Martial Law (Briefly) in South Korea

For pregnant women in the U.S., there are plenty of reasons to mistrust the medical establishment. Mortality rates are high compared to other western countries, and one-third of women in the U.S. give birth by C-section. It’s no wonder that many women turn to the internet for alternatives.   This week, the story of one woman who was drawn into a network of private Facebook groups dedicated to the idea of ‘freebirth,’ or unassisted birth. And what happens when the misinformation shared in these private groups has real-life consequences.   Guest: Brandy Zadrozny, reporter for NBC News. You can read her reporting on ‘freebirth’ here.    This episode originally aired in March 2020    Host Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 Sep 202022min

Democratic operatives who specialize in Latino voter outreach are sounding the alarm: The Biden campaign assumes Latino support at its own peril.  Guest: Chuck Rocha, head of Nuestro PAC.   Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

17 Sep 202030min

Hybrid learning is a massive educational experiment playing out in schools across the country. No two classrooms are alike. We took a look at one teacher’s experience.  Guest: Christopher Pinto, a high school math and statistics teacher at the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District outside Houston, Texas.  Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16 Sep 202019min

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Sep 202023min

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

14 Sep 202023min

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 ProPublica Host Celeste Headlee   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Sep 202020min

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 Sep 202022min

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 writer Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Sep 202022min