Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Biden’s first year, SCOTUS's block of OSHA’s vax-or-test rule, and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s busy start. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: John Dickerson for CBS Sunday Morning: “President Joe Biden: The First Year” Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel  Station Eleven series on HBO Max Here’s this week’s chatter: Emily: Deep Cover, Season 2: Mob Land John: Take Note Podcast; Adam Webb for Take Note: “How to Keep a Notebook” David: Paul Schwartzman for The Washington Post: “Missing Jewels And Art: A Lawsuit Against a Retired Professor Is Ruffling The Well-To-Do From Georgetown to Newport, R.I.” Listener chatter from Alissa Surges: Allison Robicelli for The Washington Post: “I Spent The Night in an Empty Airport. it Was a Dream Come True”; Work at City Cast For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, John, and David talk about why to keep a journal.   Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected] (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss voting rights, Russia's recent moves, with guest Nina Jankowicz; and the increasing politicization of cable news. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute: Electoral Count Act of 1887 David Becker on Face the Nation: “Elections Expert David Becker Denounces ‘Efforts to Sow Confusion and Chaos’ ” Emily Bazelon for the New York Times: “Democracy Worked This Year. but It Is Under Threat.” Christina A. Cassidy for AP News: “Far Too Little Vote Fraud to Tip Election to Trump, AP Finds” How to Lose the Information War: Russia, Fake News, and the Future of Conflict, by Nina Jankowicz Anne Applebaum for the Atlantic: “The Science of Making Americans Hurt Their Own Country” Here’s this week’s chatter: Emily: Jan Ransom for the New York Times: “A Look Inside Rikers: ‘Fight Night’ and Gang Rule, Captured on Video” David: Nathanael Johnson thread on Twitter and We Are Lady Parts TV show John: The Mezzanine, by Nicholson Baker and “On Keeping a Notebook,” by Joan Didion Listener chatter from Bea Scott: The History of Democracy Has Yet to Be Written by Thomas Geoghegan For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment John, Emily, and David discuss rule-breaking and Novak Djokovic’s moves in Australia. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected] (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Shayna Elliot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Jan. 6, with guest Jamelle Bouie and what to make of omicron's impact on schools, and the Theranos case. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Matt Levine for Bloomberg: “Slaying the Blood Unicorn” Wall Street Journal: Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes: History of the WSJ Investigation  Emily Bazelon for the New York Times Magazine: “I Write About the Law. But Could I Really Help Free a Prisoner?” Ruddy Roye Photography Walker Evans Anastasia Taylor-Lind Sally Mann Larry Fink Photography Edward Hopper: Night Shadows, 1921 Alexander Calder: Finny Fish Wolfgang Laib: Wax Room Caravaggio: The Conversion of Saint Paul Here’s this week’s chatter: Emily: Crossroads, by Jonathan Franzen; Parul Sehgal for the New Yorker: “The Case Against the Trauma Plot” John: Window-Swap.com David: Fight Club; Free Guy; City Cast Listener chatter from Cynthia Weiner: Corryn Wetzel for Smithsonian Magazine: “Ten Hilarious Winners of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, John, David, and Jamelle discuss the famous works of art they would most like to possess.  Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected] (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz wrap up 2021 considering life’s many conundrums—with special guest Dwayne Betts! Questions this year include: if you could eliminate one word from the English language what would it be? If you could transport the characters of one book into the time and place of another, which would you choose? If you were ONLY able to brush your teeth in the morning or the night- which would be optimal? Special thanks to everyone who sent in conundrums for consideration. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, John attempt a conundrum lightning round. You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)   The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected] (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Give the gift of Slate Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membership: unlimited reading, ad-free listening, bonus content, and so much more. Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the future of the Democratic party's agenda, Omicron's spread across the United States and they're joined by investigative journalist Azmat Khan to talk about the deaths of civilians overseas and the lack of accuracy from the U.S. military. Give the gift of Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membership: unlimited reading, ad-free listening, bonus content, and so much more. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Matthew Yglesias for Slow Boring: “$1.75 Trillion Is Plenty of Money to Write a Good Build Back Better Bill Here Are Some Solid Options” Simon Bazelon and David Shor for Slow Boring: “A Permanent CTC Expansion With a Sharper Means-Test Would Protect Poor Kids Better And Be More Popular” Jonathan Chait for New York Magazine: “Biden Should Take Manchin's Deal Right Now” David Wallace-Wells for New York Magazine: “Gauteng’s Omicron Wave Is Already Peaking. Why?” Derek Thompson for the Atlantic:”Is Omicron Milder?” Azmat Khan for The New York Times: “Hidden Pentagon Records Reveal Patterns of Failure in Deadly Airstrikes” Azmat Khan for The New York Times Magazine: “The Human Toll of America’s Air Wars” Azmat Khan for The New York Times Magazine: “The Uncounted” Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad Here’s this week’s chatter: Emily: Katie Benner, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Charlie Savage for the New York Times: “Some Inmates Can Stay Confined at Home After Covid Emergency, Justice Dept. Says” John: The Power of Meaning, by Emily Esfahani Smith, Mozhan Marno, and On the Meaning of Life, by Will Durant David: Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts Listener chatter from Mo Trent: stuffin.space For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, John, and David discuss their most and least useful years of formal education. Special thanks to listener Sean McPherson for the suggestion.   Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected] (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices