Cap Times Idea Fest logo

The Contrarians

Tuesday, Sept. 9th, 6:00 PM

In the wake of Donald Trump’s 2024 victory, longtime Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin left the Post in protest of what she and many others saw as owner Jeff Bezos’ appeasement of Trump. Rubin and former White House ethics czar Norman Eisen co-founded The Contrarian, a news and commentary site on Substack that is “unflinching, unapologetic, and unwavering in its commitment to truth-telling.” They will speak with David Maraniss, another Post alum, about their journey so far.

Panelists: Norman Eisen and Jennifer Rubin
Moderator: David Maraniss
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: Celebration of Journalism, 5-Day Pass or Tuesday Admission

 

Other Sessions

A singular moment: How the world can and should change in the age of artificial intelligence

Monday, Sept. 8th, 1:00 PM
Alta Charo, Alondra Nelson, Dietram Scheufele, Annette Zimmerman
Changes driven by the arrival of powerful artificial intelligence tools are already noticeable, but many commentators say the rise of AI will be among the most profound changes in the history of humanity. An outstanding panel of experts discusses changes we are likely to see on the horizon and how we should respond to them.
Click to expand+

Trump, Gerrymandering and the Rule of Law

Monday, Sept. 8th, 6:00 PM
Jeff Mandell, Kate Shaw
Kate Shaw is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and one of three co-hosts of the podcast “Strict Scrutiny,” which focuses on the U.S. Supreme Court. She, along with Wisconsin attorney Jeff Mandell, will speak with Cap Times associate editor John Nichols about gerrymandering, voting rights and how courts are responding to the Trump administration’s attempts to dramatically expand executive power.
Click to expand+

One-on-One with Maureen Dowd

Monday, Sept. 8th, 7:30 PM
Maureen Dowd
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd has been one of the country’s foremost commentators on presidential politics for three decades, winning the Pulitzer Prize for her work in 1999. She will speak with author David Maraniss, formerly of the Washington Post (and also a Pulitzer winner) about the state of Washington under Donald Trump.
Click to expand+