In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss marching on Washington as a form of political protest, the Los Angeles teachers’ strike, and how American cities reflect economic inequality.

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

• Native American and pro-life activists both marched in Washington, D.C., last weekend, participating in a longstanding American protest tradition.
• The Los Angeles teachers’ union has reached a deal with the city. Natalia recommended Dana Goldstein’s coverage of the strikes in the New York Times and Goldstein’s book, The Teacher Wars: A History of America’s Most Embattled Profession. Natalia also recommended historian Diana D’Amico’s Washington Post op-ed on the role of suburbanization in the economic struggles of big-city school systems. Natalia also referred to the pro-charter school documentary The Lottery.
• A new study suggests that cities are not the sites of economic mobility they have long been thought to be. Niki recommended Sarah Maslin Nir’s New York Times coverage of the plight of nail salon workers. Natalia recommended urbanist Richard Florida’s continued work on this topic.

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

• Natalia discussed two new documentaries about the ill-fated Fyre Fest, one on Hulu and one on Netflix.
• Neil discussed David Leffler’s Washington Post article, “Suicides Among Veterinarians Become a Growing Problem.”
• Niki shared Jill Lepore’s New Yorker article, “Does Journalism Has a Future?”

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the new Gillette commercial “We Believe,” Rep. Steve King’s controversial comments, and the decline of cursive in American schools.

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

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

• Gillette released a new ad taking aim at “toxic masculinity.” Natalia recommended historian Gail Bederman’s book Manliness and Civilization: A Cultural History of Race and Gender in the United States, 1880-1917 and a Twitter thread she compiled of relevant historical images. Neil referred to his HuffPost piece on the campaign’s conservatism.
• Representative Steve King recently waxed nostalgic for the days when “white supremacy” was acceptable. Natalia recommended Niki’s CNN article on journalists’ role in establishing the bounds of political discourse and Marama Whyte’s forthcoming dissertation on how women journalists covered feminism. Niki shared historian David Greenberg’s scholarly article on the origin of the assumption of media’s “liberal bias.”
• Cursive instruction at school is becoming a relic. Niki cited this Atlantic article on the role of the ballpoint pen in its demise. Natalia recalled that literacy instruction pioneer Irene Fountas was also excellent at teaching cursive.

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

• Natalia recommended historian Emily Dufton’s book Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America.
• Neil discussed the Orlando Sentinel’s coverage of the pardon of the “Groveland Four.”
• Niki shared Yoni Appelbaum’s Atlantic article, “Impeach Donald Trump.”

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the Green New Deal, the KonMari craze, and the history of national emergencies.

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

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

• Twitter has been abuzz with talk of a “Green New Deal.” Neil referred to Thomas Friedman’s first use of the term. Niki and Natalia recommended two books by environmental historians: Sarah Phillips’ This Land, This Nation: Conservation, Rural America, and the New Deal and Benjamin Alexander’s The New Deal’s Forest Army: How the Civilian Conservation Corps Worked.
• Japanese organizer Marie Kondo became an American sensation with her 2014 bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. A new Netflix series based on the book has catapulted the KonMari craze to new heights. Natalia recommended Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s New York Times profile of Kondo.
• Donald Trump threatened to declare a national emergency in order to build the wall with Mexico he promised voters. Niki recommended this Pacific Standard article on the context for this threat.

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

• Natalia recommended The Dream podcast about multi-level marketing schemes.
• Neil discussed Jana Reiss’ Religion News article, “Major Changes to Mormon Temple Ceremony, Especially for Women.”
• Niki shared Ibram X. Kendi’s Atlantic article, “What I Learned From Cancer.”

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia welcome Princeton historians Kevin M. Kruse and Julian Zelizer to discuss their new book, Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974, followed by a discussion of “Dry January,” and new findings that young people are having less sex.

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

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

• Princeton historians Kevin M. Kruse and Julian Zelizer’s new book, Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974 is now available from W.W. Norton.
• Back in 2012, four thousand people abstained from drinking in January; in 2018, four million adopted “Dry January.” Natalia recommended historian Lisa McGirr’s The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State.
• Millennials, The Atlantic reports, are in a “sex recession.” Natalia referred to historian Gail Bederman’s book Manliness and Civilization: A Cultural History of Gender and Race in the United States, 1880-1917. Niki referred to this Huffington Post piece regarding polling on sexual behaviors.

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

• Natalia recommended The Atlantic’s advertorial spread, “Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive.”
• Neil commented on the Los Angeles Times article, “TSA to Deploy More Floppy-Ear Dogs because They’re Less Scary than Pointy-Ear Dogs.”
• Niki discussed Livia Gershon’s JSTOR Daily article, “Why Champagne?”