Political Gabfest

The “L-Shaped Recovery” Edition

The state of the pandemic, insider trading allegations in the Senate, and Trump’s firing of the watchdog investigating Mike Pompeo.

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Episode Notes

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

Ed Yong for the Atlantic: “America’s Patchwork Pandemic Is Fraying Even Further”

Ryan Grim for the Intercept: “David Perdue Got Sweetheart Deal that Grew North of $6 Million After Election to the Senate”

Here are this week’s cocktail chatters:

John: These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore, Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Tim Ferriss, and The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency by John Dickerson

Emily: Meredith Blake for the Los Angeles Times: “The Woman Behind ‘Roe vs. Wade’ Didn’t Change Her Mind on Abortion. She was Paid”

David: Normal People by Sally Rooney and “When the Air Is Clean: Photographs of Kathmandu Valley With Air Pollution Removed by the Coronavirus Lockdown” Abhushan Gautam for the Nepali Times

Listener chatter from Valerie Minor: LavaMae’s design for a DIY hand-washing station you can build for people experiencing homelessness.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John discuss the online videos that have   educated and entertained them during social isolation. 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.

About the Show

Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says, “Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest.” The Gabfest is hosted by Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz. Listen for the debates, stay for the cocktail chatter.

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Hosts

  • David Plotz is a host of the Slate Political Gabfest, an editor at large at Business Insider, and the former CEO of Atlas Obscura.

  • Emily Bazelon is a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, the author of Charged and Sticks and Stones, and co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest.

  • John Dickerson is a 60 Minutes correspondent, co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest, host of the Whistlestop podcast, and author of Whistlestop and On Her Trail.

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