Podcast appearances and mentions of jayson de leon

The final episode of Hidden Levels explores the story of SEGA developer Tez Okano and the bizarre, meta-game he created: Segagaga. Okano joined SEGA in 1992, witnessing firsthand the company's tumultuous experience in the "console wars" against Nintendo and Sony. In the mid-1990s, SEGA struggled to make hardware that kept up with its rivals. The SEGA CD, the 32X, and the Saturn were all commercial failures. For Okano and many developers at SEGA, the console wars were both an exciting time to be in the video game business but also an intense and stressful time. They worked long hours, slept at their desks, and faced relentless deadlines. And so Okano decided to turn the chaotic nature of his professional life into a low-budget, self-parodying game about making video games at SEGA. In Segagaga, the player is a young developer tasked with saving SEGA's market share from the rival DOGMA Corporation (a stand-in for Sony/PlayStation). The gameplay is a mix of a role-playing game (RPG) and a management simulator, where you recruit demoralized, mutant-like SEGA employees by convincing them to join your team for the lowest salary possible. The gameplay reflects the absurd reality of game development. Players can spend a long time creating an original, hit game or they can quickly make a bunch of trashy titles (or shovelware) that barely keeps the company afloat. Okano even told us that the insults characters used in "battles" were actual quotes he heard in the office. The game was finished in 2001, just as the highly anticipated Sony PlayStation 2 was effectively dooming SEGA's Dreamcast. As game journalist Simon Parkin notes, Segagaga was released only two weeks before SEGA exited the console business entirely. This timing transformed the game from a self-parody into a memorial for a dying era, inviting players to literally defeat SEGA's failed consoles as bosses. Though Okano's bizarre proposal was initially met with laughter by executives, the game ultimately got made and, in a strange twist, benefited from the company's decision to stop making video game hardware. Even in the face of industry chaos, some creators simply can't help but pour their love and energy into making games. Credits This episode was produced by Jayson De Leon and edited by Meg Cramer. Mix by Martín Gonzalez. Fact-checking by Graham Hacia. Original music by Swan Real and Paul Vaitkus. Jocelyne Allen helped translate and interpret our interview with Tez Okano (truly the best). Special thanks to Lewis Cox and Tom Charnock over at The Dreamcast Junkyard. Their insight on SEGA, the Dreamcast, and Segagaga was extremely helpful in the making this story. Additional thanks to Adam Kuplowsky and 17 Bit's Jake Kazdal. Simon Parkin has a book about the history of the Dreamcast called Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works. It's rich and beautiful and has even more details about Segagaga that we could not fit into this story. Tez Okano would like to thank the small team that supported Segagaga. Especially Hisao Oguchi, Tadashi Takezaki, and Taku Sasahara. Hidden Levels is a production of 99% Invisible and WBUR's Endless Thread. The Managing Producer for Hidden Levels is Chris Berube. The series was created by Ben Brock Johnson. Series theme by Swan Real and Paul Vaitkus. Series art by Aaron Nestor.

Josh Ritter tells Jayson De Leon about charting a course through the unknown.

Attica Scott is the only black woman in Kentucky's state legislature. It turns out, that doesn't make advocating for Breonna Taylor much easier. Guest: Kentucky state Representative Attica Scott. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Elena Schwartz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has spent the last four years refusing to release his tax returns. When the New York Times published 20 years worth of them, it revealed a possible reason why. The president's balance sheet listed huge losses, which he used to dramatically cut down what he owed in taxes. Were these the dealings of a savvy businessman, or an unscrupulous swindler? And what does it mean for the election to have a candidate who still has a stake in their business and an alarming amount of debt?Guest: Andrea Bernstein, co-host of the Trump, Inc. podcast and the author of “American Oligarchs: the Kushners, the Trumps and the Marriage of Money and Power.”Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Elena Schwartz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode originally aired June 2019.Notre Dame basketball coach Muffet McGraw wasn't planning on making a speech about feminism and gender equality. But at a press conference before the Final Four tournament, that's just what she did, launching into a screed about the dearth of women in government, politics, corporate C-suites, and sports. “We don't have enough female role models,” McGraw said. “Men run the world!” The viral moment was a lifetime in the making. Guest: Muffet McGraw, head coach of the Notre Dame women's basketball team. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No one thought 2020 was going to be a boring election year. Several key Senate seats are in play, presenting Democrats with a real shot at winning back the chamber. However, with an unstable economy and a critical phase of the campaign cycle going virtual, candidates are facing new challenges. Guest: Jim Newell, Slate's senior politics writerSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever since COVID-19 surfaced in Florida, local journalists began wondering how the virus was going to impact nursing home residents and employees. For weeks the facilities and the state's health department were reluctant to release data on the more than 600 assisted care centers. On Saturday, Governor Ron DeSantis finally released a list of nursing homes with confirmed cases, but only after pressure from news outlets and the public.Guest: Mary Ellen Klas, capital bureau chief for the Miami Herald.  Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Republicans have relied on one organization in particular to help pass conservative laws in states across the country: The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. The kicker is that ALEC learned its tricks from public-sector unions.Guest: Alex Hertel-Fernandez, Assistant Professor of Political Affairs at Columbia University. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 has dominated Nevada politics for years. Last week, leaders announced that the union would not endorse any of the Democratic primary candidates before the caucuses this Saturday. Did union leaders make that call because of the tricky politics of Medicare for All? Are they just trying to preserve the union's reputation as a political kingmaker? Or is the non-endorsement an indication of a deeply divided left? Guest: Steven Greenhouse, author of “Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present & Future of American Labor.”Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over a year ago, Florida residents approved the restoration of voting rights for approximately 1.4 million ex-felons in the state. But in the months since, lawmakers have tried to implement new hurdles for former convicts trying to access the ballot box. Now, advocates in some counties are trying to find a solution to register voters anyway. Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Justice reporter for SlateSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presidents have always skirted the rules when it comes to gaining authorization from Congress to use military force. President Donald Trump's direction to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani takes it to a whole new level and exposes just how weak the War Powers Act has become.Guest: Oona Hathaway, Author of The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Right now, when it comes to fundraising, it certainly looks like Bernie Sanders is winning. In the last three months, his campaign has raised more money than any other Democrat in the field. And with just a few weeks left before the Iowa caucuses, Sanders is in a three-way tie for the lead alongside Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg. How is he pulling this off?Guest: Ryan Grim, D.C. bureau chief at the Intercept. Read his latest story is about the Sanders campaign.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a little over a week, tensions in the Middle East have gone from high to fever pitch. What started with one American civilian contractor in Iraq being killed escalated to airstrikes on militia-controlled sites in Iraq and Syria, killing 24 people and wounding dozens more. Then, a siege at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad by pro-Iranian militia and a response by the Trump administration that killed Iran's top military commander.What went into the decision to assassinate Gen. Qassem Soleimani? And is the United States prepared for what comes next?Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories correspondent and author of The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War, out later this month.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When President Trump passed his tax overhaul in 2017, Democrats and Republicans were excited about the prospect of one specific provision. ‘Opportunity zones' were meant to spur investment in low-income communities. Two years later, it's unclear if that has actually happened. Billionaires, on the other hand, are benefitting from the program left and right.Guest: Justin Elliott, reporter at ProPublica. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As 2019 comes to a close, What Next is checking back in on three stories we did this year. From a power struggle in Venezuela to a border wall dispute in Arizona and back to Washington for an impeachment update. Here's what happened…next!Guests: Ana Vanessa Herrero, reporter for the New York Times, Mayor of Nogales Arturo Garino, and Noah Feldman Harvard Law School professor and host of Deep Background, available on Luminary.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Preparing for an active shooter is becoming a disturbingly normal part of the school experience. And while companies are developing new methods for how to keep students and teachers safe, it's unclear if they're becoming more effective. Guest: Tali Woodward, deputy editor at The Trace. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Residents of Opportunity, Montana have a problem: their town is infected with a century's worth of toxins from copper mining. The responsible company, Arco, and the E.P.A. have come up with a plan to fix that, but the community members say it's woefully inadequate and doesn't guarantee “a clean and healthful environment.” Now, the case has escalated all the way to the Supreme Court.Guest: Kathleen McLaughlin, reporter based in MontanaSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When she was a staff writer at Breitbart News, Katie McHugh exchanged hundreds of emails with Stephen Miller, who is currently one of President Trump's senior advisors. Then, McHugh was a champion of the alt-right and a supporter of white nationalist ideology. Now, she wants the world to know that those same ideas are what motivate Miller to craft hard-line anti-immigration policies. And she has the receipts to prove it.  Guest: Katie McHugh, former Breitbart staff writerPodcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For months, White House lawyers have argued that many of the president's aides can sidestep congressional subpoenas because of their proximity to Trump. This week, a judge rejected that claim, setting the stage for another installment in the House of Representatives's impeachment inquiry. Guest: Jeremy Stahl, Slate senior editorPodcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could have an enormous effect on the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people known as Dreamers. Back in 2017, the Trump administration ended DACA, a program created by the Obama administration to protect Dreamers, by saying it was unlawful and unconstitutional, and that it could not be successfully defended in court. Now, with DACA getting its day in court, who are the key players on both sides of the case? And what is the actual issue justices will be weighing?Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, who covers the courts and the law for Slate.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many past presidents have had a spiritual advisor. President Trump's party faithful are an extension of his brand — white, evangelical. And his most trusted preacher is a wealthy televangelist who's been investigated by Congress. Meet Paula White, the Mississippi girl who rose to prominence preaching piety, prosperity, and Vote Trump 2020. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 8chan message board has become synonymous with hate speech. It's been a go-to forum for mass shooters' manifestos. It courts devotees of the cultish QAnon conspiracy theory. In August, 8chan was booted from the internet, but now the forum is making a comeback, in spite of the dogged group of activists and journalists trying to take it offline permanently.Guest: Robert Evans, investigative journalist for Bellingcat and host of the podcast, Behind the Bastards. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii, has always had a maverick streak. But since launching a presidential campaign, her tactics have only become more perplexing. Guest: Lisa Lerer, political reporter for the New York Times.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Thursday, in the city of Culiacán, a massive gun battle between Mexican government forces and the Sinaloa cartel erupted in broad daylight. It was captured on cameras by residents across the city. For hours, residents took shelter as the Mexican forces detained the son of El Chapo, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, and tried to hold off the cartel. When it ended, El Chapo's son was released. So why did the Mexican government give into the Sinaloa cartel's demands? And what can be done on both sides of the border to stop such brutal violence?Guest: León Krauze, journalist at Univision and Slate columnistPodcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest: Alex Thompson, covers the Elizabeth Warren campaign for Politico.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the impeachment inquiry rolls on, it's easy to get lost in the paperwork and characters surfacing each week. We're here to help sort through it all and tell you what you really need to know. Today: the White House's letter to Congress and what it says about the fight that's only going to heat up on Capitol Hill.Guests: Dahlia Lithwick, who covers the courts and the law at Slate. And Jim Newell, a politics writer at Slate.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Growing up in D.C. during the civil rights era made the fight for D.C. statehood deeply personal for civil rights advocate Wade Henderson. He's said that being unable to secure a voting representative in Congress is one of his greatest disappointments. Christina Cauterucci speaks with Henderson about the fight for statehood and why he still has hope for the movement.This episode is a part of Slate's Who Counts initiative. In the run-up to the 2020 election, Slate will be investigating who counts in the voting booth, who counts as an American, whose money counts in the democratic process, and whose doesn't. And we need your help. Your support will let us assign more stories, travel to overlooked places, commission special podcast projects, and pay for reporting we otherwise would not be able to do. To learn more about this project and how to support our work, please go to slate.com/whocounts.Guest: Wade Henderson, former head of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human RightsPodcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A growing contingent of Amazon employees has been pushing the company to be a leader in the fight against climate change. Recently, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos promised to reduce carbon emissions and add thousands of electric trucks to the company's fleet. Activist employees hope that's just a beginning. Guest: Louise Matsakis, staff writer for Wired.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Time Magazine released photos of a 29-year-old Justin Trudeau in blackface. In the days following, the Canadian Prime Minister admitted to two more instances of using blackface. The Canadian election is a month away. How will Trudeau's latest scandal effect it?Guest: Jesse Brown, host of Canadaland podcast.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt and Mara SilversSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a fight brewing between four auto makers and the Trump administration. This fight is largely about environmental regulations -- but it's also about what kind of governance is required to have a thriving national economy. And the U.S. might be losing its edge.  Guest: Tim Puko, reporter covering energy policy for the Wall Street Journal. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, Representative Joaquin Castro tweeted out a list of Trump donors living in his district in San Antonio. Actress Debra Messing asked for an attendance list at a Trump fundraiser in Beverly Hills. Both efforts were likened to doxxing or blacklisting. Should political donors be named if they might also be targeted?Guest: Dahlia Lithwick, legal correspondent and host of the Amicus podcast. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Danielle Hewitt.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would it look like if the U.S. Senate ditched its filibuster rule, allowing legislation to pass with just a simple majority? Guest: Slate staff writer Jim Newell.Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How has Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador changed his country's approach to migrants heading north? Guest: León Krauze, Slate columnist, Trumpcast co-host, and Univision news anchor.This episode originally aired in April 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in March, Rep. Ilhan Omar spoke passionately about pro-Israel political forces that “push for allegiance to a foreign country.” She later apologized for unwittingly deploying an anti-Semitic trope. Why were Omar's words so triggering? And is she making a fair point? Guest: Slate economics & policy writer Jordan Weissmann. This episode originally aired in March 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Grabar explains why the global market for your trash collapsed, and how American recyclers are course-correcting.Guest: Meleesa Johnson, president of the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin.This show originally aired in April 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some of your favorite presidents have tried to pack the Supreme Court. So why does it sound like such an extreme tactic? And how did some of the top Democrats running for president come to embrace it?Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate's legal correspondent. This episode originally aired in March 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Biden might be the favorite to defeat President Trump, but that doesn't mean Biden would defeat Trumpism. Guest: Jamelle Bouie, New York Times Columnist.This episode was first posted on March 12, 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the absence of new federal laws to address mass shootings, school safety has become a design problem. Guest host Henry Grabar asks: How are architects responding to an era of active shooter drills and bulletproof backpacks? Guest: Jenine Kotob, architectural designer at Hord Coplan Macht. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1993, a mass shooting in downtown San Francisco prompted a familiar debate about restricting access to guns and assault weapons. But something unusual happened. Two major gun control bills passed Congress and were signed into law. How did it happen?Guest: Harry Cheadle, senior editor at Vice. Read his piece on the 101 California Street shooting. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I'm 10-15.” That's the border patrol code for “alien in custody.” It's also the name of a secret Facebook group where a number of Customs and Border Protection agents posted racist and sexist memes. What about this agency allows such rampant misconduct?Guest: A.C. Thompson, reporter at ProPublica. Read his story on the secret Border Patrol Facebook group.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deutsche Bank was the one lender that couldn't quit Donald Trump. Now the bank holds the key to understanding President Trump's finances.Guest: David Enrich, finance editor for the New York Times. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, an appellate court in New Orleans heard oral arguments on the constitutionality of the ACA. The argument? That Obamacare is more coercive without a tax penalty. This position - one that has lawyers on both sides of the isle scratching their heads - may end up at the Supreme Court. Could this bad legal argument spell the end of the line for Obamacare?Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is there something fishy about the way Hunter Biden made money while his father was serving as vice president? One reporter looked into it. But he didn't find corruption. He found something far more complicated -- and commonplace. Guest: Adam Entous, staff writer for the New Yorker. Read his piece on Hunter Biden. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the weekend, multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein was arrested on charges of sex trafficking. But back in 2003, journalist Vicky Ward had the inside scoop on Epstein: She interviewed two of his victims and wrote up the story for Vanity Fair. And then, her editor spiked the allegations from the story. This is the story of how Epstein used his connections to evade scrutiny... again and again. Guest: Journalist Vicky Ward. Her latest book is Kushner, Inc. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At a prison in southern Mississippi, guards can't do basic population counts. They can't keep cellphones, drugs, and weapons out of the building. They are at the mercy of gang leaders to control the inmates. Is this just what happens when you try to do corrections on the cheap? Guests: Joseph Neff and Alysia Santo, staff writers for the Marshall Project. Read their story on Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For a long time, Brandon Flood kept his criminal history quiet - he worked in the Pennsylvania state government, and didn't want his former convictions to detract from his career success. But now, that history makes him uniquely suited for his new job as secretary of the state's Board of Pardons. How did he go from submitting his own pardon application - to one year later, leading the body that helps make those clemency decisions? This episode was originally posted in April. Guest: Brandon Flood, Secretary of the Pennsylvania state Board of Pardons.  Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the Women's World Cup this year, the U.S. players talk about living in a “bubble” -- thinking of nothing but the game, eschewing any distractions. What looms outside that bubble is their lawsuit against their federation for gender discrimination, and it's already shading the reactions to their games. Guest: Nancy Armour, sports columnist for USA TODAY. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Democrats try to find an economic message that can win in 2020, a group of like-minded millionaires is making the rounds, telling any politicians who will listen, “We want to pay more in taxes.” Why, though?Guest: Morris Pearl, chair of Patriotic Millionaires. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Notre Dame basketball coach Muffet McGraw wasn't planning on making a speech about feminism and gender equality. But at a press conference before the Final Four tournament, that's just what she did, launching into a screed about the dearth of women in government, politics, corporate C-suites, and sports. “We don't have enough female role models,” McGraw said. “Men run the world!” The viral moment was a lifetime in the making. Guest: Muffet McGraw, head coach of the Notre Dame women's basketball team. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller breaks his silence to reiterate the conclusions of his investigation's report -- and remind the American people to read it. Guest: Slate's Dahlia Lithwick, host of the Amicus podcast. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.