Coal Country Has Been Burned Before
A group of unpaid miners has blockaded a railway in Harlan County, Kentucky. The goal? Stop a train car full of their former employer’s coal from going to market until they get what they’re owed. It’s a straightforward protest that has been going on for more than six weeks now. One thing that isn’t so straightforward, however? How to help coal mining communities, like the ones in Harlan County, confront a future with less and less coal. Guests: Gary Lewis, Harlan County miner, and Ken Ward Jr., reporter at the Charleston Gazette-Mail. 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 Sep 201919min
How the Electoral College Will Crumble
Twice in two decades, the Electoral College has created great, big questions about presidential legitimacy. Is it time for a tune-up? Guest: Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern. 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 Sep 201924min
When Is It Okay to Out Political Donors?
Last month, Representative Joaquin Castro tweeted out a list of Trump donors living in his district in San Antonio. Actress Debra Messing asked for an attendance list at a Trump fundraiser in Beverly Hills. Both efforts were likened to doxxing or blacklisting. Should political donors be named if they might also be targeted? Guest: Dahlia Lithwick, legal correspondent and host of the Amicus podcast. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Danielle Hewitt. 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 Sep 201925min
Anarchy in the U.K.
Just weeks into his role as prime minister, Boris Johnson has kicked the U.K.’s Brexit drama into high gear. It culminated yesterday in a vote that would force him to delay Britain’s EU exit until Jan. 31, 2020, unless Parliament (in an unlikely scenario) votes to approve a new deal or support a no-deal Brexit by Oct. 19. Johnson has responded by threatening to call a general election in hopes of regaining a governing majority. Is a general election the answer to this Brexit mess? Guest: Josh Keating, international editor at 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
5 Sep 201922min
There's Something in the Water
When Christopher Werth saw some paint chips falling off a radiator in his daughter’s New York City classroom, he picked one up and sent it to get tested. The results spurred him to launch a larger investigation into lead exposure in New York City classrooms. Just across the river in Newark, New Jersey, another city is dealing with its own lead troubles. Elevated levels of the metal have been found in the city’s drinking water. What do these two cases tell us about the legacy of lead in America? And what can be done about it? Guest: Christopher Werth, Senior Editor at WNYC Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 Sep 201927min
Scrapping the Senate Filibuster
What would it look like if the U.S. Senate ditched its filibuster rule, allowing legislation to pass with just a simple majority? Guest: Slate staff writer Jim Newell. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
3 Sep 201918min
Mexico’s About-Face on Immigration
How has Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador changed his country’s approach to migrants heading north? Guest: León Krauze, Slate columnist, Trumpcast co-host, and Univision news anchor. This episode originally aired in April 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30 Aug 201918min
Listening to Ilhan Omar
Back in March, Rep. Ilhan Omar spoke passionately about pro-Israel political forces that “push for allegiance to a foreign country.” She later apologized for unwittingly deploying an anti-Semitic trope. Why were Omar’s words so triggering? And is she making a fair point? Guest: Slate economics & policy writer Jordan Weissmann. This episode originally aired in March 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
29 Aug 201920min
