The “I Alone Can Open It” Edition

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

Kevin Stankiewicz for CNBC: “German Health Minister Says the Country is Considering Steps to Return to a ‘New Normal’”

Unbound: How Inequality Constricts Our Economy and What We Can Do about It by Heather Boushey

Recession Ready: Fiscal Policies to Stabilize the American Economy edited by Heather Boushey, Ryan Nunn, and Jay Shambaugh

The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why by Amanda Ripley

More in Common: “Solidarity In The Face Of Coronavirus: 90% Say We’re All In This Together, According To More in Common Survey”

Here are this week’s cocktail chatters:

Emily: Melissa Murray for the Atlantic: “The Supreme Court Should Never Go Back to Its Pre-coronavirus Ways”; Tessa Hadley for the New Yorker: “The Other One”

John: Jazz: A Ken Burns Film

David: The Economist:  “Do You Speak Corona? A Guide to Covid-19 Slang”; John Plotz’s podcast Recall This Book: Books in Dark Times

Listener chatter from Larry Nalebuff: Kathryn Olivarius for the New York Times: “The Dangerous History of Immunoprivilege”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John discuss what they would do about the pandemic if they were billionaires. 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.