Episode 188: Women's World Cup, Ross Perot, and Jeffrey Epstein

Past Present

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the Women’s World Cup, the life and legacy of Ross Perot, and the case against Jeffrey Epstein.

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

• Women’s soccer is getting more attention than ever in the United States, thanks in part to star player Megan Rapinoe. Niki referred to Lindsay Parks Pieper and Tate Royer’s Washington Post article about the fight for pay equity waged by women’s soccer players, and to Lindsay Krasnoff’s comparison, also in the Washington Post, to the history of women’s soccer in France. Natalia recommended philosopher Alison Reiheld’s essay “Megan Rapinoe and Joy in the Bodies We Have” at the blog of the International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics.
• Political upstart Ross Perot died this month. Neil referred to articles like this that reevaluate Perot in the context of Trump.
• New York financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is once again under scrutiny for his predation on young girls. Niki and Neil referred to this Atlantic article about the corruption of the world Epstein inhabits. Niki referred to the “Believed” podcast about sexual predator Larry Nasser. Neil commented on journalist Vicky Ward’s Vanity Fair article about Epstein and Natalia recommended Miami Herald journalist Julie K. Brown’s coverage of the case.

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

• Natalia recommended Adam Harris’ Atlantic article, “Many College Students Are Too Poor to Eat.”
• Neil shared Ruth Graham’s Slate article, “I Did Not Die. I Did Not Go to Heaven.”
• Niki discussed Sarah Jaffe’s Slate article, “Judge Judy’s Lifetime Achievement is Teaching Us to Laugh at the Less Fortunate” along with Josh Levin’s book, The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth and Mac Schneider’s Vox article, “The Truth Behind the TV Show COPS.”