Episode 71: Paid Protestors, Secondhand Smoke, and Ivanka Trump

On this week’s Past Present podcast, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the history of “paid protestors,” the science of secondhand smoke, and the failing fortunes of Ivanka Trump’s clothing line. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Donald Trump and his supporters have argued “paid protestors” are rallying against him. Niki recommended a recent Jacobin article that noted the history of paid protestors in authoritarian regimes. Natalia shared an Atlantic article that profiled companies in the US that provided paid crowds to attend rallies or protests.

• We discussed a recent Slate article that argues secondhand smoke isn’t as bad as we’ve been led to believe. Niki discussed the 1976 case Shimp v. New Jersey Bell Telephone that concerned an office worker’s right to a smoke free workplace. Natalia commented on the Baffler article, “Off Our Butts.”

• Nordstrom has stopped selling Ivanka Trump’s clothing line, citing plummeting sales since her father became president. We discussed the history of fashion and politics, and Natalia recommended Sara Georgini’s article, “Crafting Protest, Fashioning Politics.” Natalia also shared Mary Davis’s Public Books essay, “Is There Really No Smart Writing on Women’s Fashion?” Neil commented on Andrew Sullivan’s essay, “The Madness of King Donald,” that argues all aspects of daily life are politicized in a Trump presidency.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the documentary “The Century of the Self.”

• Neil discussed the building of an 8-foot bulletproof wall around the Eiffel Tower.

• Niki talked about James Kirchick’s article, “Joe Alsop and America’s Forgotten Code.”

Episode 70: Valentine's Day, Obama & Black History, and Andrew Jackson

In this week's episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the bawdy history of Valentine's Day, Obama's role in elevating black history, and the parallels between Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• It’s Valentine’s Day! We discussed the long history of this holiday and some of its offshoots, including Galentine’s Day. Niki recommended Annebella Pollen’s history of mocking Victorian Valentine’s Day cards.

• We discussed the historian Robert Greene II’s article in The Nation, “Barack Obama Radically Expanded Our Appreciation of African-American History.” Our conversation also touched on other recent essays about Obama as the nation’s first black president, including pieces by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Tressie McMillan Cottom. Natalia also recommended the recent Netflix series, Barry. 

• According to White House staffers, Donald Trump’s inauguration speech was modeled on Andrew Jackson’s 1829 inaugural address. We discussed why Trump has looked to Andrew Jackson as his model for the presidency. Although Jackson has not fared well with historians of late, Niki recommended David Greenberg’s recent defense of Jackson.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the book The Goddess Pose.

• Neil discussed the history of the word “humbled.”

• Niki talked about Jamelle Bouie’s article, “Government by White Nationalism Is Upon Us.”

Episode 69: Refugees, Uber, and Dystopian Novels

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate American policy toward refugees, the politics of Uber, and the rising sales of dystopian novels.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• We discussed Donald Trump’s executive order that severely restricts immigration from seven Muslim countries.

• The ride sharing app Uber fell into controversy when it dropped surge pricing from rides leaving JFK airport during the recent protests over Trump’s executive orders. We discussed Uber and the history of ride sharing apps and taxi cabs. Natalia recommended Graham Hodges’s work on the history of the taxi industry.

• Sales of dystopian novels including 1984, Brave New World, The Handmaid’s Tale, and It Can’t Happen Here have surged in the first weeks of the Trump administration. Natalia recommended E.D. Hirsch’s book on American Cultural Literacy and Andrew Hartman’s history of the culture wars, A War for the Soul of America. Niki noted recent films like Wall-E and Idiocracy have played with themes about America as anti-intellectual and consumerist.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the #FreeMelania hashtag trend.

• Neil discussed Cleveland, Mississippi’s recent decision to comply with Brown v. Board of Education.

• Niki talked about the Backstory podcast. 

Episode 68: Betsy DeVos, Executive Orders, and Playgrounds

In this week's episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate Betsy DeVos and school privatization, the uses of executive orders, and the growing call for more dangerous playgrounds.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Donald Trump’s nomination of Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education has prompted strong opposition in large part because of her advocacy of privatizing public education. Natalia and Jonathan Kozol spoke about the privatization push and other trends in education at the Tucson Festival of Books last year. You can watch their talk here. Natalia has written about education controversies in her book Classroom Wars. Neil recommended Seth Dowland’s Family Values for understanding how conservative parents embraces “school choice” in the 1970s and 80s.

