Daily news updates from across the Slate Podcast network.
Slate Money | The Consequences of Getting on Europe’s Bad Side
This week: The US is weakening ties with its biggest ally while embracing an old enemy. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain how the Trump administration’s antagonization of Europe – and further alignment with Russia – could mean major economic blowback if it goes far enough. Then, rumor has it that Intel is looking to sell parts of its business off to foreign firms Broadcom and TSMC, possibly with Trump's blessing. The hosts explore the likelihood of the deal happening and the
Amicus | Long Live The King?
President Donald J Trump’s administration has been invoking a conservative legal theory as justification for his claim to possess king-like presidential powers. This new supercharged version of the “unitary executive theory” may just be extreme enough to stick in the craw of some conservative judges, but will it find a warm welcome when it inevitably lands at the Supreme Court, and should we brace for the overturning of 90 years of precedent in the form of Humphrey’s Executor? Dahlia Lithwick’s
What Next TBD | Elon's Endgame
As someone whose companies receive billions of dollars from the government, it’s worth asking why Elon Musk is so zealous about cutting government spending. Guest: Max Chafkin, features editor and tech reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek and cohost of the Elon, Inc podcast.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show pa
Political Gabfest | The “Justice Department is Dire“
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the apparent corrupt bargain involving NYC mayor Eric Adams and the bonfire of Justice Department resignations; what could possibly go wrong when Musk and DOGE access the IRS and Social Security; and talk to Marc Dunkelman about his new book Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress – and How to Bring it Back. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss whether the human body could endure a voyage to Mars
What Next | Why This Trump Nominee Has Union Support
Trump's pick for labor secretary, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, is an outlier: She has experience in federal government, where she was one of three House Republicans to support the “Protecting the Right to Organize Act” to expand employees’ rights to organize and collectively bargain and she was accompanied by the head of the Teamsters when she went to visit Mar A Lago after the election.What did her hearing tell us about how she would approach being labor secretary—while working in an administration tha
What Next | A Measles Outbreak and Wake-Up Call
When enough people opt out of routine vaccinations for their children, diseases that have been all but eliminated can come roaring back, as is the case with a growing measles outbreak in West Texas. Guest: Dr. Adam Ratner, pediatrician of infectious disease in New York City and author of Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles and the Uncertain Future of Children’s Health.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podca
Slate Money | Money Talks: The Disappearing Databases
In this Money Talks: Lizzie O’Leary, host of What Next: TBD, joins Felix Salmon to discuss her article on why government databases are crucial to our economy, and why it’s so worrisome that this kind of public data is being removed by the Trump administration.Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show pag
What Next | How Eric Adams Got His Charges Dropped
The Justice Department ordered New York federal prosecutors to drop charges against Eric Adams, claiming his indictment was preventing him from aiding in Trump’s immigration crackdown. The move has prompted multiple high level Justice Department officials to resign, and raised concerns of a quid pro quo. Guest: Jay Willis, Editor-in-Chief of Balls & Strikes.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscri
Culture Gabfest: The SNL 50th Anniversary Industrial Complex
On this week’s show, the hosts reflect on 50 years of music, culture, and comedy with the 50th anniversary of SNL and QuestLove’s new documentary Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music. For that, the team is joined by Jason Zinoman, critic at large for culture at The New York Times. Then they discuss the Oscar-nominated animated film Flow – where we follow the adventures of an unlikely group of animals led by a curious black cat.Finally, Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe joins to talk about Ke
What Next TBD | Can You Pay Attention, Please?
The infinite scroll has no purpose other than keeping your attention. But that doesn’t mean it’s value-neutral.Guest: Chris Hayes, MSNBC news anchor and author of “The Siren's Call: How Attention Became The World's Most Endangered Resource.”Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/wha
Slate Money | Is Bribery Back?
This week: Trump has signed an order suspending the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speculate on his motives and on how likely it actually is that this will shield anyone from the FCPA. Then, Elon Musk has taken $80 million that was sent to New York City by FEMA directly out of the city’s account. The hosts discuss the legality and worrisome precedent of the move. Finally, inflation is still a thing. They go over the latest inflati
Amicus | The Gangster Presidency
On Monday, President Trump’s personal lawyer and Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered prosecutors to drop federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Adams had been courting President Trump for weeks, including with a pre-inauguration visit to Mar A Lago, but the shape of the deal struck between the accused Mayor and the incoming administration came into clear view with a flurry of Department of Justice resignations on Thursday. On this week’s episode of Amicus
What Next TBD | Is Elon Actually Trying to Buy OpenAI?
Is Elon Musk’s $97.4 billion offer to buy OpenAI genuine—or an irresistible opportunity to troll Sam Altman?Guest: David A. Fahrenthold, investigative reporter for the New York TimesWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more abo
Political Gabfest | Trump vs. The Judges
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the constitutional crisis developing between President Trump and the courts, the attack on NIH and overhead funding, and political sorting among American workplaces.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss their recent favorite TV shows, focusing on HBO’s Somebody Somewhere and its relevance to contemporary American experiences. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Yael van der Wouden about
What Next | The Award for Messiest Oscar Contender Goes To…
As Donald Trump’s campaign of trans panic and anti-Latin American sentiment buoyed him back to the White House, Emilia Pérez looked like a film to meet the moment. Then audiences started actually seeing it and...yikes.Guest: Michael Schulman, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly
Outward | A Trans Military Member Speaks Out
In this episode, Christina Cauterucci speaks with Sasha Buchert, Counsel and Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project Director at Lambda Legal, and Geirid Morgan, a trans Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, about the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military. Sasha walks us through Lambda Legal’s case challenging the ban and the broader constitutional implications, while Geirid shares her personal experience navigating shifting policies, coming out while in service,
What Next | Trump’s South Africa Fixation
Among his recent executive orders, Donald Trump moved to halt aid to South Africa over a land law and extended political asylum to South Africa’s white Afrikaner population.Where does Trump’s seemingly spotty understanding of South Africa come from? How could having close advisors who grew up in apartheid-era South Africa, like Elon Musk, influence him?Guest: Chris McGreal, writer for The Guardian US who reported from South Africa during the end of apartheid.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus
What Next | The GOP Can't Quit "Stop the Steal"
As Donald Trump has demonstrated, losing an election is no reason to admit you lost an election. In fact, in North Carolina, the Republican challenger, who lost a race for the state’s Supreme Court, is testing a bold new strategy of disqualifying ballots until he gets the result he wants. And if he succeeds, it could start a trend.Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer covering courts and the law. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all you
Hang Up | The Not-So-Super Chiefs
Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh examine how the world-beating Chiefs ran into the brick wall that was the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl. They also speak to journalist and author Julie Kliegman about the Trump administration’s recent executive order aiming to ban trans women from sports. Plus, the panel examines the growing movement across sports to shorten game times.On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel dives into potential bl
What Next | Lessons From Hungary
Donald Trump has a lot of similarities—and something of a bromance—with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. And those who wish to resist Trump’s Orbán-like, right-wing strongman tendencies could learn something from the resistance in Hungary. Guest: Gábor Scheiring, former member of the Hungarian parliament and assistant professor of comparative politics at Georgetown University Qatar.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite
What Next TBD | Why Trump’s Data Purge is a Digital Book Burning
Using Github, you can watch as government websites are brought into compliance with Donald Trump’s executive orders. Out goes the word “equity;” in comes “fair.” And health and science data, once publicly available, disappears.Guest: Jason Koebler, cofounder of 404 Media.Jeremy Prokop, data science advisor in the MidwestWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts
Slate Money | The Trade War That Never Was
This week: Trump almost started a trade war with our nearest neighbors. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain why Trump’s trade war with Canada and Mexico not happening is still newsworthy. Then, Felix breaks down why Trump’s plan for a US sovereign wealth fund makes no sense. And finally, Kalshi seems to have found a loophole by offering event contracts on the Super Bowl even in states where sports betting is illegal. The hosts discuss the distinctions between betting and tradi
How To! | Rebuild Your Life After a Wildfire
Jeff and his family lost their home last month in the L.A. wildfires. Since then, he’s been hyperfocused on insurance claims, an epic to-do list, and finding a “temporary” place to live for the next several years. But Jeff hasn’t experienced the emotional punch of the devastation yet. In fact… he just feels numb. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on Laurel Braitman, author of What Looks Like Bravery: An Epic Journey Through Loss to Love. In a moving (and sometimes funny) convers
Amicus | Trying To Undo A Coup, In The Courts
DOGE is running wild in the District of Columbia. Chaos reigns supreme. Trump 2.0 has been frightening and it’s all been happening so fast. But there are lots of people fighting back, as they try to slow the damage. And the courts are exactly where the pushback has been most fierce. One of the teams of people leading the charge includes former Judge Nancy Gertner, one of the many legal professionals suing the Trump administration. Judge Gertner's case is about the list of rank and file FBI agent
What Next TBD | Is Elon Musk Unstoppable?
You can’t doubt the enthusiasm of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. You can question the legality of some of their early moves. Guest: Makena Kelly, senior writer at WIRED. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast p
Politcal Gabfest | Elon Musk’s DOGE Rampage
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Elon Musk’s speedy assault on federal agencies, talk to guest David Leonhardt about the widening gap between US prosperity and quality of life, and discuss recent aggressive immigration efforts by states.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the New York doctor recently indicted in Louisiana for sending abortion pills there, and the complexities of abortion shield laws. In the latest Gabfest Read
Are Kids Worried About the News?
On this episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah and Zak circle up to talk about parenting in the current moment. The Slate Parenting Facebook group has been talking recently about how to explain current events to kids — even when we wish we were unplugged, and even when we’re scared and uncertain, too. So today? We’ll just talk.And after that discussion, we’ll of course circle up for a round of triumphs and fails.Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell u
What Next | Guantanamo Bay’s Comeback Is a Warning
Last week, Donald Trump announced that Guantanamo Bay would be used to house the “worst criminal illegal aliens” and claimed that it would be drastically scaled up to hold as many as 30,000 people. In addition to its infamous role in the War on Terror, it’s the latest use of Gitmo as an immigration deterrent—and legal grey zone.Guest: Andrea Pitzer, author of One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next
Culture Gabfest: Noah Wyle Lures Us Into The Pitt
On this week’s show, the hosts discuss Max’s new medical drama The Pitt – a show that we legally can’t call an ER reboot but does have Noah Wyle donning scrubs and handling the next bodily emergency yet again. Our regular hosts also discuss an article from the Intelligencer, The Cruel Kids’ Table about how young Republicans now feel empowered to bring cruelty back into public discourse. Finally, we welcome LA Film Critic Amy Nicholson to discuss the Oscar-nominated film September 5 about the hos
What Next | DOGE V. USAID
Why did the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which gives money to humanitarian causes around the world and accounts for roughly half of one percent of the federal budget, end up in DOGE’s crosshairs? And is its abrupt closure legal? Guests: Franco Ordoñez, White House Correspondent for NPR. Fred Kaplan, Slate’s war stories correspondent.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe d
Slate Money | Money Talks: Capitalism Extremists In the Trump 2.0 Era
In this Money Talks: Historian Quinn Slobodian’s 2023 book Crack-Up Capitalism: Market Radicals and the Dream of a World Without Democracy explored the dark reality that many extremists seek a purely capitalist society free of democracy. Now, with the Silicon Valley elite playing such a large role in Trump’s second term, Quinn's work is more relevant than ever. In this episode, Quinn joins Felix Salmon to discuss the relationship between radical tech billionaires and the Trump administration, an
What Next | Are Airplane Crashes Inevitable?
America hadn’t had a major commercial airline crash since 2009 until the mid-air collision over the Potomac. Is this a sign of a larger problem that will require government intervention—and will Congress prioritize safety over convenience for their constituents and themselves? You can read Dan’s 2023 article, “Everyone Seems to Agree a Major Plane Crash is Coming. Why?” on Slate.Guest: Dan Kois, writer at Slate and author of five books.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-fre
Hang Up | Luka’s A Laker
Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh look at the trade heard round the world that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The panel also discusses the sexual misconduct allegations against Ravens’ kicker Justin Tucker, as well as the sports betting scandal in the NBA that now involves Terry Rozier. In the Afterball, Lindsay breaks down the NFL Pro Bowl games played this past weekend.On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts dive into the Ut
What Next | Trump’s Anti-Trans Agenda
Trump and his allies in the House’s flurry of anti-trans legislation and executive orders will soon run into both the law and the reality that our institutions like the military really rely on trans people.Guests:Major Alivia Stehlik, Director of Holistic Health and Fitness for the 101st Airborne Division.Kate Sosin, LGBTQ+ reporter at The 19th.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly f
Culture Gabfest: One of Them Movies About Women That Stuns Hollywood by Being a Hit
On this week’s show, Dan Kois sits in for Dana Stevens. First, the hosts discuss One of Them Days, a new buddy comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA that’s quickly becoming a critical darling — and a box office success. Then, they dive into Asura, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Netflix show that’s about the dynamics between three sisters and is “totally uninterested in the rhythms of a TV show.” Finally, it’s time to explore the “manosphere.” The trio dissected a deftly reported package fro
What Next TBD | The DeepSeek Panic
The artificial intelligence industry was thrown for a loop when the Chinese start-up DeepSeek rolled out a product that was more energy efficient, cheaper to produce, and open source. Where did DeepSeek come from, and are Silicon Valley and Washington right to be panicking? Guest: Zeyi Yang, senior writer at WIRED.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by cl
Slate Money | The Federal Employee ‘Buyout’ Makes No Sense
This week: The Trump administration offered a resignation deal to millions of federal employees. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss why this plan seems like a bad idea – for everyone. Then, Invidia’s stock dropped this week when Deepseek proved AI can be done cheaper. But is this just steam engines and Jevons paradox all over again? Finally, the bookstore is back. The hosts discuss the recent success of Barnes & Noble and why they, and other bookstores, are the unexpected win
Amicus | Trump’s American Takeover
If you’re punch-drunk and disoriented this week, come on in. Donald J Trump’s second administration is materializing at frightening speed and recklessness and it is hard (and stressful) to keep up with it all. Kim Lane Scheppele, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International affairs at Princeton University, explains that the speed and viciousness of the legal orders in Trump 2.0 are evidence that America switched over to the fast track for autocracy on January 20th, 2025.
