

Political Gabfest
Slate Podcasts
Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says "Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest." The Gabfest, featuring Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, is the kind of informal and irreverent discussion Washington journalists have after hours over drinks.Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 19, 2023 • 52min
Still No House Speaker
Topics include Jim Jordan's Speaker bid, Biden's support for Israel, Trump's gag order, hitting the snooze button, and Poland election results.

10 snips
Oct 12, 2023 • 55min
Gaza War
Juliette Kayyem, a guest on the show, discusses the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The podcast covers the reasons behind the attack, the delayed response from Israel, and the impact on perception. They also explore Israel's deals with Arab nations and the inclusion of gains for the Palestinians. Additionally, they touch upon the challenges faced by the GOP in choosing a House Speaker and the internal divisions within the party.

Oct 5, 2023 • 1h 3min
We Need to Talk About Kevin...McCarthy
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the now-former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and the for-now Republican Matt Gaetz; the Supreme Court’s new term; and crime in America. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Marianna Sotomayor, Leigh Ann Caldwell, and Colby Itkowitz for The Washington Post: “Fight for speakership begins as House reels from McCarthy ouster”David Leonhardt for The New York Times: “America’s Political Turmoil”Matt Ford for The New Republic: “The Supreme Court Eyes Its Next Big Power Grab”Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley for The American Presidency Project: “Summary of the Report of the Committee on Administrative Management [the Brownlow Report].”Ian Millhiser for Vox: “The Supreme Court will decide if abusive spouses have a right to own guns”Mark Sherman for AP: “Supreme Court is asked to reject limits on a drug used in the most common method of abortion”Andrew Chung for Reuters: “Supreme Court ethics concerns aren’t going away”Ernesto Lopez, Richard Rosenfeld, and Bobby Boxerman for the Council on Criminal Justice: “Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Mid-Year 2023 Update" Rebecca Crosby, Judd Legum, and Tesnim Zekeria for Popular Information: “Target says it’s closing 9 stores due to theft. The crime data tells a different story.”Trisha Ahmed and Jim Salter for AP: “Some small towns in America are disbanding police forces, citing hiring woes”Gabe Cohen for CNN: “Doubling up on classrooms, using online teachers and turning to support staff: How schools are dealing with the ongoing teacher shortage” John Dickerson for CBS News: “Chronic school absences on the rise in 40 states, study finds”Michael D. Shear for The New York Times: “Bidens’ Dog Is No Longer at White House After Latest Biting Incident”Molly Olmstead for Slate: “The Bidens’ Dog Keeps Biting People. Why?”Judicial Watch: “Judicial Watch Sues Secret Service for Records of Attacks by Biden German Shepherd ‘Commander’” Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: North Woods: A Novel by Daniel Mason and “Tiny Beautiful Things” on HuluJohn: “Endeavour” on PBS; Daniel Garisto for Scientific American: “This Year’s Physics Nobel Awards Scientists for Slicing Reality into Attoseconds”; John Uri for NASA: “65 Years Ago: Sputnik Ushers in the Space Age”; and Charles Fishman for Fast Company: “The birth of the electronic beep, the most ubiquitous sound design in the world”David: Paul M.M. Cooper’s Fall of Civilizations Podcast and Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcastListener chatter from Danny O’Malley: “Canary” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David discuss President Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, his biting of Secret Service personnel, and his recent banishment from the White House. In the next Gabfest Reads in October, David talks with Kristi Coulter about her book, Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna RothResearch by Julie Huygen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 28, 2023 • 56min
Donald Duck and the Seven Dwarves
Topics discussed in the podcast include the Republican debate, legal trouble of Senator Menendez, corruption allegations, Democrats' fight against Amazon's monopoly, various book and podcast recommendations, and discussions on mental stability and the future of Earth.

Sep 23, 2023 • 27min
Gabfest Reads: Zadie Smith Knows You're a Fraud
Author Zadie Smith discusses her new book 'The Fraud' with Emily Bazelon, exploring themes of justice and fiction. They delve into the Titchborne trial's impact on Zadie, confinement of women in the past, exploring relationships and identity, dividing attributes and motives in a novel, and the role of writers and storytellers in society.

Sep 21, 2023 • 58min
Who’s Winning The Autoworkers Strike?
This week's Political Gabfest features Yoel Roth, an expert on social media trust and safety. They discuss the UAW autoworkers' strike demands, the challenges faced by teachers in parent diplomacy, and the threats to election security. The podcast also explores a resignation from the Trump Russia investigation and NASA's asteroid mission, an expedition to Malos Bay, and the history of unused ships and boat graveyards.

6 snips
Sep 14, 2023 • 56min
Impeach ‘Em All, Let God Sort ‘Em Out
This week's podcast discusses the potential impeachment of a Supreme Court justice in Wisconsin and the controversy surrounding judges campaigning for elections. It also explores the complexities of nominee confirmation hearings and the internal conflicts within the Republican party regarding the impeachment of Joe Biden. The chapter analyzes polling in battleground states and examines the decrease in support for Biden among black and Latino voters. Lastly, the speakers discuss recommended books, minor key songs, and their love for Zong Sauce.

7 snips
Sep 7, 2023 • 53min
Is Biden The Last Politician?
Franklin Foer, writer and journalist from The Atlantic, joins Emily Bazelon and David Plotz to discuss Biden's presidency, the Ukrainian counteroffensive, and the value of higher education. They delve into Biden's contrasting qualities, Vice President Kamala Harris' political identity, and the challenges faced by Ukraine in breaking through Russian defenses. They also touch on the plot twist in Trump's prosecution and Lionel Messi's arrival in MLS.

Aug 31, 2023 • 56min
March Forth, Trump!
In this podcast, the hosts discuss the trials schedule for Donald Trump and the 2024 election calendar. They analyze the implications of delaying indictments and potential bias against Trump in DC. They also examine the behavior and tactics of a presidential candidate willing to say and do anything for attention. Additionally, they touch on the process of replacing asphalt runways, the Ukrainian resistance against Russia, and the movie 'Red Dawn'.

Aug 24, 2023 • 54min
Who Won the Trump-less Debate?
In this podcast, the hosts discuss the Republican primary debate without Trump, the debate among Republican law professors on whether the Constitution prohibits another Trump presidency, and the lack of socioeconomic class mixing in daily activities. They also touch on topics such as the NBA 2K League, Trump's eligibility for presidency based on the Constitution, and the potential threat to prosecution in the Rico case against Trump in Georgia.


