Political Gabfest

Emily Bazelon talks withauthor Tana Frenchabout her new book,The Hunter. They discuss the different perspectives French uses throughout her books, how French happened into writing mysteries, writing as an outsider to Ireland, and more. Tweet us your questions@SlateGabfestor email us [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and Special Counsel Robert Hur’s congressional testimony; crime and punishment with theWren Collective’s Jessica Brand; and Congress’s move to ban the Chinese government from TikTok. Join us forPolitical Gabfest Livein Washington, D.C. on March 27! Tickets are on sale now. Planning to attend? Submit a Listener Chatter [email protected] you might be picked to chatter live. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: C-SPAN:2024 State of the Union AddressandFormer Special Counsel Hur Testifies on Biden Classified Documents Report, Part 1andPart 2 House Committee on the Judiciary:Recorded Interview: Robert Hur, President Biden Transcript,Date of Interview: October 8, andDate of Interview: October 9 Kaitlan Collins for CNN:Fmr. Mar-a-Lago employee who helped move classified docs speaks with CNN Adam Serwer for The Atlantic:How Hur Misled the Country on Biden’s Memory Jack Goldsmith in The New York Times:Jack Smith and Robert Hur Are the Latest Examples of a Failed Institution Erica Pandey and Russell Contreras for Axios:Blue cities go red with conservative policies on crime Michael Barbaro and Mike Baker for The New York Times’s The Daily podcast:Oregon Decriminalized Drugs. Voters Now Regret It. Madaleine Rubin for The Texas Tribune:Sean Teare unseats Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in primary Stefanie Dazio for AP:Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón advances to runoff Jeffrey M. Jones for Gallup:More Americans See U.S. Crime Problem as Serious Stephanie Sy and Shoshana Dubnow for the PBS News Hour:As concerns grown around surging violent crime, the numbers tell a different story David Leonhardt for The New York Times:Should China Own TikTok? CBS News:FBI Director Wray says China targeting U.S. civilian infrastructure, economic security Laura He for CNN:If the US bans TikTok, China will be getting a taste of its own medicine CBS Mornings:Jon Stewart on why he’s going back to “The Daily Show” anchor desk Mike Pence on Fox News:TikTok is digital fentanyl and Congress, Biden must act before it’s too late Josh Dawsey and Jeff Stein for The Washington Post:How Donald Trump switched to defending TikTok Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: Josh Gerstein for Politico:Federal courts move against ‘judge-shopping’and John Dickerson and Jessica Levinson for CBS News Prime Time:New rules aim to prevent “judge shopping” in major court cases John: Emily Goulet for Philadelphia:Fight Like a Girl: The New Wave of High-School Wrestlingand Alex Bellos for The Guardian:He ate all the pi: Japanese man memorises π to 111,700 digits David:Lend A Box Listener chatter fromSteven in Queens, New York: New York Times:Soon Finds Mother For His 5 Children; Widower Discovers Six Women Eager to Marry Him and Care for His Brood. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk about marriage proposals. SeeCaroline Kitchener for The Atlantic:Marriage Proposals Are Stupid;Sadiba Hasan for The New York Times:10 Great Ways to Pop the Question; andParija Kavilanz for CNN:After 2023 wraps up, get ready for a spike in marriage proposals. In the latestGabfest Reads, David talks with Kiley Reid about her book,Come and Get It. Email your chatters, questions, and comments [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Biden v. Trump polls and Super Tuesday, the Supreme Court’s decision to leave Donald Trump on the ballot, and whetherThe Golden Age of American Jews Is Endingwith The Atlantic’s Franklin Foer. Join us forPolitical Gabfest Livein Washington, D.C. on March 27! Tickets are on sale now. Planning to attend? Submit a Listener Chatter [email protected] you might be picked to chatter live. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: 538:Latest Polls Shane Goldmacher for The New York Times:Voters Doubt Biden’s Leadership and Favor Trump, Times/Siena Poll Finds Mark Joseph Stern for Slate:The Supreme Court’s “Unanimous” Trump Ballot Ruling Is Actually a 5-4 Disaster Michael C. Dorf for Dorf on Law:Nine Justices in Search of an Excuse to Nullify Section 3 of the 14th Amendment Kate Shaw, Melissa Murray, and Leah Litman for Crooked Media’s Strict Scrutiny podcast:SCOTUS Restores Trump to the Colorado Ballot, Unanimously (Kind Of) Franklin Foer for The Atlantic:The Golden Age of American Jews Is Ending Elena Schneider and Melanie Mason for Politico:AIPAC uncorks $100 million war chest to sink progressive candidates Center for Antisemitism Research:24% of Americans Harbor Extensive Antisemitic Prejudice, Up From 20% in 2022, Survey Finds Romain Chauvet for The Times of Israel:‘I’m afraid every day for my children’: As antisemitism soars, French Jews flee to Israel Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: Madaleine Rubin for The Texas Tribune:Sean Teare unseats Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in primary; Serena Lin for the Austin American-Statesman:Incumbent José Garza wins Democratic primary for Travis County district attorney; Stefanie Dazio for AP:Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón advances to runoff; Mensah M. Dean for The Trace:In Philadelphia, a Program Offers Some People Arrested for Unlicensed Guns a Second Chance; and Jenice Armstrong for The Philadelphia Inquirer:Philly program keeps gun offenders out of prison. I’m all for it. John: Bozi Tatarevic for Road & Track:Here’s Why NASCAR Driver Joey Logano Was Penalized For Cheating Glovesand Victoria Beaver:Caught Webbed-Handed: Here’s the Cheated-Up Glove NASCAR Fined Joey Logano Over David:One Dayon Netflix andOne Dayby David Nicholls;Normal Peopleon Hulu andNormal People: A Novelby Sally Rooney;Shōgunon Hulu andShōgun, Part Oneby James Clavell;Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Festival; and Danielle Dowling for The New York Times:31 Things to Do for the Big Eclipse This April Listener chatter fromJason Dewees in San Francisco, California: Julie Zigoris for The San Francisco Standard:He died in a Jewish ghetto. How did his long-lost art end up on a bench in San Francisco? For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk with Researcher Julie about working as an election judge. See Arapahoe County (Colorado)Elections;Election Judges;Election Transparency; andArapahoe County Life of the Ballot. In the latestGabfest Reads, David talks with Kiley Reid about her book,Come and Get It. Email your chatters, questions, and comments [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign; the Supreme Court’s boost for Donald Trump and review of social media’s content moderation; and Senator Mitch McConnell’s decision to time out as minority leader. Join us for our nextPolitical Gabfest Liveshow in Washington, D.C. on March 27! Tickets are on sale now. Planning to attend? Submit a Listener Chatter [email protected] you might be picked to chatter live. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Ezra Klein for The New York Times Ezra Klein Show podcast:Democrats Have a Better Option Than Biden Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times:It’s Not as Easy as Just Getting Biden to Drop Out Yasmeen Abutaleb and Marianne LeVine for The Washington Post:Biden wins Michigan primary but faces notable showing by ‘uncommitted’ Thomas L. Friedman for The New York Times:Israel Is Losing Its Greatest Asset: Acceptance Karl Rove for The Wall Street Journal:Trump Goes on Fox and Shows His Weakness Amy Howe for SCOTUSblog:Supreme Court skeptical of Texas, Florida regulation of social media moderation G.S. Hans for Balls and Strikes:How the Supreme Court’s Latest Big Tech Case Pits Cancel Culture Hysteria Against Corporate Power Michael C. Dorf for Dorf on Law:The Partial Facial Challenge Option in the Netchoice Cases Alan Feuer for The New York Times:In Taking Up Trump’s Immunity Claim, Supreme Court Bolstered His Delay Strategy John Dickerson for CBS News:Examining Mitch McConnell’s legacy as Senate Republican leader The Long Game: A Memoirby Mitch McConnell Mariana Alfaro for The Washington Post:Here’s who could replace Mitch McConnell as Senate’s top