On The Glenn Show, John explains to Glenn why he objects to the recent firing of Naomi Schaefer Riley from The Chronicle of Higher Education after she wrote a piece attacking black studies. Glenn argues that Riley’s piece was offensive and wrong. John recalls his own critical assessment of the field, and he and Glenn discuss what black studies should be. They disagree about the state of Harvard’s influential black studies department. Glenn worries that black academics are held to a lower standard, a theme John discussed in his 2000 book Losing the Race. Glenn and John agree that black studies needs to adopt a more global approach.

In the wake of Facebook’s public offering, Walter and Derek talk about startups. Is overinvestment in social media harming potentially more fruitful endeavors? They lay out what government must do to foster innovation. Derek makes the case that, despite high costs, a college education is still worth it. Walter and Derek discuss the pros and cons of “crowdfunding,” where a new company raises money through many small investors. Finally, they try to figure out why Facebook’s stock didn’t pop.

Guest-hosting on The Posner Show, Sarah talks to Marc about the controversy over whether the 2012 Olympics should memorialize the Israeli athletes murdered forty years ago in Munich. Is anything involving Israel inevitably political? Marc and Sarah move on to the recurring question of whether Benjamin Netanyahu is committed to peace. Is this the year when the two-state solution will die? What, if anything, should liberal American Jews do about Israel? They close by analyzing the constant hand-wringing over the Jewish vote.

On Fireside Chats, Mark and Jamelle talk about Jamelle’s American Prospect cover story arguing that Mitt Romney would be a very conservative president. But would the GOP really push the button on radical spending cuts? Jamelle thinks Romney should back off his recent rhetorical embrace of Bill Clinton. Mark and Jamelle are skeptical of a Romney adviser’s argument that states should compete like corporations to provide the best services.  The two discuss the implications of a new super PAC plan that describes Obama as a “black, metrosexual Abraham Lincoln.” Finally, they talk about the demise of Americans Elect, which tried to use the Internet to recruit a third-party presidential candidate.

On Foreign Entanglements, Hussein offers his take on the Egyptian presidential election and predicts that Egypt’s voters will opt for a balance between the presidency and parliament. Is presidential candidate Aboul Fatouh an Islamist that liberals can love? Turning to Israel, Matt and Hussein try to figure out why Kadima’s Mofaz joined Netanyahu’s government only days after calling Bibi a liar. An American congressman has urged Israel to annex the West Bank—is this at all realistic? Matt argues that Israel’s Gaza closure has strengthened Hamas. Finally, will the Arab Spring help or hurt Hamas?

On The Glenn Show, Glenn and Ann discuss the politics of President Obama’s recent endorsement of gay marriage. The two professors, both of whom have gay sons, defend the religious opponents of gay marriage against the charge of “bigotry.” They argue that religion can be a force for positive social change, such as during the civil rights movement. Ann laments that politicians so often feel they must demonize their opponents, and Glenn defends Mitt Romney’s background in private equity. Ann and Glenn compare the Occupy movement with the Tea Party and find the former lacking. Finally, they celebrate “the leisure of the theory class” and compare their different approaches to vacationing.

On The DMZ: Did Sarah Palin get underdog Deb Fischer the Senate nomination from Nebraska? And is Palin favoring gender over ideology? Should the GOP change itself to appeal to women and minority voters? Plus, is Ross Douthat right about the danger of politics becoming religion?

Conor and James kick things off by musing on what the most radical social experiment in American history might be (hint: it’s not same-sex marriage). James argues that Europe is suffering from a crisis of political leadership and legitimacy, and that countries like Greece have been subsidizing their nationalism. Are idiosyncratic customs like the Spanish siesta doomed? James explains that being a parent is very different than he expected. Will we ever arrive at a science of raising children? Conor argues, contra Tom Friedman, that advertising makes America a more egalitarian country than it would otherwise be. And James explains how to go about being a rock star.

On The Posner Show, Sarah speaks with Sarah Pulliam Bailey about Mitt Romney’s commencement speech at Liberty University and how evangelicals are dealing with Romney’s Mormonism. How much will President Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage impact white evangelical turnout, or black or Latino enthusiasm? They also dissect the theology of Obama’s new support for same-sex marriage, the reactions of his spiritual advisors, and whether his new position will hurt him with “new” evangelicals who say they care about more issues than just the culture wars. Are “anti-gay rights” and “anti-gay” the same thing? Plus: The generational divide over same-sex marriage—will megachurches start to lose members?