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On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by New York Times columnist Ross Douthat to discuss the Parkland, Florida, shooting, job openings at the White House, and whether it’s the right time to ban porn.
Here are some of the links and references from this week’s show:
- Ali Vitali for NBC: “Trump Signs Bill Revoking Obama-Era Gun Checks for People With Mental Illnesses”
- Pew Research Center: “The Demographics of Gun Ownership”
- Russ Choma for Mother Jones: “Trump Veterans Affairs Chief Took His Wife on a Taxpayer-Funded Vacation”
- Rich Gardella, Carol E. Lee, Mike Memoli, and Kristen Welker for NBC: “Scores of Top White House Officials Lack Permanent Security Clearances”
- Ross Douthat for the New York Times: “Let’s Ban Porn”
- American Sociological Review: “Accounting for Women’s Orgasm and Sexual Enjoyment in College Hookups and Relationships”
Here are this week’s cocktail chatters:
- Emily: Chris Arnold’s story for NPR on the new mission of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Ross: Elizabeth Warren gave a surprise speech at the National Congress of American Indians and addressed Trump’s “Pocahontas” digs
- David: Evelyn Baker, a retired Missouri circuit court judge, writes in the Washington Post that “I sentenced a teen to die in prison. I regret it.”
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, the hosts discuss Michelle and Barack Obama’s official portraits. 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. Links compiled by Izzy Rode.