Category: 3-DailySometimeCommentary

Right now, when it comes to fundraising, it certainly looks like Bernie Sanders is winning. In the last three months, his campaign has raised more money than any other Democrat in the field. And with just a few weeks left before the Iowa caucuses, Sanders is in a three-way tie for the lead alongside Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg. How is he pulling this off?

Guest: Ryan Grim, D.C. bureau chief at the Intercept. Read his latest story is about the Sanders campaign.

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Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.

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• Former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton said that if he’s subpoenaed by the Senate, he’d be willing to give up the goods. We discuss the GOP reaction and what else is new in Trump’s impeachment. 
• Film producer and accused rapist Harvey Weinstein went to trial in New York yesterday. At the same time, he was indicted for similar crimes in Los Angeles. Things are not looking good for Harvey.
• And in headlines: memories of Pier 1 Imports, Judge Judy gavels for Bloomberg, and helping out in Australia with the power of nudes.

In a little over a week, tensions in the Middle East have gone from high to fever pitch. What started with one American civilian contractor in Iraq being killed escalated to airstrikes on militia-controlled sites in Iraq and Syria, killing 24 people and wounding dozens more. Then, a siege at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad by pro-Iranian militia and a response by the Trump administration that killed Iran’s top military commander.

What went into the decision to assassinate Gen. Qassem Soleimani? And is the United States prepared for what comes next?

Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s War Stories correspondent and author of The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War, out later this month.

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Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.

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• The US assassinated Iranian Major General Qassim Suleimani via drone strike last Friday. We discuss the repercussions and talk with California congressman Ro Khanna about the legislation he’s introducing to block funds being used for military actions without congressional authorization. 
• Wildfires have ravaged Australia for the past few weeks, killing 24 people and destroying thousands of homes. We discuss what’s being done and what you can do to help those in need. 
• And in headlines: reading Lev Parnas' texts, more bad news for Boeing, and Ricky roasts without remorse at the 2020 Golden Globes. 

President Donald Trump was impeached in the House of Representatives just over two weeks ago. There’s just one hitch: The articles of impeachment that were passed haven’t made it to the Senate … yet. It’s part of a tactical hold by the Democrats seeking to ensure that the majority-Republican Senate holds a fair trial. What does that mean? And is Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ready to do that?

Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer for Slate.

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Around the country, states are employing algorithms to help reduce prison populations and predict recidivism. This week, we hear from a Wisconsin judge with serious reservations about the algorithm used in his state. Also: a deep dive into Virginia's risk-assessment algorithm and the surprising results of its implementation.

Guests:

Nicholas McNamara, judge on the circuit court of Dane County, Wisconsin.

Jennifer Doleac, associate professor of economics at Texas A&M and director of the Justice Tech Lab. 

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When President Trump passed his tax overhaul in 2017, Democrats and Republicans were excited about the prospect of one specific provision. ‘Opportunity zones’ were meant to spur investment in low-income communities. Two years later, it’s unclear if that has actually happened. Billionaires, on the other hand, are benefitting from the program left and right.

Guest: Justin Elliott, reporter at ProPublica. 

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Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.

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