The “Gain of Function” Edition

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

David Leonhardt for The New York Times: “The Lab-Leak Theory”

Nicholson Baker for New York Magazine: “The Lab-Leak Hypothesis”

Nicholas Wade for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: “The Origin of COVID: Did People or Nature Open Pandora’s Box at Wuhan?”

Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Other Regimes Will Hijack Planes Too”

The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking, by Brendan I. Koerner

Eric Levitz for New York Magazine: “David Shor on Why Trump Was Good for the GOP and How Dems Can Win in 2022”

Eric Levitz for New York Magazine: “David Shor’s Unified Theory of American Politics”

Here’s this week’s chatter:

John: Mark Mortensen and Heidi K. Gardner for Harvard Business Review: “WFH Is Corroding Our Trust in Each Other”

Emily: Patrick Smith for WBEZ: “Mayor Lori Lightfoot Blamed Gun Violence On Judges, But Emails Show Her Staff Knew It Wasn’t True”

David: Apple Photos “Memories” feature

Listener chatter from Jen Overbeck: Alan Burdick for The New York Times: “So You Want to End the Conversation?”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David talk about the difficulties of ending a conversation that has run its course.

If you enjoy the show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the Political Gabfest. Sign up now at slate.com/gabfestplus to help support our work.

Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Margaret Kelley.

Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap.

Hosts

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, David Plotz

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