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The Incredible Lucas Brothers Apr 28, 2017

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Weeks before the end of their third-year final exams, twins Keith and Kenny Lucas became law school dropouts to pursue careers in comedy. But their whole lives had been about going the other way: Growing up in drug war–ravaged Newark, New Jersey, they were self-professed nerds trying to figure out why their dad was in prison. The Lucas Bros: On DrugsNetflix special shows off Keith and Kenny's perfect timing as a comedy tag team (though they might also be just a little bit high). Their set pokes fun at dead presidents, and their jokes range from annoying drug dealers to Steph Curry, but the act feels like classic vaudeville.

In the Spiel, it's time to talk about Kim Jong-un's rational dickishness.

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When Did Late Night Stop Being Fun? Apr 27, 2017

Show notes

Once upon a time, late-night talk shows were like boozy dinner parties, fun chat-fests where movie stars would reveal a little too much about themselves. Now, they're marked by anti-septic games of charades and sing-alongs. Comedian Guy Branum wants to bring anarchy back to late night with Talk Show: The Game Show. "We'll all watch these people in TV and singing; we know what they're good at," says Branum. "A talk show should let you inside of them a bit more."

Plus, we head back to Vexillological Corner for a discussion of city flags with flag expert Ted Kaye.

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The Populists Cannot Win Apr 26, 2017

Show notes

Slate columnist and Harvard University lecturer Yascha Mounk is worried about liberal democracy. He says Marine Le Pen's second-place finish in France isn't a cause for relief—it's a sign she's closer to power than ever. "It's easy to be right about the problems, it's difficult to be right about the solutions, and there the populists have nothing to offer," says Mounk. He writes the Good Fight column.

Plus, Mike translates the Pope's speech and annotates the Trump administration's income tax reform plan.

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The Clinton Campaign Tell-All Apr 25, 2017

Show notes

Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes set out to write a book about Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential bid long before the home stretch of the campaign. In October, Allen got a note from their editor, who was having trouble reconciling his expectation of a Clinton win with his reporters' work uncovering the aimless mess behind the "I'm With Her" stickers. Then Election Day happened. Allen is co-author of the book, Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign.

In the Spiel, why couldn't Clinton find a clear message?

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Moshe Kasher Is Not an Activist Apr 24, 2017

Show notes

Comedian Moshe Kasher is a self-professed lefty and a general fan of cultural sensitivity, but he has a big problem with outrage culture. His new talk show, Problematic, takes aim at any unabashed troglodytes, as well as their supposedly enlightened brethren. As Kasher puts it: "How could it be that both sides think the other side is arguing from a place of zero reality?" Problematic airs on Comedy Central on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. Central).

In the Spiel, we're throwing out the 100-day yardstick.

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When the '80s Went Pro Apr 21, 2017

Show notes

It's 1987, and the breakthrough creativity of the early '80s is beginning to sour. Also, everyone's hair is ridiculous, but that's beside the point. Chris Molanphy is our guide to the year's Billboard's hits, which taught us, as he says, that "fairly great art can result from commerce and studio polish." Molanphy writes Slate's Why Is This Song No. 1 column.

Plus, what to do about America's antiquated industries, like steel and coal. And Mike answers your emails, tweets, corrections, and anger in the Lobstar.

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The Secrets of S-Town Apr 20, 2017

Show notes

In 2012, a man named John B. McLemore wrote an email to This American Life asking the radio show to investigate a murder in his hometown. What resulted is S-Town, a podcast that explores McLemore and the people around him. Producer and host Brian Reed stops by to answer our burning questions about the show and how locals in Woodstock, Alabama, have responded since its release. (A warning: certain references in this interview will only make sense if you've heard S-Town. If you haven't listened yet, it's wise to save this episode for later.)

Plus, karma finally catches up with Bill O'Reilly.

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Up With Eggheads Apr 19, 2017

Show notes

Experts have had a rough year. Tom Nichols sees a new fervor in the country's anti-intellectualism, and he thinks it stems from frustration with elites. Turns out, there's a difference between the people with expertise and the people with power. Nichols is a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College. His book is The Death of Expertise.

In the Spiel, the two recent suicides in the news tell us something about how we talk about murder.

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What Happened to the Crack Epidemic? Apr 18, 2017

Show notes

Why are crack users given such long, punishing sentences? It's because of political gamesmanship around crime in the '80s. In the new Audible series 100:1 The Crack Legacy, journalist Christopher Johnson looks at how inner-city drug panics led to today's mass-incarceration crisis.

On the Spiel, a thought about America's warship debacle.

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Ariel Levy Was Here Apr 17, 2017

Show notes

Ariel Levy's 2013 New Yorker essay about losing her son, "Thanksgiving in Mongolia," was among the most recommended pieces of writing in recent memory. Levy expands on the essay in her memoir, The Rules Do Not Apply. In the book, Levy wonders if, in wanting to do it all, she set herself up for heartbreak over the things she could not have.

In the Spiel, a unified theory of President Trump's policy reversals.

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