• Donald Trump began his presidency with a host of executive orders on his first day in the White House. We discussed the history of executive orders. Niki recommended Graham Dodds’ Take Up Your Pen for a history of unilateral presidential directives.

• We discussed the CityLab article that asks, “Can We Bring Back Riskier Playgrounds?”

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’s article, “Don’t Shame the First Steps of a Resistance.”

• Neil discussed the March for Life.

• Niki talked about Gene Demby’s history of “Sagging Pants.”

Episode 67: Plagiarism, Ringling Bros., and Sugar & SNAP

In this week's episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the dangers of plagiarism, the fate of the cirucs, and whether sugary drinks should be restricted for SNAP recipients.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Plagiarism is in the news after it was revealed that Monica Crowley, under consideration for a role in the Trump administration, had plagiarized work throughout her career, including her Ph.D. thesis. Niki compared the Crowley controversy to Joe Biden’s plagiarism scandal, citing David Greenberg’s argument that Biden’s plagiarism was part of a larger misrepresentation of his biography. Niki also discussed the plagiarism scandals of the historians Stephen Ambrose and Doris Kearns Goodwin. Natalia commented on the controversy over the historian Michael Bellesiles who fabricated research for his book, Arming America.   

• After nearly 150 years in business, the Ringling Bros. circus is shutting down. Neil argued the circus was closing because Americans objected to its mistreatment of animals, especially elephants, that has been well documented. Natalia observed the documentary Black Fish, which exposes Sea World’s abuse of its marine animals, had also increased Americans’ awareness. Natalia also argued that the 1966 movie Born Free had shaped Americans’ understanding of animals in the natural habitat as contrasted to zoos and circuses. Niki recommended the book True Vine which tells the story of two African-American albino brothers who were displayed as circus freaks in the late 19th century.  

• The New York Times published an article alleging that large amounts of food stamps are used to buy soda. Natalia commented on various criticisms of the story, including Jacobin’s takedown of the piece. Neil discussed recent public awareness campaigns on sugar, including New York City’s “Pouring on the Pounds” campaign. Natalia mentioned a Baffler article on the fundamental dishonesty of anti-smoking campaigns. Niki recommended David Singerman’s New York Times article, “The Shady History of Big Sugar.”

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on Jill Corson Lake’s article, “Simianization in the Film ‘Sing’,” and Anne Helen Peterson’s article, “Living in the Beautiful Bubble of the Not-Quite Internet.”

• Neil discussed SpaceX and Hidden Figures.

Episode 66: The Women's March, Russia, and Obama's Farewell

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate the women's march on Washington, US-Russian relations, and Obama's final speech to the nation.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• The Women’s March on Washington will take place the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration to protest the incoming administration. Natalia observed the march’s historical importance of mobilizing on a physical level in a social media age. Niki cited David Karpf’s argument in The MoveOn Effect of how slacktivism can become activism as the thin ties of social media grow into thick ties of political advocacy. Natalia lamented a recent Washington Post editorial that urged women marchers to not wear pink or sparkly items, and recommended Nan Enstad’s book, Ladies of Labor, Girls of Adventure, for understanding how the way women dress has often been used against them as political actors.

• News that the Russian government had interfered in the 2016 election on behalf of Donald Trump brought a new dimension to U.S.-Russia relations, but we debated whether it represented a return of the Cold War. Natalia mentioned the New York Times op-ed from the former deputy director of the CIA, Michael Morell last year that endorsed Hillary Clinton in part because of his concern that Trump had become an “unwitting agent of the Russian Federation.” Neil recommended Ekaterina Pravilova’s Public Books essay on how Vladimir Putin has sowed disinformation and confusion throughout Russian society by attacking journalists, scientists, and historians.

• President Barack Obama delivered his farewell address to a packed auditorium in Chicago last week. Neil noted the speech displayed Obama’s characteristic optimism, arguing that was both its strength and weakness. Niki commented on the speech’s weaknesses in a recent piece for U.S. News & World Report. Natalia recommended James Fraser’s A History of Hope for contextualizing Obama’s optimism. Neil compared Obama’s speech to the famous farewell addresses from George Washington and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the plagiarism accusations against Monica Crowley.

• Neil discussed President Obama’s designation of five new national monuments.

• Niki talked about “Nixon’s Vietnam Treachery.” 

Episode 65: North Carolina, Pot Legalization, and Alabama Football

On this week's show, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the decline of democracy in North Carolina, the trend toward legalization of marijuana, and the dominance of Alabama football.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• In a recent piece for U.S. News & World Report, Niki argued that North Carolina had become a “laboratory of illiberalism” because of recent measures to disenfranchise voters and strip power from elected officials. Natalia outlined North Carolina’s history as a state of “business progressivism.” Neil recommended Bill Chafe’s classic work, Civilities and Civil Rights, for how it complicates North Carolina’s legacy as a progressive state. 

• Eight states and DC have legalized marijuana in recent years. Niki noted pot had not been criminalized by the federal government until 1937. Natalia discussed how marijuana’s association with Mexico gave it racial dimensions in the U.S.  Neil recommended Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2013 New Yorker article that looked at how pot’s legalization in Colorado and Washington had affected those states. Niki noted how the 1936 film Reefer Madness had served as a warning about the drug’s effects only to become a camp classic by the 1960s and 70s as people saw pot use as a joke.

• The University of Alabama is playing for its 17th national championship in football. We discussed what has made the program so great and what it has meant historically.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the death of pop superstar George Michael.

• Neil discussed the death of the third remaining Shaker.

• Niki talked about the history of tomboys.

Bonus Episode 3: Michelle Obama

In this week's episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the legacy of departing First Lady Michelle Obama.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• As her time as First Lady comes to a close, Michelle Obama recently sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey. You can watch the interview here.

• Natalia noted a 2014 New Republic profile of Michelle Obama had criticized her for having exacting standards and an unambitious agenda as First Lady.

• Natalia observed the therapeutic features of Oprah’s interview with Michelle Obama which Neil contrasted with interviews of other First Ladies, such as Jackie Kennedy in 1962, which focused on their role as hostesses and caretakers of the White House. Natalia remembered Betty Ford’s 60 Minutes interview that bucked this trend because of Ford’s outspoken views. Niki commented that Barbara Walters’ interview of Ford had famously removed clips that would have shown the First Lady was drunk.

• Neil recommended Blanche Wiesen Cook’s biography of Eleanor Roosevelt.

Flashback! David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, and Phyllis Schlafly

In this week's end-of-the-year flashback episode, we revisit segments on three historical figures who died in 2016: David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, and Phyllis Schlafly. 

Episode 64: Aleppo, Japanese Internment, and Kwanzaa

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate US involvement in Syria, the legacy of Japanese-American internment, and the 50th anniversary of the first Kwanzaa. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• A cease-fire in Aleppo has brought a temporary halt to the assault on the city’s civilians by the Syrian government. Neil noted the Obama administration’s relative lack of involvement in Aleppo and compared it to FDR’s inattention to the Holocaust, as chronicled in Blanche Wiesen Cook’s recent biography of Eleanor Roosevelt. Niki observed how the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishment of new rules of war shaped modern ideas about the protection of civilians in military conflicts.

• Two recent reader letters in the Los Angeles Times defending Japanese interment during World War II have stoked controversy. Niki placed Japanese interment in a longer history of U.S. anti-Japanese policies, including the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907. Neil discussed how anti-Japanese propaganda, including cartoons drawn by the future Dr. Seuss, Theodor Geisel, shaped American attitudes and beliefs about Japanese as inhuman and menacing. Natalia shared the 1945 Frank Sinatra film The House I Live In which used the idea of the Japanese as enemies to unite Protestants, Catholics, and Jews in an American identity. Niki discussed the 1941 Life Magazine article, “How to Tell Japs from the Chinese.” She also commented on how the 1944 Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States that upheld Japanese interment as constitutional might be used as precedent for a Muslim registry during a Trump administration.  

• 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Kwanzaa, the African-American holiday that celebrates seven principles, including unity, self-determination, and collective economics.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the This American Life episode 604, “20 Years Later.”

