In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss convict firefighters, China’s new social credit system, and the history of Chanukah. 

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

• California’s latest wave of forest fires is being battled in part by inmates in the state’s prisons through a program that was instated in the 1940s. Natalia cited historian Heather Ann Thompson’s book Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971.
• Since 2014, the Chinese government has been building a “social credit system” to track – and reward and punish – its citizens’ behaviors. We commented on this piece on the dystopian comparisons being made by cultural observers of these measures.
• Chanukah is upon us and the Jewish “Festival of Lights” has an oft-overlooked military history. Niki and Natalia both recommended this Forward article about the significance of rationing oil.

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

• Natalia recommended historian Matthew Pressman’s new book, On Press: The Liberal Values That Shaped the News.
• Neil shared Julia Jacobs’ New York Times article, “Bush’s Letter to Clinton Cemented a Presidential Traditions, Historians Say.”
• Niki discussed Seyward Darby and Glenna Gordon’s Topic article, “The Secret Weapons of the Far Right.”

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss segregation academies, the death of an American missionary, and the declining market share of lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret.

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

• Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is in a runoff contest to hold on to her Senate seat, sparked backlash when she made an offhand comment about a “public hanging” that many perceived as racist. The fact that Hyde-Smith attended a “segregation academy,” as reported by this Jackson Free Press article Natalia recommended, shed important light on how she developed such a worldview.
• Last week, American missionary John Allen Chau was killed when he traveled to the remote island of North Sentinel. Niki recommended this viral thread by Twitter user @RespectableLaw on the historical context for the hostility of the Sentinelese to outsiders. Neil discussed the case of evangelical Jim Elliot, who was killed on a mission in Ecuador. Natalia recommended Sadatru Sen’s book, Disciplining Punishment: Colonialism and Convict Society in the Andaman Islands and Jonathan Zimmerman’s Innocents Abroad: American Teachers in the American Century.
• Lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret is losing market share, and CMO Ed Razek hasn’t been shy about disdaining new upstarts like Third Love. Natalia cited this Slate article about the founding of Victoria’s Secret to cater to men’s shopping needs. Natalia also recommended Elizabeth Matelski’s Reducing Bodies: Mass Culture and the Female Figure in Postwar America and this episode of the Sexing History podcast about “sweater girls.”

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

• Natalia discussed the new movie Ralph Breaks the Internet.
• Neil recommended Natalie Escobar’s Atlantic article, “The Changing Ways Parents React to Their Kids Coming Out of the Closet.”
• Niki shared Joe Pinsker’s Atlantic article, “The 30-Year Reign of Lunchables.”

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the aftermath of the midterm elections with special guest, Slate senior political correspondent Jamelle Bouie, the revocation of CNN journalist Jim Acosta’s “hard pass” to the White House, and the supposed radicalization of children’s literature.

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

• Demands for recounts and accusations of voter suppression and fraud defined the immediate aftermath of the midterm elections earlier this month. We sat down with Slate senior political correspondent Jamelle Bouie to discuss his analysis of the aftermath and how it fits into histories of disenfranchisement in the United States.
• After a heated exchange between President Trump and CNN reporter Jim Acosta, the White House downgraded his White House access. Niki recommended historian Martha Jones’ Washington Post article on how women journalists of color have routinely been denied full access to the events they cover.
• Children’s books promoting progressive politics have been selling well, prompting the Atlantic to announce a “radicalization” of children’s literature. Natalia recommended this Slate piece that discussed a disproportionate emphasis on rebellious girls and pointed out a controversy over the children’s book P is for Palestine that indicated the limits of this “radicalization.” Neil recommended historian Julia Mickenberg’s book Learning from the Left: Children’s Literature, The Cold War, and Radical Politics in the United States.

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

• Natalia discussed her Washington Post article, “Why A Right-Wing Extremist Targeted a Yoga Studio.”
• Neil recommended the YouTube clip, “Comparing Every Version of A Star is Born.”
• Niki shared Tim Alberta’s Politico article, “How the GOP Gave Up on Porn.”

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the midterm elections, the alt-right social media platform Gab, and Movember.

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

• We discussed whether the midterm elections resulted in the “blue wave” Democrats anticipated.
• Gab, launched as a “free-speech Twitter,” has become a platform for the alt-Right. Niki recommended Kathleen Belew’s book Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America.
• “Movember” launched in 2003 in Australia as a way to raise awareness about men’s health. Natalia recommended this Atlantic article questioning the utility of awareness campaigns.

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

• Natalia shared the ESPN 30 for 30 Podcast’s episode “The Six Who Sat.”
• Neil discussed Melissa McCarthy’s new film, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
• Niki recommended Ben H. Winters’ book, Underground Airlines.

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the massacre of Jews at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, the closing of rural hospitals, and the political reawakening of women in Orange County, California.

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

• The largest murder of Jews in the United States took place last month at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Natalia referred to writer Yascha Mounk’s tweet about the resistance of the media to acknowledge anti-Semitism as racism. Niki referred to her discussion of anti-Semitism and the alt-Right in her podcast series A12.
• Rural hospitals are closing, depriving Americans in these regions of crucial medical services. Natalia recommended historian Gabriel Rosenberg’s book on the idealization of rural life, The 4-H Harvest: Sexuality and the State in Rural America.
• Motivated by antipathy to Trump, previously politically disengaged suburban mothers in Orange County are organizing in advance of the midterms. Natalia cited historian Lisa McGirr’s Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right as an important political history of the region. Neil mentioned his recent Atlantic article on white women’s changing political affinities in the age of Trump.

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

• Natalia recommended Jordan Smith’s Runner’s World article, “Kelly Herron After Chasing Down Alleged Attacker: We Do Not Have To ‘Let It Go’.”
• Neil shared Ruth Graham’s Slate article, “Two Shotguns: What Happened at Ruby Ridge?”
• Niki discussed Keia Mastraianni’s Bon Appetit article, “’Election Cake’ Makes a Modern Resurgence.”

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of U.S.-Saudi relations in light of the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump administration’s policies toward transgender people, and the continued popularity of horror movies.

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

• The brutal death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has turned attention to the historical relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States. Niki referred to the data in this report about journalists killed in the line of duty.
• A memo from the Health and Human Services Department reveals that the Trump administration plans to further roll back the rights of transgender people. Natalia recommended the work of historian Jen Manion on the history of trans identity.
• In an age of digital streaming, horror movies remain a sure bet for box office success. Niki recommended Netflix horror series The Haunting of Hill House.

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

• Natalia recommended Jessica M. Goldstein’s Entertainment Weekly article, “’Britney Spears wanted to be a star’: An oral history of ‘…Baby, One More Time’.”
• Neil shared Tejal Rao’s New York Times article on the history of Kit Kat in Japan, “Big in Japan.”
• Niki discussed David Robson’s Atlantic article, “Neanderthals Suffered a Lot of Traumatic Injuries. So How Did They Live So Long?”

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, Niki, and guest historian Leah Wright Rigueur discuss black women and electoral politics, the closing of Sears, and corporate art patronage.

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

• Black women voters are a crucial electoral contingent, especially in the upcoming midterm elections. We spoke with Dr. Leah Wright Rigueur, author of The Loneliness of the Black Republican: Pragmatic Politics and the Pursuit of Power, about black women’s voting power today and in the past. Niki referenced Rachel Devlin’s book A Girl Stands at the Door, and Leah recommended Brittney Cooper’s Eloquent Rage, Ashley Farmer’s Remaking Black Power, Danielle McGuire’s At the Dark End of the Street, and Keisha Blain’s Set the World on Fire, as all good books for better understanding the long history of black women’s political activism.
• Sears is closing its doors for good. Natalia mentioned historian Louis Hyman’s viral Twitter thread on how the Sears catalog created opportunities for African Americans to shop during Jim Crow. She also recommended historian Lizabeth Cohen’s book A Consumer’s Republic and historian David K. Johnson’s forthcoming book Buying Gay: How Physique Entrepreneurs Sparked A Movement.
• We discussed how although art patronage is nothing new, 2018’s unapologetically corporate branding of art feels unprecedented.

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

• Natalia recommended Jessica Wilkerson’s Longreads article, “Living With Dolly Parton.”
• Neil shared the news that Judy Blume’s book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is being turned into a movie.
• Niki discussed W. David Marx’s Vox article, “An American campaign tee is trendy in Asia. Its popularity has nothing to do with the US.”

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the right’s obsession with George Soros conspiracy theories, the recent “grievance studies” hoax, and the rise of Bavarian folk dress as a form of hipsterism.

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

• Financier and philanthropist George Soros is increasingly at the center of conspiracy theories on the political right. Niki referred to this New York Times article on anti-Semitism in the Trump era.
• The Wall Street Journal broke the news of the most recent academic hoax, perpetuated to expose the outsize influence of “social justice ideology” on certain subfields of the humanities. Natalia wrote about this in a roundtable at the Chronicle of Higher Education, and she referred to Yascha Mounk’s article in the Atlantic in defense of the hoaxsters.
• Lederhosen and dirndls are all the rage among Bavarian hipsters, reported the New York Times. Natalia referred to this 2001 article about Germans’ ongoing struggle with nationalism in the decades after the fall of the Third Reich.

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

• Natalia shared recommended Karen Rain’s Medium article, “Yoga Guru Pattabhi Jois Assaulted Me for Years.”
• Neil reflected on the twentieth anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death.
• Niki discussed Leah Groth’s Prevention article, “American Cheese is Melting Away, Thanks to Millennials.”

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the history of binge drinking, why McCarthyism is back in the news, and the political power of women’s rage.

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

• Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination hearing has brought attention to the prevalence of binge drinking among young people. Natalia referenced Matt Damon’s Saturday Night Live portrayal of Brett Kavanaugh, and cited Sarah Hepola’s memoir of binge drinking, Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget.
• McCarthyism is back in the news as Mitch McConnell has accused Democrats of such tactics. Neil mentioned a Jonah Goldberg essay in the National Review that argued Joe McCarthy had been right.
• A series of books out this fall look at women’s rage: Rebecca Traister’s Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger; Soraya Chemaly’s Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger; and, Brittney Cooper’s Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower. Natalia added both Phyllis Schlafly’s Power of the Positive Woman and Audre Lorde’s “The Uses of Anger” as two other very different works on the politics of women’s rage.

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

• Natalia talked about her upcoming involvement in the event, “Yeah She Did: Witches Get Stuff Done” taking place in New York City on October 24.
• Neil commented on Joe Pinsker’s Atlantic article, “Why Some Parents Turn Boys’ Names Into Girls’ Names.”
• Niki discussed the expiration of the Violence Against Women Act.

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the history of high school yearbooks, how the Trump administration is defining immigrants as “public charges,” and the awful misogyny of Barstool Sports.

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

• High school yearbooks have been in the spotlight during the investigation of Brett Kavanaugh. Niki cited this Atlantic article that historicizes yearbooks and Natalia recommended historian Paula Fass’ book Outside In: Minorities and the Transformation of American Education for its use of yearbooks as historical sources.
• President Trump came to power promising to tighten immigration legislation, and a recent proposal promises to deny citizenship to those who make use of public services. Natalia recommended this Atlantic interview with historian Hidetaka Hirota about how today’s policies are rooted in 19th-century policies that targeted the Irish.
• If sports has always been a “boys’ club,” Barstool Sports has taken this sexism to new levels. Natalia recommended this Daily Beast article on the controversial website.

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

• Natalia shared her experience visiting the Storm King Art Center in Cornwall, NY.
• Neil commented on touring the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Abiquiú, New Mexico.
• Niki discussed historian Sarah Milov’s Washington Post piece, “Like the Tobacco Industry, E-Cigarette Manufacturers Are Targeting Children.”

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the drama surrounding Brett Kavanaugh’s upcoming Supreme Court confirmation, fraternity hazing, and the booming natural beauty industry.

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

• Conservative Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s candidacy is being marred by sexual assault allegations. Natalia recommended Anita Hill’s New York Times’ op-ed about the historical echoes with her own experience.
• The hazards of fraternity hazing are back in the news after the death of a student at the Riverside campus of the University of California. Natalia recommended Nicholas Syrett’s book The Company He Keeps: A History of White College Fraternities and Paula Fass’ The Damned and the Beautiful: American Youth in the 1920s. She also suggested Caitlin Flanagan’s Atlantic article on the symbiotic relationship between fraternities and universities.
• “Natural beauty” is an ill-defined, but booming, segment of the beauty industry. Niki recommended Upton Sinclair’s 1906 book The Jungle and Natalia recommended Kathy Peiss’ book, Hope In a Jar: The Making of America’s Beauty Culture.

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

• Natalia discussed Dave Philipps’ New York Times article, “A Breakthrough for U.S. Troops: Combat-Ready Pizza.”
• Neil reflected on Noah Nash’s Military Times article, “These Four-Legged Military Heroes Will Soon Have An Award All Their Own.”
• Niki shared Julia Moskin’s New York Times article, “Ranch Nation.”

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the new reality show Making It, the 2008 financial collapse ten years later, and the death of Walter Mischel, the social psychologist who created the “marshmallow test.”

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

• Making It, a crafting competition show hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, is widely considered a welcome break from the cutthroat culture of reality television and of politics. Natalia recommended this American Conservative article on the limits of television crafting.
• Ten years after the economic crash of 2008, its effects are still felt. Natalia cited M.H. Miller’s New York Times essay, “I Came of Age During the 2008 Financial Crisis. I’m Still Angry About It”. Neil recommended the New York Times’ entire Sunday Business section’s retrospective on this topic.
• Social psychologist Walter Mischel, best known for orchestrating the “marshmallow test” that famously connected children’s ability to delay gratification with their long-term prospects for success, has died. Natalia referred to Oscar Lewis’ 1961 book, Children of Sanchez: Autobiography of a Mexican Family.

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

• Natalia discussed Stanford University’s decision to remove the name of Junipero Serra from a major building and street.
• Neil reflected on Sigal Samuel’s Atlantic article, “The Sex-Abuse Scandal is Growing Faster Than the Church Can Contain It.”
• Niki shared Nadra Nittle’s Vox article, “Students Are Waging War On Sexist and Racist Dress Codes – And They’re Winning.”

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss Nike’s controversial signing of Colin Kaepernick as the face of their Just Do It campaign, the anonymous New York Times op-ed written by a senior Trump administration official, and the recent death of Robin Leach.

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

• Colin Kaepernick, best known for “taking a knee” to protest racism and police brutality in America, is the face of Nike’s 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. Natalia wrote about the announcement in the context of Nike’s history of adventurous branding at The Washington Post and referred to social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s tweets about the implications of brands capitalizing on political polarization.
• The New York Times published a rare, anonymous op-ed from a senior official in the Trump administration. Natalia referenced Dahlia Lithwick’s comments on Trumpcast and Jordan Taylor’s Washington Post essay about the role of anonymity in American political history.
• Robin Leach, best known as host of the 1980s television show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, has died. Niki referred to David Brooks’ 2000 book Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There.

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

• Natalia discussed Ted Cruz’ warning that Democrats would bring “tofu, silicon, and dyed hair” to Texas.
• Neil reflected on the gendered dynamics in the new film Crazy Rich Asians.
• Niki shared Michael Rosenwald’s Washington Post article, “Roe v. Wade’s forgotten loser: The remarkable story of Dallas prosecutor Henry Wade.”

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the life and legacy of Senator John McCain, the recent scandals in the Catholic Church, and the latest panic over loneliness.

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

• Senator John McCain, a leading light of the Republican Party, died last month of brain cancer. Natalia referenced this critical assessment of McCain’s career and character in Rolling Stone.
• The Catholic Church in the United States is racked with scandal as revelations of decades of abuse – and of cover-ups – are coming to light. Niki cited the Boston Globe’s 2002 reporting of the “Spotlight” series that uncovered abuses at the hands of clergy in Boston-area parishes. Natalia recommended historian William Cossen’s “Made By History” at the Washington Post piece about the increased power of the clergy in the wake of church scandals and Christine Kenneally’s Buzzfeed investigative report of abuse at a Catholic orphanage in Vermont.
• Talk of a “loneliness epidemic” has become epidemic itself. Niki referenced Robert Putnam’s landmark 2000 book, Bowling Alone. Natalia recommended the Call Your Girlfriend podcast’s episode about female friendship.

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

• Natalia discussed her “Made By History” at the Washington Post piece, “As Swimsuit Season Ends, Pursuit of the ‘Bikini Body’ Endures.”
• Neil shared Ben Zimmer’s Wall Street Journal article, “The History of the Dogcatcher Insult.”
• Niki reflected on the historical significance of TV Guide as a form of conservative media.

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the release of Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the White House, a new book by former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman.

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

• Former White House Staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman has released a book about her time in the Trump White House. Natalia recommended Leah Wright Rigueur’s book The Loneliness of the Black Republican: Pragmatic Politics and the Pursuit of Power and Niki suggested her review of Manigault Newman’s book in

 We will be back in September with new episodes!

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the history of Latinos in the Hamptons, the problem of grift in Washington, and the sudden popularity of rosé wine. 

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

• Latino immigration has transformed Eastern Long Island. Natalia referenced this New York Times article on the political tensions caused by this demographic shift.
• Trump administration Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross is being sued for bilking millions from his business associates. Natalia recommended Emily Jane Fox’s book BORN TRUMP: Inside America’s First Family.
• Rosé wine has become the lifestyle drink of the moment. Neil referenced the rosé shortage in the Hamptons in 2014, which received national press.

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

• Natalia discussed the apology by Los Angeles County for forcibly sterilizing Latina woman from 1968-1974.
• Neil commented on how airlines are cracking down on passengers who take advantage of their policy for emotional support animals.
• Niki recommended Ann Deslandes’ JSTOR Daily article, “The Bold Future of the Outer Space Treaty.

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate the history of the institutionalization of children, the thankless job of refereeing youth sports, and the legacy of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, one year after the Unite the Right rally.

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

• Coverage of family separation is revealing many abuses visited upon children detained in state facilities. Natalia mentioned this WNYC history of immigration detainment and this PBS retrospective on deinstitutionalization. She also recommended journalist Alex Beam’s book Gracefully Insane and this ProPublica coverage of the organizations that operate shelters.
• Violence against youth sports referees has become disturbingly common. Natalia cited the work of sociologist Hilary Levey Friedman on competitive childhood, including this Atlantic article.
• One year ago, violence in Charlottesville captured national attention. Niki has released a podcast series, A12, considering these events one year out. Niki also recommended historian Kathleen Belew’s new book, Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America.

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

• Natalia commented on Gustavo Arellano’s Los Angeles Times article, “Of Course Latinos Can Assimilate Into American Society. Just Look at Whittier.”
• Neil discussed the JSTOR Daily article, “The Complicated Politics Of… Refrigerators.”
• Niki shared Tyler Parry’s article for Black Perspectives, “A Brief History of the ‘Black Friend’.”

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate Sacha Baron Cohen’s new show, the viability of a “yoga vote,” and the demographic shift bringing about the disappearance of the middle child.

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

• British prankster and social critic Sacha Baron Cohen has a new show, “Who Is America?” Niki recommended this New York Times article comparing the tactics of conservative James O’Keefe to those employed by Baron Cohen. She also referred to this Smithsonian magazine article about turn-of-the-century undercover women reporters.
• Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio told The Intercept he would court “the yoga vote” should he run for president in 2020. Natalia referred to a conversation on the 538 Blog that dismissed “the yoga vote” as today’s “soccer mom.” Natalia also recommended Michelle Goldberg’s book The Goddess Pose: The Audacious Life of Indra Devi and the “Bikram” series produced by ESPN’s “30 For 30” podcast.
• The middle child “is going extinct,” announced The Cut Niki recalled Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 book, The Population Bomb, while Natalia recommended Julia Belluz’ Vox article that contextualized these findings in broader demographic shifts.

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

• Natalia shared Brian Feldman’s New York magazine article, “The Most Important Video Game on The Planet.”
• Neil discussed the miniseries “A Very English Scandal.”
• Niki recommended Alexis Madrigal’s Atlantic article, “Why No One Answers Their Phone Anymore.”

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the definition of treason, the significance of linguistic accents, and a new practice of prescribing outdoor play.

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

• President Trump’s behavior at his joint press conference with Vladimir Putin has earned him the epithet of “traitor” by many critics. Niki referenced this article at the Washington Post’s “Made By History” by Gail Savage.
• Roberto Rey Agudo’s New York Times op-ed made the provocative case that “Everyone Has an Accent.” Natalia referred to this Bustle article about “the chameleon effect,” and Neil cited this Chicago Reader article about the Chicago accent. Natalia recommended this New York Times article about Hollywood dialect coaches and the rise of accuracy in portraying regional accents onscreen.
• Some doctors are writing prescriptions for children to engage in outdoor play.

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

• Natalia shared about the launch of the new feminist press, Dottir, and one of its first titles, a children’s book called Not My Idea.
• Neil discussed the history of double negatives.
• Niki commented on the death of John Stormer who she wrote about in her Washington Post “Made By History” article, “How The Right Became Addicted to Conspiracies.”

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the children rescued from a Thai cave, the Trump administration’s approach to breastfeeding policy, and the fleece vests that have become a staple uniform of the finance industry.

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

• A Thai boys’ soccer team was rescued from a flooded cave as the world watched. Niki referred to comedian Stephen Colbert linking the rescue to the Trump administration’s family separation policy. She also commented on the longstanding media fascination with stories of being trapped underground; Natalia commented on how the trope shows up in literature, such as Edgar Allan Poe’s 1846 story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” and Neil mentioned it as a theme of the Netflix show, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” a program we discussed on Episode 30.
• The Trump administration shocked many when it moved to weaken an international breastfeeding resolution. Natalia recommended Suzanne Barston’s book Bottled Up: How the Way We Feed Babies Has Come to Define Motherhood, and It Shouldn’t, historian Jessica Martucci’s Back to the Breast: Natural Motherhood and Breastfeeding in America, and her own article at the Society for U.S. Intellectual History Blog.
• The Instagram parody account @midtownuniform has brought attention to a new sartorial staple of the Wall Street set: the fleece vest. Natalia cited this Wall Street Journal article on the finance-industry fashion of the show Billions.

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

• Natalia recommended Dan Nosowitz’s Atlas Obscura article, “Why Are There Palm Trees in Los Angeles?”
• Neil discussed the origins of 911 telephone service and its racist misuses which he wrote about for the Huffington Post.
• Niki spoke about Joe Heim’s Washington Post article, “Sacred Ground: Now Reclaimed: A Charlottesville Story.”

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the rise of Democratic Socialists, plans for packing the Supreme Court, and the increasing popularity of audiobooks.

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

• Thanks to the recent upset victory of Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez in a New York Democratic primary, socialism appears to be having a new moment in American politics.
• Justice Anthony Kennedy has stepped down, prompting a conversation about whether “packing” the Supreme Court is an advisable strategy for progressives. Natalia cited historian William Leuchtenberg’s Smithsonian Magazine article on Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s attempt to pack the Supreme Court.
• The popularity of the audiobook is challenging publishers to think differently about how people consume literature.

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

• Natalia recommended Judith Newman’s New York Times essay, “He’s Going Back to His Former Wife. Sort Of.”
• Neil discussed the cultural significance of the “Trumpy Bear” toy.
• Niki recommended Jessica Gingrich’s Gastro Obscura article, “The Ornate Ice Cream Saloons That Served Unchaperoned Women.”

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate recent claims that the Left is destroying civility in politics, the LGBTQ+ history of American gym culture, and a half-century of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

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

• When White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave the Red Hen restaurant by its owner, many decried the incident as evidence of a decline in civility. Natalia cited historian William Chafe’s book Civilities and Civil Rights. At Vox, Niki wrote about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s own history of being called “uncivil.”
• An Indianapolis CrossFit location recently canceled a workout intended to celebrate Pride Month, and backlash was swift. Natalia wrote about the history of LGBTQ+ culture and American gyms for Slate and also cited historian David K. Johnson’s Journal of Social History article on male physique magazines. She talked more about the issue recently on the All About Fitness with Pete McCall Neil noted recent Past Present episodes on the “gayborhood” and the “twink” were relevant to this segment’s discussion.
• A new documentary takes a retrospective look at Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fifty years after its release. Natalia cited Aisha Harris’ review in Slate.

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

• Natalia talked about Brooke Hauser’s biography of Helen Gurley Brown, Enter Helen: The Invention of Helen Gurley Brown and the Rise of the Modern Single Woman.
• Neil discussed the life and legacy of Koko the Gorilla, who recently died at 46.
• Niki recommended Anne Ewbank’s Atlas Obscura article, “The Tragic Roots of America’s Favorite Cherry.”

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate the legacy of Anthony Bourdain, the end of “family values” conservatism, and ageism as a form of discrimination.

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

• The late Anthony Bourdain helped define the now familiar figure of the “celebrity chef.” Niki referred to Bourdain’s books Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw as reshaping the genre of food writing. Natalia cited Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food as other works that helped Americans conceive of food as a lens on politics and society.
• “Family values,” long a familiar trope of conservative American politics, appears under threat in the Trump era. Neil wrote in Slate about how and why this era has come to an end. Neil recommended historian Seth Dowland’s book, Family Values and the Rise of the Christian Right. Natalia cited her own book, Classroom Wars: Language, Sex, and the Making of Modern Political Culture, on how family values politics have always been racialized.
• Ageism is an often under-acknowledged cause of discrimination. Natalia commented on how the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967) barred workplace age discrimination and cited a recent Atlantic interview with a man who was laid off in his fifties. Natalia also recommended Ashton Applewhite’s writing on age and ageism at the This Chair Rocks Blog.

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

• Natalia talked about Jesse Singal’s controversial Atlantic article, “When Children Say They’re Trans.”
• Neil recommended Pose, a new show on the FX Network.
• Niki discussed Nathan Truesdell’s Atlantic video, “The Balloonfest That Went Horribly Wrong.”

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate the historical relationship between Canada and the United States, the legacy of the late designer Kate Spade, and the controversy over proposed changes to an Advanced Placement history course.

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

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

• Relations between longtime allies the United States and Canada appear to be souring after the G7 summit. Natalia cited this article describing the last such tension during Richard Nixon’s presidency.
• Designer Kate Spade’s suicide prompted an outpouring of grief among those who remember the black bags that made her famous as a totem of life in the 1990s. Natalia cited this Racked article about the success of the brand as well as this Columbia Journalism Review article about the class myopia of the New York Times’ coverage of Spade’s life and influence.
• Many history teachers are angry about changes to an Advanced Placement world history course.

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

• Natalia talked about a homophobia scandal at Crossfit.
• Neil discussed the new film RBG.
• Niki recommended the new database Women Also Know History.

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, Donald Trump’s use of the presidential pardon, and the American tradition of separating families.

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

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

• The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case. Neil referred to Tisa Wenger’s book Religious Freedom: The Contested History of An American Ideal and Sarah Posner’s Nation article about the conservative Christian advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom.
• President Trump has legal scholars thinking about whether a president is legally permitted to pardon himself. Natalia cited this Washington Post article by Lawrence Tribe, Richard Painter, and Norman Eisen arguing a president cannot pardon himself. Niki cited Bob Bauer’s Lawfare article about the larger demagogic nature of Trump’s presidency.
• The Trump administration has intensified a policy separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border. Niki cited historian Martha Jones’ Medium slideshow about the history of separating enslaved families. Natalia cited historian Walter Johnson’s book Soul by Soul: Life Inside the Antebellum Slave Market and Niki recommended historian Heather A. Williams’ Help Me to Find My People: The African American Search for Family Lost in Slavery.

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

• Natalia talked about Hilary Levey Friedman’s USA Today article, “Good Riddance to the Miss America Pageant, But Did We Have to Lose Fitness Too?”
• Neil discussed the German TV show Deutschland 83, now available on Hulu.
• Niki recommended Yoni Appelbaum’s Atlantic article, “Which America Is Trump Celebrating?”