Democrats win another special election, Republicans flail around for a response, and Trump sends Tillerson to the Rexit in a major shakeup of the national security team. Then Lovett and Tommy talk to Senator Elizabeth Warren.
The Gist - The Rogue at State
Well, it’s a tough day to be Fox News.
On today’s Gist, a closer look at the Department of State. It’s not that Rex Tillerson was wrong to want to reform how we do diplomacy—it’s that he utterly failed to deliver. Tom Hill, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, says the U.S. approach to international relations is antiquated and the diplomatic corps is bloated. Tillerson had a mandate to rethink our State Department. He blew it.
In the Spiel, why the special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District was not so special.
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The Gist - The Heroes of Colombia
On today’s Gist, the lesser-known story of Colombia: Maria McFarland Sanchez-Moreno has written a moving account of Colombia’s post–Pablo Escobar years, when the illegal drug trade was taken up by one of the factions in the country’s long-running civil war. Her book, There Are No Dead Here, spotlights the work of Colombians who risked their lives to wrest their country back from lawlessness. It also reveals the incoherence of the United States’ war on drugs, which indirectly fueled so much of Colombia’s suffering. McFarland is the executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance.
In the Spiel, why a surprise primary win in Texas makes complete sense when you learn the victor’s name.
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Pod Save America - “Trump’s message of hope and inclusion.” (LIVE from Dallas)
House Republicans end their Russia investigation, Trump sides with the NRA on gun control, Conor Lamb eyes an upset in Pennsylvania, and Democrats look for the missing Obama voters. Then Texas State House candidate Julie Johnson joins Jon, Jon, Tommy, Dan, and Brittany live on stage in Dallas, Texas.
The Gist - Russian Doping, Revisited
On The Gist, is it OK to ape a Russian accent when saying Russian names?
And we revisit an interview with filmmaker Bryan Fogel, whose documentary, Icarus, recently won an Academy Award.
In the Spiel, a short conversation with author Steven Pinker about the state of academia. Is it really doing that badly?
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Start the Week - Free Thinking Festival at Sage Gateshead
At the Free Thinking Festival at Sage Gateshead Lionel Shriver discusses her new collection of short stories Property with presenter Kirsty Wark.
While Lionel Shriver explores our relationship with objects and places, and asks what the increasing accumulation of things may be doing to the soul, the sociologist Bev Skeggs explores how we are being bought and sold in the digital sphere. She also counts the cost of the monetisation of human relations and highlights communities in the North of England who are bucking this trend.
The economist Linda Yueh looks back to the thinkers of the past from Adam Smith to Milton Friedman, to show the importance of understanding the ideas that underpin the world of finance.
And the poet Sean O'Brien armed with 'paper and a clock' explores the history of Europe in his latest collection and argues that Great Britain's future will be shaped by what we remember and what we forget of our shared past.
Producer: Katy Hickman.
Start the Week - Free Thinking Festival at Sage Gateshead
At the Free Thinking Festival at Sage Gateshead Lionel Shriver discusses her new collection of short stories Property with presenter Kirsty Wark.
While Lionel Shriver explores our relationship with objects and places, and asks what the increasing accumulation of things may be doing to the soul, the sociologist Bev Skeggs explores how we are being bought and sold in the digital sphere. She also counts the cost of the monetisation of human relations and highlights communities in the North of England who are bucking this trend.
The economist Linda Yueh looks back to the thinkers of the past from Adam Smith to Milton Friedman, to show the importance of understanding the ideas that underpin the world of finance.
And the poet Sean O'Brien armed with 'paper and a clock' explores the history of Europe in his latest collection and argues that Great Britain's future will be shaped by what we remember and what we forget of our shared past.
Producer: Katy Hickman.
Pod Save America - “Beto days to come.” (LIVE from Austin)
America sends its best negotiator to denuclearize a dictator, and Democrats craft an economic message for 2018. Then Texas Democratic Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke joins Jon, Jon, Tommy, Dan, and Brittany on stage live at Austin City Limits.
The Gist - North Korea Is Setting the Table
On The Gist, if sitting down with North Korea wasn’t a good idea for past U.S. presidents, how is it a good idea for our current one?
In the interview, Slate’s Fred Kaplan and former Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson are both cautiously optimistic about upcoming negotiations between Trump and Kim Jong-un.
In the Spiel, some miscellaneous (positive!) news.
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Pod Save America - “Give Ruth a break.” (LIVE from Houston)
Trump accepts Kim Jong Un’s invite to a Madman vs Madman summit, Mueller has a new witness, and Democrats look to turn Texas blue. Former Houston Texan Arian Foster joins Jon, Jon, Tommy, Dan, and Brittany Packnett on stage live in Houston, Texas.