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Tennessee’s House Divided Apr 11, 2023

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The Tennessee House, which has a Republican supermajority, voted last week on motions to expel three Democratic members for “disorderly behavior” after they led protest chants from the floor of the chamber.

Two Black lawmakers, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson—both in their late 20s and new to the House this session—were ousted. The motion to boot the other Rep. Gloria Johnson, who’s white, failed by one vote.

Guest: Melissa Brown, state politics reporter for The Tennessean.

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Clarence Thomas’s Friends in High Places Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

A ProPublica investigation revealed that Justice Clarence Thomas has been gifted luxury vacations by Republican donor and billionaire Harlan Crow. For over two decades, Justice Thomas has taken private jets, gone on yachts and stayed at private resorts alongside powerful Republican donors, all funded by Crow. For the most part, Justice Thomas did not disclose these vacations.

The investigation raises questions on the legality of these types of gifts, as well as the lack of oversight and ethics standards for the Supreme Court. Did these vacations break the law? To what extent could Justice Thomas’s court rulings have been influenced by Crow and other people on these trips? And even if some of these gifts may not have been illegal, why doesn’t the Supreme Court have more oversight and ethical guidelines to prevent potential conflicts of interest?

Guest: Justin Elliot, reporter at ProPublica.

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Why Flying Is So Bad Now Apr 09, 2023

Show notes

U.S. air travel is being strained on all sides—travel demand is back to 2019 levels, but the number of pilots and planes and ground crew hasn’t caught back up, and a rash of close calls are raising safety concerns about America’s aging flying infrastructure.

Guest: Jon Ostrower, editor in chief of The Air Current.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

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Wait, TikTok Has a Sister App? Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

While TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, is fighting to keep its flagship app from being banned in the United States, it’s also pushing a new app into the marketplace—Lemon8. One part Pinterest, one part Instagram and a dash of its sister app, Lemon8 is most likely saddled with the same security concerns that led lawmakers to consider banning TikTok.

Guest: Sapna Maheshwari, business reporter for the New York Times.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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How Scared Should Trump Be? Apr 06, 2023

Show notes

Is the Manhattan DA’s case against Donald Trump something he can wriggle out of, or is the former president in real legal trouble this time? Some are already dismissing Alvin Bragg’s investigation as weak and small potatoes. But others are more optimistic. What’s the case for indicting - on these charges?

Guest: Norm Eisen, senior fellow at Brookings Governance, CNN legal analyst.

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Preventing Preventive Care Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

A federal judge has struck down a provision in the Affordable Care Act requiring private insurers to provide preventive care—screenings and the like—at no cost to patients.

But preventive care is a good investment for insurance companies and for national health. It’s something Americans already don’t get enough of — but is anyone willing to step in and save it?

Guest: Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent Kaiser Health News, host of the “What the Health” podcast

Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

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Wisconsin’s High-Stakes Supreme Court Race Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

In Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court election is breaking records when it comes to campaign spending on a judicial race. With abortion rights for Wisconsinites, their state’s electoral geography, and potentially the fate of the 2024 presidential election on the line, that big ticket spending makes sense. But will it make a difference in who gets the seat?

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior staff writer for Slate.

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Trump Heads to Court Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

In a history-making move, a grand jury voted to indict a former president. We’ll have more answers about the details of the charges after Donald Trump’s Tuesday arraignment, but what this means for the GOP nomination, the 2024 race, and for future presidents in politically-hostile states is still up in the air.

Guest: Ankush Khardori, former federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Seeking Asylum Via App Apr 02, 2023

Show notes

CBP One, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's app that is supposed to make crossing the border more efficient, is littered with bugs. But even a perfectly functional smartphone app would pose problems for people seeking asylum on the southern U.S. border.

Guest: Arelis Hernández, Washington Post reporter

Gia Del Pino, director of communications at the Kino Border Initiative

Felicia Rangel Samponaro, director of the Sidewalk School

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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When A.I. Denies Your Health Care Mar 31, 2023

Show notes

As Medicare Advantage plans have increased their reliance on software to determine what their customers require—and, therefore, receive—elderly patients are being denied coverage for care they need. What happens when an algorithm — not a doctor — decides how much care you need and it’s not enough?

Guest: Casey Ross, national technology correspondent at STAT

Host: Emily Peck

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