Episode 347: John Fetterman

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the senatorial campaign of John Fetterman and his recovery from a stroke.

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

• John Fetterman is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, and an NBC interview drew attention to his disability and media’s treatment of it. Natalia referred to Rebecca Traister’s profile of Fetterman for New York magazine. Neil recommended this Disability Studies Quarterly article by historians Paul Renfro and Byrd McDaniel. We drew on this HISTORY overview of disabled presidents and this POLITICO piece about politicians and mental illness.

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

• Natalia shared Constance Méheut’s New York Times article, “With Leaps and Bounds, Parkour Athletes Turn Off the Lights in Paris.”

• Neil commented on Nicole Laporte’s Town and Country article, “Why Are So Many Northern Kids Moving South to College?”

• Niki discussed Elizabeth Becker’s book You Don’t Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War.

Episode 346: Herschel Walker

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the Senate campaign of Herschel Walker and the controversy it has created.

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

• Football star Herschel Walker is running for U.S. Senate as a conservative Republican in Georgia. Niki referred to historian Leah Wright Rigueur’s book The Loneliness of the Black Republican. Niki and Neil discussed this Christian Science Monitor article they co-authored in 2009. Neil drew on this Slate article about Walker’s son, an online influencer. Natalia referenced this New York Times profile about Walker’s local reputation. 

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

• Natalia reflected on two controversies in academia, one surrounding historian Patricia Limerick and the other chemist Maitland Jones.

• Neil discussed Eric Burkett’s Bay Area Reporter story, “LGBTQ Agenda: Pentagon Office Finds Fears of Gay Service Were Unfounded, Report Says.”

• Niki discussed President Biden’s federal pardons of those convicted for marijuana possession.

Episode 345: The Protests in Iran

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the political protests in Iran.

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

• The death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini at the hands of the country’s “morality police” has set off protests all over the country and the world. Natalia and Niki  referred to this New Yorker essay and this Los Angeles Times article.

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

• Natalia discussed historian David A. Hollinger’s new book, Christianity’s American Fate: How Religion Became More Conservative and Society More Secular.

• Neil recommended Leslie Jamison’s New Yorker article, “The Enduring Allure of Choose Your Own Adventure Books.”

• Niki shared about Nursing Clio’s “Reproduction History Syllabus.”

Episode 344: Pickleball

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the recent pickleball phenomenon.

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

• Pickleball is a booming recreation trend – and is inspiring controversy. Natalia referred to this leftist manifesto against pickleball and Christopher Lasch’s chapter in the Culture of Narcissism on the “degradation of sport.” She also talked about it on TikTok. Neil drew on this history of the pastime and this New Yorker article. We all referred to Bowling Alone, the 2000 book that prompted new conversations about civic participation. Natalia also referred to her recent Slate piece on inclusive recreation.

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

• Natalia discussed the recent announcement that all parent-teacher conferences and Back-to-School nights would be virtual for the 2022-23 year in New York City public schools.

• Neil recommended the podcast Heaven Bent.

• Niki discussed her CNN column, “Kevin McCarthy’s ‘Commitment’ Shows How Broken-Down Trump’s GOP Has Become.”

Episode 343: The Averted Rail Strike

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the averted railroad strike.

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

• Railway workers came close to striking last week. Niki referenced this episode of her This Day podcast. Natalia cited this New York Times article, and Niki drew on this Guardian piece about the burst of unionization.

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

• Natalia shared her latest installment of The Quick Study for Observer, “In School Battles, We’re Getting the ‘Parental Rights’ Conversation Completely Wrong.”

• Neil recommended the podcast Killed.

• Niki discussed her CNN column, “DeSantis Chose Martha’s Vineyard for a Reason.”

Episode 342: Queen Elizabeth II

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

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

• Queen Elizabeth II has died, ending a reign that spanned seven decades. Niki referred to this New York Times essay on her unique style, and this one on the power and limitations of inspiring women. We all drew on this Guardian article about the elaborate rituals in place around the Queen’s death. Natalia referenced the online pushback to grieving the Queen, given Britain’s long imperial history, some examples of which are in this Slate piece. We all drew on this Atlantic essay about the decline of the British Empire under her reign, and how that shapes her legacy.

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

• Natalia shared Sally Joy Wolf’s Independent opinion piece, “Immunocompromised Travellers Like Me Should Have ‘masked carriages’ Available to Us.”

• Neil recommended Nadja Popovich and Brad Plumer’s interactive New York Times feature, “As Wildfires Grow, Millions of Homes Are Being Built in Harm’s Way.”

• Niki discussed this New York Post piece, “Lawyer’s Mission: Translate Tennessee’s Bewildering Abortion Ban.”

Episode 341: Mikhail Gorbachev

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the life and legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev.

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

• Former leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev has died. We reflected on the slew of essays in U.S. publications remembering Gorbachev through a mostly positive light. Neil mentioned Saturday Night Live’s frequent send-ups of Gorbachev.

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

• Natalia discussed Sarah Mervosh’s New York Times article, “The Pandemic Erased Two Decades of Progress in Math and Reading,” which she also discussed on KCRW.

