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Hello and welcome to the Slate Political GabFest. Hello and welcome to the Slate Political Gab Fest for August 9th, 2013.

The Actually We Don't Work for Jeff Bezos edition.

I'm David Plotz, the editor of Slate, broadcasting from a secret studio, not actually a secret studio, from Cliff House Audio in Montpelier, Vermont.

Joining me from New Haven is Slate Senior Under Emily Bazelon. Hello, Emily.

Hey, David.

And at Emily's side, also in New Haven is Jack Hitt, New York Times Magazine contributor, This American Life contributor, an author of a bunch of amateurs.

Welcome back to the Gab Fest, Jack.

Hi, David.

This week, the most exciting story about an American newspaper since the Pentagon

papers, Jeff Bezos, buys our sister newspaper The Washington Post. What does it mean

for the future of the daily newspaper? Then, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's

very odd re-election fight in Kentucky and the battle for the Senate.

And also we'll talk about forfeiture, asset forfeiture, a national disgrace exposed in the New Yorker this week.

Plus, we will have cocktail chatter, of course.

...