• Neil discussed the new book by Alexandra Zapruder, Twenty-Six Seconds.

• Niki talked about a Slate article that explained why stuffed animals are getting softer.

Episode 63: Taiwan, the Oakland Fire, and Black Santa

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the future of the One-China policy, the tragedy of the Oakland fire, and the Mall of America's first black Santa.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Donald Trump’s phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen last week set off a controversy in U.S.-China relations. Niki outlined the Cold War context of U.S.-China relations, and commented on President Nixon’s 1967 Foreign Affairs article “Asia After Viet Nam” that demonstrated his desire to understand how power operated around the world, as contrasted to Trump’s seeming disinterest in understanding the nuances of American foreign policy. Neil noted the deliberate approach the Obama administration took to dealing with China and that George W. Bush’s press secretary Ari Fleischer indicated how he always referred to it as the “government on Taiwan” instead of “of Taiwan.” Neil suggested the longer economic history of U.S.-China relations, rather than only a Cold War context, might help better understand Trump’s approach to China. Niki noted the 1937 book by Carl Crow, 400 Million Customers, encapsulated how the U.S. had long viewed China, and she recommended Elizabeth Ingleson’s recent dissertation that explores the history of U.S.-China economic relations.

• The Ghost Ship Warehouse fire in Oakland killed 36 people last week. Natalia saw historical echoes of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 in the Oakland fire. Neil argued that fire tragedies, like the Iroquois Theater fire of 1903, had led to innovations of fireproofing technology and the introduction of fire code regulations. Niki commented on how the Great Chicago fire of 1871 had brought about the rise of skyscrapers.

• The Mall of America’s decision to hire an African-American man as the mall’s Santa has been met with racist outrage on the Internet. Niki compared that outrage to the response some had to the casting of an African-American actress to play the character Rue in the Hunger Games movies. Neil outlined the history of Santa in the American context, including how the 1822 poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” established the character in the American imagination. Niki recommended the BackStory podcast’s recent interview of a black Santa. Natalia discussed the “Pancho Claus” character some California public schools invented in the 1960s that is pictured in her recent book Classroom Wars.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the Texas elector Christopher Suprun’s New York Times article, “Why I Will Not Cast My Electoral Vote for Donald Trump.”

• Neil discussed a recent study that found that free Wi-Fi was now more common in hotel rooms than Bibles.

• Niki talked about the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and Brian Rosenwald’s article on how Americans at the time received news of the attack.

Episode 62: Fidel Castro, Liberalism's Future, and Fake News

In this week's episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate Fidel Castro's legacy, the future of liberalism, and the rise of fake news.

• Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Fidel Castro died at the age of 90, having ruled over Cuba for more than 50 years. Niki placed Castro’s rise to power in a longer history of US-Cuba relations, including the Platt Amendment of 1901. Neil cited a Daily Beast article on Castro’s horrible oppression of Cuban gay people and noted Cuba’s recent crackdown on religious freedom. Natalia recommended Public Book’s essay “Cuba’s Next Chapter” for thinking about the future of Cuba post-Castro.

• What Next for Liberalism, asks historian Daniel Rodgers in a recent issue of Democracy: A Journal of Ideas. Natalia pointed to Hillary Clinton’s 2.5 million popular vote lead over Donald Trump to suggest liberalism wasn’t as in decline as some have suggested. She also discussed Joan C. Williams’ Harvard Business Review article on the different ways the working class identity is interpreted by white voters. Neil recommended Jonathan Rieder’s Canarsie for understanding how white ethnic voters left the New Deal order in the 1980s. Niki commented on Mark Lilla’s New York Times essay that blamed identity politics for liberalism’s troubles. Natalia noted Laurie Penny’s Baffler essay that argued liberals tend to fetishize despair.

• Fake news stories proliferated throughout the 2016 campaign. Niki sketched how the decline of trust in American institutions, particularly media, allowed for the growth of fake news outlets. Neil discussed Facebook’s role in the spread of fake news stories, and commented on a recent CNN show where a woman repeatedly claimed she knew 3 million illegal voters had voted in the state of California even though she had no evidence to support the assertion. Neil noted the Left has a problem believing fake news too, a tendency that may increase during Trump’s presidency. Natalia mentioned an NPR interview with a fake news creator who talked about how lucrative his business was. She recommended a Wall Street Journal article that discussed how Stanford professor Sam Wineburg has developed a media studies curriculum to help teachers educate students about how they properly assess news sources they read.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on an Evening Standard profile of the feminist filmmaker Cassie Jaye.

