TBD | Why Texas Went Dark
Over the last week, millions of Texans have been forced to live without power or heat. At least 16 have died since Monday. In a state that’s no stranger to extreme weather and high power demand, how did it all go so wrong? Guest: Josh Rhodes, research associate at the Webber Energy Group at the University of Texas at Austin Host Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
19 Feb 202122min
What Rush Limbaugh Left Behind
Rush Limbaugh’s radio show provided a roadmap that the Republican Party has been following, more or less faithfully, for decades. Guest: Nicole Hemmer, author of Messengers of the Right and co-host of This Day in Esoteric Political History. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 Feb 202130min
A Year of Anti-Asian Violence
In the year since the pandemic began, the number of attacks against Asian Americans has skyrocketed. The most recent wave of assaults left a number of victims injured and one man dead. Many Asian American activists say the attacks reflect a pattern of violence “as old as America itself.” Guest: Kim Tran, an anti-oppression consultant and the author of the forthcoming book, The End of Allyship: A New Era of Solidarity. 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 Feb 202126min
When the Vaccine Skeptic Is Your Dad
Gustavo Arellano’s father is what he would call a ‘pandejo’ - someone who doesn't take COVID safety seriously. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Gustavo has been fighting the uphill battle to dissuade him of his skepticism. And two weeks ago, his father finally got vaccinated. We all know a ‘pandejo.’ What can we learn from Gustavo’s relationship with his father? Guest: Gustavo Arellano, columnist for the LA Times 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 Feb 202125min
TBD | How Clubhouse Cracked China’s Firewall
For most of the last year, Clubhouse—the audio-only social media app—has been dominated by conversations about business, branding, and Elon Musk. But as users picked up the app around the globe, something extraordinary happened. Censors in mainland China overlooked it. And for two weeks in February, it hosted a series of unusual, unfiltered conversations. Han Chinese, Hong Kongers, Taiwanese, and Uighurs all flooded to the app to speak freely about authoritarianism, democracy, and propaganda. Here’s what happened when the censors looked the other way. Guest: Melissa Chan, journalist with the Global Reporting Centre Host Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
12 Feb 202124min
The Fight to Unionize an Amazon Warehouse
On Tuesday, workers in an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama started voting on whether or not to form a union. Amazon has been fighting the vote on multiple fronts. A “yes” vote could possibly spark unionization drives in warehouses all across the country. Guests: Jay Greene, tech reporter for 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
11 Feb 202124min
The Most Powerful Man in Washington?
As soon as the Democrats won a slim 50-50 majority in the senate, the jokes about President Joe Manchin started flying. The Senate's self described “conservative Democrat” from West Virginia is in a key position to influence legislation during the Biden administration. How will he wield that power? Guests: Jim Newell, senior politics reporter for Slate Ken Ward Jr., co-founder of Mountain State Spotlight and distinguished reporting fellow for Pro-Publica 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 Feb 202125min
Trump on Trial — Again
After the insurrection at the nation's capitol on January 6th, the House of Representatives impeached Donald Trump for a second time. The only article charges him with high crimes and misdemeanors for inciting a riot. There's no shortage of evidence backing up that claim, but the politics make it an open question if the senate will convict. Guest: Dahlia Lithwick, host of Slate’s Amicus podcast 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 Feb 202128min
