In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the life and legacy of Barbara Bush, Starbucks’ race problem, and the U.S. Census.

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

• Former First Lady Barbara Bush has died at 92. Natalia referenced historian Barbara Perry’s Washington Post article about how she transformed the Office of the First Lady.
• Starbucks has come under fire for an employee who called the police on two black men at one of its Philadelphia stores. Natalia cited sociologist Elijah Anderson’s Vox article on the association of black people with inner cities; Niki referenced Jamelle Bouie’s Slate article on how “white spaces” are constructed and policed as well as Emily Bazelon’s 2014 Slate article “Why I Don’t Call the Police.”
• President Donald Trump’s decision to include a question about citizenship status on the U.S. Census for the first time since 1950 has inspired strong opposition. Natalia referred to Ari Berman’s Mother Jones article on the pervasive problem of undercounting minorities.

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

• Neil commented on Dan Piepenbring’s New Yorker article “Chick-Fil-A’s Creepy Infiltration of New York City.”
• Natalia shared Carson Bear’s article “Are Mobile Homes a Forgotten Historic Resource?” on org.
• Niki discussed Kathleen Belew’s new book Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America.

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the rise of Sinclair Broadcasting, life coach Tony Robbins’ dismissal of the #MeToo movement, and the fraught history of college early admissions.

Support Past Present on Patreon: http://www.pastpresentpodcast.com/episodes

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

• Conservative media giant Sinclair Broadcasting Group inspired outrage when a viral video showed anchors reading a prepared script bashing the media. Natalia cited Niki’s S. News article on the role of the FCC in preventing the kind of domination to which Sinclair aspires.
• Self-help guru Tony Robbins enraged the internet when he maligned the #MeToo movement at one of his stadium-sized seminars. You can watch the full video of his internaction with Nanine McCool here. Natalia cited two classic historical works to understand the history of self-help: Richard Hofstadter’s Anti-Intellectualism in American Life and Christopher Lasch’s The Culture of Narcissism. Natalia also recommended William Davies’ The Happiness Industry and the HBO show “Enlightened.” Natalia recently wrote about how Tony Robbins and other self-help gurus have often stood in the way of social change in a piece for the Washington Post.
• The Justice Department has launched a probe into colleges offering early admissions. Natalia cited two historians’ book-length works: Jerome Karabel’s The Chosen and Nancy Malkiel’s Keep the Damned Women Out!

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

• Neil discussed the new Little League documentary, Long Time Coming.
• Natalia discussed Ivanka Trump’s curiously uninformed comments about youth fitness. As a companion piece to Natalia’s What’s Making History, Niki recommended Anastasia Day’s Made by History article, “How the White House Garden Became a Political Football.”
• Niki discussed two new books on the 14th Amendment by historians, Carrie Hyde’s Civic Longing: The Speculative Origins of U.S. Citizenship and Martha Jones’ Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America.

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate the return of the television series Roseanne, the unfair treatment of NFL cheerleaders, and the sudden popularity of the Instant Pot.

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

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

• Nineties TV sitcom Roseanne is back, and remade for the Trump age. Niki referenced Oscar Winberg’s Washington Post article about the political ambitions of the series.
• New Orleans Saints cheerleader Bailey Davis was fired for violating the team’s social media policy; now she’s suing and bringing attention to the unjust treatment of cheerleaders across the industry. Natalia referenced this Mother Jones historical timeline of cheerleading as well as two works by historians: Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz’ Campus Life and Paula Fass’ The Damned and the Beautiful.
• The Instant Pot is officially a culinary craze. Natalia referenced this Curbed article about the gendered history of kitchen design.

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

• Neil discussed John Elgion’s New York Times article, “A Black Evangelist Who Opposed Dr. King,” and Lerone Martin’s research article on which it draws.
• Natalia discussed Matthew Remski’s Facebook response to the new Netflix documentary, Wild, Wild Country.
• Niki discussed Peter Canellos’ POLITICO article, “’Chappaquiddick’: The Trial of Ted Kennedy.”

In this episode, Niki and Natalia debate the Stormy Daniels scandal.

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

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

• Stormy Daniels gave a much awaited interview to Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes last week. Natalia referred to Michelle Goldberg’s New York Times op-ed and this Atlantic article about the similarities between the Daniels affair and the Harvey Weinstein case.