley Morris, critic-at-large for the New York Times. Morris and Mike talk about the role of race in the NFL’s treatment of Colin Kaepernick, Dana Schutz’s Open Casket painting of Emmett Till, the closing of the Broadway show The Great Comet, and more. Morris is the co-host of the Still Processing podcast. 

In the Spiel: We live in interesting times.  

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Jamelle Bouie talks to FiveThirtyEight's Clare Malone about Trump's week of complaining and just how vulnerable Republicans are to attacks by the President.

Don't forget about our live show in Austin, TX for the Texas Tribune Festival on Saturday September, 23rd at 7:30PM. We'll be live from the Texas Union Theatre with special guests Jill Abramson (Former Executive Editor of the New York Times) & Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX). For tickets go to Slate.com/Live.

Also, are you a Slate Plus member yet? If not, why not?! With Slate Plus you can get ad-free versions of Trumpcast and bonus segments. And this week you can hear Trumpcast producer, Jayson De Leon, chat with Slate staff writer Josh Keating about Trump’s foreign policy. Join Slate Plus by going to Slate.com/TrumpcastPlus.

Give us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts by clicking here!

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Josh Voorhees on why Trump's border-wall demand is even crazier than it seems, the latest on Hurricane Harvey, and the glaring flaw in Gary Cohn's rationale for staying in the administration.

Links from today's episode—

Slate’s Jim Newell on whether congressional Republicans will finally break with Trump over his wall demand: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/08/24/will_republicans_break_from_trump_over_wall_funding.html

The Washington Post with a list of every previous government shutdown, why they happened, and how they ended: (Note: Article is from 2013, and doesn’t include the most recent shutdown) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/09/25/here-is-every-previous-government-shutdown-why-they-happened-and-how-they-ended/?utm_term=.59b7d8d93708

Gary Cohn’s interview with the Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/cb068f94-8915-11e7-bf50-e1c239b45787

Jonathan Chait in New York on Cohn’s weak rationale for staying put: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/08/gary-cohn-defies-nazis-by-supporting-their-favorite-prez.html

Visit the National Weather Service for the latest updates on Hurricane Harvey: http://www.weather.gov/

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This is a free preview from Slate Voice: Learn more at slate.com/voice 

"The Racists of OkCupid Don’t Usually Carry Tiki Torches" by Christina Cauterucci | 08/24/2017

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Understanding sexual consent is complicated. Colleges are working to clarify this issue while also policing sexual assault. But when does this cross over into legislating feelings versus facts? Vanessa Grigoriadis helps us understand the current iteration of the sexual consent debate happening on campuses today. Grigoriadis is the author of Blurred Lines: Rethinking Sex, Power, and Consent on Campus.

In the Spiel: Should we tear down statues?

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Emily Bazelon, David Plotz and Kirsten Powers of CNN discuss Afghanistan strategy, Mitch McConnell’s presidential silent treatment and bail reform.

Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/gabfestplus.

Twitter: @SlateGabfest

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Email: [email protected]

Show notes at slate.com/gabfest

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Our favorite recent segments about the stage. Kurt talks with Frank Langella about his screen and stage career since his breakout role as Dracula in the 1970s. A budding soprano describes her unusual day job: determining exactly when subtitles should appear during opera performances. And Jack Viertel, a Broadway legend, breaks down the components of a Broadway musical. 

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Josh Voorhees has the details of Trump-themed drama at the WSJ, the alt-right star who is now in jail, and some good news for Obamacare. 

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