Slate Daily Feed

Wednesday on The Gist, John Pfaff refuted the conventional wisdom about mass incarceration. Thursday, Pfaff explains some of the obstacles to reform. Pfaff’s book is Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration—and How to Achieve Real Reform. In the Spiel, a loyally honest review of James Comey’s testimony. 

Live from Denver Emily Bazelon, David Plotz and the Washington Post's Ruth Marcus discuss the Comey testimony, the legal debate about cell phone data privacy and welcome Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to the mic to weigh in about the state of the Democratic Party.Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at www.slate.com/gabfestplus.Twitter: @SlateGabfestFacebook: facebook.com/GabfestEmail: gabfest@slate.comShow notes at slate.com/gabfest

Rebecca Lavoie, Gabriel Roth, and Carvell Wallace return to a poorly-answered listener question about empathy with UCLA post-doctoral researcher Nicole McDonald. Plus recommendations, divorcing uncles, and Triumphs and Fails. Today’s episode is brought to you by Little Passports. Check out Science Expeditions, the new educational subscription with themes like Rockets and Solar Power that kids and parents love. Learn more at Little Passports dot com slash MOMANDDAD, where listeners can save 40% off their first month with coupon code MOMANDDAD.And by ZipRecruiter. Post your job listing to all the top job sites with a single click. Try it for free by going to ZipRecruiter.com/First

Chris Berube with the rundown: New Hampshire considers the first Trump-era voter ID law; Should SXSW leave Texas to protest regressive laws?; What do you call man-spreading in Spanish? 

George Saunders is a short story writer and essayist who has just written his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. He sits down with Isaac Chotiner to discuss what he learned while researching Abraham Lincoln, why spending time with Trump supporters is important for progressive writers, and the necessity of art in a society under siege.

Virginia Heffernan talks to Maggie Haberman of The New York Times about who's being groomed for greatness in the Trump family and how they are or are not dealing with different conflicts of interest.

John Pfaff is on a mission to topple the well-worn myths of the U.S. prison population boom. He says the data tells us to focus on the district attorneys, not the Department of Justice. Pfaff teaches at Fordham University School of Law and is the author of Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform. This is Part I of our interview with Pfaff -- listen tomorrow for Part II.In the Spiel, how are YOU celebrating Infrastructure Week?

Chris Berube with the rundown: three stories where politics and sports intersect. 

Stephen Metcalf, Julia Turner, and Dana Stevens are live from Sydney with performances and a discussion with Courtney Barnett, plus Wonder Woman and cultural stereotyping with  Michael Williams, director of The Wheeler Centre. Culture Gabfest is brought to you by Boll and Branch. Right now, get 50 dollars off your first set of sheets plus free shipping by going to BollandBranch.com and using promo code culture.And by I’M DYING UP HERE on Showtime, the new drama series from Jim Carrey that centers around a group of young comedians hoping to make it big in the 1970s L.A. comedy scene. Don’t miss new episodes Sundays at 10 / 9 Central only on SHOWTIME. Download the SHOWTIME App now to start your free trial.And by Harry's. Harry’s is all about a great shave at a fair price. With 5 German-crafted blades, a flex-hinge, and a lubricating strip, they make the perfect Father’s Day gift. Go to Harrys.com/CULTURE right now to get $5 off one of their Shave Sets. 

There’s almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, soy milk, hazelnut milk, oat milk, and milk made from anything that grows, pretty much. But is any of it actually milk? And is it actually healthier than dairy? Our debunker-in-chief, Maria Konnikova, investigates the lofty claims of nondairy milks. Konnikova is a contributor to the New Yorker, and the author of The Confidence Game. Her new podcast is called the Grift. In today’s Spiel, the White House’s long con on infrastructure. 

Virginia Heffernan talks to Steve Vladek, a professor of law at the University of Texas, about Reality Leigh Winner and what might be the most normal national security story in the history of the Trump administration. Plus, stick around for a chat with The Guardian's Jonathan Freedland about Trump's exchange of words with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and why the rest of the world is treading softly around our President.

Prudie’s brother-in-law Zack Turner joins to advise on your family, workplace and relationship dilemmas! First up: How can I get my mom to stop shaming me for gaining weight my first year at college? Then: my introvert boyfriend refuses to socialize with my friends. My former boss resents me for taking over her old position. Should I say something to a slovenly employee whose bad hygiene is making everyone sick? Can I accept a promotion while training to work in an entirely different in my free time? I’m a full-time retail employee with benefits, but my family keeps asking when I’ll get a “real job.” Help! Hear more Prudence by joining Slate Plus: Slate.com/Prudiepod.

Chris Berube with the rundown: The statistics about terrorism deaths in America; Cuts kill investigations into The Troubles; Terry Gilliam finally completes Don Quixote, we still may never see it.

In this preview of the second episode of Slate's Conspiracy Thrillers Movie Club, Sam Adams and the Washington Post’s Alyssa Rosenberg discuss the portrayals of journalism and Washington in All the President’s Men, the ultimate based-on-a-true-story political thriller on Watergate and the fall of Nixon. They also chat about how the film compares to its satirical sibling, Dick.To listen to the full episode and find more information on the Conspiracy Thrillers Movie Club, visit slate.com/thrillers

People tell Google things they wouldn’t say to anyone else. That’s the big insight that motivated the research of Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. His book, Everybody Lies, is about the stories and secrets he uncovered by digging into internet search data.In the Spiel, the best jokes that Mike made on vacation.