The Slatest for Sept. 27: What We’re Watching For at Tonight’s GOP Debate

Another Republican primary debate, you might be thinking, really? How much longer can this go on!? Don’t despair! There are some potentially interesting things we’ll be looking out for tonight. Trump is still beating everyone by a mile—but there’s been some notable movement within the second tier, and this debate is a chance for one of the candidates to solidify themselves as the top alternative to the former president. Jim Newell examines the state of play heading into the evening.

Plus, Jill Filipovic asks: Who exactly is Nikki Haley for?

The DOJ wants the judge overseeing Trump’s 2020 election interference case to issue a gag order on the former president. Robert Katzberg breaks down one way she could make it work.

A seismic change is coming to American transportation: electric vehicle charging stations are about to expand rapidly. Andrew Moseman has some bad news for gas stations.

Plus: ICYMI, Nitish Pahwa looks at what an EV future means for organized labor.

One of the longest strikes in Writers Guild history has come to an end. What happens now? Mary Harris spoke to New Yorker staff writer Michael Schulman, who has been covering the strike, about where Hollywood goes from here.

… about Supreme Court ethics rules, at least. “At the end of the day, no compilation of ethical rules can guarantee integrity,” the chief justice said. Yep!

Steven Lubet takes stock of why the court can and will not be bound by an ethics code, and why we should focus our attention elsewhere.

The memes about Taylor Swift’s new rumored relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are fun and all—but the gender essentialism is a bit much. “Though we can take jokes about a Swift/Kelce romance uniting women and the men in their lives lightly, as they’re intended, it’s also hard to ignore the darkness lurking around these jests,” Heather Schwedel writes. She reflects on those undercurrents, and raises a few things to keep in mind.

Kari Lake is on her third lawsuit related to the Arizona election she disputes. And there’s more! As Lake is reportedly poised to launch a Senate run next month, Shirin Ali takes a look at what she’s been up to since she lost the race for governor (and pretended she didn’t).

… when Trump suggests the nation’s top general should be, uh, executed. It just seems … par for the course at this point, you know? OK, yeah, you’re right—this is really not normal.

Thanks so much for reading! Make sure to check out our debate coverage tonight, and we’ll see you back in your inbox tomorrow.