Republican Mark Sumner for the Daily Kos:Watch Tim Scott utterly humiliate himself for Trump Katelyn Caralle and Sarah Ewall-Wice for the Daily Mail:Lindsey Graham is mercilessly BOOED at Trump’s South Carolina victory party: Ex-president brings Senator on stage after introducing him as a ‘little further to the left’ Saturday Night Live:Trump Victory Party Cold Open Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: Molly Ryan for WRKF 89.3 Baton Rouge Public Radio:House lawmakers advance bills targeting early release from prison – and more John: Aliza Chasan for CBS News:Cardboard box filled with unopened hockey cards sells for more than $3.7 million at auctionand Joshua Rapp Learn for Discover:Schrődinger’s Cat Experiment and the Conundrum That Rules Modern Physics David:Plainsongby Kent Haruf and City Cast:Work with us. Listener chatter fromJacob in Chicago, Illinois: citiesbydiana on TikTok:Top 6 Best Stroads in America For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily discuss the Republican obsession with Hunter Biden and the possibility of impeaching President Joe Biden. SeeMatthew Yglesias for Slow Boring:Republicans can’t stop swallowing Russian propaganda. See alsoKen Tran for USA Today:Hunter Biden denies Joe Biden involved in family business: ‘Destructive political charade’;Amy Taxin and Alanna Durkin Richer for AP:Ex-FBI informant charged with lying about Bidens to remain jailed while he awaits trial, judge rules;andPhilip Bump for The Washington Post:Evaluating the anti-Biden case House Republicans offered on social media. In the latestGabfest Reads, David talks with Kiley Reid about her book,Come and Get It. Email your chatters, questions, and comments [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discussthe tragic death of Alexei Navalny and the fallout in the US; Donald Trump’s civil fraud case and consequences; and Alabama’s new stance on frozen embryos. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Pam Belluck for the New York Times onA New Abortion Access Strategy Adam Liptak for the New York Times onSupreme Court Seems Ready to Block a Biden Plan on Air Pollution Jeffrey Blehar for National Review onWe Need to Talk about Tucker Brett Stephens for the New York Times onHow Biden Can Avenge Navalny’s Death David Ignatius, for the Washington Post onUkraine faces a valley of death. There’s a way Biden can help it get across. Neil MacFarquhar for the New York Times onWife, Protector and Now Political Heir: Yulia Navalnaya Rallies Russians Jonah E. Bromwich and Ben Protess for the New York Times onWhat the Civil Fraud Ruling Means for Trump’s Finances and His Empire Jonathan O'Connell for the Washington Post onHefty fines, penalties will rock Trump family's business and fortune Ruth Marcus for the Washington Post onAlabama’s frozen embryo ruling is misguided Jan Hoffman for the New York times onAlabama Says Embryos in a Lab Are Children. What Are the Implications? Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: Thefight against the EPA’s “good neighbor”air pollution rule heats up at the Supreme Court. John:Allison Russel’sGrammy Award win for Eve Was Black, which some members of theTennessee legislaturesought to reject a congratulatory resolution for the singer. David: Closet beds in the Netherlands. Listener chatter fromLee Underwood in Atlanta, Georgia: Caley Fretz for Escape Collective:Meet the man who rode more new roads than anyone else For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily are joined byGongwer News ServiceExecutive Editor and Publisher Zach Gorchow. Zach also co-hosts theMichigan politics podcast MichMash. They discuss the dustup among Democratic votes who may vote “uncommitted” in the primary because of Biden’s stance on Israel. In the latestGabfest Reads, John talks with Brad Stulberg about his book,Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You. Email your chatters, questions, and comments [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Keya Bajaj Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Plotz talks with author Kiley Reid about her new book,Come & Get It. They discuss how money can work in the same way as language, writing realistic dialogue, and the things we can’t let go of. Tweet us your questions@SlateGabfestor email us [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Special Counsel Robert Hur’s description of President Joe Biden; House Republicans’ impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and refusal on Ukraine aid; and Democrat Tom Suozzi’s win in the New York congressional special election. And in Slate Plus, Emily, John, and David talk local news with reporterEllie Wolfe. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Matt Viser and Tyler Pager for The Washington Post:Biden responds angrily to special counsel report questioning his memoryand Marianne LeVine:Trump says he’d disregard NATO treaty, urge Russian attacks on U.S. allies Politico Magazine:What Biden Needs to Do to Reassure the Public Elena Moore for NPR:Biden’s campaign gives in and joins TikTok. Blame the youngs Mike Lillis and Mychael Schnell for The Hill:Lawmakers scramble for Plan B on Ukraine Jake Tapper for CNN:Marco Rubio reacts to Trump threatening NATO country to ‘pay up’ Zack Beauchamp for Vox:The moral and strategic case for arming Ukraine Joshua Matz, Michael J. Gerhardt, Amit Jain, and Laurence H. Tribe for Just Security:Why and How the Senate Should Swiftly Dismiss the Impeachment Charges Against Mayorkas Nate Cohn for The New York Times:Not an Ordinary Special Election, and Yet a Typical Resultand Carl Hulse:How Senate Democrats Flipped the Border Issue on Republicans Here are this week’s chatters: Emily:American Fiction; Sam Sanders, Nadira Goffe, and Stephen Metcalf for the Slate Culture Gabfest podcast:American Fiction, Oscar Contender?; and Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford for the Stitcher Vibe Check podcast:A Special Conversation with Cord Jefferson John:Timeguessrand Matt Levine for Matt Levin’s Money Stuff:Lyft Had an Earnings Typo David:The Greatest Night in Popon Netflix and USA for Africa:We Are the World Listener chatter fromJ.T. Horn in Strafford, Vermont: Peter Frick Wright for the Outside Podcast:A Wild Conversation with E. Jean Carroll For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily discuss withEllie Wolfeher local-news reporting as Education Reporter for the Arizona Daily Star.SeeProposed law would limit shared governance at Arizona’s universities;U of A to ‘permanently eliminate’ $27 million worth of jobs in academic units;U of A’s Robbins talks about his pay, layoffs, athletics debt, more; andCFO: U of A must cut $200M in spending, rethink mission, accept layoffs. Thanks to listeners Alison, Anna, and David for the recommendation! In the latestGabfest Reads, John talks with Brad Stulberg about his book,Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You. Email your chatters, questions, and comments [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Republicans’ beginning and end of both the border bill and the impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; the criminal conviction of a mother for a school shooting by her son; and the D.C. Circuit Court decision on presidential immunity and the Supreme Court argument on the presidential ballot. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Rachael Bade for Politico:Schumer presses forward with Ukraine Plan B as GOP leaders reeland Burgess Everett:Behind the border mess: Open GOP rebellion against McConnell Cleve R. Wootson Jr. for The Washington Post:Biden vows to make GOP defeat of a conservative border bill a campaign issueandJacqueline Alemany, Amy B Wang, Marianna Sotomayor, and Paul Kane:In stunning vote, House Republicans fail to impeach Secretary Mayorkas Former Rep. Charlie Stenholm in The Hill in 2015:How Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan would make this Congress work Tresa Baldas for the Detroit Free Press:Jennifer Crumbley guilty: Understanding involuntary manslaughter charge, possible sentenceandPaul Egan:Michigan’s gun laws change: Background checks, storage, temporary removal Michael Barbaro and Lisa Miller for The New York Times The Daily podcast:A Guilty Verdict for a Mass Shooter’s Mother Rachel Weiner for The Washington Post:Trump has no immunity from Jan. 6 prosecution, appeals court rules Ian Millhiser