Political Gabfest | Very Heavy Force

Slate News

Slate Podcasts

News, News Commentary, Politics

4.6 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 12 June 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the ominous juxtaposition of Trump sending National Guard troops and Marines to quell mostly peaceful protests in LA with his impending military parade in DC, RFK Jr. firing the entire CDC vaccine advisory board and what this means for the future of vaccines, and a unanimous Supreme Court decision that makes it easier to win “reverse discrimination” cases. Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: David Marchese for the New York Times: The Interview: Ocean Vuong Was Ready to Kill. Then a Moment of Grace Changed His Life; Ocean Vuong for the New York Times (Opinion): My Brother’s Keeper. John: The University of Cambridge: Medieval Murder Maps; podcast series: Medieval Murders. Juliette: Graham Dunbar for the Associated Press: What the Trump travel ban means for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games; Chelsea Jones for CBS News Miami: Will ICE agents be at Miami’s FIFA Club World Cup games? Sheriff Cordero-Stutz responds after deleted CBP post. Listener chatter from Katie Johnston in Bangor, Northern Ireland: Sophie Hardach for the BBC: How the humble chestnut traced the rise and fall of the Roman Empire For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss favorite dark comedy drama Hacks, which tackles the relationship between two women of differing generations and clashing opinions with witty banter and emotional richness. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Research by Emily Ditto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to the Slate Political Gab Fest.
0:06.0	For Thursday, June 12th, the Very Heavy Force edition.
0:24.5	I'm Emily Bazelan from the New York Times and Yale Law School.
0:31.0	David Plotz is not here this week, but that is just fine because we are very lucky to be joined by Julieta Kayam, who is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School. And I will note relevant to today's discussion, Juliette oversaw the National Guard
0:41.0	for Massachusetts as the state's Homeland Security Advisor.
0:45.0	She's also a CNN commentator and contributes to the Atlantic.
0:48.9	Hello, Juliet.
0:50.1	Hi, thanks for having me.
0:51.9	Thanks for being here.
0:53.2	And of course, also joining us is John Dickerson, who is co-anchor of CBS Evening News and
0:58.8	anchor of CBS Evening News Plus.
1:01.5	Hey, John.
1:02.0	Hi, I don't oversee anything.
1:04.1	I never have.
1:05.4	You oversee all of us.
1:09.4	Maybe that's best, John.
1:11.0	I know it's best that I don't oversee anything ever.
1:14.4	Okay.
1:15.1	So this week, a lot.
1:17.3	Too much going on.
1:19.1	We have three topics.
1:20.6	We'll talk first about President Trump's decision to send the National Guard and the Marines into Los Angeles to quell what have been mostly peaceful protests.
	...

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