The Discourse | TikTok Ban: The Final Loop?

Every week, it feels like some new piece of coronavirus information dominates the headlines. Mysterious symptoms, changing government directives. This constant trickle of updates can quickly turn into a flood. How should normal people interpret this deluge of data? Guest: Emily Oster, professor of economics at Brown University and co-founder of COVID-Explained.  Host Lizzie O’Leary     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Maj 202019min

All around the world, scientific research has been put on hold to concentrate resources on one thing: a vaccine for COVID-19. The usual red tape that slows down these experiments has been removed. And at a lab in Baltimore, researchers are working around the clock to recruit trial participants, prepare vaccine doses, and study results.  Guest: Dr. Kirsten Lyke, lead investigator on COVID-19 vaccine trials at the University of Maryland’s Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health.  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 Maj 202021min

The criminal case against former Trump adviser Michael Flynn has been full of plot-twists. But the biggest about-face came last week, when the Department of Justice moved to drop the case entirely. Lawyers who had worked on the investigation registered their disgust by refusing to sign the motion. U.S. Attorney General William Barr says he hopes history will look kindly on his decision. Critics say the move undermines any future attempt to hold the Trump administration accountable. Guest: Dahlia Lithwick, legal correspondent for Slate and host of the podcast Amicus.  Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13 Maj 202026min

We spoke to Greta Privitera back in mid-March, a few weeks after she and her family isolated themselves at home in northern Italy. Now, with Italy taking baby steps toward normalcy, Greta says she’s enjoying her walks outside, she still worries about another surge in COVID-19 cases. And by the look of things, she's not alone. Guest: Greta Privitera, a journalist living in Milan. Read her latest dispatch for Slate.   Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Maj 202019min

Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead on a Sunday afternoon in southern Georgia. He had been jogging a few miles from his home. The shooting happened on February 23. It took more than two months for officials to make any arrests. Why? Guest: Christian Boone, public safety reporter for the AJC.  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 Maj 202021min

Yesterday, New York City announced that it would provide 140,000 free antibody tests to residents who want to know if they have been exposed to the coronavirus. And New York isn’t alone: large-scale antibody testing is ramping up around the country. But with faulty tests flooding the market and questions about whether a positive test really confers immunity are antibody tests really worth the bother? Guests: Shannon Palus, staff writer for Slate, and Dr. Natalie E. Dean, assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Maj 202024min

For years, the Postal Service has faced financial turmoil. Now, facing a pandemic, mail volume has dropped off and the question has resurfaced: Can the post office survive? Devin Leonard wrote the book on the Postal Service and says how it got to this latest crisis is more complicated than it seems. With the post master general saying that the service could be financially insolvent by the fall, is this the government’s last chance to right the ship? Guest: Devin Leonard, writer for Bloomberg and Bloomberg Businessweek. He’s also the author of Neither Snow Nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 Maj 202020min

It all started when the weather took a turn for the better. Surfers and beachgoers flocked to Orange County shores, only to find them cordoned off, at the behest of Governor Gavin Newsom. Protestors took to the streets in Huntington Beach, demanding an end to the shutdowns. The demonstrations weren't huge. But, in the world of Republican politics, you ignore Orange County at your own peril. Guest: Gustavo Arellano, writer at the Los Angeles Times and host of L.A. Times podcast Coronavirus in California. He’s also the author of Orange County: A Personal 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

6 Maj 202019min