Episode 129: the White House Correspondents' Dinner, the Golden State Killer, and Remembering the Holocaust

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the Golden State Killer, and the news that Americans are forgetting the Holocaust. 

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

At this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, comedian Michelle Wolf caused controversy. You can watch Wolf’s full performance here. Niki referenced Megan Garber’s Atlantic article, “The Slow, Awkward Death of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.” Natalia cited this Columbia Journalism Review article noting that some members of the WHCA are opting to bring journalism students rather than celebrities to the event. The Golden State Killer, who claimed fifty victims in the 1970s and 80s, has been apprehended thanks to DNA evidence. Neil recommended Sarah Zhang’s Atlantic article explaining how police investigators used genealogy websites to find the killer. (We discussed genetic testing websites on Episode 90.) Niki referred to Michelle McNamara’s posthumously published I’ll Be Gone in the Dark that helped solve the crime, and Neil referenced McNamara’s Los Angeles magazine article about how the serial killer terrorized California. Natalia recommended the Atlanta Monster podcast that chronicles a serial killer who victimized that city. A troubling report suggests Americans are decreasingly aware of the scale of the Holocaust. Natalia discussed Rebecca Onion’s Slate article historicizing this apparent illiteracy. Niki cited this Atlantic article considering Poland’s relationship to its role in the Holocaust along with Timothy Snyder’s Bloodlands and Jan Gross’ Neighbors.

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

Neil shared Dana Goldstein’s New York Times article, “Teacher Pay is So Low in Some U.S. School Districts That They Are Recruiting Overseas.” Natalia discussed Kyle Swenson’s Washington Post article, “Harold Bornstein: Exiled from Trumpland, Doctor Now ‘Frightened and Sad’.” Niki discussed Pamela Burger’s JSTOR Daily article, “The Bloody History of the True Crime Genre.”