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On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss who deserves credit for the economy, the state of the midterm campaigns, and the Trump administration’s attempt to indefinitely detain migrant children.
Here are some of the links and references from this week’s show:
- Vanessa Williamson for the Brookings Institution: “The ‘Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’ and the 2018 Midterms: Examining the Potential Electoral Impact”
- Slow Burn Season 2, Episode 5: Tell-All. Linda Tripp exposed Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. What was she thinking?
- Caitlin Dickerson for the New York Times: “Detention of Migrant Children Has Skyrocketed to Highest Levels Ever”
- Isaac Stanley-Becker for the Washington Post: “Trump Administration Diverted Nearly $10 Million From FEMA to ICE Detention Program, According to DHS Document”
Here are this week’s cocktail chatters:
- Listener chatter from Andy Markowitz: Andrew O’Hagan for the London Review of Books: “The Tower,” about the Grenfell Tower fire. It’s deeply and meticulously reported, vividly told, and committed to going where the facts lead—and in doing, challenging the received narrative (and the writer’s own assumptions) about how race, class, and politics played into the disaster and its aftermath. An amazing and heartbreaking read.
- Emily: Emily chattered about the disproportionate punishment Serena Williams received at the U.S. Open. She recommends Claudia Rankine for the New York Times Magazine: “The Meaning of Serena Williams.”
- John: The Field of Blood by Joanne B. Freeman
- David: The documentary Minding the Gap
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, the hosts discuss whether it is most important in life to learn to drive a car, ride a bike, or swim. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gabfestplus.
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Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.
Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap.