• Neil discussed the wildfires that have ravaged east Tennessee.

• Niki talked about how Trump has assembled the wealthiest cabinet in modern American history.

Episode 61: Trump University, Pence and Hamilton, and Turkeys Gone Wild

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the Trump University fraud settlement, Mike Pence's reception at Hamilton, and the wild turkey's distaste for the wild. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Donald Trump’s lawyers reached a $25 million settlement in the lawsuits over Trump University. Natalia situated Trump U in the long history of for-profit colleges but also the history of self-help. Neil commented on the interviews with Trump University students who felt they had been defrauded. Niki noted the founder of the University of Phoenix, John Sperling, had created his for-profit college with democratizing aims, but it seemed to be another example of things that are more expensive for the poor. In that light, Natalia recommended two Barbara Ehrenreich books, Nickled and Dimed and Bright-Sided, for understanding this phenomenon more.

• The cast of Hamilton delivered a speech to Mike Pence at the conclusion of a recent performance of the hit Broadway musical he attended. Neil placed the event in the history of theater as a place of political protest, but suggested the speech was different. Natalia recommended Lawrence Levine’s classic Highbrow/Lowbrow for understanding the changing place of theater in American culture. Natalia compared Mike Pence’s calm response to the incident to President Obama’s cool demeanor in the face of constant attacks, as detailed in David Remnick’s recent profile of the president.

• We discussed Yoni Applebaum’s 2015 Atlantic article that examined how wildlife today, like the wild turkey, would prefer to live in human environments. Niki noted the persistence of American ideas about “civilization” and the “wilderness,” something shaped in part by Frederick Jackson Turner’s classic 1893 essay, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History.” Neil recommended Catherine McNeur’s book Taming Manhattan for how it details the history of wild animals in America’s largest metropolis.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia recommended the movie Moonlight.

• Neil discussed what sounds were heard at the first Thanksgiving.

• Niki commented on Lester Bangs’ 1979 essay, “The White Noise Supremacists.”

Episode 60: International Adoption, Steve Bannon, and Safety-Pin Politics

In this week's episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the role of citizenship in international adoption, Steve Bannon's appointment as Trump's chief strategist, and the place of safety pins in sartorial politics. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• We discussed the case of Adam Crasper, a South Korean adoptee who is being deported. Natalia recommended Arissa Oh’s To Save the Children of Korea for understanding the Cold War context of international adoption. She also commented on the 1954 book The Family Nobody Wanted that told the story of how one American family adopted twelve children from different ethnic backgrounds.

• Donald Trump has tapped Steve Bannon to be his chief strategist in the White House. Niki outlined Bannon’s connection to the alt-right. (We discussed the alt-right on Episode 50.) Niki noted Bannon’s past as a filmmaker on Ronald Reagan and Sarah Palin. Natalia shared Joan C. Williams’ Harvard Business Review article on white working class voters and the 2016 election.

• Some Americans opposed to Trump’s victory have begun to wear safety pins to signal they are allies to vulnerable groups. Neil commented on why some have critiqued doing so as a type of white privilege or “slacktivism.”, but he argued that symbolic acts could lead to greater activism. Niki agreed, citing David Karpf’s book The MoveOn Effect which argues thin ties of solidarity can lead to thick ties. Neil compared the safety pins to the AIDS ribbons of the 1980s and 90s. Natalia recalled the controversy of Barack Obama not wearing a flag pin in the 2008 campaign and remembered Madeline Albright’s use of brooches to convey political messages as Secretary of State, something she detailed in her book Read My Pins.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed the rejection of a Mexican-American history textbook in Texas.

• Neil recommended the Netflix series The Crown.

• Niki commented on need for historical analysis in the Trump era. 

