In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the death knell of “purity culture,” and new controversy over spaying and neutering dogs.

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

• Boris Johnson is the new prime minister of Britain. Niki recommended historian Jesse Tumblin’s Washington Post article, “How the Failure of Popular Politics Triggered the Rise of Boris Johnson.”
• Evangelical author Josh Harris has separated from his wife and disavowed his influential book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Natalia recommended Britni de la Cretaz’ article at The Ringer about celebrity declarations of celibacy and referred to Tim and Beverly LaHaye’s book The Act of Marriage: The Beauty of Sexual Love. Neil also noted Katelyn Beaty’s recent reflection on purity culture and evangelical sexual ethics in the New York Times.
• New research is questioning the orthodoxy around spaying and neutering dogs. Natalia referred to philosopher Peter Singer’s classic book Animal Liberation. Neil recommended historian Katherine C. Grier’s book Pets in America: A History and historian Mark Derr’s book A Dog’s History of America.

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

• Natalia recommended historian Jeff Melnick’s Nursing Clio article, “’Charlie Says’ and the Santa Cruz Prison Project.”
• Neil discussed the Babylon Bee article, “This Fun New Snapchat Filter Will Make it Look Like You’re Crying at the Border.”
• Niki shared Michael Brice-Saddler and Reis Thebault’s Washington Post article, “How Trump ended up in front of a presidential seal doctored to include a Russian symbol.”

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, the history of telling immigrants and minorities to “go back” to where they came from, and whether or not air conditioning is sexist.

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

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

• Fifty years ago, the world watched as Americans walked on the moon. Natalia recommended this New Yorker republication of the 1969 “Talk of the Town” covering how New Yorkers watched the moon landing. Niki referred to this Scientific American interview with Nikita Khrushchev’s son about how the event was covered in the Soviet Union.
• President Trump told four congresswomen to “go back” to where they came from. Natalia referenced historian Jill Lepore’s book, This America: The Case for the Nation. Niki referred to this essay by historian Nicholas Guyatt at the African American Intellectual History Society blog about the American Colonization Society.
• Accounts of the gendered experience of air conditioning have been gaining greater media attention this summer. Niki referred to this New Yorker article about the sexist assumptions that shape decisions about workplace climate control.

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

• Natalia discussed the life and legacy of the late founder of YogaWorks, Maty Ezraty.
• Neil shared the New York Times article and video, “Where Are All the Bob Ross Paintings? We Found Them.”
• Niki talked about the new movie Midsommar and recommended Clark Collis’ Entertainment Weekly article, “Before Midsommar: New documentary to tell the history of folk horror genre.”

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the Women’s World Cup, the life and legacy of Ross Perot, and the case against Jeffrey Epstein.

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

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

• Women’s soccer is getting more attention than ever in the United States, thanks in part to star player Megan Rapinoe. Niki referred to Lindsay Parks Pieper and Tate Royer’s Washington Post article about the fight for pay equity waged by women’s soccer players, and to Lindsay Krasnoff’s comparison, also in the Washington Post, to the history of women’s soccer in France. Natalia recommended philosopher Alison Reiheld’s essay “Megan Rapinoe and Joy in the Bodies We Have” at the blog of the International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics.
• Political upstart Ross Perot died this month. Neil referred to articles like this that reevaluate Perot in the context of Trump.
• New York financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is once again under scrutiny for his predation on young girls. Niki and Neil referred to this Atlantic article about the corruption of the world Epstein inhabits. Niki referred to the “Believed” podcast about sexual predator Larry Nasser. Neil commented on journalist Vicky Ward’s Vanity Fair article about Epstein and Natalia recommended Miami Herald journalist Julie K. Brown’s coverage of the case.

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

• Natalia recommended Adam Harris’ Atlantic article, “Many College Students Are Too Poor to Eat.”
• Neil shared Ruth Graham’s Slate article, “I Did Not Die. I Did Not Go to Heaven.”
• Niki discussed Sarah Jaffe’s Slate article, “Judge Judy’s Lifetime Achievement is Teaching Us to Laugh at the Less Fortunate” along with Josh Levin’s book, The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth and Mac Schneider’s Vox article, “The Truth Behind the TV Show COPS.”

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the recent debate over school busing, the launch of the women’s networking platform, “Girlboss,” and the rapper Lil Nas X.

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

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

• After Senators Joe Biden and Kamala Harris clashed at the Democratic debate, school busing is back in the news. Niki referred to historian Matt Delmont’s book on busing and to her own column at Australia’s The Age about the intergenerational dynamics of the Democratic debates. Natalia recommended Ansley T. Erickson’s book on desegregation in Nashville and Lily Geismer’s book on the limits of Boston-area liberalism.
• Entrepreneur Sophia Amoruso has founded a new venture, Girlboss, styled as a “LinkedIn for millennial women.” Natalia referred to this Buzzfeed article about the limits of “girlboss” empowerment.
• Rapper Lil Nas X is behind the summer’s biggest song – “Old Town Road” – and controversy. Natalia noted historian Mark Laver’s Washington Post article about the racist gatekeeping of the country music genre.

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

• Natalia shared the new Wondery podcast, “The Shrink Next Door.”
• Neil discussed his cross-country trip.
• Niki recommended Nicole Cliffe’s SELF profile of Alanis Morrissette and also announced a new career move!

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the recent escalation of tensions with Iran, new allegations of rape against President Trump, and controversy on the knitting social media network Ravelry.

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

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

• Tensions between Iran and the United States are escalating. Niki recommended Robert D. Kaplan’s article at the New York Times on the connection between U.S. concerns in Asia and the Middle East.
• Advice columnist E. Jean Carroll is the latest woman to accuse Donald Trump of sexual assault. Natalia referred to Megan Garber’s Atlantic article about attention fatigue and sexual violence in the Trump era and to historian Estelle B. Freedman’s book Redefining Rape.
• Knitting social media network Ravelry has revised its policy to prohibit any pro-Trump projects on its site. Natalia referred to writer Emily Matchar’s book Homeward Bound: Why Women are Embracing the New Domesticity.

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

• Natalia recommended the online documentary project 1938 Projekt.
• Neil discussed a new Harris Poll that showed decreased support among young people for LGBTQ rights.
• Niki reflected on the exchange between Kamala Harris and Joe Biden about busing at the Democratic debate, sharing historian Matt Delmont’s Twitter thread and Brett Gadsden’s Politico article, “Here’s How Deep Biden’s Busing Problem Runs.”