The Gabfest Ledger

Special Anniversary Issue

Twenty Years of After-Hours Civics

A weekly argument that refuses to become a performance. Three voices, one microphone, and a habit of taking the news seriously without taking themselves too seriously.

Not certainty. Not vibes. Reasons—plus the humility to revise them.

Dateline

Washington, D.C. • Founded 2005 • Volume XX • Late Edition

On-air energy

Editor’s Note

Editor’s Note

This is an unofficial homage to a show that’s been doing something rare for two decades: slowing down long enough to think in public. The Gabfest doesn’t just react to the week—it interrogates it. What’s the system? Where’s the incentive? What would we need to see to change our minds?

This “issue” is built like a modern paper: a front page, three profiles, and a few small features that reward attention. No affiliation. No endorsements. Just admiration—with footnotes.

— A listener with a builder’s itch

Recurring Rhythms

Mood, not canon. Familiar beats that keep the show human.

Wins & FailsListener MailThe Real StoryInstitutional MemoryLegal RealityThe Joke, Then the Point

Micro ticker

Late-night civics • Editorial laughter • Sharp questionsLate-night civics • Editorial laughter • Sharp questions

The Record

Timeline

A few verified milestones, plus episode-number landmarks computed from the public feed—so nothing here is guesswork.

Episode 250 Slate: Live from New York, The Can We Get In on That IPO Gabfest · May 18, 2012Episode 500 The "Meet the New Trump" Edition · Aug 25, 2016Episode 750 Neutral Laws of General Applicability · Dec 3, 2020Episode 1000 Is The Blue Wall Cracking? · Oct 10, 2024Episode 250 Slate: Live from New York, The Can We Get In on That IPO Gabfest · May 18, 2012Episode 500 The "Meet the New Trump" Edition · Aug 25, 2016Episode 750 Neutral Laws of General Applicability · Dec 3, 2020Episode 1000 Is The Blue Wall Cracking? · Oct 10, 2024

Bylines

Tap a byline to unfold the profile spread

The career beats, the style of thinking, the habits that make the conversation work.