What Next TBD | RFK Jr. Is a Feature, Not a Bug
Tapped by Trump for the role of health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presents himself as someone willing to say what other politicians won’t. But during his Senate confirmation hearings, both Democrats and Republicans questioned his previous statements about vaccines—and questioned whether he even knows what the job he’s trying to get entails. But his nomination signals that maybe it isn’t about vaccines - it’s about wanting to blow up the whole healthcare establishment. Guest: Dan Diamond, W
Political Gabfest | Elon Musk’s Fork in the Road
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the chaos and coming fight around impoundment of federal grants; the surprise market shakeup around AI and DeepSeek; and talk with Jonathan Rauch about his new book out next week entitled Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy.For this week’s Slate Plus Episode, Emily, John, and David discuss new data from the 2024 NAEP Reading and Mathematics Assessments and the collapse of student test scores in the US. In
What Next | Was Tulsi Gabbard Always Like This?
Tulsi Gabbard’s political career is truly singular: once a young progressive Democrat on the rise, then a gadfly taking surprise meetings with Bashar al-Assad, now she’s Donald Trump’s nominee to head up National Intelligence. Along the way, Gabbard has given almost everyone a reason not to vote for her.Guest: Elaine Godfrey, staff writer covering national politics for The Atlantic.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate
What Next | Trump’s DIY Government Shutdown
Trump’s Office of Management and Budget sent a memo directing federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to … disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,” which threw everything from Meals on Wheels to the rebuilding of a Rhode Island bridge into a state of confusion. What seems clear is that Congress has already stipulated how this money should be spent—and the president doesn’t have the power to change that.For more on the legal mess that’ll follow this news, head over
Amicus | Extra: The Federal Funding Freeze
Amicus is coming to you with an extra episode because of the five-alarm threat to the balance of power in the wake of Monday and Tuesday’s memos from the White House Office of Management and Budget freezing vast tranches of federal funding. As agencies, states, and nonprofits scramble to figure out if they can make payroll or even keep the lights on, a hugely significant legal battle is brewing over what, if any, actual restraint remains on this administration’s vision of presidential power. Dah
What Next | Who Will Mourn DEI?
The Trump administration’s fight against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs is underway, and it’s proving to be even broader and further-reaching than anticipated. What’s at stake for these programs—and why are so many Americans glad to see them go?Guest: Farah Stockman, member of the New York Times Editorial Board, author of American Made: What Happens to People When Work DisappearsWant more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other fa
What Next | Trump’s Gift to Militias
Between Trump’s broad pardon for January 6 rioters and Facebook loosening restrictions on its platforms, it’s looking much easier for militia groups like the Oathkeepers and Proud Boys to recruit members, organize, and carry out violence.Guest: Josh Kaplan, reporter for ProPublica.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, vi
Culture Gabfest: Chalamet Goes Electric
On this week’s show, the hosts dive into A Complete Unknown, director James Mangold’s surprisingly charming Bob Dylan biopic that’s all about fame and what it looks like to be adjacent to it. Then, the three explore Dick Wolf’s latest project: On Call, a half-hour cop procedural set in Long Beach, California that’s streaming on Prime Video. Finally, the trio remembers David Lynch, the iconic, singular filmmaker who passed away last week at the age of 78. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the
What Next TBD | The A.I. Will See You Now
Artificial intelligence is coming to a doctor’s office near you—if it isn’t already there, working in an administrative role. Are you ready for generative A.I. to help your doctor diagnose you? Is your doctor ready to listen—with the necessary mix of humility and skepticism?Guest: Geoffrey Fowler, Washington Post tech columnist.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple
Slate Money | Trump’s TikTok Backtrack
This week: Tiktok gets a stay of execution in America. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speculate on the reasons Trump changed his mind on the TikTok ban and who will ultimately win the jackpot if an American company gets a stake. Then, in a move that’s sketchy at best, Trump launched a memecoin just as he became president again and the cryptobros aren’t happy. Finally, digital shoplifting is a thing. And if you’re a Gen Z or Millennial, you’re probably doing it. In the Slate Plus
Amicus | Trump’s Unconstitutional Rampage Against Immigration
It’s barely been a week and the torrent of horrible coming from the pens and mouth of President Trump is staggering. Many of the executive orders signed this week focus on immigration, and that is where we have our eyes trained as well. This week, to help us make sense of the whirlwind that threatens to upend the lives of millions of people Dahlia Lithwick talks to Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow and former policy director at the American Immigration Council, a pro-immigrant nonprofit aimi
What Next TBD | Department of Government Elon
The Department of Government Efficiency was made to Elon Musk’s specifications, right down to its meme-indebted name. Now that DOGE is shaping up to be an actual part of the government, what can it actually accomplish? And isn’t this all a huge conflict of interest for Elon Musk and his many government contracts?Guest: Teddy Schleifer, New York Times reporter on billionaires.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your fa
Political Gabfest | This Time Trump Knows What He’s Doing
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Trump’s flurry of executive orders on the federal workforce and immigration; the sweeping January 6 pardons; and the overtly symbolic elements of Trump’s second presidential inauguration.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily and David go behind the scenes with John to discuss his new post as co-anchor for the CBS Evening News. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Yael van der Wouden about her novel, Th
We’re Moving Abroad To Escape Trump
On this episode: Dan Kois joins Elizabeth and Zak for a conversation about moving abroad. We got a question recently from a listener who’s moving because of the new president… so while we’ll answer her question about picking up a new language, we’ll also talk about what moving abroad can, and can’t, fix for your family.If you want more tips, be sure to check out this recent episode from our friends at How To! about how to become an expat.Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slat
What Next | How Closed Is the Border?
Donald Trump talked a lot about immigration while on the campaign trail and as his second term begins, he’s getting to work: declaring a national emergency on the border, designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations, and partially suspending asylum and refugee programs.Guests:Jose Olivares, investigative journalist and immigration reporter.Arelis Hernandez, immigration reporter at the Washington Post, based in Texas.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Wh
Outward | Meta’s New Rules: Embracing Homophobic and Transphobic Hate Speech
Host Christina Cauterucci sits down with WIRED senior writer Kate Knibbs to unpack Meta’s alarming internal shifts, including its embrace of right-wing ideologies, the elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, and the policy changes that permit hate speech against gay and trans people. Together, they discuss why these changes are happening, how they align with broader political trends, and what it all signals about the future of tech, media, and LGBTQ+ rights Learn more abo
What Next | Can Trump Actually Do All That?
On the day he was inaugurated, Donald Trump set about signing executive orders on birthright citizenship, the TikTok ban, and withdrawing from various international bodies, treaties and accords. Has he shown up to test out the awesome powers of the executive branch—or was he just showing off for his fans?Guest: Deborah Pearlstein, Director, Program in Law and Public Policy and Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor in Law and Public Affairs at Princeton.Want more What Next? Join Slate Pl
Hang Up | The Buckeyes Are Champs Again
Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs examine college football’s first twelve-team playoff and how Ohio State won it all. The panel then talks about the NFL playoffs with Jayden Daniels’ continued rise and Lamar Jackson’s sad defeat. They also chat about Roki Sasaki’s decision to join the Dodgers, plus an Afterball from Ben on goalie goals!On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts discuss the Biden administration's last-minute guidance on revenu
Slate Money | Money Talks: The Cost of Caring
In this Money Talks: When his intellectually disabled brother-in-law suddenly came under their care, Professor Harold Pollack and his wife found themselves in a financial crisis. This huge life shift prompted him to face down his own lack of financial planning and eventually help demystify the topic for others with his book, The Index Card. In this episode, Harold joins Emily Peck, for whom this topic is also very personal, to discuss the oft ignored financial realities of longterm caregiving. W
How To! | Harness Your Citizen Superpowers
Connie is feeling compelled to get involved in her local community, but she’s never even attended a PTA meeting. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin enlists Eric Liu of Citizen University to explain how busy parents, introverts, and first-timers like Connie can test the waters of civic engagement in the Trump 2.0 era—without getting sucked under. Eric is the author of You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen's Guide to Making Change Happen.If you liked this episode, check out our c
What Next | Hello Trumpworld
As Donald Trump and his coterie return to the White House, everyone seems confident they know what levers to pull to get Trump to do what they want. The only issue, then, is what other members of Trumpworld want. Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilly, senior writer at SlateWant more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnext
Slate Money | Oligarchy in the USA
This week: In his farewell address, President Biden warns of a looming oligarchy in America. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers debate whether Biden is right, or if America is already an oligarchy of sorts. Then, the FDA is suing John Deere. The hosts discuss the idea of “the right to repair” and why our ability to repair the things we buy just isn’t what it used to be. And finally, Nate Anderson has announced that he’s closing Hindenburg. Are activist short sellers a dying breed?In
Amicus | The New Constitutional (dis)Order
Donald Trump becomes president again on Monday, and as Joe Biden leaves the White House, we’re on the brink of a massive change in how the law is interpreted. Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing was one of a host of clues this week that we are in for a wild legal and constitutional ride. On this episode of Amicus, host Dahlia Lithwick is joined by constitutional scholar Professor Pamela Karlan to pick through what we learned this week about what the law is and what it is about to become –– from Jac
TBD | Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta-Morphosis
Misinformation, disinformation, politics—Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg is not going to shield users from those anymore. What’s behind the abrupt change in direction?Guest: Sheera Frenkel, New York Times tech reporterWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever
Political Gabfest | Every Single Trump Pick Will Be Confirmed
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Senate confirmation hearings of Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, including Pete Hegseth and Pam Bondi; the January 6th report of Special Counsel Jack Smith; and the farewell address and lasting legacy of President Joe Biden. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David discuss the politics of the L.A. fires. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with David Greenberg about his new biography, John Lewis: A
What Next | What the Ceasefire Is and Isn’t
After being “close to a deal” for so long, Israel and Gaza have officially reached a second ceasefire agreement. Is this the end of the war? And what does it say about Gaza’s future?Guest: Graeme Wood, staff writer at The Atlantic and lecturer in political science at Yale.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit sl
What Next | Does Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 Report Matter?
How did an investigation into an effort to violently overturn a US presidential election end up coming out as a whimper, well after it could have carried any weight or legal repercussions? Guest: Jay Willis, editor-in-chief at Balls and Strikes. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get ac
What Next | Can Trump End Birthright Citizenship?
How could Donald Trump make good on his vow to end birthright citizenship, currently a constitutional right? It starts with a willing judiciary.Guest: Isabela Dias, immigration reporter for Mother Jones.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production
What Next | Who’s to Blame for the LA Fires?
The fires in Los Angeles may end up being one of—if not the most—expensive natural disasters in American history. Everyone is trying to find the party responsible. It isn’t that simple.Guest: Gabrielle Canon, climate reporter and extreme weather correspondent for The Guardian US.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visi
What Next TBD | Why Tech Is Bending the Knee
How the FCC and its incoming head, Brenden Carr, could enact Trump’s top policy goal: punishing anyone who says mean stuff about Trump.Guest: Drew FitzGerald, telecom reporter for the Wall Street Journal.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you
Slate Money | The Dire Costs of the LA Fires
This week: Los Angeles continues to try and fight back its most devastating wildfire ever. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the fires raging in Los Angles and how they highlight the growing problem with disaster insurance as well as the complex issues around prison labor. Then, Meta is walking back their content moderation, giving hate speech more of a chance to thrive on their platforms. The hosts debate what this will mean for advertisers and Meta employees alike. And fin
Amicus | TikTok Is Cooked, Trump Is Sentenced
While Donald J Trump was virtually fuming at his sentencing hearing in Judge Juan Merchan’s New York City courtroom on Friday morning, the nine justices of the US Supreme Court were taking their seats for oral arguments in the so-called TikTok ban case. And while it only took 40 minutes for the president elect’s sentence of an ‘unconditional discharge’ to be pronounced, the arguments over national security, the First Amendment, and an app that 170 million Americans use took a couple of hours lon
Amicus | Preview: Trump’s Racking Up Supreme Court Loyalty Points
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.* There is a cluster-you-know-what of constitutional and legal news this week, so Amicus Plus is popping up a little early with a bonus episode to tackle the Trump prosecutions portion of the melee ahead of Friday’s very important TikTok-ban arguments. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Andrew Weissman, co-host of the MSNBC podcast "Prosecuting Donald Trump” (recently re-launched as “Main Justice” for…. obvious reasons!) Andrew is also author of two New Y
Political Gabfest | One Measly Report
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem and discuss the status of the Jack Smith reports and Donald Trump’s legal troubles; Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk’s continued cozying up to Trump; and the horrific wildfires raging in Los Angeles. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Juliette, Emily, and David discuss dropping into the memory hole the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with David Greenberg about his new biogr
What Next | Greenland’s a Distraction
With Republicans holding the House, the Senate, and the presidency, cabinet confirmation hearings may be the most prominent place for Democrats to make a stand.Guest: Chris Murphy, US senator for Connecticut. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast prod
What Next | Blake Lively Vs. Hollywood
After a summer on the receiving end of the internet’s ire, Blake Lively is back in the news, as her relationship with her former director and co-star Justin Baldoni has taken a turn for the litigious. Guest: Heather Schwedel, staff writer at Slate.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get
Slate Money | Money Talks: Selling The Dream
In this Money Talks: Jane Marie has spent years reporting on the tangled web of multi-level marketing companies, or MLMs, with her podcast The Dream and dives even deeper in her new book, Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans. In this episode, she sits down with Emily Peck to discuss their origins, their appeal to American women, and their extremely questionable business practices. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock we
What Next | Justin Trudeau Steps Down
After nine years as Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau has resigned. Has Canada joined much of the rest of the world by jettisoning its progressive leadership, or does Trudeau’s career tell a different story?Guest: Jesse Brown, editor and publisher of Canadaland.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/
How To! | Become an Expat
Before the 2024 election, Maureen and Jayna had hoped to attend a historic inauguration for Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C. But when Donald Trump won the presidency, the lesbian couple scrapped their trip—and booked a fact-finding mission to Portugal instead. On this episode of How To!, they talk with co-host Carvell Wallace about their plans to leave the U.S.—and start a new life somewhere they’ll feel safer. And, Jen Barnett of Expatsi offers up advice about Portugal and other LGBTQ+ friendl
What Next | Is ISIS Back? Or Did It Never Leave?
Though their physical caliphate has been gone for more than five years, the terrorist organization ISIS has survived—through propaganda, in chatrooms, and as an inspiration and cheerleader for actions like the New Years’ Eve attack in New Orleans.Guest: Colin P. Clarke, Director of Research at The Soufan Group, a nonprofit research group focusing on global security, author of “After the Caliphate: The Islamic State and the Future Terrorist Diaspora.”Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock
What Next TBD | Bitcoin Takes the White House
Cryptocurrency spent generously on this last election cycle, and now they’ve got their top pick in the White House, and wins across Congress. Where is the industry looking to go with these favorable, regulatory winds? Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany, tech reporter covering the crypto industry for the New York Times.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicki
Slate Money | The Business of Lively vs Baldoni
This week: The Lively/Baldoni PR war has become a legal battle. And it’s not just reputations that are at stake. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain how Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and his answering suit against The New York Times is more than just a Hollywood feud, it’s a fight to stay profitable. Then, the hosts discuss the recent ruling that seems to have killed the dream of net neutrality for good. Finally, they examine the decline in drinking that has ca
Amicus: John Roberts’ New Year Blame Game
Happy (?) New Year. Amicus is gingerly stepping into 2025 and into the coming onslaught of Trump 2.0 with one of the country’s very best legal, constitutional and human guides –– civil rights litigator and 14th Amendment scholar Sherrilyn Ifill. Together, Sherrilyn and Dahlia navigate some of the most pressing questions facing the law, the legal profession, and those who care about it. In his end of year judicial report, Chief Justice John Roberts chose to claim the mantle of both embattled civi
Political Gabfest: The “Thank You, Jimmy Carter” Edition
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the presidency and post-presidential life of Jimmy Carter; the infighting of Elon Musk v. MAGA; and the possibilities of citizens’ assemblies with The New Yorker’s Nick Romeo.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:John Dickerson for CBS Mornings: John Dickerson on Jimmy Carter’s legacy and a life shaped by faithCBS News: From the archives: Jimmy Carter becomes first president to walk in inaugural parade to White
What Next TBD | Musk vs. MAGA
On Christmas Eve a fracas erupted on X, when Elon Musk posted in favor of H1-B visas for specialized and high-skill workers and was met with anger from the MAGA base who view the visas as a way for immigrants to take American jobs.Guest: Ryan Mac, tech reporter for The New York Times and the coauthor of the book “Character Limit How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter.”Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate p
What Next | The Struggle to Get Aid to Gaza
Dispensing aid in the Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly difficult. No one knows this better than Hani. On a professional level, his employer, UNRWA—the main supplier of food, water, and shelter to Gazans over the last year—is banned from operating come 2025. On a personal note, his brother Mahmoud was killed in what Hani believes to have been a targeted strike while operating a soup kitchen for hungry neighbors.Guest: Hani Almadhoun, senior director of philanthropy at UNRWA USA.Want more What
How To! | Talk Politics With Your Dad (Without Yelling) Pt 2 - Encore
Today we’re going to see if one American family can flip the usual, tortured and tedious script for arguing about politics and do something more interesting. Jenn and Todd Brandel sit down with their dad, Bruce, to see if they can come to a better understanding about what has shaped their different political views. Mónica Guzmán, senior fellow for public practice at Braver Angels and author of I Never Thought Of It That Way: How To Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Tim
What Next | The Trump Restoration
The year is wrapping up and so is The Biden Era—oh who are we kidding? This was, and is, the Age of Trump…and now, apparently, Elon Musk. Brace yourselves. Guest: Jim Newell, Slate senior politics reporter.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast product
Hang Up | Who Gets Christmas: The NFL or NBA? Who Gets Christmas: The NFL or NBA?
Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs close out 2024 Hang Up and Listen-style. They dig into the War for Christmas being waged between the NFL and NBA. Then they look at Alex Ovechkin’s attempts to break Wayne Gretzky’s 894 goals record. Next they discuss the rise of the alt-cast and what that means for broadcasting games. On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts share the underrated sports stories of 2024 as well as what everyone should be wat
What Next | Jimmy Carter’s Legacy
Former president Jimmy Carter died on Sunday at age 100. Carter was a born-again evangelical Christian as well as a Democrat. Those two identities existed in harmony for him—but they would diverge in American politics in the wake of his presidency.Guest: Jim Wallis, chair in Faith and Justice and the founding director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts
What Next TBD | The Cost of Suicide Prevention Software
Between a third and half of American schoolchildren have a form of “mental health monitoring” software on their school devices, which scans for and flags certain keywords. While intuitively appealing, is it worth the false positives, privacy issues, and compromised trust? Guest: Ellen Barry, mental health reporter for the New York Times.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today
Slate Money | The Truth Behind Donald Trump’s Tariff Talk
This week: Paul Krugman may have ended his iconic New York Times column but he’s still going to tell us what’s going on. Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Paul Krugman to get wonky on global trade, discuss the relationship between politicians and economists, and examine the economic legacy of Joe Biden.In the Slate Plus episode: Favorite media of 2024. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free list
Amicus | Dead Amendment Walking
Maybe the court won’t listen to your complaints and questions - but we will. As a parting gift to you this year, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern answer your questions about Trump, the courts and the constitution. Could Trump be president a third time? What does immigration law look like under Trump 2.0? And a deep dive into Dahlia and Mark’s comic book character psyches.Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-f
What Next | 2024 in Review: What the WNBA Salary Debate Misses
While the What Next team takes some rest, enjoy this episode, originally aired on April 22.With all eyes on the WNBA as Caitlin Clark was drafted, many were surprised at the star player’s new salary, and how it paled in comparison to that of an NBA rookie. What would it take to address this disparity? Guest: Lindsay Gibbs, author and founder of Power Plays, “a no-BS newsletter about women’s sports” and co-host of the Burn It All Down podcast.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access
Political Gabfest | The “2024 Conundrums” Edition
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz close out a confounding year by answering listeners’ Conundrums. Thank you to Conundrums contributors Mitchell, Alan, Rajesh, Margot, Josh, Rob, Thad, Tobi, Collin, Anna, Glenn, Tom, Aimee, Brad, Phil, Erin, and Sam!For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David conduct a Conundrums lightning-round. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Stephanie Gorton about her new book, The Icon & the Idealist: Margaret Sange
What Next | 2024 in Review: Why Miss USA is Imploding
While the What Next team takes some rest, enjoy this episode, originally aired on May 16.When Miss USA abdicated her throne, people noticed that the first letters of each sentence of her resignation letter spell out “I am silenced.” Shortly thereafter, Miss Teen USA stepped down with a letter that opens with a quote from Nietzsche. What’s going on at the Miss USA organization? Has the idea of a national pageant outlived its usefulness?Guest: Constance Grady, senior Culture correspondent for Vox.
How To! | Talk Politics With Your Dad (Without Yelling) Pt 1 - Encore
Jenn and Todd Brandel have a close, loving relationship with their father, Bruce. But one thing makes their blood boil: his political chain emails. The messages are often forwarded commentary written in a provocative tone, and are an unwelcome reminder of just how far apart the family is politically. On this episode of How To!, we’re joined by Mónica Guzmán, senior fellow for public practice at Braver Angels and author of I Never Thought Of It That Way: How To Have Fearlessly Curious Conversatio
What Next | 2024 in Review: Wait, Is JUUL Banned or Not?
While the What Next team takes some rest, enjoy this episode, originally aired on June 12.Two years ago, the FDA announced it was banning JUUL nicotine vapes from sale in the U.S.—and then quickly announced it was holding off on the ban to allow for review. How did regulating ecigarettes end up playing catch-up?Guest: Jamie Ducharme, health correspondent at Time, author of Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole
Hang Up | Rickey Henderson Was Ahead of His Time
Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs talk about the death of a legend: Rickey Henderson. Then, they dig into the end of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament and the sport’s growth. The panel also discusses the shenanigans taking place as Tampa Bay-area authorities consider building a new ballpark.Finally, Alex delivers an Afterball on the first round of the College Football Playoff and explains why most games suck, actually. On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate
What Next | 2024 in Review: Would You Die For MrBeast?
While the What Next team enjoys some rest, enjoy this episode, originally aired on August 15.MrBeast is known for videos that blend stunts and philanthropy, but his new team-up with Amazon and MGM is bringing some of his less savory aspects to light.Guest: Madison Malone Kircher, reporter covering internet culture for The New York TimesWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe toda
Well, Now: The Future of Wellness
After a year of nuanced conversations on wellness, we say goodbye by reflecting on how these discussions expanded what it means to live a full, well-balanced life. We’re also joined again by longevity expert Dr. Darshan Shah to discuss what needs to change to make wellness more accessible for everyone.Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.The Well,
What Next TBD | Influencer vs. Influencer
One influencer working for Amazon sued another influencer who works for Amazon for creating content that looks too similar to theirs. But with how the algorithms work and reward, was this an inevitability? What does this mean for the economics of the influencer position?Guest: Mia Sato, reporter covering platforms and communities for The Verge.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe
Slate Money | Who Elected Elon?
This week: Elon Musk posted enough misinformation on social media to get a bill blocked and necessitate a government shutdown. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Anna Szymanski discuss the multi-billionaire’s tweetstorm that convinced congress not to pass a bi-partisan spending bill and how he has been able to so blatantly buy that power. Then, Anna helps break down the economic crisis that is unfolding
Amicus | Defamation Stations!
It wasn’t a great week for speaking truth to power. ABC’s decision to settle Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit to the tune of $16 million at the behest of parent company Disney sent shockwaves through newsrooms around the country. Coupled with Trump’s lawsuits pending against publishers, journalism prize organizations, CBS, and this week’s news that the President-elect is suing an Iowa pollster and the newspaper that published her poll for “election interference”, rising fears about the freedom
What Next TBD | Drones!??!!!?!!!
Reports of flocks of drones, flying overhead nightly, are coming in from New Jersey down to Maryland. Are they UFOs? Nefarious foreign powers? Something even more pernicious? Something even more banal?Guest: Jon Ostrower, editor-in-chief of The Air Current.Ben Mathis-Lilly, Slate senior writerWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at t
Political Gabfest | The Shutdown and the Great Capitulation
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the capitulation of American media and corporations to President-Elect Donald Trump; the government shutdown and surrender of House Republicans to Elon Musk; and the appeal of TikTok to the Supreme Court. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the drones over New Jersey. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Stephanie Gorton about her new book, The Icon & the Idealist: Margaret Sanger, Mar
What Next | Can More Grocery Stores Fix Food Deserts?
How do you keep a grocery store open in a small or low-income community? The answer might involve regulating big box stores like Walmart and Kroger.Guest: Molly Parker, investigative reporter for Capitol News Illinois and a Local Reporting Network fellow at ProPublica.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show pag
What Next | How Trump Got ABC to Pay Up
What ABC’s huge defamation settlement with Donald Trump says about the state of the media, heading into Trump’s second term. Guest: David Folkenflik, media correspondent for NPR.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige
What Next | How Shaboozey Broke the Mold
After a tepid embrace of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and a back-and-forth over Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” country music fans are all in on Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” How has this hip-hop-inflected country hit perched atop the charts for a record-tying 19 weeks? Guest: Chris Molanphy, chart analyst, pop critic, host of the Hit Parade podcast, and author of Slate's “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series and the book Old Town Road.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access t
What Next | Make Hollywood Great Again
The highest grossing documentary in 2024 was “Am I Racist?” from The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, and it’s not the only avowedly right-wing movie that’s enjoyed success at the box office this year. Is Hollywood going the way of the White House?Guest: Barry Hertz, Deputy Arts Editor and Film Editor for The Globe and MailWant more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on
Well, Now: Is Longer Life Really Possible?
For eons, humans have been trying to find ways to live longer. It’s a quest that’s inspired legends and myths across cultures and continues to fuel controversy in the health and wellness industry today. On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with Dr. Darshan Shah to better understand longevity science and hear about his journey from performing surgery to creating the longevity clinic Next Health.Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.Editi
A Word | Flash Black
All good things must come to an end. For now. After close to four years at Slate, A Word will be moving on. For today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson highlights some of the memorable conversations on the show, on issues from politics, police brutality, Afro-Futurism and more. Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit s
What Next TBD | The Surveillance State Trump Is Inheriting
Our lives, and our communication in particular, are increasingly conducted over the internet. This means we are increasingly able to be hacked and monitored, by governments, by the police, and more and more by anyone who can get their hands on the available software.Guest: Ronan Farrow, investigative reporter and producer of the Max documentary “Surveilled.”If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus
Slate Money: Why Netflix is Reducing Parental Leave
This week: Crypto companies are being debanked but they’re not the only ones. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers break down the conspiracy theory that debanking is a government attack on crypto. Then, Netflix has pared down their extreme leave policy. What does that signal about the direction of the company? And Spotify is finally making a profit and is acting like it. In the Slate Plus episode: Crumbl and rise of meme foods. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? J
Amicus | Chris Wray Just Made Way For Something Even Worse Than Kash Patel
Last week, we examined the deeply worrying prospect of Kash Patel, FBI director. This week, that possibility became even more worrisome with respect to the future of the FBI, all sparked by current director Christopher Wray’s announcement of his intention to step down. To kick off this week’s show, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern, who explains why Wray’s decision is very bad news for the law and the rule of law. Next, the planet: Last summer, we tried to absorb
What Next TBD | Elon Musk and Trump’s Shadow Transition Team
Elon Musk has been down in Florida with Donald Trump, inviting his fellow rich Silicon Valley friends to stop by and weigh in on the next administration. How could policy and personnel be shaped by this input from successful (if totally inexperienced in government) individuals?Guest: Teddy Schleifer, covering politics for the New York Times.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe to
Political Gabfest | Syria’s Collapse, Israel’s Delight
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the fall of the al-Assad dictatorship in Syria with Steven A. Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations; the killing of a health insurance CEO and the acquittal for the death of a troubled man; and the future of American birthright citizenship.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David discuss President Joe Biden’s clemency for nearly 1,500 Americans and pardons for 39 more. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily
What Next | Who Can Save the Democrats?
The hunt for the new chair of the Democratic National Committee is on and the winning candidate will be the one that party officials believe can guide Democrats back to the White House. So who’s throwing their hat into the ring?Guest: Gabriel Debenedetti is a national correspondent at New York Magazine and the author of The Long Alliance: The Imperfect Union of Joe Biden and Barack Obama.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite
What Next | How Daniel Penny Walked Free
Daniel Penny’s trial over the death of Jordan Neely hinged on the question of how and when a “reasonable person” would feel threatened. Does the jury’s non-guilty verdict deliver a clear answer? Guest: Katie Way, writer-editor at Hell Gate.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access w
Slate Money Talks: The Synapse Scandal
In this Money Talks: The collapse of Synapse and resulting fallout highlights how regulators are failing fintech users. Felix Salmon is joined by CNBC’s Hugh Son who has been closely following the situation. They unpack the chain of events that led to thousands of users losing access to their funds, the complexities of FDIC insurance, and how regulators allowed this massive scandal.Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’
Death, Sex & Money | Betting on America: Two Gamblers, One Presidential Election
On election night, while many voters across the country were focused on who would win the presidency, a growing number of Americans were watching the returns with another question in mind: will I win or lose money? That’s because, just weeks before November 5th, a judge ruled that for the first time in almost a century Americans could bet large amounts of money on the outcome of political races. In this episode, we talk to two people who made big bets: Mike, a Latino Democrat who bet $10,000 on
What Next | Why United Healthcare Is Easy to Hate
Last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO prompted an outpouring of glee online. A look into UnitedHealthcare’s business practices—and the American healthcare system as a whole—can help explain why.Guest: Dan Diamond, national health reporter for The Washington Post.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.c
Hang Up | Juan Soto: The New Mr. Met
Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs discuss Juan Soto’s earth-shatteringly large contract with the New York Mets. They also talk about Lewis Hamilton’s last ride for Mercedes before he moves to team Ferrari, and Igor Shesterkin’s unprecedented new deal with the New York Rangers. For Afterballs, Alex breaks down some of the controversy within college football’s first 12-team playoff. On the bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts discuss expansion
What Next | The End of Assad in Syria
After more than a decade of civil war, Syrian rebels have toppled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in just about a week. How was the dictator finally deposed, and what comes next for the war-torn country? Guest: Josh Keating, senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visi
Well, Now: Staying Sober This Holiday Season
For many, the holiday season is both a joyful time with friends and family and a period of high stress with dangerous ways to cope. This can be especially challenging for people with substance use disorder.On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita discuss addiction and recovery with Zac Clark. Reality TV fans may remember him as a contestant on The Bachelorette, where he opened up about his history with drug abuse and how his journey to sobriety led him to create Release Recovery, an a
What Next TBD | Spotify Trapped
Spotify is shaping listening habits, so much so that musicians are shaping themselves for Spotify. It makes your musical world a little more prescribed, a little smaller. If it feels like everything’s getting a little stale, how do we get out?Guest: Tiffany Ng, culture and tech writer.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top o
A Word | Good to Go-Go
Many of the American musical genres that began in the Black community get taken over—artistically, financially, or both—by white Americans. Go-go, which traces its roots to the African-American neighborhoods in and around Washington, DC, is an exception. Now a new museum aims to preserve and amplify the essence of go-go, and extend its legacy to the next generation of fans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Natalie Hopkinson, chief curator of the Go-Go Museum and Cafe Wash
Slate Money | The Week of Minor Apocalypses
This week: South Korea and France are the latest governments to fall apart. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the public conversation around the failures of the US healthcare system that was sparked by the shocking murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.Then, South Korea and France follow Germany in having a governmental meltdown. What’s going on with all of this political chaos? And finally, the hosts discuss a piece in The Ringer about why headlights are just way to
Amicus | Meet Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s New Roy Cohn
What do people inside the Department of Justice think about their once-colleague and possible-future-overlord, Kash Patel? On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by former US Attorney Joyce White Vance to discuss the frightening implications of Patel's potential nomination as FBI Director under the incoming Trump administration. They explore Patel's contentious history, including his time in the DOJ, his authorship of the Nunes memo, and his bottomless loyalty to Trump. They also discu
What Next TBD | The Influencer Administration
From Dr. Oz to RFK Jr. to Donald Trump himself—the incoming administration looks like it will be populated with pitchmen and influencers. Will anyone take steps to divest from their businesses or avoid conflicts of interest—or will everyone just follow Trump’s lead from last time? Guest: Drew Harwell, tech reporter for the Washington Post. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe tod
Political Gabfest: Is The Democratic Party Doomed?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Joe Biden’s pardon of son Hunter and President-Elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth; the Democrats’ debate on why they lost and how they might win in the future; and the Supreme Court case on treatment for transgender children. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David answer Conundrums. Or Conundra. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Stephanie Gorton about her new book, The I
What Next | Even Trump Loyalists Are Scared Of Kash Patel
During his first administration, Donald Trump tried naming Kash Patel as deputy director of the FBI, but members of the administration pushed back. Now with the second administration filled with loyalists, Trump has named Patel as his pick for FBI director. What does Trump see in this guy?Guest: Elaina Plott Calabro, staff writer at The Atlantic.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly
What Next | Martial Law (Briefly) in South Korea
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday, leading South Korea’s parliament to cross barricades to convene and vote it down.Though this episode resolved quickly and peacefully for the moment, where is the country’s government heading?Guest: Terence Roehrig, professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College specializing in Korean and East Asian security issues.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all y
What Next | Did Biden Break the Presidential Pardon?
How problematic is it for Joe Biden to pardon his son Hunter after promising, again and again, that he wouldn’t?Guest: Ankush Khardori, senior writer for POLITICO and a former federal prosecutor at the Department of Justice.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you list
What Next: The House’s Gift to Trump
The House already voted to pass the “The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.” But with Donald Trump returning to the White House next year, some Democrats are viewing the power that the bill gives the executive branch—to label non-profit organizations as “funding terrorism” and strip them of their non-profit status—in a new light.But is it too late? Guest: Emily Tamkin, global affairs journalist and the author of The Influence of Soros and Bad Jews.Want more What Ne
Well, Now | More Than Hot Flashes: Breaking the Silence on Menopause
More than half the population will experience menopause if they’re fortunate enough to age. Yet so much of this full-body transformation remains a mystery.Journalist and filmmaker Tamsen Fadal is out to change that. Her new documentary The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause premiered on PBS earlier this year. In it, her team interviews patients and health experts worldwide about the lack of research into this important stage of life.On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya a
What Next: TBD | When Your Flight’s GPS Gets Spoofed
Anyone stuck in a knotted snarl of interstate clovers knows that GPS is both important and imperfect. But if GPS fails while you’re bringing a 737 in for a landing it could be catastrophic. Why is “GPS spoofing” on the rise—and how can airlines protect their flights against being caught up in conflict zones.Guest: Drew FitzGerald, telecom reporter for the Wall Street Journal.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your fa
Slate Money: Conceptual Art is Literally Bananas
This week: Felix back and we have some Felix-y topics to cover. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the latest Trump cabinet appointments and speculate if Scott Bessent will be able to rein in Trump’s economic plans.Then, much ink has been spilled over the sale of a conceptual artwork by Maurizio Cattelan for $6.2 million, yet no one really knows how to write about it. So, when is a banana taped to a wall more than a banana taped to a wall? And finally, this week, Warren Buffe
Amicus | The Right’s About-Turn on Parental Rights
When it comes to gender affirming care for teenagers, parents’ rights no longer matter. Doctors’ opinions no longer matter. Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in United States. v Skrmetti, challenging Tennessee’s ban on healthcare for trans kids, and upending half a century of gender protection doctrine. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Chase Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project, who will also be the first openly trans lawyer to argue at SCOTUS when he argues, alongsi
A Word: Trump’s Team America: The Sequel
On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Capital B reporter, Brandon Tensley to discuss Trump’s cabinet picks, and their potential impact on the Black community.Guest: Brandon Tensley, Capital B News reporterPodcast production by Kristie Taiwo-MakanjuolaWant more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/a
What Next TBD | The Post-Election Social Media Wars
Whatever X is, it ain’t the Twitter so many users fell in love with. Since the election, Bluesky has been on the rise, but it’s still only a fraction of the number of users on Twitter—at its peak or even now—or even fellow upstart Threads. Is Bluesky set to take over the role Twitter used to play, or is it just one of many networks in a Balkanized social media landscape? Guest: Will Oremus, a technology writer for the Washington PostWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-f
Political Gabfest: Are These Trump Tariffs for Real?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs and his pick for Treasury Secretary; the next Federal Communications Commission Chair and free speech; and the “bro-economy” with The Atlantic’s Annie Lowrey. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David discuss the most fulfilling jobs in America.In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Stephanie Gorton about her new book, The Icon & the Idealist: Margaret Sanger, Mary Wa
Outward: Sarah McBride’s Win and the Rise of Anti-Trans Politics
This week, the hosts come together to unpack Sarah McBride’s groundbreaking win as the first openly transgender member of Congress. While the win is historic, Bryan, Jules, and Christina dig in to unpack the limits of representational politics and what it means for this win to exist alongside the emergence of anti-trans politics, which hit their all time high during this election cycle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Which Came First, the Bird Flu or the Egg?
As Thanksgiving approaches the price of eggs is spiking again. But it wasn’t just inflation this time – it was also the rising number of cases of avian flu. How can the USDA, FDA, and CDC contain an outbreak in a country that both hates taking preventative measures and won’t tolerate any disruption in their food supply chain? Guest: Marcia Brown, food and agriculture reporter at POLITICO.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite
Slate Money Talks | RIP DEI?
In this Money Talks: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs are being targeted by “anti-woke” pundits. Emily Peck is joined by Simone Foxman of Bloomberg to explain why DEI is under fire from conservatives, and what these programs might look like under Trump’s second term – if they exist at all. Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscrib
What Next | A New Strategy for Banning Abortion
The Supreme Court threw out the last attempt to ban mifepristone, the “abortion pill,” because they couldn’t figure out who in the case was being injured. Now three states are claiming they are being harmed, because abortion access is preventing population growth for them Guest: Linda Greenhouse, Supreme Court reporter for the New York Times from 1978 to 2008, author and winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize. Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all yo
What Next | When Jesus Is on the Curriculum
New curriculum for Texas public schools teaches vocabulary and reading through stories from the Bible and takes a noticeably Christian point of view towards history. When does teaching stop and preaching begin—and isn’t this a pretty clear violation of the First Amendment?Guest: Jaden Edison, public education reporter for the Texas Tribune.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from t
Well, Now: Creating an Exercise Routine That’s Right for You
Regular movement is crucial for lifelong health, but finding a routine that fits well in your life can be challenging and overwhelming.On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak to retired volleyball player Gabby Reece on transitioning out of professional sports and talk about ways to realistically bring performance-level fitness to every kind of exercise routine.If you liked this episode, check out: Breaking Up With Diet Culture Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Fe
A Word | A Mother of a Crisis
A sizable number of pregnancies end in a loss, whether to miscarriage, still-birth or abortion. But until very recently, discussions of these losses were kept out of public—and policy—conversations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Colleen Long and Rebecca Little, co-authors of the book, “I’m Sorry for My Loss: An Urgent Examination of Reproductive Care in America.” They share their own stories of pregnancy loss, and what they learned about the range of experience from do
What Next: TBD | Is Sickle Cell Anemia…Cured?
