What Would Convince a Lab Leak Skeptic?

This is what coronavirus purgatory looks like: Our present economic doldrums are brutal for service workers and tolerable for white-collar workers. Congress is deadlocked over a second coronavirus relief bill. And the market is performing as if help is on the way. Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Slate’s senior business and economics correspondent. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 Sep 202021min

A new whistleblower complaint alleges that the Trump administration is trying to manipulate national security agencies for political ends. With two months to go until the presidential election, what can Congress do to respond?Guest: Shane Harris, reporter at the Washington Post. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Sep 202020min

As the planet warms in the coming decades, many parts of the planet that millions now call home will become uninhabitable. At first, people in these areas will move to the cities, then across international borders. This mass migration is already underway in the hottest parts of the world, and it is likely to accelerate in coming years.Just how many people will be forced to move? And where will they go?Guest: Abrahm Lustgarten, senior reporter at ProPublicaHostCeleste Headlee  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Sep 202018min

As the planet warms in the coming decades, many parts of the planet that millions now call home will become uninhabitable. At first, people in these areas will move to the cities, then across international borders. This mass migration is already underway in the hottest parts of the world, and it is likely to accelerate in coming years.Just how many people will be forced to move? And where will they go?Guest: Abrahm Lustgarten, senior reporter at ProPublicaHostCeleste Headlee  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Sep 202018min

The American West is undergoing one of the most extreme fire seasons on record. With megafires creating apocalyptic scenes across large swaths of California, Oregon, and Washington, and a pandemic still in full effect, how are residents and firefighters responding? Are wildfires like the ones seen these past few weeks an anomaly? Or is a burning horizon something people out West will have to learn to live with?Guest: Julie Cart, reports about climate change and environmental issues for CalMatters.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Sep 202020min

For months after Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, pundits labored over how the polls, and the reports surrounding them, had badly misjudged and mischaracterized the election. Since then, pollsters have made significant changes in hopes of painting a more accurate picture of the 2020 race.How much trust should voters put in the numbers this time? And what does the data say about Joe Biden’s perceived lead in the 2020 presidential race?Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writerSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Sep 202020min

John Nolan worked at the United States Postal Service for a total of 24 years. He retired in 2005. The last couple of months have been a frustrating time for someone with intimate knowledge of the institution. What are we getting wrong about the Postal Service?Guest: John Nolan, former Deputy Postmaster General Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Sep 202020min

In the wake of the killing of Michael Brown in 2014, and the national protests that followed, many believed that video shared on social media, along with footage from body cameras, would reshape the relationship between police and citizens. Six years later, one thing is clear: It didn’t work. Can viral videos really hold power to account?And why do we so often put our faith in technological solutions to solve societal problems?Guests:Bijan Stephen, reporter at the VergeEthan Zuckerman, former director, the Center for Civic Media, MIT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Sep 202020min