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The Life and Death of the Expanded Child Tax Credit Feb 01, 2022

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The expanded Child Tax Credit slashed childhood poverty in the U.S. by an estimated 30%. Why won’t congress revive it?

Guest: Jordan Weissmann, writer and editor at Slate focused on economics, politics, and public policy.

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How China Is Spinning the Olympics Jan 31, 2022

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No one is happy with the way this year’s Winter Olympics are unfolding. Athletes are frustrated with China’s excessive pandemic precautions. Diplomatic tensions are rising. Are the second COVID games on thin ice?

Guest: Henry Bushnell, features writer for Yahoo Sports.

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The Downfall of One of the World's Biggest Brains Jan 28, 2022

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Ten years ago, IBM made a gamble. Through a monumental advertising and PR campaign, it promised that its AI technology–Watson–would transform the health care industry as we know it. A decade and billions of dollars later, Watson Health is being sold for parts.

What went wrong with IBM’s “moonshot?” And what does Watson’s failure tell us about the promise of AI for health care?

Guest: Casey Ross, national technology correspondent for STAT

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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Bye Bye, Breyer Jan 27, 2022

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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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Putin’s Plan Jan 26, 2022

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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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Policing-for-Profit Jan 25, 2022

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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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How the Texas Synagogue Survived Jan 24, 2022

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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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Why Does Matt Damon Want Me to Buy Crypto? Jan 21, 2022

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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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Is Biden Flunking COVID? Jan 20, 2022

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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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The Supreme Court, Unmasked Jan 19, 2022

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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.

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

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