Last May, a 12-year-old with sickle cell anemia was the first person to receive a new gene therapy to treat the disease. The process is painful, expensive, and still frightening and uncertain, but biomedical researchers are cautiously calling it a “cure.”Guests:Gina Kolata, medical reporter for the New York TimesDeb and Keith Cromer, parents to Kendric Cromer, the first person in the world to go through a commercially approved gene therapy for sickle cell anemia.Want more What Next TBD? Subscrib
Amicus | Can The Senate Save Us?
If you had forgotten the chaos of Trump 1.0, the frenzied first two weeks of transition to Trump 2.0 has surely been a stark reminder. A pair of random billionaires are claiming in advance that SCOTUS will back their extra-governmental plans for a slash and burn policy for federal agencies; accusations of sexual misconduct swirl around cabinet picks; nominations are being retracted and replaced, and while all of this happens we are waiting to see whether Republicans in the Senate will step into
Slate Money | Is Bluesky the New Old Twitter?
This week: Bluesky feels like the Twitter of old. Will that last? Emily Peck, Elizabeth Spiers, and Anna Szymanski discuss the new popularity of the social platform and whether or not it’s becoming a liberal bubble. Then, Indian billionaire Gautam Adani is being charged with fraud by federal prosecutors for bribing Indian officials for solar energy contracts. Also, there’s a rising trend of “anti-work” businesses. The hosts discuss what that means and if there is any real marketing juice behind
What Next TBD | What's Google Without Chrome?
The Department of Justice has released its recommendations for how Google’s monopoly on web search should be broken up. Top of their wishlist? Spinning off their web browser Chrome. But with a new administration coming to the White House, will Google have to comply?Guest: Leah Nylen, antitrust reporter for Bloomberg NewsWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts
Political Gabfest: Trump’s Cabinet Keeps Getting Weirder
(Note: The episode was recorded prior to the withdrawal of Matt Gaetz from consideration for Attorney General.) This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s Cabinet selections and their involvement with sexual-assault allegations; the Texas elementary school curriculum that incorporates the Bible; and coming changes to health care with The Washington Post’s Dan Diamond. Political Gabfest Live in Brooklyn on December 4 is sold out, but you can still submit your
What Next | Mass Deportation How?
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to deport millions of “illegal immigrants.” As he prepares to return to the White House, it’s time to figure out how that would work—and who it would include.Guest: Molly O'Toole, reporter covering immigration and security.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/
ICYMI | "Women in Male Fields," Princess Treatment, and the 4B Movement
Candice Lim is joined by Vox senior correspondent Rebecca Jennings to discuss what their timelines have looked like since the U.S. presidential election was called. From TikToks accusing men of entering their feminine era, to a surge of Americans posting about the 4B movement, they discuss how the dynamic between men and women has become increasingly regressive online, and what battles are yet to come. But first, Rebecca pitches the Netflix Christmas movie that’s even better than Hot Frosty.This
What Next: Trump’s Shadow Cabinet
Donald Trump’s picks for cabinet positions are causing a lot of rolling of eyes and gnashing of teeth. But even though they don’t have official titles or well-known names, the future of Trump’s agenda might lie with a group of White House-appointed “czars,” who are also being announced with less fanfare. Guest: David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can
What Next: Welcome to Trump City, USA
Donald Trump retook the presidency, in part, by doing much better in American cities in 2024 than ever before. Why did these urban Democratic strongholds shift towards Republicans, and are these changes permanent? Guests:Henry Grabar, staff writer at Slate.Ron Kim, representative for New York State’s 40th Assembly District.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show
Hang Up: The Tyson-Paul Punchline
Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs discuss the 4-hour Jake Paul and Mike Tyson boxing circus. They also talk about changes in regional sports networks, the next chapter in the Chiefs-Bills rivalry, plus an Afterball from Alex on the Winnipeg Jets. On the Bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel gets into the NBA’s continued love of three-pointers.Paul vs. Tyson (2:54): How the main event duped so many viewers.FanDuel takes on RSNs (25:18): How six
What Next: Jamie Raskin: “We Can’t Let The Fear Paralyze Us”
Rep. Jamie Raskin led the second impeachment of Donald Trump, the effort to get him off the ballot under the 14th amendment, and campaigned to beat him at the ballot box. With Trump heading back to the White House with even fewer guardrails, Raskin’s still not giving up the fight.Guest: Jamin “Jamie” Raskin is the U.S. representative for Maryland’s 8th congressional districtWant more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts
Well, Now: Being a “Likeable Badass” Could Improve Your Health
How do women gain social influence? Understanding this is crucial because research shows they often face unique challenges in having their voices heard and their expertise recognized, even in highly qualified fields like medicine. The consequences of this could be dire, both for female patients and their healthcare providers.On this week’s episode of Well, Now, Kavita and Maya talk with psychologist Alison Fragale about the science behind effective social influence. Her new book is Likeable Bada
What Next TBD: The X-odus
Since Elon Musk took over, Twitter—er, sorry “X”—has been slowly deflating. But given that soon you’ll be getting yelled at by right-wing trolls directly from White House press briefings, and your data is being swept up to train A.I., is there any reason to stay on the site at all anymore? Guest: Nitish Pahwa, Slate business writer.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Ap
A Word: The (Small) Winners’ Circle
Democrats were shut out of power across the board in the House, Senate and the presidency. But for African American voters, new leaders may be emerging from among a handful of winning candidates. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Capital B News reporter Christina Carrega to discuss post-election strategy, and rethinking among Black voters and elected officials about priorities and power in the coming years.Guest: Christina Carrega, reporter at Capital B NewsPodcast product
How To!: Man Up About Male Birth Control
Contraception is a huge burden for women and people with uteruses to bear. What would it look like—on a personal, cultural, and medical level—if more men took on that responsibility? Today on How To!, a conversation about gender equity for reproductive care, from changes in sexual education to more accessible vasectomies to the development of new contraception methods. Carvell Wallace welcomes two guests: Dr. Sarah Miller, a board-certified family physician and family planning specialist at Nort
Amicus | Matt Gaetz And The Clown Car Crash Into The Justice Department
Trump’s announcement of Matt Gaetz as his pick to head the Justice Department was met with gasps around the Capitol. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s senior legal writer Mark Stern to, yes, gasp together, but also to dig into what this stunt Attorney General appointment means for the law and the rule of law. Next, Dahlia talks to Dr. Mary Anne Franks, author of Fearless Speech about the new era of censorship we are entering under the unprecedented power of Elon Musk and the oligarchs screami
What Next TBD: The Manosphere That Delivered Trump Back to Power
Going on Joe Rogan’s podcast didn’t fit into Kamala Harris’s last month of campaigning, which consisted of a careful diet of traditional media and specifically selected appearances. It came up short against Donald Trump’s “get on mic with that guy and his big following” strategy. Guest: Makena Kelly, senior writer at Wired.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podca
Political Gabfest: Attorney General Matt Gaetz?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s problematic picks for his Cabinet; the lessons to be learned and way forward for Democrats; and the possibilities and difficulties of mass deportation with Caitlin Dickerson. Join us on December 4 for Political Gabfest Live in Brooklyn! Tickets are on sale now. And send us your Conundrums at slate.com/conundrum.Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unl
Parenting Under Trump 2.0
On this episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah and Zak talk about the aftermath of the presidential election — from the policy issues that freak us out to handling grief in front of our kids. And we’ll share a ton of amazing thoughts, advice, and reassurance from the Slate Parenting community.Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also cal
What Next: Can SNL Meet the Moment?
People praise Saturday Night Live for its political satire…in spite of how toothless a lot of that satire is. Is the show equipped to take on Donald Trump, a former SNL host whose own absurdity often defies parody?Guest: Sam Adams, senior editor and writer for Slate.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/w
Outward: Now What Do We Do? Mark Joseph Stern Answers Our Post-Election Questions
This week, Christina Cauterucci sits down with Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern to tackle the mounting concerns facing the LGBTQ+ community as the Trump administration takes shape. In a candid conversation, they delve into the ripple effects this shift could have on issues like abortion rights, trans healthcare, and marriage equality, reflecting on the potential setbacks that may lie ahead- and what we can do to prepare ourselves and our community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.
What Next: Trump Vs The World
What does Donald Trump’s reelection mean for the wars in Ukraine and Gaza? Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s “War Stories” correspondent, author of the new novel A Capital Calamity and The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and
What Next: Protecting Abortion, Electing Trump
Donald Trump’s position on abortion was opaque enough that even states that passed protections for abortion rights still voted for him by a large margin. But even if a national abortion ban—something JD Vance has spoken in favor of—is probably untenable politically, how else could the incoming administration restrict access to abortion across the country? Guest: Caroline Kitchener, national reporter covering abortion for the Washington Post. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access
Hang Up: Trump’s Win and Its Ripple Effect on College Sports
Hosts Alex Kirshner, and Ben Lindbergh are joined by Matt Brown of Extra Points for a discussion of how unified Republican control of the government could allow the NCAA to roll back college athletes’ newly won empowerment. They also talk about the NFL’s international aspirations, possible MLB off-season moves, plus a baseball-crosswords Afterballs. On the Bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, Ben and Alex chat about MLS and Lionel Messi’s first playoffs.Trump and the NCAA
What Next TBD: Elon Wins
As Elon Musk channeled his considerable resources towards Donald Trump’s campaign, there was talk about what his role in the new Trump administration would be. If his stint leading Twitter is any indication, the federal government could be in for a bumpy ride.Guest: Zoë Schiffer, incoming director of business and industry at Wired, author of Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family an
What Next: How to Prepare for the Worst
How are politicians and civil society leaders preparing to meet the challenges of President Trump’s second term? For starters, they’re gaming out the worst-case scenarios.Guest: Barton Gellman, senior advisor at the Brennan Center.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextpl
Well, Now: Getting to the Heart of Hormonal Health
Hormones influence everything from mood and energy levels to fertility and long-term health. Yet for many, hormonal health remains shrouded in mystery.When women do seek guidance from their OBGYNs, they’re often told birth control is the only option for treating hormone-related issues like PCOS and endometriosis.But that wasn’t going to cut it for Alisa Vitti.On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya tackle hormonal health with the FLO Living CEO and see what other options are availabl
What Next TBD: The Polls Weren’t Wrong
Many folks were surprised at how soundly Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the election, especially since they thought the polls made it seem like a coin flip. The problem is, that’s not quite what the polls were saying.Guest: Tatishe M. Nteta, Provost Professor of Political Science, Director of UMass PollWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicki
Amicus | Trump’s Back, This Time Without Guardrails.
We are, most of us, still very much in the post-election fog. It’s early days and while the fog persists, some of the shape of the future is very clear: despite his felonies, his lies, his promised mass deportations and threats of vengeance, President Donald J Trump will re-enter the White House in 2025 better organized, with a clearer mandate, and with the seal of approval of the popular vote. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Protect Democracy’s Ian Bassin to discuss navigati
A Word: Is There Hope After Kamala Harris?
In the wake of Vice President Kamala Harris’s decisive loss left Democrats despondent, and locked in a cycle of finger-pointing. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson surveys the wreckage with professor and political analyst Niambi Carter. They discuss why so many Democratic operatives failed to read the trends properly, how white women and Latino men supported Trump, and where Black activists and voters go from here.Guest: Niambi Carter, political analyst and author of American While Blac
Political Gabfest: This IS Who We Are
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the big wins of Donald Trump and Senate Republicans; the what-next of the second Trump presidency; and the electoral victories and possible setbacks for abortion rights. Join us on December 4 for Political Gabfest Live in Brooklyn! Tickets are on sale now. And send us your Conundrums at slate.com/conundrum.Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipu
Political Gabfest: This IS Who We Are
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the big wins of Donald Trump and Senate Republicans; the what-next of the second Trump presidency; and the electoral victories and possible setbacks for abortion rights. Join us on December 4 for Political Gabfest Live in Brooklyn! Tickets are on sale now. And send us your Conundrums at slate.com/conundrum.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David give a few more thoughts on the 2024 elections. In the lates
What Next: Trump 2.0
It’s not 2016 all over again. With a party now shaped in his image, and a Supreme Court that already gave him immunity, how will a vengeful Donald Trump’s second term go down?Guest: David A. Graham, staff writer at the Atlantic who wrote “What Trump Understood, and Harris Did Not.”Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of
Amicus | Deep Breath, Here We Go
In this extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern wade through the immediate aftermath of the election. Will splitting the ticket on abortion protect abortion rights nationally? (No) What will the federal government look like at 12:02 pm on January 20th, 2025? (very different than at 11:58 am that day) Are all of Brett Kavanaugh’s wildest unitary executive dreams about to come true? (looks likely!)This special episode of Amicus is possible thanks to the support of our Slate
What Next: America Can't Quit Trump
Trump has just about done it again—and the country’s largely swinging further to the right on down-ballot candidates and even some ballot initiatives. Why couldn’t the Harris campaign pull it off, and what do other key losses for the Democrats say about what Americans want?Guest: David Faris, politics professor at Roosevelt University and contributing writer for Slate.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favori
What Next: A Shocking and Predictable Election
It’s been a strange election—Trump being shot at on stage; Biden dropping out—but also a very familiar one, with the same issues, same rhetoric, and same deadlocked, dysfunctional Congress waiting on the other side.How long will the political Groundhog Day last—and what will it take to break this cycle?Guests: Jamelle Bouie, New York Times opinion columnist.Osita Nwanevu, contributing editor at the New Republic and columnist at The Guardian.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access
What Next: What to Watch While Watching Election Results
The worst part about the election being tomorrow is knowing that we (almost definitely) won’t know the results tomorrow.Guests:Ari Berman, voting rights reporter for Mother JonesKadia Goba, political reporter for SemaforIsaac Saul, founder of the Tangle newsletterWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Si
Well, Now: Weed’s Growing (and Alarming) Side Effects
Nearly half of states – 24 and Washington, D.C – have legalized recreational marijuana. As more people report regularly using it, physicians are seeing patients with alarming side effects related to their cannabis use.On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya sit down with internist and pediatrician Dr. Brittany Tayler to better understand these conditions and who could most likely get them.If you liked this episode, check out: Psychedelics’ Long Strange Trip to the Doctor’s OfficeWell
A Word | Star Man: Merlin’s Tour of the Universe
Neil deGrasse Tyson’s life-long love of science led him to astrophysics and a career as the nation’s premiere voice on making science accessible for all. On today’s episode of A Word, he joins host Jason Johnson for a conversation about the new edition of his book, Merlin’s Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: A Traveler’s Guide to Blue Moons and Black Holes, Mars, Stars, and Everything Far. They also discuss the science in pop culture, the political history of
What Next TBD: u up? Go vote.
