A redrawn Virginia electoral map looked like it could offset at least some red state gerrymandering—until the Virginia Supreme Court stepped in. But if Democrats—in the commonwealth or elsewhere—have a way to keep Republicans from redistricting themselves into permanent power, now’s the time.

Guest: Jamelle Bouie, New York Times opinion columnist. 

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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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The world is watching with a wary eye, as passengers leave the hantavirus-infected MV Hondius cruise ship and head to medical facilities or home. Is this the start of the next pandemic—or is our collective response still informed by the last one?

Guest:  Katherine J. Wu is a staff writer covering science at The Atlantic.

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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by futurist Scott Smith who breaks down his theory of “risk-maxxing” and why it’s on the rise in economics, politics, and other spheres at this particular moment in history.

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Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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How long can the MAGA faithful control the GOP? Will Trumpism last long after the big man is gone—or will it not even make it to the end of this term?

Guest: Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, author of “How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time.”

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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Everyone would probably hate A.I. less if we could just see some upside to it. But despite all the investment—into the companies, into infrastructure like data centers, so much into marketing—it’s widely known: artificial intelligence sucks.

Guest: Nilay Patel, co-founder and editor in chief of The Verge. 

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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Over the last few years, there’s been an undeniable uptick in threats against American judges and their families: they’ve been doxxed, swatted, even killed. Many jurists are not all that comfortable having conversations around these threats. This reluctance to respond publicly is understandable, but it’s also depriving us of a critical perspective from the very people this affects. This week on Amicus, that changes: Two judges sat down with us to talk openly about what often goes unsaid. Host Dahlia Lithwick speaks with sitting U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Washington Judge Robert S. Lasnik, and Judge Jeremy Fogel, a former U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California and current Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute. They acknowledge that there’s a long history of judges being threatened, but point out that it’s usually not coming from the President and his Department of Justice. We’re in uncharted territory, and Judges Lasnik and Fogel are bravely opening up about what this volatility means for an independent judiciary, and what we should do about it. 

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This week: CEOs and investors at the Milken Institute Global Conference projected optimism about the economy despite the overall feeling of uncertainty brought on by Donald Trump. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, discuss Emily’s reporting from the conference, and the way capitalists have adapted to thrive amid the unpredictability of this administration. Then, they discuss GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen’s surprising bid to buy Ebay and how they think it will play out. And finally, grab your Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Energy Refresher or Sprite® Berry Blast because it’s time to talk about drinks! The hosts get into the economics behind the fancy beverages trend as McDonalds hops on board. 

In the Slate Plus episode: What athletes pay for better performance.  

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Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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The not-always-beloved-but-indisputably-useful Spirit Airlines has given up the ghost. What does this mean for the airline industry and your summer travel plans? 

Guest: Will Guisbond, senior reporter for The Air Current.

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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how the Iran War is hurting Trump and the Republicans as its economic fallout grows, the sudden revival of abortion pill politics which ended an uneasy equilibrium between federal law and state bans, and early results of a study on school cellphone bans.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss recent reporting on Trump's escalating and self-aggrandizing efforts to remake the landscape of Washington D.C. including the takeover of municipal golf courses, planning for the "Garden of Heroes," and developments in the ongoing White House ballroom saga.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily Bazelon talks with journalist Mark Oppenheimer about his new book, Judy Blume: A Life. Oppenheimer, who spent years with Blume’s papers at Yale and conducted extensive interviews with the author herself, traces how a restless housewife in New Jersey became one of the most beloved—and most banned—writers in American history.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.  

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Donald Trump is spending his second term trying to cement his legacy, but he still hasn’t zeroed in on what that should be: Is it his name on monuments? A ballroom decorated in his specific style? Owning Greenland or whatever?

Credit where credit is due, though, he’s already made a mark on the political discourse that will have the staying power of a jagged scar. 

Guest: Michael Scherer, staff writer at The Atlantic.

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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Even with all that Democrats having going for them—mid-term elections typically favoring the out-of-power party, Trump’s sinking approval rates, even rising gas prices—it will be an uphill battle to wrest the Senate from GOP control. 

Guest: Jonathan Martin, POLITICO politics bureau chief and host of “On the Road” a podcast about the 2026 midterms.

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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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