Now We Can Call It a Quagmire

Now We Can Call It a Quagmire

July 23, 2026 · 49 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the resurgence of the war in Iran, the challenges facing the new U.K. Prime Minister, and the implications of DOJ subpoenas on journalism.

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why the war in Iran has flared back up despite the increasing likelihood of political consequences for Trump and his allies, the promises and perils for the U.K.'s newest Prime Minister Andy Burnham with guest Adrian Wooldridge , and the chilling effect of the DOJ's subpoenas of journalists for their reporting on Trump's Qatari Air Force One. Here are this week’s chatters:   Emily: The Emilys: A Novel by Heather Abel   John: Kiuko Notoya and Francesca Regalado for The New York Times: It’s So Hot That Japan Needs a New Word for It ; Miriam Waldvogel for The Washington Post: Bam! See these killer whales explode fish into pieces.   David: Heavy Metal Parking Lot ; Tom Cole for NPR: 30 Years Of 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot,' The Classic 'Cult Classic' Film   Listener chatter from Phoebe Saltzstein in Albuquerque, New Mexico: Ray Delahanty | CityNerd on YouTube   For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss whether Trump and his Republican allies will break the Smithsonian after a White House report accused the head of the Museum of American History of pushing "radical…

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