Voters in swing states are being subjected to constant political messages—on billboards, commercials and, increasingly, via text messages. But are dozens of “make a plan to vote” texts you’re receiving going to make a difference?Guest: Jacob Neiheisel, political science professor at the University at Buffalo Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking
Slate Money: Who Do Boycotts Hurt? Not Jeff Bezos.
This week: Readers aren’t buying Jeff Bezos’ claim that killing the Washington Posts’ presidential endorsement wasn’t from his own business interests. Emily Peck, Elizabeth Spiers, and Anna Szymanski weigh in on how the move may or may not help Bezos and what the WaPo boycott can actually accomplish. Also: How would a trump victory affect the economy? Badly, economists say. Finally: Facebook laid off two dozen workers for abusing their free GrubHub vouchers as companies crack down on perk abuse.
Amicus | The Great Big Pre-Election Freedom and Democracy Show
This week’s show is unapologetically long, deep, and hopeful. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Yale history professor Timothy Snyder to talk about his new book, On Freedom, and to have the audacity to re-imagine freedom on the precipice of an election that could turn the United States hard right into tyranny. Next, Dahlia is joined by Rick Hasen, Director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA Law School, for a gut-check about how the election might go, legally speaking, and a reminder that “
What Next TBD: What Elon Wants From Trump
How did Elon Musk go from a poster to someone pumping millions of dollars towards Donald Trump? And what’s he hoping to get for doing so?Guest: Max Chafkin, Bloomberg Businessweek columnist. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn
Political Gabfest: Floating Island of Garbage
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the final week of the presidential campaign; the threats to election integrity; and the consequences of not endorsing. Join us on December 4 for Political Gabfest Live in Brooklyn! Tickets are on sale now. And send us your Conundrums at slate.com/conundrum.Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth
What Next | Spoiler Alert: The People Policing Your Vote
They believe they are the law. They believe the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. They’re determined not to let it happen again. Meet the constitutional sheriffs.Guest: David Gilbert, reports on disinformation, online extremism and election hucksters for WIRED.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show p
Outward: Building Movements with Gender Liberation March Organizers Raquel Willis and Eliel Cruz
On September 14th 2024, thousands of people joined the Gender Liberation March in Washington D.C. to join the call to protect reproductive health, bodily autonomy, and comprehensive healthcare access. In this episode, Jules Gill-Peterson sits down with lead organizers Raquel Willis and Eliel Cruz to talk about the march and movement building during an election year. Raquel and Eliel share into their intersectional approach to organizing and how gender liberation frees us all. Learn more about y
What Next: Spoiler Alert: Almighty Omaha
It’s gone to Trump once and Biden once. Now, there’s a slight but very real chance that the entire election will turn based on how Nebraska’s second congressional district—with its singular electoral college vote—goes.Guest: Paul Kane, congressional reporter at the Washington Post.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of
What Next: Spoiler Alert: Undecided Voters
The hardest-to-reach portion of the electorate remains “undecided” at this point of the election cycle, but the outcome depends on which campaign can convince them to join their side.Guest: Michael Podhorzer, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP) and author of the substack Weekend Reading.We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole
Hang Up: Athletes Punt on 2024
Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh examine the notable silence from major sports stars on this year’s presidential election. They also discuss Michael Jordan's legal battle against NASCAR, plus the first week of the NBA regular season. In the Bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus subscribers, the panel reflects on the life and legacy of Fernando Valenzuela and his impact on the Dodgers.A lack of political endorsements (2:48): LeBron remains quiet with one week remaining unt
What Next: Spoiler Alert: Jill Stein
In a presidential race as tight as this one, a few thousand votes—in the right states—could be the difference. Is the Green Party candidate Jill Stein set up to be that difference, like so many Democrats believe she was in 2016?Guest: Matt Flegenheimer, correspondent for the New York Times specializing in long-form profiles of political figures.We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus t
Well, Now: Puberty is Starting Earlier and Lasting Longer. Why?
Puberty is changing, and we’re not talking about developing Adam’s apples and growing hair in new places.It starts earlier and lasts longer.Regardless of when this necessary stage of life starts, youth and their adults need support going through it.On this week’s episode of Well, Now puberty expert Vanessa Kroll Bennett discusses the biggest ways puberty has changed for today’s youth and how best to navigate it. She’s co-host of the podcast This Is So Awkward with Dr. Cara Natterson and co-autho
What Next TBD: Facebook for the Dead
He didn’t find his grandfather. But traveling to, photographing, and uploading his grandfather’s memorial stone gave him something else. Guest: Tony Tran, senior tech editor at Slate and author of the feature “My Weekends with the Dead.”Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnex
Slate Money: Elon Musk’s Scheme to (Sort Of) Buy Trump Votes
This week: How do you buy an election? Throw a sweepstakes! Emily Peck, Elizabeth Spiers, and Rueters’ Anna Szymanski (filling in for Felix Salmon) discuss Elon Musk’s scheme to get potential Trump voters to the ballot box and the maneuverings of the campaign finance industrial complex. Next, they discuss a French gambler whose massive bet on the election may affect Trump’s real-world odds. Finally: Many Americans report living “paycheck to paycheck,” even though they have savings and splurge on
Amicus | The 1798 Law Inspiring Trump’s Mass Deportation Dreams
It’s easy to dismiss nativist rhetoric as mere Trumpy “locker room talk.” But when it comes to immigration, deportation and even detention, rhetoric about foreigners and violent invaders is actually a legal long game. Toward the end of the summer of 2023, Katherine Yon Ebright, counsel in the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program, noticed that rightwing anti immigration groups and the Trump campaign had started talking in earnest about using a very old law with a very dark histo
What Next TBD: Can TikTok Sway this Election?
This election cycle, TikTok has evolved into a news-and-politics delivery mechanism. Will it make a difference?Guest: Sapna Maheshwari, reporting on TikTok and other tech for the New York Times.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Dis
A Word: Invisible Men
As the race for the White House remains deadlocked, there have been growing Democratic concerns about whether Black male voters are solid in their support for Kamala Harris. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News. They dissect the truths and myths surrounding Black male voters and the upcoming election. Guest: Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B NewsPodcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanju
Political Gabfest: The Disinhibited Fascist
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s fascism, disinhibition, and age; the state of young men in America with Rachel Simmons; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Michigan with Nicholas Confessore of The New York Times. Join us on December 4 for Political Gabfest Live in Brooklyn! Tickets are on sale now. And send us your Conundrums at slate.com/conundrum.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David talk about El
What Next: Abortion Is on the Ballot. Republicans Have a Plan.
When put to the voters, abortion rights have been winning over stricter restrictions even in places like deeply red Kansas. But Florida Republicans are working hard to defeat a ballot measure that would roll back the state’s six-week abortion ban—and they might have found a formula to win.Guest: Grace Panetta, political reporter at The 19th. We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to a
Slate Money Talks | How Did Trump Scam America? Lots of Luck.
In a very special election season Money Talks: Trump was never that good at business. How did he fake it till he made it? New York Times reporters Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig explain in their book Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success. They speak with host Emily Peck to discuss Trump’s early business missteps, the right-place-right-time happenstances that made him a reality star, and whether or not he might actually have talent…if o
What Next: When It Comes to the Border, Has Trump Already Won?
Donald Trump’s most consistent policy message has been anti-immigration, but according to surveys, more than a quarter of Kamala Harris supporters also support mass deportations. How did American opinions on immigration sour across the political spectrum so quickly?Guest: Rogé Karma, staff writer at The Atlantic.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by c
Outward | The Supreme Court Takes on Trans Rights...Again
On December 4th, the Supreme Court will hear arguments for U.S. v. Skrmetti, a case that could decide the fate of gender-affirming care for trans people across the country. Outward’s own Jules Gill Peterson contributed to an amicus brief for the case, a document that provides expertise and historical context to assist the court in making it’s decision. In this episode, Bryan and Christina reunite with Jules to break down her contributions to the document and dive into the history of transition a
Slow Burn: The Rise of Fox News - Ep. 6: What Hath We Wrought?
The 2004 presidential race would be the first fully Fox News election—a contest that was framed by Fox, and fought on its terms. But the fight over Fox News was about more than just partisan politics. It also launched covert ops against reporters and let loose a secret army of online trolls. And when a Fox producer made serious allegations against Bill O’Reilly, the network showed just how far it would go to defend its biggest star—no matter the cost.To read our full reporting on the most recent
What Next: Why Killing Sinwar Won’t End the War
Does the death of Yahya Sinwar finally make a ceasefire in Gaza possible? Guests: Jonathan Dekel-Chen, professor of Soviet and East European Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and father of Sagui Dekel-Chen, one of the hostages held by Hamas. Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for the Economist.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by cl
Hang Up: The Liberty Bring Ticker-tape Back to Broadway
Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh talk about the New York Liberty’s victory over the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals. They also get into Tom Brady’s controversial new ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, and the World Series picture. In the Bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus subscribers, the panel discusses University of Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett’s retirement announcement.WNBA Finals (10:02): The Liberty bring home the gloryTom Brady (32:38): The bro
What Next: Should the Menendez Brothers Be Free?
Why this closed case from 1989 is suddenly back in the news—and why the brothers may yet be freed.Guest: Brian Buckmire, ABC Legal Contributor with a segment on GMA3, “Better Call Brian.” Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcas
Well, Now: Can Kids Be Healthy at Any Size?
We live in a weight-obsessed world, and children are not immune.From the moment a child is born, their weight and height are tracked and recorded. Then throughout their development, these metrics are used as one of the main factors to determine their health.But as the Health at Every Size (HAES) philosophy continues to gain traction for some adults, is there use for it as a part of growing children’s well-being, too?On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita speak with pediatric dietiti
What Next TBD: How Secure Is Our Election?
America’s head of cybersecurity isn’t worried about the election being hacked or the results being tampered with. But this election cycle does have her worried for our democracy.Guest: Jen Easterly, Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up n
Slate Money: China Needs a Stimulus Bazooka
This week: Big trouble in not-so-little China as the second-largest economy tries to get out of its post-COVID funk. Emily Peck, Elizabeth Spiers, and Rueters’ Anna Szymanski (filling in for Felix Salmon) discuss China’s new economic stimulus measures, which might be too-little, too late. They also discuss the secretive family behind Boar’s Head and a Sherwood piece about a mysterious $7 billion estate tax. Finally, Josh Levine joins to discuss the new season of Slow Burn, which explores how Fox
Amicus | How To Steal A Presidential Election
You’re nervous. We’re nervous. As we stop for gas with almost two weeks to go before November 5th, we’re kicking the tires of American democracy to see if it’s roadworthy. On this week’s show, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Matthew Seligman, one of the authors of How to Steal a Presidential Election, to examine the legal avenues available to Donald J Trump and his band of merry lawyers to subvert the presidential election. Seligman answers Amicus listeners’ most common election question: Can MAGA
What Next TBD | The Elon-Trump Alliance
Elon Musk went from voting for Hillary to supporting Trump so hard that he may have broken election laws. And with Musk influencing both on X and in campaign finance, Democrats are kicking themselves for letting him go. What will his political and financial support actually amount to this election season? Guest: Teddy Schleifer, New York Times reporter covering campaign finance and billionaire influence on American politics.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free liste
A Word: Snitch Nation
While conservatives win elections, the popularity of their policies on abortion access, LGBTQ rights, and racial equity remains low in many parts of the country. But conservative political leaders are finding ways to enforce those laws, and encouraging ordinary citizens to inform on each other is a major tactic. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Adam Serwer, the award-winning political essayist at The Atlantic, about how he explored the phenomenon in his recent article “Th
Political Gabfest: 15 Percent of Black Voters Support Trump
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Kamala Harris’s voter outreach to black and Hispanic men; the close races for Republican senators in Nebraska, Texas, and Florida; and the conspiracy theories that endanger FEMA and aid for hurricane victims. And it’s never too early to send us your Conundrums at slate.com/conundrum.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David talk about Glossip v. Oklahoma, the recent death-penalty case argued before the U.S.
What Next: Kamala’s Bid for Black Men’s Votes
Though Black voters remain a dependable bloc for the Democrats, the Trump campaign has been attempting to make in-roads with Black men. Can Kamala Harris shore up her coalition in this tight race?Guest: Kadia Goba, political reporter at Semafor.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.
