TBD | The A.I. Data Center Push That Wasn't

Republicans used to lead the way on environmental legislation. Are they about to come back around on the urgency of climate change?   Guest: Carlos Curbelo, former Republican congressman from Florida. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Jan 202128min

There’s a lot riding on the working relationship of President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. They are bonded by their service in the U.S. Senate, their ideological flexibility, and their respect for norms -- unless those norms stand in the way of their ambitions.  Guest: Alex Thompson, White House reporter for Politico.  Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

26 Jan 202129min

Back in 2015, Farai Chideya was a senior writer covering politics at FiveThirtyEight. Her time there was instructive in understanding how the media failed to take Trump’s presidential candidacy seriously. Now that she has her own show, she’s speaking up about how journalists -- and the news outlets that employ them -- could better serve the public.  Guest: Farai Chideya, host of Our Body Politic. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Jan 202123min

Most people thought developing the vaccine in record time would be the hard part. That, or shipping millions of doses at subzero temperatures to every corner of the country. But nobody--or, almost nobody--guessed that the biggest barrier between U.S. citizens and vaccination would be … online scheduling.  What went wrong with the vaccine websites? And what will it take to get them right? Guests:  Raphael Lee, director of USDR’s Health Program  Hana Schank, director of Strategy for Public Interest Technology at New America Jessica Allen Host Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Jan 202129min

At his inauguration, President Joe Biden argued that “unity is the path forward.” But it’s still an open question whether he’ll be able to get anything done. 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

21 Jan 202124min

A new presidential administration begins today. In pivotal moments like this, it’s hard to know what to say. But eight years ago, Richard Blanco was called upon to say something anyway - in front of a million people at Barack Obama’s second inauguration. And eight years later, he has some thoughts about the crossroads we’re at now. Guest: Richard Blanco, author of How to Love a Country and the Inaugural Poet for Barack Obama’s 2012 Inauguration. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20 Jan 202127min

Almost two weeks after the siege on the Capitol, Rep. Tim Ryan still has questions about why Congress was left with such meager defenses. How is Congress dealing with the fallout from the attack? And with one day left before Joe Biden’s inauguration, is the nation’s capital safe? Guest: Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH 13). Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 Jan 202126min

After Facebook and Twitter banned thousands of accounts in the wake of the Capitol riots, fringe groups are flocking to platforms like Signal and Telegram. With the inauguration just days away, and government officials warning of violence, QAnon believers and Stop the Steal protesters are now communicating in encrypted spaces. What, if anything, is being planned?  Guest:  Will Sommer, politics reporter at the Daily Beast Host Lizzie O’Leary   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Jan 202120min