In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the historical significance of Cambridge Analytica and its relationship with Facebook, a serial bomber in Austin, and an all-white, all-male history conference at Stanford.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

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

• Cambridge Analytica is suddenly a household name for its troubling use of Facebook data to influence the 2016 election. Niki referred to Siva Vaidhyanathan’s forthcoming book, Antisocial Media, about the social costs of the rise of Facebook.
• After terrorizing Austin for several weeks, serial bombing suspect Mark Conditt is dead. Niki referenced this Rolling Stone article about the impact of the Son of Sam serial murders on tabloid journalism. Natalia cited this NPR article on recollections of Conditt.
• Stanford University’s Hoover Institution hosted a conference comprised entirely of white men. Niki referred to this Washington Post article about the long relationship between the Hoover Institution and Stanford.

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

• Neil discussed Jackie Mansky’s Smithsonian article, “How Smithsonian Helped Solve the Twitter Mystery of the Unknown Woman Scientist.”
• Natalia commented on Joanna Rothkopf’s Jezebel article, “Inside the Convoluted ‘Battle for the Heart and Soul of Yoga’ That Resulted in Alo Yoga Suing a Body-Positive Influencer.”
• Niki shared Michael S. Rosenwald’s Washington Post article, “Toys R Us Founder Charles Lazarus Has Died. Here’s How He Built – And Lost – An Empire.”

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate Donald Trump’s firing of Rex Tillerson, the New York Times publishing obituaries for women it overlooked historically, and National Geographic’s self-study of its past racist coverage.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

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

• Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is the latest White House official President Trump has fired by tweet. Natalia referenced this New Yorker article highlighting the origins of Tillerson’s leadership style.
• “Overlooked” is the name of a New York Times initiative to acknowledge the fact that since 1851, the paper’s obituaries have been dominated by white men. Natalia referred to Amanda Hess’s coverage of this issue at Slate. We all referred to this NPR interview with former Times obituary writers featured in the documentary
• National Geographic’s latest issue reckons with the magazine’s treatment of race throughout the publication’s history. Niki referred to historian George Fredrickson’s notion of “scientistic racism.” Natalia shared Rebecca Onion’s interview for Slate of the historian John Edwin Mason who conducted the study for ­National Geographic.

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

• Neil shared Olivia B. Waxman’s TIME article, “The Surprisingly Poetic Origins of the Phrase ‘March Madness’.”
• Natalia commented on Jason LeMiere’s Newsweek article, “Barron Trump’s School Signs Open Letter Asking His Dad to Act on Gun Violence, Oppose Arming Teachers.”
• Niki discussed Rebecca Onion’s Slate article, “The Teacher Would Suddenly Yell ‘Drop!’.”

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate President Trump’s proposed tariffs, Weight Watchers’ bid for teenage dieters, and Disneyland’s underpaid workers.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

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

• Donald Trump has announced he is slapping high tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, all in the name of national security. Niki referred to Alex Thompson’s Vice article, “Trump’s Tariffs Made Him Labor Unions’ Man of Steel.” Niki also recommended Marc-William Palen’s book The Conspiracy of Free Trade.
• Weight Watchers is reaching out to young teenagers. Natalia referred to Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s New York Times article, “Losing It in the Anti-Dieting Age” and to Joan Jacobs Brumberg’s book The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls. Neil referenced Jennifer Wiener’s New York Times op-ed, “Take Your Daughter to the Movies, Not to Weight Watchers.” Natalia recommended Christy Harrison’s Food Psych Podcast. We discussed the history of Weight Watchers in Episode 19.
• A new report shows that many employees of Disneyland, “the happiest place on earth,” are homeless or hungry. Niki cited a new study, “Working For the Mouse” and the film The Florida Project as well as two books: Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America and Louis Hyman’s forthcoming TEMP: How American Work, American Business, and the American Dream Became Temporary.

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

• Neil shared Anne Ewbank’s Atlas Obscura article, “How Orange (the Fruit) Inspired Orange (the Color).”
• Natalia commented on Drew Schwartz’s VICE article, “Conservatives are Whining Because No One Wants to Date Them.”
• Niki discussed Joseph Bernstein’s Buzzfeed article, “Teach Them Right: How PragerU Is Winning the Right-Wing Culture War Without Donald Trump."

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the life and ministry of Billy Graham, youth activism after the Parkland shootings, and the West Virginia teachers’ strike.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

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

• Billy Graham, known to many as “America’s Pastor,” is dead. Niki referred to Kevin Kruse’s article about Graham’s early conservatism at Made by History and Anthea Butler’s HuffPost article about the limits of Graham’s racial progressivism. Natalia mentioned this Rolling Stone story about Graham’s role in encouraging homophobia.
• High school students are shaping the national conversation about gun control in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Natalia referred to the East Los Angeles blowouts she wrote about in her book, and Niki discussed this article at The Root about the racialized media coverage of such activism. Niki also wrote about how corporations have been a part of America’s political battles in her column for U.S. News & World Report.
• West Virginia’s teachers are striking. Natalia talked about the anti-union film The Lottery and recommended journalist Trey Kay’s podcast broadcast in collaboration with the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Center, Us & Them.

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

• Neil shared this TIME article about the 1961 plane crash that killed the U.S. figure skating team.
• Natalia discussed Dylan Gottlieb’s article “Rat Race” about urban marathons from the Past Present x Public Seminar
• Niki commented on recollections of William F. Buckley ten years after his death.