• Neil commented on Katrin Bennhold’s New York Times article, “In Finland, a Partying Prime Minister Draws Tuts, and Cheers.”

• Niki recommended Bonnie Garmus’ novel Lessons in Chemistry.

Episode 340: Nicole Hemmer's "Partisans"

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss – and celebrate! - the publication of Niki’s new book, Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s.

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

• Partisans drops on August 30, 2022. You can order Niki’s book here.

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

• Natalia shared about Emi Nietfeld’s new book, Acceptance, reviewed in the New York Times.

• Neil recommended Not Just A Girl, a new Netflix documentary about Shania Twain.

• Niki discussed the topic of her latest column for CNN, “The Unlikely Team That is Trying to Make Trump Follow the Law.”

Episode 339: The Alex Jones Defamation Trial

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the defamation trial of right-wing conspiracist Alex Jones.

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

• Parents of children slain in the Sandy Hook school shooting successfully brought a defamation suit against Alex Jones, who amplified conspiracy theories denying the event ever happened. Natalia referred to this New York Times magazine story, and her own Process History essay about what Phyllis Schlafly fed her children for breakfast. Niki drew on Rick Perlstein’s 2012 essay for The Baffler and her CNN column on Jones’ influence on the GOP. Neil recommended Kevin Roose’s New York Times article on the spread of Jones-style provocateurs.

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

• Natalia commented on the “Inside the Complex ‘Social Lab’ of PE Class” installment of Anne-Helen Petersen’s Culture Study newsletter.

• Neil discussed Julia Yost’s New York Times essay, “New York’s Hottest Club is the Catholic Church.”  

• Niki recommended Mark Olalde and Maya Miller’s ProPublica investigative report, “A Uranium Ghost Town in the Making.”

Episode 338: Third Parties in American Politics

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of third parties in American politics.

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

• Andrew Yang, Christine Todd Whitman, and David Jolly have announced their formation of the Forward Party, the newest entry in a long history of third parties in American politics. Natalia referenced Jamelle Bouie’s New York Times critique of the idea. Neil referred to this PBS piece on the prevalence of third parties even today.

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

• Natalia recommended Jessamine Chan’s debut novel, The School for Good Mothers.

• Neil discussed Derek Thompson’s Atlantic essay, “Why The Old Elite Spend So Much Time At Work.”

• Niki shared about the Foreign Agent podcast.

Episode 337: The U.S. National Parks

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of U.S. national parks.

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

• Yellowstone National Park turned 150 years old this year. Natalia recommended historian Rachel Louise Moran’s book Governing Bodies; American Politics and the Shaping of the Modern Physique. Niki cited historian Sarah Phillips’ book This Land, This Nation: Conservation, Rural America, and The New Deal and this Atlantic essay by David Treuer. Neil discussed this Smithsonian magazine article. Natalia recommended historian Megan Kate Nelson’s book Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America, and Neil talked about the exclusionary policies in national parks outlined in this USA Today article.

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

• Natalia shared her latest column for Observer, “Coss Marte’s CONBODY Combined Fitness and Social Justice. Now He is Adding Legal Cannabis.”

• Neil discussed the Netflix series Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey and his 2008 Slate essay, “Short Creek’s Long Legacy.”

• Niki recommended Katherine Rosman’s New York Times article, “That Voice You’re Hearing? It Might Be Hers.”

Episode 336: Prenuptial Agreements

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the growing popularity of prenuptial agreements.

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

• Prenuptial agreements are becoming more common among millennials. Niki cited this New York Times article, and Neil referred to legal scholar Allison A. Marston’s Stanford Law Review article on the politics of prenups. Natalia referenced some of these celebrity couples whose prenuptial agreements made news.

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

• Natalia recommended the podcast, “Normal Gossip.”

• Neil commented on the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act by the House of Representatives.

• Niki shared her latest CNN column, “Controlling Who Can Travel or Talk About Abortion Brings a Dark Past Into Our Present.”

Episode 335: The Webb Telescope and the History of Space Photography

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the images from outer space captured by the Webb telescope.

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

• Everyday Americans and astrophysicists alike thrilled at the dreamy, full-color photos shared by NASA last week. Niki drew on this Guardian essay about how “Earthrise” changed our perspective on Earth. Natalia contrasted the Webb images with these early, grainy photos from space. We all drew on this Christie’s retrospective on space photography.

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

• Natalia commented on the divergent interpretations of who won this exchange between Senator Josh Hawley and law professor Khiara M. Bridges.

• Neil recommended Susan Orlean’s New Yorker article, “An Old Dog That Found A New Best Friend,” and this Instagram feed.

• Niki shared Justin Peters’ Slate article, “The Ridiculous Claims That Journalists Shouldn’t Have Published the Uvalde Video”.

Episode 334: Summer Travel and European Vacations

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the American tradition of travel to Europe.

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

• American travel to Europe is back with such a vengeance that some are calling it “revenge travel.” Neil referred to this history of the “Grand Tour.” Natalia and Niki drew on this Hudson Valley magazine article about midcentury Catskills resorts.