Slow Burn: The Rise of Fox News - Ep. 5: Ludacris Has Been Fired
As Fox News gathered strength, progressive activists turned to comedian Al Franken and fledgling online communities to punch back. But could the left put up a real fight without a Fox News of its own? And what did Fox’s critics miss when they focused only on its politics?Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'll also enjoy ad-free listening to all of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscri
What Next: Overdose Deaths Are Going Down. Why?
According to a new CDC report, the number of overdoses in America is finally dropping after rising for years. What’s behind this rare good news in the ongoing opioid crisis?Guest: David Ovalle, reporter covering opioids and addiction at the Washington PostWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up no
Outward | The WNBA’s Very Big Year: New Fandom, Renewed Homophobia? with Frankie de la Cretaz
In this episode long-time friend of the show and longtime WNBA fan Daisy Rosario sits down with queer sports reporter Frankie de la Cretaz to chat about the historic 2024 WNBA season. In this episode, they dig into the celebration and tension as the WNBA’s queer roots meet mainstream success. Can the league stay true to its queer community while taking on big-time sponsors and new fans? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Gambling on Elections, What Could Go Wrong?
Forget polls—are gambling websites the real way to predict politics?Guest: Nitish Pahwa, business and tech writer at SlateWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madel
What Next: An Extremely Online Hurricane Season
Misinformation in the wake of disasters isn’t new, but the media environment today—rife with A.I. images, light on moderation, and eager to point fingers—seems more vulnerable to it than ever.Guest: Will Oremus, technology writer for the Washington Post.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now
Well, Now: Are Supplements Actually Worth It?
Go to the supplement aisle at the grocery store, and the options are endless. Scroll through any Instagram or TikTok feed, and you’re bound to see videos of people claiming their latest supplement is life-changing. Supplements can be used for health and wellness, but it’s important to know the facts before buying the next trendy capsule, pill, tincture, or gummy.On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita give you helpful tools to decide what supplements are worth the hype and which are
What Next TBD | 23andMe...And a Looming Data Disaster
How did 23andMe go from the peak of the double-helix to a death spiral? And if it goes under, is all of the genetic data it collected at risk? Guest: Kristen V. Brown, staff writer covering health for The Atlantic.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access whe
Slate Money: What the Hurricanes Cost
This week: Big storms are the new norm, and they’re costing America big time. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the economic toll and surging insurance coasts of climate change. They also examine the curious case of a Canadian carpenter who made and lost a fortune on Tesla options, and Felix reveals what he’ll be up to on his upcoming sabbatical. In the Numbers Round, Emily discusses a Subtack that charts the most well-connected actors.In the Plus bonus mini-episode: WordPre
Amicus | 27 Years On Death Row
“Prosecutors elicited perjury and a man's gonna go to his death. We can't allow that to happen.” – Paul Clement, October 9th, 2024. This week the US Supreme Court heard arguments in the latest chapter in the complex and prolonged legal battle involving Richard Glossip, who has been on Oklahoma's death row since his conviction for a 1997 murder-for-hire. Following two independent investigations into allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, suppression of material evidence, and a history of inadeq
What Next TBD: Trump’s Crypto Gurus
The crypto project “World Liberty Financial,” which was announced on X by Donald Trump, isn’t a cryptocurrency, nor a crypto-exchange, nor is it actually run by any Trumps. The truth is even stranger. Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times reporterWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at sl
A Word: WNBA Finals: Shooting Beyond the Stars
The New York Liberty face the Minnesota Lynx for the championship in what has been a remarkable year for the WNBA. Attendance, attention and viewership skyrocketed. But throughout the season, superstar players Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were dogged by toxic fans and coverage that was often sexist, racist, and just plain wrong from male sports journalists who knew little about the sport. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the issues with sports writer David Dennis Jr. of And
Political Gabfest: Is The Blue Wall Cracking?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the close race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump; Why Legal Experts Are Worried About a Second Trump Presidency; and Hurricanes Helene and Milton and climate change. And it’s never too early to send us your Conundrums at slate.com/conundrum.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David talk about media endorsements of political candidates. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Elizabeth Strout abou
Preparing Your Family For Disaster
On this episode: Jamilah, Zak and Elizabeth share what’s in their emergency kits and talk about their approaches to disaster preparedness. We’ll also share a dispatch from our Florida correspondent — whose family is, fortunately, safe and well. If you want to help Floridians recover from hurricanes Milton and Helene, check out the Florida Disaster Fund.For more on disaster preparedness: ready.govWe’ll also circle up for a round of triumphs and fails.Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfee
What Next: Getting Out Of Lebanon
How the State Department is evacuating Americans from Beirut—and how the war is influencing Lebanese-American voters living in a swing state.Guest:Amy Fallas, PhD candidate studying history in Beirut for the last year.Alabas Farhat, Michigan State Representative. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Si
Slow Burn: The Rise of Fox News - Ep. 4: Beacon of Truth
After 9/11, the Fox News Channel rallied a huge portion of the country around the Bush administration’s vision of the world. But as the U.S. marched to war in the Middle East, journalists, liberal watchdogs, and comedians began pushing back. Could The Daily Show, Fox News’ own liberal pundits, or an employee-turned-whistleblower take Fox down a peg?Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'
What Next: Diddy Was Indicted. Conspiracies Ran Wild.
The accusations against Sean “Diddy” Combs have grown in both number and grimness. Is this the music industry’s moment of reckoning? Guest: Nadira Goffe, associate culture writer at Slate.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcas
Outward: What Arabic LGBTQ+ Slang Tells Us with Marwan Kaabour
In this episode long-time friend of the show June Thomas sits down with the editor of The Queer Arab Glossary, Marwan Kaboour. The glossary is the first published collection of Arabic LGBTQ+ slang and covers a wide range of dialects across the arab world. Marwan details how he decided to organize the glossary and what the words reveal about queer culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Supreme Court’s Back. Uh Oh.
The Supreme Court term’s kicked off this week, and the cases in front of the nine justices could reshape American life in public, at home, and in the doctor’s office, for wide swaths of the country. The election, too, could be at the hands of the Court. Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer covering courts and the law.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple
Hang Up: No More Locker Room Talk
Split Zone Duo’s Alex Kirshner, Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh chat about the NFL Players Association’s calls to revoke media access to locker rooms, the controversy surrounding a transgender volleyball player at San Jose State, and the wild week in college football. On the Bonus episode, exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts discuss Pete Rose’s historic and sordid legacy. NFL Locker Rooms (2:35): Media access vs. player privacySan Jose State Volleyball (23:53
What Next: October 7th, One Year Later
A year after the initial Hamas attack on Israel, tens of thousands are dead, bombs are still falling, a regional war is expanding, and there’s no end in sight. Two writers reflect on the destruction, loss, and death.Guests: Peter Beinart is the Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents and the author of “The Beinart Notebook” on Substack.Mohammed R. Mhawish is Palestinian journalist who was evacuated from Rafah to Egypt in May. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to
Well, Now: What It’s Really Like to Take Ozempic
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, WeGovy, Mounjaro and others revolutionized weight loss and chronic weight management. But what does it feel like for the patients who take them?On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya talk with journalist and author Johann Hari. Over the course of a year, Johann dived into the research and history behind GLP-1 drugs and how they became the latest and most effective way to lose weight. All the while, he was also taking Ozempic himself. His latest book Magic P
What Next TBD | A.I. Goes Nuclear
Decades ago, Three Mile Island was shut down after a near catastrophic nuclear meltdown. So why is Microsoft paying over a billion dollars to open it back up? Guest: Matt Reynolds, senior writer at WiredWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you l
Outward: Surviving Hate and Finding Joy as a Trans Teen with Nico Lang
Outward hosts Bryan Lowder and Christina Cauterucci sit down with reporter and author Nico Lang to chat about their new book ‘American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era’. Nico’s book is a vivid and moving portrait of eight trans and nonbinary teenagers across the country, following their daily triumphs, struggles, and all that encompasses growing up trans in America today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Slate Money: Why Were the Striking Dockworkers Unpopular?
This week: the Longshoremen’s strike is over, and economic disaster has been averted. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the strike, sketchy union leader Harold Daggett, and how the White House put its thumb on the scales to help cut a deal. Also: OpenAI just had a $6.6 billion investment round, but the company is bleeding losses. Then: Dish Network wants to buy DirecTV for $1, but the bondholders who own its billions in debt might kill the deal.In the Plus bonus mini-episode
Amicus | What We’re Watching This New Supreme Court Term
Democracy had a pretty rough ride at the Supreme Court last term. Presidents have criminal immunity now! Agency experts aren’t the experts anymore! Sure, you can convert that rifle into an automatic weapon! And guess what? More horrors await us this term. But we are not going to spend this last episode before the start of a new term dispassionately picking over a smattering of cases for a lawyerly preview, or helplessly doom spiraling. Instead, we will hear from two women who refuse to blithely
A Word: Latinos for Trump…for Real
The majority of Latino voters have historically backed Democrats. But former President Donald Trump has polled very strongly around Latino Americans, despite villifying immigrants from Latin America. And several high profile leaders of the American far right are Latino. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the issue with Paola Ramos. She is an award-winning journalist, political analyst, and the author of Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America.
What Next TBD: Helene Proves Nowhere is Safe
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the idea of a climate haven has been upended. And as the climate change gets worse every year, fewer places will be safe from its devastation.Guest: Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post climate reporter covering humanity's response to a warming world.Keith Campbell, managing editor at the Asheville WatchdogWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today
Political Gabfest: JD Vance's Damning Non-Answer
This week, Jamelle Bouie of The New York Times joins John Dickerson and David Plotz to discuss the vice-presidential debate between Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance; the deadly conflict between Israel and Iran with Nathan Guttman of Israeli public television; and the federal indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Jamelle, John, and David talk with WyoFile’s Maya Shimizu Harris about the fight between the Wyoming Freedom Caucus and traditional Wyom
How Do I Raise Jewish Kids Right Now?
On this episode: Zak and Elizabeth are joined by Rachel Riskind, a longtime listener and mom to three Jewish kids. Together, they’ll commemorate Rosh Hashanah by reflecting on how to raise Jewish kids in the complicated world of 2024. Our community had a ton of questions and stories to share on everything from Gaza to fasting to how to explain to teachers that Hanukkah isn't that important.We’re excited to do more interfaith conversations soon, and we want to know what you think: so, email us at
What Next: Experts Feared a Wider War. It's Finally Here
With Israel sending airstrikes on Lebanon and deflecting missiles from Iran, the war has become what experts feared: a regional conflict. How much more will the fighting spread?Guest: Shane Harris, intelligence and national security reporter for the Washington Post. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page.
What Next: Vance and Walz Debate
The second, and likely final, debate of this presidential election was between JD Vance and Tim Walz, two Midwestern men with two very different visions of what government should do—and perhaps what America is.Guest: David Faris, politics professor at Roosevelt University and contributing writer for Slate. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clickin
Amicus | Sneak Preview: The RFK Jr Ballot Mess in North Carolina Was Just the Beginning
State Supreme Courts are vital to the functioning of American democracy. They are also where voting rights are enforced or eviscerated. This is especially true of North Carolina’s State Supreme Court, a battleground court in a battleground state. On a special bonus episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Stern (your Amicus Plus dream team) are joined by Justice Allison Riggs of North Carolina’s State Supreme Court for an in-depth interview on what’s at stake in North Carolina this year, and
Slow Burn: The Rise of Fox News - Ep. 3: The Other Guy’s Hamburger
For a decade and a half, CNN was peerless and ambitious, and it understood its place in the world. At least, it thought it did—until Fox News burst onto television screens. Could CNN save itself by becoming conservative or by going tabloid? And how would CNN and Fox respond when September 11 made the news more important than ever?Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'll also enjoy ad-fr
What Next: How To Debate JD Vance, From His Last Opponent
How Tim Ryan looks back on debating JD Vance in the 2022 Ohio Senate race—and how he would coach Tim Walz to win.Guest: Tim Ryan, former representative from Ohio who lost a Senate race to JD Vance in 2022.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever
What Next: Will Eric Adams Cost the Dems the House?
