Political Gabfest: The Martyrdom of Liz Cheney

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Benjamin Wittes discuss the Trump investigations; Liz Cheney’s defeat; and Dana Goldstein’s reporting on controversies over how to teach kids to read. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jack Goldsmith for Lawfare: “Prosecuting Trump: A Reply to Josh Marshall” Dana Goldstein for The New York Times: “An Old and Contested Solution to Boost Reading Scores: Phonics” Dana Goldstein The New York Times: “In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, This Guru Makes a Major Retreat” Dana Goldstein The New York Times: “New Reading Curriculum Is Mired in Debate Over Race and Gender” Belinda Luscombe for Time: “Inside the Massive Effort to Change the Way Kids Are Taught to Read” Ronald Brownstein for The Atlantic: “Liz Cheney’s Kamikaze Campaign” Invisible Things by Mat Johnson Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: Sam Levine for The Guardian: “Memphis Prosecutor Who Charged Black Woman Over Voting Error Loses Re-Election Bid”; Kim Bellware and Lateshia Beachum for The Washington Post: “Desantis Sued By Prosecutor Suspended Over Stance On Abortion-Related Crime” Ben: The Lawfare Podcast: Allies David: Dwight Garner for The New York Times: “Jared Kushner’s ‘Breaking History’ Is a Soulless and Very Selective Memoir” Listener chatter from Josh Forsythe: Elizabeth P. Derryberry, Jennifer N. Phillips, Graham E. Derryberry, Michael J. Blum, and David Luther for Science: “Singing In A Silent Spring: Birds Respond To A Half-Century Soundscape Reversion During The Covid-19 Shutdown” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and Ben discuss Ben’s performance art protests at the Russian embassy in D.C.   Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices