George Floyd Square, Five Years Later

Special Counsel Robert Mueller breaks his silence to reiterate the conclusions of his investigation’s report -- and remind the American people to read it. Guest: Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick, host of the Amicus podcast.  Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Maj 201922min

It was the election that was never supposed to happen in the UK in the first place. Several delays, a few milkshakes, and a resignation later the British found themselves voting over the weekend for European Parliament. How did Brexiteers and Remainers fare in this past weekend’s vote? And what does it mean for the UK and Europe writ large? Guest: Josh Keating, International Editor at Slate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Maj 201922min

Everywhere President Trump turns, he’s finding himself hemmed in by the courts. But could upcoming rulings from the Supreme Court make lower court judges take a more expansive view of the president’s executive powers? Guest: Slate writer Mark Joseph Stern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 Maj 201918min

In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U.S. forces scoured Afghanistan for Taliban fighters. They weren’t expecting to find John Walker Lindh, a young man from California who had converted to Islam and moved abroad to study the Quran. Lindh was dubbed the “American Taliban,” but his case ended in a plea deal, leaving his treatment while in custody a secret. At the time, Lindh’s story seemed uncomplicated: He was associating with extremists. Now, years later, his case feels like a missed opportunity. How did it happen that he went through our criminal justice system, but we learned so little about extremism and the nation’s treatment of detainees? Guest: Karen Greenberg, director of the Center on National Security at Fordham University School of Law. Her book is Rogue Justice: The Making of the Security State.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

24 Maj 201923min

Last week, Georgia joined the wave of states passing stringent anti-abortion laws in a bid to topple Roe v. Wade. One Democratic state senator says she hasn’t lost her resolve to fight for women’s bodily autonomy. Guest: Georgia state Sen. Jen Jordan, representing parts of Atlanta and its northwestern suburbs Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23 Maj 201924min

Sheriff’s offices across the country are signing up to beta-test a facial recognition tool made by Amazon. Law enforcement proponents say the technology helps find perpetrators who otherwise may go free. But civil liberties advocates have questions about the accuracy —and the constitutionality—of these tools. Guest: Reporter Drew Harwell. Read his latest in the Washington Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Maj 201925min

Over the weekend, billionaire Robert F. Smith ended his commencement address to the Morehouse Class of 2019 with an extraordinary pledge: He would pay off the entire class’s student debt. Smith’s pledge will undoubtedly transform the lives of those students, but what about everyone else? What does student debt relief look like on a national scale? And what can we learn from studying the Morehouse Class of 2019?  Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Slate’s senior business and economics correspondent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Maj 201920min

When New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced he would run for president, the mockery was swift. City tabloids were typically disdainful (New York Post: “Everyone Hates Bill!”). New York’s attorney general quipped, “Why?” Even de Blasio’s former staffers have declined to voice support for their old boss’s presidential bid. Here, now, an explanation for why New Yorkers are so sure their mayor would be a bad fit for the White House.  Guest: Henry Grabar, Slate staff writer.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20 Maj 201922min