Live from Chicago!

Live from Chicago!

Author: Slate Podcasts October 31, 2025 Duration: 1:15:30

This week, live from Chicago to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump vs. Chicago showdown and the dynamics between progressive and centrist Democrats with former Chicago Mayor and Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, what threat President Trump poses to the future of American elections and how to push back, and memorable moments from Gabfest history.


For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, live from Chicago to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest, Emily, John, and David take audience questions and discuss whether the damages caused by the Trump administration can ever be reversed, the most controversial topics from the show’s history, and more.

 

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Yale law professor John Witt about his new book, The Radical Fund: How a Band of Visionaries and a Million Dollars Upended America. They explore the remarkable story of the Garland Fund—a small 1920s foundation that bankrolled early work by A. Philip Randolph, and others who would go on to shape the civil rights and labor movements.

 

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

 

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki and Jake Sorgen

 

Research by Emily Ditto


You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.


Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.


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You're invited to pull up a chair for the kind of candid, inside conversation that happens when the microphones are off. Political Gabfest brings together the sharp minds and wit of Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, three seasoned journalists who dissect the week's biggest stories in politics and government without the usual formalities. It feels less like a lecture and more like eavesdropping on the insightful, often irreverent talk you'd hear from friends who really know their stuff after a long week in Washington. This Slate Podcasts production has earned a loyal following, even being called out by Stephen Colbert as essential listening and voted a favorite by Apple Podcasts listeners. Each episode breaks down complex issues into understandable, engaging discussions that are as entertaining as they are informative. For those who want to go deeper, a Slate Plus membership unlocks additional weekly content and an ad-free experience. Tune in for a refreshingly human take on the news cycle, where analysis is served with personality and the stakes of governance are explored through genuine dialogue.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Political Gabfest
Podcast Episodes
LIVE from Washington, DC! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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This week, live from Sixth & I in Washington DC to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing with AG Pam Bondi a…
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This week, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the juxtaposition between the devastating layoffs at The Washington Post and the exorbitant price owner Jeff Bezos and Amazon paid for the Mel…
De-ICEing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:33
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how the shocking killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents could represent a real turning point for Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, the cognitive…
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Duration: 1:09:19
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss whether Trump’s lust for Greenland will break the world (or indeed, whether it already has), what this week’s arguments at the Supreme Court suggest about…
Gabfest Reads | When Marriage Goes Stale and Middle Age Hits Hard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:04
Emily Bazelon talks with author Curtis Sittenfeld about her short story collection, “Show Don't Tell.” They discuss the recurring themes of the book from troubled marriages and middle age to the passage of time, and char…
Can Trump Cow Powell? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:41
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why Trump is stepping up his attacks on Fed Chair Powell and how it could backfire, the increasingly inflammatory actions of ICE and the slim likelihood o…
Seize and Sell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:05
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what the so-called “Donroe Doctrine” means for international order after the US military extracted Maduro from Venezuela amid rumblings over Greenland and…
Greatest Hits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:22
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz revisit several favorite segments from Gabfests past to celebrate their 20th anniversary: the consequential and eye-opening “don’t call the police” debate, the se…
2025 Conundrums! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:50
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, David Plotz, and special guest Stephen Colbert answer listeners’ conundrums of all kinds: the meaningful, the trivial, and the delightfully absurd.Thanks to all Conundrums contri…
Gabfest Reads | The Seven Rules of Trust [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:37
David Plotz talks with Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales about his new book The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things That Last. They discuss how Wikipedia’s culture of assuming good faith and shared purpo…