Episode 59: Second Redemption, Glass Ceilings, and Global Populism

In this week's special election episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the onset of the Second Redemption, the highest and hardest glass ceiling, and the place of Donald Trump in global populism.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• We debated Jamelle Bouie’s argument that the 2016 election should be seen as a Second Redemption. Niki also recommended Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow.

• Why did Donald Trump receive support from 53 percent of white women? Natalia pointed to the works of Stephanie Coontz and Rebecca Traister to help explain. Natalia also recently documented 100 years of feminist history through the quotations of thirty women for the website Refinery 29.

• Trump’s victory should be seen in the context of a populist movement sweeping across the globe. Niki recommended John Judis’ recent book The Populist Explosion for better understanding this phenomenon.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia talked about different responses to the 2016 election and recommended Laurie Penny’s article, “Life Hacks of the Poor and Aimless.”

• Neil read from Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address.

• Niki commented on the upcoming 100th anniversary of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Episode 58: Standing Rock, the FBI, and Political Pundits

In this week's episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate the standoff at Standing Rock, the political role of the FBI, and the role of political pundits.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• The Standing Rock Sioux and activists are protesting the possible construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline under the Missouri River, the primary water source for the Standing Rock Sioux. Natalia situated the controversy in a long history of broken treaties between the federal government and Native Americans going back to the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868. Niki situated Standing Rock in a history of Native American protest, including Alcatraz and Wounded Knee. Neil commented on how Americans were using Facebook to “check in” to Standing Rock. Natalia also recommended Jill Lepore’s The Name of War and Philip Deloria’s Playing Indian for how white Americans fetishized Native Americans as “Noble savages.”  

• FBI director James Comey has informed Congress that new emails found in an unrelated investigation might be related to the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private server. Neil argued that both Republicans and Democrats were outraged with Comey’s letter because of their belief that the FBI is an apolitical agency, but history does not show that to be the case. Niki recommended a recent Backstory podcast interview with Beverly Gage who discussed the history of the FBI as a political institution. Natalia commented on the how the FBI had positioned its own history on the agency’s website.

• CNN has placed Donna Brazile on leave after it was revealed the political commentator had slipped the Clinton campaign team questions during the primary season town halls. Niki mentioned the Slate writer Ben Mathis-Lilley had argued all paid pundits should be removed from cable news, and she recommended David Greenberg’s book Republic of Spin.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Jonathan Zimmerman’s op-ed, “The Other School Bathroom Issue That Nobody is Talking About.”

• Neil commented on Patient Zero.

• Niki talked about the book A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression.

Episode 57: The World Series, Texting and Driving, and Vegas, Baby!

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate the history of the world series, texting while driving, and the history of Vegas. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• The presence of the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series is making history! Niki discussed Sterling HolyWhiteMountain’s essay for ESPN.com on what it meant to grow up on the Blackfeet Reservation as a fan of the Cleveland Indians. Natalia recommended Philip Deloria’s book Playing Indian for a history of how white Americans have appropriated Native American customs, dress, and habits.

• Distracted driving, especially while texting, has become the drunk driving of the 21st century. Natalia compared the movement to stop texting with driving to the efforts of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in the 1980s, while Neil pointed to the history of seat belt legislation as a model. Niki remembered the crash test dummies public service announcements of the 1980s that frightened Americans into using their seatbelts.

• Vegas, baby! It’s more than just gambling these days as the city’s economy has expanded and even the Strip has become family friendly. Natalia discussed how Michael Green’s history of Las Vegas shows organized crime’s connections to the founding of the city.  She also commented on how the Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has poured millions into revitalizing downtown Las Vegas to attract new entrepreneurs to the city.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Megan Daum’s Los Angeles Times op-ed, “All Trump gropes are bad, but they aren’t all equal or equally horrible.”

• Neil commented on the death of the fundamentalist cartoonist Jack Chick.

• Niki talked about the history of Election Cake.

Episode 56: Rigged Elections, Wikileaks, and Self-Care

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the history of rigged elections, Wikileaks, and the importance of self-care.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Donald Trump has already declared the 2016 presidential race a rigged election. We discussed the history of claiming rigged elections.

