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Best of 2021: Inside the Subreddit That Blew Up GameStop Nov 26, 2021

Show notes

This episode originally aired in January 2021

The story of how GameStop went from the verge of a bankruptcy to a $15 billion market value isn’t an easy one to wrap your head around. But it helps to go back to the beginning; almost three years ago, in a subreddit called r/wallstreetbets.

Guests:

Brandon Kochkodin, reporter at Bloomberg

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Whose Second Amendment Is It? Nov 24, 2021

Show notes

The Supreme Court is considering a case that may strike down New York state’s strict restrictions on carrying a gun in public. Some public defenders think that might be a win for criminal justice reform.

Guest: Sharone Mitchell Jr., Chief Defender for the Cook County Public Defenders.

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Was the Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict Inevitable? Nov 23, 2021

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Last August, then-17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse and fatally shot two people and wounded another with a semi-automatic rifle during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse’s lawyers leaned heavily on the teenager’s right to defend himself. In Wisconsin, that means the prosecution had to disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt. Was it inevitable that Rittenhouse would walk free? And how did the community react when he did?

Guest: Stacy St. Clair, reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

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

Inflategate Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

How many times a day do you hear the word “inflation” now? Many items are getting more expensive, but what’s actually driving those price increases? And are we heading towards a repeat of the 1970s wage-price spiral, or is this a temporary blip?

Guest: Jordan Weissmann, senior editor at Slate.

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Space Junk! (And Space Wars?) Nov 19, 2021

Show notes

Over the weekend, Russia tested a new weapon—a type of missile that can fly into space and destroy a satellite in orbit.

The test created thousands of pieces of debris, which will hurtle around the Earth’s orbit for years to come. What’s the real risk of the rapid increase in space junk? And is there anything to be done about it?

Guest:

Laura Grego, Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at MIT

Host: Seth Stevenson

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Can Beto O’Rourke Fail Up? Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

Beto O’Rourke is running to replace Greg Abbott as governor of Texas. Though it’s his first time in this particular race, you’d be forgiven for thinking, “again?”

Where does this habitually-losing smooth-talking Irish-guy-with-a-bordertown-nickname fit into a state with changing demographics and an incumbent governor under assault from both the right and left? Is Beto building a coalition, or heading for a third and final defeat?

Guest: Patrick Svitek, political correspondent for the Texas Tribune.

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

The Battle Over San Francisco’s Schools Nov 17, 2021

Show notes

After dragging its feet on reopening schools this winter, the San Francisco Unified School District school board is under fire. Their every decision is being scrutinized by angry parents and three of its members are facing recall elections. What happens when the school board debate comes to the Bay?

Guest: Jill Tucker, education writer for the San Francisco Chronicle.

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Is the FBI’s Surveillance of Muslims Really a State Secret? Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

Members of an Orange County mosque noticed a new convert was asking some strange questions. He turned out to be an FBI informant. Will the Supreme Court allow the bureau to be held accountable?

Guest: Rowaida Abdelaziz, national reporter covering Islamophobia & immigration for HuffPost.

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

“I Quit My Job Today” Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

You’ve likely heard about the great resignation -- this moment when millions of workers across the country have handed in their notice. Sometimes, people left because they were overworked. Sometimes, it’s because they wanted to change paths, or make more money elsewhere. But for every employee quitting, there’s an employer being quit on. These are stories from the great resignation: Who’s quitting, who’s hiring, and how long this moment is likely to last.

Guests:

Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan.

Rachel, a recently resigned employee from Massachusetts.

Julia James, co-owner of Radish and Rye Food Hub in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

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The Kid-Vaccine Holdouts Nov 12, 2021

Show notes

A recent poll showed that about a third of parents of younger children would get their kids vaccinated, a third would not, and the final third said they wanted to wait and see how the vaccines worked.

Public health officials are asking: what will it take to convince that third group that now is the time to vaccinate?

Guests:

Julie Hamill

Dr. Aaron Carroll, pediatrician and professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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