The “Osama Bin Laden Sure Read Boring Books” Edition
Listen to Slate’s show about Osama Bin Laden’s reading list, Columbia University’s “Mattress Girl,” and gender dynamics on Capitol Hill and the Upper East Side.
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On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the release of Osama Bin Laden’s reading materials, the culmination of a performance art project by Columbia University's “Mattress Girl," and revelations regarding curious gender dynamics on Capitol Hill and the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week’s show:
- The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released an unprecedented number of documents from Osama Bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan, including the al-Qaida Islamist militant application.
- What can we learn from Bin Laden’s bookshelf, what does his reading list reveal, why release the materials now, and what do authors think about their works being represented? (Also, what happened to Bin Laden's infamous collection of pornography?)
- Emma Sulkowicz, the Columbia University student who carried a mattress around campus all year in protest of the university’s handling of her sexual assault complaint, graduated this week. How can colleges and universities fix a system that continues to fail both victims and the accused (when only they know what really happened)?
- Paul Nungesser—who denies the allegations, has been cleared of several complaints against him and is suing the university for Title IX gender-based harassment and misconduct—also graduated. (Read his full complaint, which Sulkowicz calls “ridiculous” and misleading.)
- Emily highlights several cases that may or may not portend the future of such gender discrimination and bias lawsuits.
- A recent study of women on Capitol Hill highlights the challenges and consequences when women can’t get one-on-one time with their bosses.
- What is a “wife bonus”—and is it even a real thing? (And what about a “husband bonus”?)
Emily chatters about Ernie Chambers, the Nebraska state senator who convinced his unicameral legislature to abolish the state’s death penalty.
John chatters about the time a possum snuck into the Old House Office Building and ended up as a Capitol dinner.
(Almost) every product recommended on every Slate podcast since the dawn of creation.
David chatters about the 99% Invisible podcast on Billy Possum and the This American Life story of a canvasser study that has since been retracted.
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Podcast production by Mike Vuolo. Links compiled by Tarik Barrett.