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What Next - Bye Bye, Breyer Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

This week, Justice Stephen G. Breyer is expected to announce his plan to retire from the Supreme Court at the end of its term this summer. Breyer’s signal comes after a year-long pressure campaign from the political left and others anxious to ensure that Democrats control who replaces the court’s most senior liberal justice.

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, who covers courts and the law for Slate.

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What Next - Putin’s Plan Jan 26, 2022

Show notes

The odds of a Russian invasion of Ukraine are increasing, with thousands of Russian troops stationed near the two countries' border. Vladimir Putin is set on ensuring Ukraine gives up its ambitions to join NATO and the European Union, and it’s unclear how much he’s willing to risk to meet that objective.

How far will the Russian leader go to get what he wants? Is there any way to end the standoff without violence?

Guest: Amy Mackinnon, national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy.

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What Next - Policing-for-Profit Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

Over the last few years, a sleepy southern town has seen its arrest rate grow more than 1100%. It’s not because of a spike in crime in Brookside, Alabama; instead, the town’s law enforcement has adopted a policing-for-profit model that treats citizens as revenue generators and cracks down on them accordingly. In turn, some residents enter debt spirals as the town’s police force rakes in more cash, with no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Guest: John Archibald, columnist for AL.com and the Birmingham News.

Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Danielle Hewitt, Elena Schwartz, and Carmel Delshad.

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What Next - How the Texas Synagogue Survived Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

Stuart Frisch gave security training to the members of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, less than six months before they found themselves under siege and held hostage—a training the rabbi cited when explaining how they managed to escape.

How does Frisch approach protecting spaces that aren’t meant to be fortresses? Can faith and security coexist?

Guest: Stuart Frisch, advisor for the Secure Community Network.

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Slate Money - Davos Man Jan 22, 2022

Show notes

This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by economics journalist and author, Peter Goodman. They discuss Goodman’s new book “Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World” Microsoft’s biggest deal ever, and what’s going on with 5G networks and airplanes.

In the Plus segment: Peloton is down, will it survive?

Further Reading:

“Microsoft Buys Scandal-Tainted Activision in Bet on Metaverse” by Dina Bass and Nate Lanxon

“Xbox CEO Phil Spencer on Reviving Old Activision Games as Microsoft Positions Itself as Tech’s Gaming Company” by Gene Park

“Why Airlines Are Worried About 5G” by Andrew Ross Sorkin, Jason Karaian, Sarah Kessler, Stephen Gandel, Michael J. de la Merced, Lauren Hirsch, and Ephrat Livni

“Peloton Stock Plunges Following Report It Will Halt Production” by Aaron Gregg

“Peloton to Halt Production of its Bikes, Treadmills as Demand Wanes” by Lauren Thomas

“A New Take on Voice: The Influence of BlackRock’s ‘Dear CEO’ Letters” by Andrea Pawliczek, A. Nicole Skinner, and Laura Wellman

Email: slatemoney@slate.com

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Does Matt Damon Want Me to Buy Crypto? Jan 21, 2022

Show notes

A recent advertisement for crypto.com, featuring Matt Damon, was met with widespread mockery online. But Damon’s ad is only the most visible example of a much broader—and more insidious—trend of celebrity cryptocurrency endorsements. Is the partnership between crypto and Hollywood really dangerous? And what separates the trend from run-of-the-mill salesmanship?

Guests: Jacob Silverman, staff writer for the New Republic and Ben McKenzie, actor, writer, and director.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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Political Gabfest - Has It Only Been A Year? Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Biden’s first year, SCOTUS's block of OSHA’s vax-or-test rule, and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s busy start.

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

John Dickerson for CBS Sunday Morning: “President Joe Biden: The First Year”

Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Elevenseries on HBO Max

Here’s this week’s chatter:

Emily: Deep Cover, Season 2: Mob Land

John: Take Note Podcast; Adam Webb for Take Note: “How to Keep a Notebook”

David: Paul Schwartzman for The Washington Post: “Missing Jewels And Art: A Lawsuit Against a Retired Professor Is Ruffling The Well-To-Do From Georgetown to Newport, R.I.”

Listener chatter from Alissa Surges: Allison Robicelli for The Washington Post: “I Spent The Night in an Empty Airport. it Was a Dream Come True”; Work at City Cast

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, John, and David talk about why to keep a journal.

Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages 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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What Next - Is Biden Flunking COVID? Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

President Biden, unlike his predecessor, was able to spend some time planning his COVID-19 response. One year in, is the plan working?

Guest: Dan Diamond, national health reporter for the Washington Post.

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What Next - The Supreme Court, Unmasked Jan 19, 2022

Show notes

The Supreme Court heard two challenges to the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccination mandates this month. It blocked one mandate and upheld another, giving some observers whiplash.

How did the court come to such different rulings on similar workplace mandates, and what do the rulings say about how the court views the federal government as a whole?

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, staff writer covering courts and the law for Slate.

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What Next - The New King of Conservative Media Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

Conservative talk radio host Dan Bongino sits atop a media ecosystem that is fueling the fervor behind Trump and his big lie.

Guest: Evan Osnos is staff writer at The New Yorker and a fellow at the Brookings Institute. He’s also the author of Wildland: The Making of America’s Fury.

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