• Wikileaks continues to dump Democratic Party emails as Election Day nears. In our discussion of the history of Wikileaks, Natalia cited Fred Turner’s history of hacking, From Counterculture to Cyberculture, for showing how hacking went from something perceived as bad to something praised for its ideological commitment to the freedom of information. Niki recommended Sam Lebovic’s book, Free Speech and Unfree News, which argues that increasing free speech protections exist alongside the expanding treatment of government information as classified. Natalia also read from the Hacker Manifesto (1986).

• “Self-care” has become the buzzword of 2016, but not everyone approves. Niki quoted from a Commentary article that criticized self-care for really being about selfishness. Natalia situated self-care in a longer history of self-help and wellness, noting Dan Rather’s 1979 report that described wellness as “a word you don’t hear every day.” Natalia also recommended William Davies’ The Happiness Industry for thinking about how businesses had brought self-care into corporate life. Niki noted a recent study of therapists found that the 2016 election had increased patients’ anxiety levels, prompting the increased attention to self-care this year.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Oxygen.com’s profile of the deaf and blind activist Haben Girma.

• Neil commented on Covergirl’s selection of its first male spokesperson.

• Niki talked about the renewed popularity of Janet Jackson’s 1986 hit “Nasty” in light of Donald Trump’s comments about Hillary Clinton in the third debate. 

Episode 55: Sexual Harassment, Scary Clowns, and Pit Bull Bans

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate Donald Trump and sexual harassment and assault, the great clown scare of 2016, and pit bull bans.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• A growing list of women have accused Donald Trump of sexual harassment. Natalia commented on the story from the People Magazine reporter who has accused Trump of physically attacking her in 2005. Niki pointed to how Amber Tamblyn’s recent Instagram post about sexual assault showed that women struggle with the shame in coming out about their abuse. Neil noted Eric Trump’s recent comments that his sister, Ivanka, “wouldn’t allow herself” to be sexually harassed in the workplace. Natalia recommended the Susan Faludi classic, Stiffed, for its examination of the backlash to feminism by young men. Natalia also commented on the work of Jennifer Baumgardner, including her book Manifesta and her documentary “It Was Rape.” Niki closed by commenting on Michelle Obama’s speech about the allegations against Trump.

• There’s a clown panic taking over the nation! But why are we so scared of clowns? Natalia sketched the history of clowning from ancient times, and Niki noted how Charles Dickens’ writings about the clown Grimaldi popularized the idea of the clown as a sad and troubled person.

• Montreal has passed a bylaw that bans pit bulls from the city. Neil discussed the changing reputation of pit bulls in the twentieth century, and Natalia commented on the frequent racist undertones of anti-pit bull sentiment.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed the U.N.’s naming of Wonder Woman as its ambassador for gender equality.

• Neil commented on the new reality TV show “Finding Prince Charming.”

• Niki talked about Bill Clinton’s 2015 remarks on the history of the presidency.

Episode 54: Transparent, Wells Fargo, and Cable News

In this week's episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate the place of Transparent in the history of LGBTQ representation on television, fraud at Wells Fargo, and the 20th anniversary of Fox News. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• The third season of the hit show Transparent recently launched on Amazon. Natalia recommended the roundtable on Transparent held by Public Books. Neil sketched a history of LGBT television, starting with the controversial CBS documentary “The Homosexuals” from 1967. Niki remarked on the depiction of AIDS in the 1980s, including the movie “Philadelphia.” Neil remembered the controversy over Melrose Place’s same-sex kiss in 1994.

• Wells Fargo is under investigation for opening more than 2 million fraudulent accounts. Natalia outlined the history of Wells Fargo as a retail bank that had recently expanded to investment banking, and noted the bank’s promotion of their history as an institution that has served the American West. Niki sketched a history of banking scandal and the rise of twentieth-century banking regulations. Neil commented on Elizabeth Warren’s grilling of Wells Fargo’s CEO John Stumpf when he testified before the Senate Banking Committee.

• Both Fox News and MSNBC are celebrating their twentieth anniversaries this year. Niki has written about the history of Fox News for U.S. News & World Report.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed the Chapo Trap House podcast.

• Neil commented on the unmasking of the pseudonymous Italian novelist Elena Ferrante by the investigative journalist Claudio Gatti. 

• Niki talked about NPR’s Code Switch podcast.