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 and virtual tickets on sale now.

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

Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America by Maggie Haberman

Jonathan Swan, Charlie Savage, and Maggie Haberman for The New York Times: “The Radical Strategy Behind Trump’s Promise to ‘Go After’ Biden”

Esteban L. Hernandez for Axios: “Denver’s STAR set to expand amid tension over its future” 

Patrick Quinn for Atlanta News First: “’Stop Cop City’ Sen. Warnock interrupted during commencement address”

Eat Pray Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert

Mark Healy for GQ: “Women’s Favorite Author to Women: Don’t Get Married!”

Elizabeth Gilbert on Twitter: “Important announcement about THE SNOW FOREST.”

Mike Dash for Smithsonian Magazine: “For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II”

Philip Kennicott for The Washington Post: “Ukraine wants a boycott of Russian culture. It’s already happening.”

Franklin Foer for The Atlantic: “Eat, Pray, Pander”

Peter Beaumont for The Guardian: “Author resigns from PEN America board amid row over Russian writers panel”

Imogen West-Knights for Slate: “The Saga Over Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Russian Novel” Has an Uncomfortable Lesson—and It’s Not for Her”

The Enigma of Clarence Thomas by Corey Robin 

Here are this week’s chatters:

John: Simrin Singh for CBS News: “Phosphorus, essential element needed for life, detected in ocean on Saturn’s moon”; William Harwood for CBS News: “New evidence of water plumes on Jupiter’s moon Europa; could it support life?”

Emily: The Forgotten Girls: A Memoir of Friendship and Lost Promise in Rural America by Monica Potts; When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era by Donovan X. Ramsey

David: Muster Dogs on The ABC: “Five graziers from across Australia are given five Kelpie puppies from the same litter and set with the challenge of transforming these uniquely Australian dogs into champion muster dogs.”

Listener chatter from Phil: Jay Caspian Kang for The New Yorker: “Notes on Losing”; Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis—Lessons from a Master by Brad Gilbert and Steve Jamison; John Dickerson for Slate: “Risk”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and John discuss with Joel Anderson @byjoelanderson his podcast, Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas.

In the next edition of Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Peter Singer @PeterSinger about his book, Animal Liberation Now: The Definitive Classic Renewed. 

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to [email protected] or Tweet us @SlateGabfest. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

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