for Vox:The Supreme Court is about to decide whether to sabotage Trump’s election theft trial Amy Howe for SCOTUSblog:Supreme Court to decide whether insurrection provision keeps Trump off ballot Here are this week’s chatters: John: Ian Sample for The Guardian:AI helps scholars read scroll buried when Vesuvius erupted in AD79; Pierina Pighi Bel for the BBC:Bodegas: The small corner shops that run NYC; David Blank in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:Philodemus;Moss and Fog; and Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School:Theodore H. White Lecture with John Dickerson Emily: Sofia Resnick for News From The States:Study cited by Texas judge in abortion pill case retractedand Sage Publishing:A note from Sage on retractions in Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology David: Patrick Radden Keefe for The New Yorker:A Teen’s Fatal Plunge Into The London Underworld Listener chatter fromPatrick Johnson in Anchorage, Alaska: Rhonda McBride for KNBA - Anchorage:Anchorage’s white raven becomes a local legend as a tracked trickster For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily discuss “Fast Car,”Tracy Chapman’s 1988 original, andLuke Combs’s 2023 cover. In the latestGabfest Reads, John talks with Brad Stulberg about his book,Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You. Email your chatters, questions, and comments [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss E. Jean Carroll’s $83.3 million win against Donald J. Trump; the events of 1920-1948 that shaped the current relationship of Israel and Palestine; and the tech-bro billionaires of techno-authoritarianism withAdrienne LaFranceof The Atlantic. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Eric Lach for The New Yorker:Nine Regular People Tell Donald Trump to Shut Up and Pay Up Monica Hesse for The Washington Post:Is it really sexism that Trump is showing? Or is it something worse? Maggie Haberman and Shane Goldmacher for The New York Times:Trump’s PACs Spent Roughly $50 Million on Legal Expenses in 2023 Erik Larson for Fortune and Bloomberg:Most of Trump’s cash stockpile is at risk from possible $450m dual verdicts in E. Jean Carroll and New York business fraud cases CBS News:Face The Nationand Emily Tillett:Nikki Haley on Trump accusers: Women who accuse anyone “should be heard” and “dealt with” Gabriella Abdul-Hakim for ABC News:Tim Scott insists voters don’t care about Trump’s defamation loss, plays down ‘provocative’ Haley attacks Dietrich Knauth for Insurance Journal:Sandy Hook Denier Alex Jones Eyes Settlement With Families, Bankruptcy Exit Emily Bazelon for The New York Times:The Road to 1948andWas Peace Ever Possible? Adrienne LaFrance for The Atlantic:The Rise of Techno-Authoritarianism Ezra Klein for The New York Times:The Chief Ideologist of the Silicon Valley Elite Has Some Strange Ideas Steven Levy for Wired:What the Techno-Billionaire Missed About Techno-Optimism Jonathan Taplin for Vanity Fair:How Musk, Thiel, Zuckerberg, and Andreessen—Four Billionaire Techno-Oligarchs—Are Creating an Alternate, Autocratic Reality Lisa Desjardins and Jonah Anderson for PBS Newshour:Lawmakers grill Big Tech executives, accusing them of failing to protect children The Dictator’s Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracyby William J. Dobson Here are this week’s chatters: Emily:The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded Americaby Michelle Wilde Anderson John:PenTips; Toluse Olorunnipa and Liz Goodwin for The Washington Post:Biden vows to ‘shut down’ an overwhelmed border if Senate deal passesand Jacob Bogage and Jeff Stein:House votes to expand child tax credit, beef up corporate tax breaks David:Visual Arts, St. Albans School; John Buzbee for The Advocate:LSU students bare it all as nude art models: ‘It’s a very brave thing to be able to do.’; and Kim McGill for The Union:The naked truth: Art models at El Camino inspire students to portray humanity in all its forms Listener chatter fromJay Lloyd in Louisville, Kentucky: Eric Berger for Ars Technica:What happens when an astronaut in orbit says he’s not coming back? For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily discuss theLove Storyof Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce and the message for MAGA madness:You Need To Calm Down. See Mariana Alfaro for The Washington Post:Why Trump’s MAGA Republican movement dislikes Taylor Swiftand Ross Douthat for The New York Times:Taylor Swift, Donald Trump and the Right’s Abnormality Problem. In the latestGabfest Reads, John talks with Brad Stulberg about his book,Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You. Email your chatters, questions, and comments [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump v. Biden presidential rematch, the end of the “vibecession,” and the political fights over immigration. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Michael Scherer and Toluse Olorunnipa for The Washington Post:Trump, Biden pivot quickly to a 2024 campaign that many voters dread Lauren Irwin for The Hill:Trump says Tim Scott ‘must really hate’ Haley Allison Pecorin and Caleigh Bartash for ABC News:Trump picks up endorsements from holdouts after New Hampshire win John E. Moser for Teaching American History:“Fireside Chat” on “Purging” the Democratic Party Ben Casselman for The New York Times:U.S. Economy Grew at 3.3% Rate in Latest Quarterand German Lopez:The End of Economic Pessimism? Jeff Stein for The Washington Post:As doomsday predictions dissipate, Biden aides savor booming economyandTrump promises to stop inflation. But would his plans actually help? Kyla Scanlon for Kyla’s Newsletter:The Vibecession: The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Ben Harris and Aaron Sojourner for The Brookings Institution:Why are Americans so displeased with the economy? David Montgomery for YouGov:How’s the economy doing? For many Americans, the answer is how their party’s doing Punchbowl News AM:McConnell bows to Trump on border Karoun Demirjian for The New York Times:With Border Deal Near, Parole and Money Take Center Stage in Senate Talks Maria Sacchetti for The Washington Post:Explaining immigration parole, one sticking point in Ukraine aid-border deal Rafael Bernal and Al Weaver for The Hill:Parole: What to know about the GOP’s latest border sticking point David J. Bier for the Cato Institute:New Data Show Migrants Were More Likely to Be Released by Trump Than Biden Colleen Long for AP:Title 42 has ended. Here’s what it did, and how US immigration policy is changing Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: Yair Rosenberg for The Atlantic:What Did Top Israeli War Officials Really Say About Gaza?and Comics Kingdom:Sally Forth John: Tori Apodaca for CBS Sacramento:California writes cursive back into elementary school curriculumand Carmen Mayer, Stefanie Wallner, Nora Budde-Spengler, Sabrina Braunert, Petra A. Arndt, and Markus Kiefer in Frontiers in Psychology:Literacy Training of Kindergarten Children With Pencil, Keyboard or Tablet Stylus: The Influence of the Writing Tool on Reading and Writing Performance at the Letter and Word Level David: Erik Wemple for The Washington Post:At Gallery Place, it’s Ted Leonsis vs. one very loud street music act Listener chatter fromAnnie O’Connor in St. Paul, Minnesota:LockPickingLawyeron YouTube For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily discussEzra Klein’s piece in The New York Times:I Am Going to Miss Pitchfork, but That’s Only Half the Problem. SeeJudy Woodruff, Sarah Clune Hartman, and Frank Carlson for PBS:The connections between decline of local news and growing political division;Steven Waldman for The Atlantic:The Local-News Crisis Is Weirdly Easy to Solve; andPenelope Muse Abernathy for the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, University of North Carolina:The Expanding News Desert: Finding Solutions. See alsoPress Forward; Sara Fischer and Cuneyt Dil for Axios:Scoop: D.C. lawmakers to introduce new bill funding local news via vouchers; and theLaw & Justice Journalism Project. In the latestGabfest Reads, John talks with Brad Stulberg about his book,Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You. Email your chatters, questions, and comments [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Research by Julie Huygen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices