# Nevertheless, Xi Persisted

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/political-gabfest-500617/nevertheless-xi-persisted
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/political-gabfest-500617/nevertheless-xi-persisted.md
Podcast: [Political Gabfest](https://stenobird.com/podcast/political-gabfest-500617)
Published: 2026-05-14T21:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/political-gabfest/episodes/nevertheless-xi-persisted
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/696568de9ab39048a63ed7f7/e/6a061007a8fad4c1bec37547/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/political-gabfest-500617/episodes/nevertheless-xi-persisted
Duration seconds: 3406

## Resource

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the geopolitical dynamics and possible outcomes of the Trump-Xi summit with former New York Times Beijing Bureau Chief  and host of Face-Off: the US vs. China , Jane Perlez , whether or not the United States has essentially lost the war it started in Iran, and how badly the latest round of gerrymandering will hurt the Democrats and America as a whole in the upcoming midterms and beyond.   For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss who actually benefits from this week's resignation of FDA chief Marty Makary amid overlapping pressure campaigns from the tobacco industry and anti-abortion groups.   In the latest Gabfest Reads , Emily Bazelon talks with journalist Mark Oppenheimer about his new book, Judy Blume: A Life . Oppenheimer, who spent years with Blume’s papers at Yale and conducted extensive interviews with the author herself, traces how a restless housewife in New Jersey became one of the most beloved—and most banned—writers in American history.   Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)   Podcast production by Nina Porzucki   Research by Emily Ditto You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here .   Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify . Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen.   Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Cr…

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## Transcript

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