The Fight to Reopen Schools in Memphis

The past couple of weeks have seen some alarming developments in the U.S.-China relationship. Among them is how the United States plans to deal with the wildly popular Chinese social media app TikTok. The debate over the social giant has reached the White House and discussions of what to do about it have ranged from an outright ban to Microsoft acquiring U.S. operations of the app.What makes TikTok a threat to national security? And what does this whole episode say about where U.S.-China relations are heading?Guest: Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, reporter for Axios and author of the Axios China newsletter.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Aug 202019min

For the last four months, federal and state eviction moratoria have kept Americans in their apartments, even if they couldn’t pay rent. Now, with financial relief in question, and moratoria set to expire, the first of the month might look very different for millions of Americans.Guests:Emily, a resident of Chicago’s Northwest SideMark Durakovic, principal at Kass ManagementPeter Hepburn, analyst at Princeton’s Eviction LabHostHenry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

31 Juli 202023min

For the last four months, federal and state eviction moratoria have kept Americans in their apartments, even if they couldn’t pay rent. Now, with financial relief in question, and moratoria set to expire, the first of the month might look very different for millions of Americans.Guests:Emily, a resident of Chicago’s Northwest SideMark Durakovic, principal at Kass ManagementPeter Hepburn, analyst at Princeton’s Eviction LabHostHenry Grabar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

31 Juli 202023min

At the height of New York City’s “hot-spot” status during the coronavirus pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo made absentee ballots available to a wider array of voters than ever before. But state and federal agencies weren’t remotely ready for the deluge of ballots that would be mailed in. Guest: Washington Post reporter Jada Yuan. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Juli 202020min

Arizona largely avoided the coronavirus when it first reached the U.S., but after a rapid reopening of the state by Governor Doug Ducey, new cases in the state exploded. Arizona now has well over 165,000 COVID cases and more than three thousand deaths. It was briefly the state with the highest coronavirus death rate in the country. Wendy Smith-Reeve left her role as Director of Arizona’s Division for Emergency Management in late March, accusing Governor Ducey of mismanaging the crisis. She says Arizona’s summer surge could have been avoided. Guest: Wendy Smith-Reeve, former Director of Arizona’s Division for Emergency ManagementSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Juli 202018min

The Department of Homeland Security was built to protect the country from terrorists. But its mission was always expansive. After the bizarre detainments in Portland, we’re seeing a reckoning with what this super-agency does. Guest: Jonathan Blitzer, staff writer for the New Yorker. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Juli 202018min

Back in May, when House Democrats were teeing up additional coronavirus relief legislation, the Senate majority made a bet. Republicans waited to see if viral spread would diminish, making additional federal aid unnecessary. Instead, U.S. COVID-19 cases spiked. And economic problems mounted. Now, Senate Republicans are far from a consensus on a relief bill, even as coronavirus-related unemployment benefits run out. Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer. Sign up for his excellent newsletter, The Surge. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Juli 202021min

More than any other U.S. city, New Orleans banks on its culture. From music to restaurants to parades, the city relies on a steady stream of tourists to support its many artists and institutions. In March, those tourists stopped visiting. And without them, the fragile infrastructure of clubs, venues, and performances is starting to collapse. Can New Orleans survive the coronavirus?Guests:Patrick Williams, harmonica playerJesse Paige, owner of the Blue NileAsali DeVan Ecclesiastes, Executive Director of the Ashé Cultural Arts Center Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Juli 202019min