The “Halloween” Edition

Here are some of the links and references from this week’s show:

• Niraj Chokshi for the New York Times: “This Guy Thought He Beat Facebook’s Controversial Political Ads Policy”

• The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber

Here are this week’s cocktail chatters:

• Emily: Anna North for Vox: “ ‘Failed’ Abortions, a Period-Tracking Spreadsheet, and the Last Clinic Standing: the Controversy in Missouri, Explained”

• John: Erica L. Green and Dana Goldstein for the New York Times: “Reading Scores on National Exam Decline in Half the States”

• David: James LaPorta for Newsweek: “Classified Name Revealed of Special Ops Hero Dog Wounded in Syria Raid That Killed ISIS Leader”; Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors at the Kennedy Center

• Listener chatter from Chris Anderson @chrisnhamp: Steve Dent for Engadget: “Migrating Eagles Flew to Iran and Racked Up Huge Roaming Bills”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily and John discuss the founders’ meticulous efforts to establish a balance of power across the three branches of government.

Get your tickets to the Gabfest’s Dec. 18 “Conundrum” live show at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California, here.

And submit your conundrums at Slate.com/conundrum!

You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.

Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap.