The Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor ... But Not on the Basketball Court Gabfest
Listen to Slate's show about Marco Rubio’s vacillation on immigration reform, new abortion laws in conservative states, and the line between tough coaching and bullying.
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On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and special guest Will Saletan discuss the immigration reform deal that’s giving Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio cold feet, the new laws passed by several states that widen restrictions on abortions, and the termination of Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice for his bullying of players.
Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week's show:
- Politico reported on Marco Rubio’s current reluctance to commit to an evolving deal on immigration reform.
- John mentions an agreement by the AFL-CIO and U.S. Chamber of Commerce on guest worker visas. Matt Yglesias wrote more about what’s in the deal.
- The AP posted an explanation of their decision to stop using the term “illegal immigrant.”
- Gabfest Producer Mike Vuolo covered this issue extensively in a recent episode of Slate’s Lexicon Valley.
- Dave Weigel also recapped the history of recent efforts to force the AP to change their standard.
- The New York Times reports that North Dakota’s new legislation amounts to “the nation’s toughest abortion restrictions.”
- Emily mentions time she spent in an abortion clinic in 2010 while reporting a story; she also published a New York Times Magazine story in November about abortion opponents’ current activism efforts.
- Emily wrote that Mike Rice’s firing helps draw the line between acting like a jerk and abusing your players.
- ESPN has the video highlights of Rice’s coaching behavior.
Emily chatters about her (obviously still festering) loss to doubles tennis star Lisa Raymond and about Lisa’s inspiring recent partnership with Laura Robson, a 19-year old British player.
Will chatters about North Korea’s inability to get anything by the Atlantic’s Alan Taylor, who spotted some photoshopping that tried to make North Korea’s hovercraft fleet look larger than it is.
John chatters about historian Michael Beschloss’ Twitter account, @BeschlossDC and his recent tweet about how Life magazine changed its cover after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. 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 Mike Vuolo. Links compiled by Jeff Friedrich.