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Ron Chernow is the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, and author of Alexander Hamilton and Grant. He sits down with Isaac Chotiner to discuss why Ulysses S. Grant was an important figure in civil rights history, why Robert E. Lee’s extremism has been papered over, and what it was like to watch his Alexander Hamilton biography became a musical smash.

Birgitta Jónsdóttir has an unusual background for a politician: she’s a poet and a free speech activist. Since 2013, she’s been a member of the Icelandic parliament representing the anti-establishment Pirate Party. Jónsdóttir talks to Mike about what it’s like to work within a fledgling political party and why she’s disappointed with what Wikileaks has become.In the Spiel, how not to respond to a terrorist attack. 

Josh Voorhees unpacks Donald Trump’s response to the NYC terror attack, details the latest allegations of sexual misconduct in Hollywood, and marks an important day for Obamacare. 

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss the Joan Didion documentary The Center Will Not Hold, the return of Will & Grace with Daniel Schroeder, and what to make of the continued sexual harassment and abuse allegations toppling men in power. 

Was Dr. Seuss racist? Or did his books just not age well? And what is the appropriate response to a canonical work that seems to be littered with racially charged depictions? Philip Nel takes on all these questions and poses some more of his own in his latest book, Was the Cat in the Hat Black?In the Spiel, what if the office of the presidency were leveraged for the sake of constant distraction? We are finding out. 

Josh King jumps in for a weekday show to chat about the Frontline documentary, Putin's Revenge, with its producer-reporter, Jim Gilmore. Does Boris Yeltsin regret handing over the reins to Vladamir Putin? Why does Putin have it out for America? All that and more on today's show.Catch Part 2 of Putin's Revenge at 10/9C on PBS.

Katy Waldman, Meghan O'Roark, and Emily Bazelon discuss Hilary Clinton's memoir, What Happened. Next month's book will be Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan. 

Writer Rachael Herron joins Prudence to tackle a bundle of tricky letters! First up: Should I have said something to the men making sexist comments within earshot of my wife? My friend ignored my warnings about her terrible ex – now she says I abandoned her after their breakup. Help! How do I politely refuse donations from sources that my workplace is morally opposed to? How can I get my superiors to stop asking me for free work? Hear more Prudence by joining Slate Plus: Slate.com/Prudiepod.

Josh Voorhees looks for clues for the next big break in Robert Mueller’s investigation, and tells you about John Kelly’s dubious retelling of Civil War history.

It's time to permanently shelve the Elements of Style.Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/podcastsplus. Twitter: @lexiconvalleyFacebook: facebook.com/LexiconValleyEmail: lexiconvalley@slate.com

This is a free preview of Reconstruction, a Slate Academy. Learn more at Slate.com/Reconstruction.Episode 1: Experiments in Land-owning: Davis Bend and Cameron PlaceSome freedpeople ended up owning parcels of the land they had worked when enslaved. Some formed intentional communities to farm it. By the end of Reconstruction, most of them had no land to their names.Amy Murrell Taylor is the author of The Divided Family in Civil War America.

Virginia Heffernan chats with former DoJ flack & current MSNBC Justice and Security Analyst, Matthew Miller, about the guilty plea of George Papadopoulos & why it was released after the Manafort-Gates indictments.Stick around after Virginia & Matt's chat for a conversation between Jacob Weisberg & Lawfare's Benjamin Wittes.

Can you be scared to death? Can your hair go white from fear? This sounds like a job for “Is That Bullshit?” with Maria Konnikova, our favorite BS detector. Konnikova writes for the New Yorker and is the author of The Confidence Game. In the Spiel, the never-ending baseball game and a bothersome T-Mobile ad. 

Josh Levin is joined by Ben Lindbergh to discuss the World Series; by Don Van Natta Jr. and Jeremy Stahl to talk about behind-the-scenes machinations in the NFL; and by Alexandra Starr and Christina Cauterucci to examine sexual abuse in sports.World Series (1:39): The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh comes on the show for a conversation about the Astros’ 13-12 win over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series, as well as Yuli Gurriel’s racist gesture and Major League Baseball’s decision not to suspend him until 2018.NFL (22:31): Slate’s Jeremy Stahl and Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN discuss their reporting on meeting between the league’s players and owners, as well as Colin Kaepernick’s lack of a role in those conversations.Sexual abuse in sports (41:45): Alexandra Starr and Christina Cauterucci join to talk about Starr’s Harper’s story about sexual abuse scandals in gymnastics, swimming, and other sports, and a new organization that’s trying to fix the scourge of abuse.Afterball (1:01:36):

Josh Voorhees tells you what you need to know about the two major developments in Robert Mueller’s Russia investigations.