Episode 118: the Nunes Memo, the Stock Market Fall, and the 2018 Winter Olympics

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate the Nunes memo and the GOP’s attack on the FBI, the recent stock market plummet, and the prospect of Korean reconciliation through the Winter Olympics.

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

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

• #ReleasetheMemo took over Twitter last week. Niki cited this Politico piece explaining “computational propaganda” that helped spread it. Natalia referred to the episode of Trumpcast that further explained how the meme went viral.
• The stock market recently plummeted over one thousand points. Neil discussed President Obama’s spokesperson Jay Carney’s observation that the Obama White House deliberately never took credit for the health of the stock market.
• The Winter Olympics kick off in PyeongChang, South Korea this week, prompting many to wonder about its political impact on the region. Natalia cited Heather Dichter’s Made By History essay about the Cold War era precedents for this year’s contest as well as a Backstory episode about the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” She also recommended David Wallace Adams’ classic Education for Extinction for its exploration of the politics of sport.

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

• Neil shared Daina Ramey Berry’s New York Times article, “Beyond the Slave Trade, the Cadaver Trade.”
• Natalia commented on historian Brooke Blower’s book Becoming Americans in Paris.
• Niki discussed Tyler Huckabee’s Washington Post article, “The Radical – But Gentle – Faith of Mister Rogers.”