Slate News

A new whistleblower complaint alleges that the Trump administration is trying to manipulate national security agencies for political ends. With two months to go until the presidential election, what can Congress do to respond?

Guest: Shane Harris, reporter at the Washington Post. 

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What is Bill Barr doing, and why is he doing it? Donald Ayer, former U.S. attorney and principal deputy solicitor general in the Reagan administration and deputy attorney general under George H.W. Bush, on the attorney general’s ideology, how it predates Trumpism, and why it’s so dangerous. 

In the Slate Plus segment, Mark Joseph Stern breaks down the latest voting breakdown in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, the latest Census case dead end, and the stupidity of Trump’s latest SCOTUS list. 

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Podcast production by Sara Burningham.

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Ben Schott joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Anna Szymanski to discuss Citigroup’s new CEO Jane Fraser (and everyone’s preoccupation with her gender), the struggle between parents and non-parents in the workplace and the phenomenon of “blands”.

In the Slate Plus segment: Nikola. 

Email: [email protected]

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

Twitter: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck

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As the planet warms in the coming decades, many parts of the planet that millions now call home will become uninhabitable. At first, people in these areas will move to the cities, then across international borders. This mass migration is already underway in the hottest parts of the world, and it is likely to accelerate in coming years.

Just how many people will be forced to move? And where will they go?

Guest: Abrahm Lustgarten, senior reporter at ProPublica

Host

Celeste Headlee

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the planet warms in the coming decades, many parts of the planet that millions now call home will become uninhabitable. At first, people in these areas will move to the cities, then across international borders. This mass migration is already underway in the hottest parts of the world, and it is likely to accelerate in coming years.

Just how many people will be forced to move? And where will they go?

Guest: Abrahm Lustgarten, senior reporter at ProPublica

Host

Celeste Headlee

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Trump knew about the virus, DOJ’s move to end E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit, and Matthew Yglesias on One Billion Americans.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

Rage by Bob Woodward

The Washington Post: “32 Times Trump Said the Coronavirus Would Go Away”

One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger by Matthew Yglesias

Here are this week’s cocktail chatters:

Emily: Jaclyn Peiser for the Washington Post: “A Black Seventh-Grader Played with a Toy Gun During a Virtual Class. His School Called the Police.”

John: Laurie Gwen Shapiro for The New Yorker: “The Improbable Journey of Dorothy Parker’s Ashes”

David: Cecily Zander @CNZander’s Twitter thread on Civil War generals as Muppets

Listener chatter from Paul: The Economist: “Marvin Creamer Died on August 12th”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, David, and John discuss TV shows from their youth that they would like to see rebooted. 

Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show.

You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.

Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap.

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Virginia Heffernan talks to Tony Schwartz, the author infamous for penning Trump: The Art of the Deal, about his latest book, Dealing With the Devil: My Mother, Trump and Me, how Trump has impacted his life, how we grapple with our inner lawyers, and more.

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The American West is undergoing one of the most extreme fire seasons on record. With megafires creating apocalyptic scenes across large swaths of California, Oregon, and Washington, and a pandemic still in full effect, how are residents and firefighters responding? Are wildfires like the ones seen these past few weeks an anomaly? Or is a burning horizon something people out West will have to learn to live with?

Guest: Julie Cart, reports about climate change and environmental issues for CalMatters.

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For months after Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, pundits labored over how the polls, and the reports surrounding them, had badly misjudged and mischaracterized the election. Since then, pollsters have made significant changes in hopes of painting a more accurate picture of the 2020 race.

How much trust should voters put in the numbers this time? And what does the data say about Joe Biden’s perceived lead in the 2020 presidential race?

Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer

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John Nolan worked at the United States Postal Service for a total of 24 years. He retired in 2005. The last couple of months have been a frustrating time for someone with intimate knowledge of the institution. What are we getting wrong about the Postal Service?

Guest: John Nolan, former Deputy Postmaster General 

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