About this episode
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Benjamin Wittes discuss the Trump investigations; Liz Cheney’s defeat; and Dana Goldstein’s reporting on controversies over how to teach kids to read. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jack Goldsmith for Lawfare: “ Prosecuting Trump: A Reply to Josh Marshall ” Dana Goldstein for The New York Times: “ An Old and Contested Solution to Boost Reading Scores: Phonics ” Dana Goldstein The New York Times: “ In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, This Guru Makes a Major Retreat ” Dana Goldstein The New York Times: “ New Reading Curriculum Is Mired in Debate Over Race and Gender ” Belinda Luscombe for Time: “ Inside the Massive Effort to Change the Way Kids Are Taught to Read ” Ronald Brownstein for The Atlantic: “ Liz Cheney’s Kamikaze Campaign ” Invisible Things by Mat Johnson Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: Sam Levine for The Guardian: “ Memphis Prosecutor Who Charged Black Woman Over Voting Error Loses Re-Election Bid ”; Kim Bellware and Lateshia Beachum for The Washington Post: “ Desantis Sued By Prosecutor Suspended Over Stance On Abortion-Related Crime ” Ben: The Lawfare Podcast: Allies David: Dwight Garner for The New York Times: “ Jared Kushner’s ‘Breaking History’ Is a Soulless and Very Selective Memoir ” Listener chatter from Josh Forsythe: Elizabeth P. Derryberry, Jennifer N. Phillips, Graham E. Derryberry, Michael J. Blum, and David Luther for Science: “ Singing In A Silent Spring: Birds Respond To A Half-Century Soundscape Reversion During The Covid-19 Shutdown ” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and Ben discuss Ben’s performance art protests at the Russian embassy in D.C. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices