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The Supreme Court Confronts Its Critics Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

As the U.S. Supreme Court begins a new session, several justices are trying to reassure the public of the court’s nonpartisanship. But, as Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick argues, when you dig into the recent decisions of the court, you’ll see it becoming steadily more political.

Guest: Dahlia Lithwick writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus.

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TBD | What Instagram Does to Teens Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

Since 2018, internal research teams at Facebook have been studying the effect on Instagram on mental health. Their results couldn’t be more clear: Instagram is causing problems, especially for teen girls.

Why has it taken so long for their research to surface? And what can be done to improve the relationship between kids and the platform?

Guest: Georgia Wells, tech reporter at the Wall Street Journal.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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What Instagram Does to Teens Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

Why has it taken so long for their research to surface? And what can be done to improve the relationship between kids and the platform?

Guest: Georgia Wells, tech reporter at the Wall Street Journal.

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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

The Vaccine Holdouts in the NBA Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

The 2021-2022 NBA season will be underway in less than a month. The league has set strict testing and distancing rules for unvaccinated players. Largely, that strategy has worked but there are some vocal holdouts.

Guest: Bomani Jones is an ESPN commentator and the host of the Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast.

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Why a Hollywood #MeToo Organization Imploded Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

Time’s Up was founded in 2018 in the wake of the #MeToo movement to fight sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace. How, then, was the organization felled by accusations of a toxic work environment and close associations with abusers?

Guest: Lili Loofbourow, staff writer at Slate.

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A Doctor’s Hardest Call Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

It’s hard to imagine, but many states had a plan for how they would make tough calls about the distribution of scarce medical resources during a pandemic. As our present crisis has dragged on, and hospitals have become overwhelmed, those plans are beginning to go into effect -- with some interesting caveats.

Guest: Sheri Fink, correspondent at The New York Times.

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

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Death and Desperation at Rikers Island Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

In the past year, twelve inmates on Rikers Island have died and it’s corrections staff has started refusing to come to work. The jail is slated for closure in 2027, but what can be done now to alleviate its problems?

Guest: Jan Ransom is a metro investigative reporter focused on criminal justice for the New York Times.

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Are We Getting COVID Testing All Wrong? Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

In the U.S., the PCR test is the gold standard for COVID testing. Common knowledge would have it that the test is more accurate—and therefore more effective at containing the spread of the dease—than the rapid antigen test.

What if that isn’t quite true?

Guest: Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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TBD | Are We Getting COVID Testing All Wrong? Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

What if that isn’t quite true?

Guest: Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

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

How Biden’s Agenda Could Fall Apart Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

Congressional Democrats are struggling to bring together their moderate and progressive factions to pass an infrastructure bill and its gigantic sidecar, a budget plan filled with tax hikes, climate-related legislation, and social spending. With the party divided, is Biden’s agenda about to hit the skids?

Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer and author of the weekly newsletter, The Surge.

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