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

• Natalia discussed Rick Emerson’s new book, Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Impostor Behind the World’s Most Notorious Diaries, as reviewed in Observer by Nathan Smith.

• Neil shared about Amanda Mull’s Atlantic article, “You’re Not Allowed to Have the Best Sunscreens in the World.”

• Niki recommended Livia Gershon’s article for JSTOR Daily, “The Forgotten Temperance Movement of the 1950s.”

Episode 333: The Monkeypox Outbreak

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the outbreak of monkeypox in the United States.

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

• Monkeypox is the latest disease to concern the American public. Niki cited this Stat News article, and Neil referred to historian Jim Downs’ Atlantic essay about the historical continuities with the HIV-AIDS virus.

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

• Natalia discussed her latest “Quick Study” column for Observer, “American Childhood As We Knew It Is Over.”

• Neil recommended the Instagram account, A History of Dogs.

• Niki discussed her latest CNN column, “This is so much worse than Watergate.”

Episode 332: Religious Schooling and Church-State Separation

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss Carson v. Makin, the Supreme Court decision that overturns Maine’s ban on giving public funds to private religious schools.

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

• In a victory for proponents of school choice and a major weakening of church-state separation, Maine will now be required to provide state funding to religious schools. Neil cited this Slate article about the ruling, and Natalia drew on this City Journal piece.

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

• Natalia discussed Amanda Mull’s Atlantic article, “Fashion Has Abandoned Human Taste.”

• Neil recommended Hugh Ryan’s book, The Women’s House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison.

• Niki shared about Patricia Bell-Scott’s book, The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice.

Episode 331: The Tampon Shortage

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the national tampon shortage and the history of feminine products.

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

• A national tampon shortage has until recently been dismissed as a minor inconvenience or even a punchline. We all drew on this Smithsonian history of menstrual products. Niki referred to this Atlantic essay on the history of the tampon, and Natalia to Lara Freidenfelds’ book, The Modern Period: Menstruation in Twentieth-Century America.

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

• Natalia shared about ProPublica’s new study of adult literacy and referred to this New York Times article about challenges to a popular literacy program.

• Neil recommended Sasha Issenberg’s book, The Engagement: America’s Quarter-Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage.

• Niki discussed Christopher Mathias’ HuffPost article, “Living With the Far-Right Insurgency in Idaho,” and her own column for CNN, “Arrests at Idaho Pride Event Could Be a Harbinger of Things to Come.”

Episode 330: Summer Weddings and June Brides

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the long American tradition of June weddings.

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

• June wedding season is upon us, and after two years of delayed celebrations, it is especially packed. Natalia referred to this Harper’s Bazaar photo essay about representation and same-sex marriage, and to this Buzzfeed article, which is useful despite repeating a myth about bathing practices being related to June wedding date selection. Niki referred to this Atlantic article on the relationship between marriage, weddings, and adulthood.

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

• Natalia recommended Molly Worthen’s New York Times guest essay, “400 Years Ago They Would Be Witches. Today They Can Be Your Coach.”

• Neil shared about the HBO Max series, “It’s A Sin.”

• Niki recommended Rebecca Traister’s article for The Cut, “The Institutionalist: Where Did it All Go Wrong?”

Episode 329: Uvalde, Texas and the Persistence of American Gun Violence

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

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

• Yet another mass shooting, this one at a Texas elementary school, highlights the unique American obsession with gun rights. Niki referred to this NPR piece on the tape recording of NRA leadership after the 1999 Columbine school shooting, and Natalia drew on Susie Linfield’s New York Times guest essay on the photography of graphic violence.

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

• Natalia recommended this Kathryn Fiona Substack interview with a former Johnny Depp supporter, shared by technology writer Kat Tenbarge.

• Neil discussed Penelope Green’s New York Times obituary of Margot Heuman.

• Niki shared Maris Kreizman’s Esquire article, “The Legacy of Gone Girl.”

Episode 328: Cryptocurrency

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the cryptocurrency craze.

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

• The crash of TerraLuna is proving “crypto” to be both more than a passing trend and less than the miracle its boosters once promised. We recommended Kevin Roose’s “Latecomer’s Guide to Crypto” in the New York Times. Niki drew on this History News Network article to link crypto enthusiasm to other financial bubbles, and Natalia referred to James Ledbetter’s FIN Substack throughout. This 2013 (early) history of Bitcoin from New York Times provided useful context for all of us. Niki also recommended David Yaffe-Bellany’s New York Times piece, “Ben McKenzie Would Like a Word with the Crypto Bros,” and the Crypto Island podcast.

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

• Natalia talked about Amy Odell’s new book, Anna: The Biography.

• Neil discussed Sarah Pulliam Bailey’s Washington Post article, “Southern Baptist Leaders Covered Up Sex Abuse, Kept Secret Database, Report Says.”

• Niki recommended Maureen Ryan’s Vanity Fair article, “The Great Pottery Throwdown is a Balm for a Weary Age.”