The federal indictment of Eric Adams is just the latest in a long line of embarrassing blow-ups, scandals, and unforced errors by the New York Democrats. Can they pull themselves together and deliver for the national party this time?Guest: Ross Barkan, journalist, essayist, and contributing writer to many places, including Slate, the Nation, and the New York Times Magazine. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your
What Next TBD: American Life is a Highway
America is caught in a vicious cycle of trying to alleviate traffic by expanding and building more highways, only for them to clog right up with more cars. How do you beat the traffic?Guest: David Zipper, Senior Fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative who writes about transportation policy.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the to
A Word: Tech’s Race Reckoning
Silicon Valley is a place where big ideas are transformed into thriving businesses and multi-billion dollar fortunes. But it has also built a reputation for being a boys club, with limited opportunities, harassment, and sometimes open hostility to women in its workforce. Women of color remain severely underrepresented in the world of Big Tech, with just an estimated 3% of industry jobs held by Black women. So what’s the path ahead for African Americans in Big Tech, and is the prize worth the fig
Well, Now: The Truth About IUDs
Modern IUDs have been used for decades to prevent unwanted pregnancy and have been extremely effective at doing so.But they’re not without side effects. With few places to turn, many patients have resorted to TikTok to describe their experiences of painful insertion and removal as well as cramping, changes in menstruation, and mood shifts.But patients don’t have to be left in the dark. If there was more research into how different bodies react to IUDs, there’s a chance patients can get the care
Slate Money: How Nike Shoes Got Lame
This week: the tragic tale of Nike, Foot Locker, and Bed Bath and Beyond. Bloomberg’s Kim Bhasin joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss his recent piece on the downfall of the Nike brand and the peril of direct-to-consumer marketing. Then, they discuss Kim’s other feature on Jamie Salter, the man who made a fortune buying up mall “zombie brands” like Izod and Brook’s Brothers. Finally: The DOJ is suing Visa for monopolistic practices, but will it mean anything or ordinar
Amicus: The Next Supreme Court Gun Fight
In this week's Amicus, Mark Joseph Stern steps in for Dahlia Lithwick to preview the upcoming Supreme Court term and dive into the high-stakes case of Garland v. VanDerStok. This critical case examines the legality of 'ghost guns'—untraceable firearms that can be assembled at home from kits bought online. Stern talks with Eric Tirschwell, executive director and chief litigation counsel of Everytown Law, the litigation arm of Everytown for Gun Safety. Stern and Tirschwell discuss the profound pub
What Next TBD: Big Tech Fears Her
Over the last decade, the European Union has been the vanguard regulating Big Tech, and the push has been led by Margrethe Vestager. As she steps down, Vestager is looking both back at the battles she’s fought, and how the fight will continue. Guest: Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition. the European Commission’s Executive Vice President on a Europe Fit for the Digital Age.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next fam
Political Gabfest: North Carolina Crazies
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what’s happening with the Kamala Harris v. Donald Trump race, what to expect with the Tim Walz v. JD Vance debate, how crazy Mark Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign in North Carolina has become, and whether college can survive careerism. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, David, Emily, and John discuss the all-important Electoral College vote of Nebraska’s 2ndcongressional district. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks
What Next: Will North Carolina Pick The President?
Winning North Carolina would make Kamala Harris’s path to the White House much easier. And to judge from the huge campaign push, Democrats think the state is in play. Can a strong ground game—and a major Republican scandal—sink Donald Trump’s re-election bid?Guest: Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history at Catawba CollegeWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on
Fighting for Non-Binary Inclusivity in Athletics with Cal Calamia
In this episode, Outward hosts Jules Gill-Peterson, Bryan Lowder, and Christina Cauterucci sit down with non-binary marathoner Cal Calamia to talk about their journey into competitive racing. Cal shares how they first got into running and how their experiences as a non-binary, trans-masculine athlete have shaped their advocacy. From battling outdated USADA regulations on hormone therapy to pushing for non-binary categories in major marathons, Cal gives insight into the work they do to make compe
Slow Burn: The Rise of Fox News - Ep. 2: A Network for Normal People
Before he ran Fox News, Roger Ailes launched a very different kind of channel. America’s Talking was his vision of the future of television: a strange, slapdash, mostly apolitical cable network. When that dream got snatched away from him, Ailes went on a revenge mission—and made a connection with Rupert Murdoch.Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'll also enjoy ad-free listening to all
What Next: Why More Democrats Are Buying Guns
Why are more liberals taking up arms? And how could the trend change the conversation about guns in America? Guest: Cameron McWhirter, national affairs reporter for The Wall Street Journal covering mass shootings, violent protests, and natural disasters across the South and author of American Gun: the True Story of the AR-15.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple
What Next: The New Rules of Campus Protest
How universities and colleges are trying to keep student protests under control—or embracing a raucously political campus.Guests: Sophie Hurwitz, politics and social movements reporter at Mother Jones.Michael S. Roth is the president of Wesleyan University.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up n
What Next: What Was The Point of Israel’s Pager Attack?
What message was Israel sending to Hezbollah, its backers, and the population of Lebanon, by blowing up pagers and walkie-talkies last week? And does the international community view this act as a violation of the laws of armed conflict?Guest: Shane Harris, intelligence and national security reporter at the Washington Post. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple P
What Next TBD: Trump Called. Laura Loomer Answered.
Given Laura Loomer’s history of saying outright offensive and often bewildering things, how did she get into the Trump campaign’s inner circle? Guest: Ken Bensinger, New York Times politics reporter.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you list
A Word: Yvette Nicole Brown: Caring and Community
Yvette Nicole Brown spent years working in Hollywood before she got her big break. Then she rose to fame with her comedic turns in Community and Drake & Josh. But her latest –and perhaps most important– role is as caregiver to her father. That experience is at the heart of her storytelling as host of the new podcast Squeezed, focused on the millions of Americans who find themselves balancing caregiving with careers. On today’s episode of A Word, Yvette Nicole Brown speaks with Jason Johnson abou
Well, Now: Who Cares for the Caregivers?
Nearly half of healthcare workers are at a breaking point, describing that they often or very often feel burnt out on the job.Most of us have heard the phrase “Put on your oxygen mask before helping others,” but rarely does that happen especially for those who work as caregivers.Psychiatrist Dr. Jessi Gold knows this firsthand when her mental overload caused her to make an unthinkable mistake with a patient. This error forced her to step back and reassess her relationship with the healthcare ind
Slate Money: The Fed Rate Cut is a New Beginning
Mortgage rates are down! Inflation is less inflation-y! Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what the Fed’s interest rate cut means for the American economy — and American voters. Also: Trump is promising tax cuts like there’s no tomorrow, but are any of them good ideas? And Axel Springer is spinning off its media empire in yet another news business shakeup.In the Plus bonus mini-episode: Tupperware is bankrupt, but it shall live on in the underground communist container-sharin
Amicus: The Chief Justice Tips His Hand
Chief Justice John Roberts has been labeled by some as the serious centrist at the court, and he seemed to embrace and internalize that. But the New York Times’ revelations about behind-the-scenes maneuvers favoring Trump in last term's insurrection cases shattered that illusion once and for all. The Chief’s stance in these cases surprised the Roberts-as-twinkly-eyed-institutionalist brigade, but did not, apparently, shock this week’s guest, Linda Greenhouse. Greenhouse was the New York Times Su
Political Gabfest: Who Is Responsible For Political Violence?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss political violence and its consequences; the state of the presidential race; and The Rise of Fox News with Slow Burn’s Josh Levin. Podcast production by Cheyna RothResearch by Julie HuygenPublic.com+Public Investing: All investing involves risk. Brokerage services for US listed securities, options and bonds in a self-directed brokerage account are offered by Public Investing, member FINRA & SIPC. Not investment advice. Public Inve
What Next: Inside Israel’s October 7th Tourism
Scores of Jews from around the world are visiting Israel to tour the grounds of the Nova music festival and burned out kibbutzim, bearing witness and reflecting on the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. The trips are shoring up Israel’s tourism industry after the war brought it to an abrupt halt—but critics say the narrow focus on this tragedy pushes the suffering of Gazans to the periphery, even as bombs drop less than 10 miles away from the tourists.Guest: Maya Rosen, Israel/Palestine Fellow at Jewish Curr
Outward: The LGBTQ Moments and Misses at the DNC with Madeline Ducharme
In this episode, guest host Daisy Rosario talks to ‘What’s Next’ producer Madeline Ducharme about her experience at the DNC. They break down the queerest moments and examine the Democratic party’s queer agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Slow Burn: The Rise of Fox News | 1. We Report. You Can Suck It.
When the Fox News Channel launched in 1996, critics called it disorganized, incompetent, and laughably inept. But it wouldn’t be a joke for long. During the 2000 election, Fox News would captivate the nation – and just maybe change the fate of American democracy.Want more from Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full access to all seasons, including members-only bonus episodes from The Rise of Fox News. You'll also enjoy ad-free listening to all of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now by
What Next | The View from Springfield, Ohio
The story of Springfield, Ohio—as told by the people who live there—is nothing like the one heard from the debate stage. Guest: Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schw
What Next: When Cops Police Your Vote
Law enforcement units looking to prevent voter fraud are popping up from Texas to Virginia—but are they trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist—or simply targeting groups they’d prefer didn’t vote?Guest: Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, author of “Minority Rule: The Right Wing Attack on the Will of the People and the Fight to Resist It.”Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your
Hang Up: The U.S. Wins Solheim!
Split Zone Duo’s Alex Kirshner, Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh reunite to talk about the U.S. women’s first victory at the Solheim Cup in eight years. They also discuss the Oakland Athletics’ move to Sacramento, and Tua Tagovailoa’s latest frightening concussion. On the bonus episode, Slate Plus members can hear chat about A’ja Wilson’s historic WNBA season.LPGA (2:12): The U.S. beats Europe at the Solheim Cup.Oakland A’s (28:07): The Athletics are on to Sacramento, b
What Next: The Kamala Endorsement (Taylor’s Version)
When Taylor Swift stated she was voting for Kamala Harris, a large segment of Swifties breathed a sigh of relief. How did Swift’s politics become so important—and will her endorsement make a difference in November? Guest: Brian Donovan, professor of sociology at the University of Kansas who teaches a college course called “The Sociology of Taylor Swift.” Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podc
Decoder Ring: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie… Will He Want a Welfare Check?
Adults have a long history of trying to find morals and lessons in children’s literature. But what happens when a seemingly innocent book about a boy and a hungry mouse becomes fodder for the culture wars? Over the last decade, Laura Joffe Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie has been adopted by some on the right as a cautionary tale about government welfare. In this episode, we explore the origins of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the history of adults extracting unintended meaning from child
What Next TBD: Is Boeing Lost in Space?
Boeing’s Starliner has now landed successfully—but Butch and Sunny weren’t on it. With a pair of astronauts still stuck on the ISS, when will NASA be ready to bring them back? And how?Guest: Micah Maidenberg, space business reporter for the Wall Street Journal.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up
Well, Now: How to Prepare for Back-to-School Season
Summer is ending and school is officially back in session. For many, a new school year is the perfect time to create new goals and establish a routine. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we are joined by primary care pediatrician, Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez. She discusses the importance of navigating the back-to-school season as a family, highlighting how parents can support their children and prioritize health and wellness.If you liked this episode, check out: Spring Cleaning Your Medicine Cabi
Slate Money: Fasten Your Seatbelt, Boeing
Next up in Boeing’s year of hell: A worker strike. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the planemaker’s endemic labor issues, whether just snacking around is better than eating full meals, and how banks convinced the Fed to reverse course on Basel III Endgame regulations. In the Plus bonus mini-episode, the hosts talk about the rise and fall of hotel room service and the allure of breakfast in bed.Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.Want more Slate Money? Subsc
Amicus: Why Ron DeSantis Hates Direct Democracy
Republicans from Ohio to Arkansas, from South Dakota to Florida and from Nebraska to Missouri have been throwing everything at trying to keep abortion ballot measures from actually reaching voters. In this week’s Amicus - a deep look at efforts to stifle and chill direct democracy in the states, post Dobbs. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Jessica Valenti, the author of Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win, and Lauren Brenzel, the campaign director for Yes on 4 in Florida,
A Word: How Kamala Harris Stumped Trump
It wasn’t even close. That was the verdict of most of the media—and millions of Americans—after the presidential debate on Tuesday. After Vice President Kamala Harris dominated former President Donald Trump on the debate stage, Trump has pledged not to debate her again. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Christina Greer, a professor of political science at Fordham University, and the author of Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream. The two
Political Gabfest: Donald Trump Takes The Bait
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Kamala Harris’ win against Donald Trump in the presidential debate; the Harris endorsements by Taylor Swift and Dick and Liz Cheney; and election integrity with Professor Nathaniel Persily of Stanford Law School.Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: Willa Paskin and Cheyna Roth for Decoder Ring: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie… Will He Want a Welfare Check? and Wangjie Hu et al. in Science: Genomic inference of a severe human bottlene
What Next: The Pandemic Lessons We’ve Forgotten
Rather than coming out of the pandemic with a new toolkit of public health measures or even personal habits, the response to this summer’s long wave of COVID infections has mostly been to continue with business as usual. But business as usual seems inadequate with mpox and bird flu crises on the horizon. Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter at the New York Times.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and acr
What Next: Trump and Harris, Head to Head
How did the first debate—with these particular candidates—go? Were minds changed?Guest: David Faris, politics professor at Roosevelt University and a contributing writer for Slate. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast produ
Outward | Kamala Harris’ Record on Trans Rights
This week, Christina Cauterucci speaks to journalists S.I. Rosenbaum and Josie Riesman about their Slate article Kamala Harris’ Surprising Record on Trans Rights. From the national conference she convened to counter the “gay panic” and “trans panic” defense, to her denial of gender-affirming surgery for an incarcerated trans person, a look back on key moments in Kamala Harris’ career reveal a complicated political track record on trans rights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm
What Next: Her Sister Died in 9-11. She Almost Got Justice.
After 12 years of “pretrial proceedings,” and 23 years after the crime in question, prosecutors announced that a plea deal had been reached with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and two of his accomplices, who were accused of planning the Sept. 11 attacks. When Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin canceled the deal, some relatives of those who died on 9/11 were devastated.Guest: Terry Kay Rockefeller, founding member of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Pl
Podcasting Is Dead
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: a fond farewell.This is the last episode of Hear Me Out. And it comes at a volatile, strange time in the world of podcasting. Networks’ priorities have shifted, the money has shifted, and “success” means different things to different people. Nick Hilton of Podot and Future Proof joins us for a discussion about the future of podcasting… whether we’re in it or not.The Hear Me Out team is grateful, endlessly, to every single listener who’s sent us a note. We’re no
Hang Up: The NFL's Nine-Figure Quarterback Crisis
Slate contributing writer and co-host of the podcast Split Zone Duo, Alex Kirshner is back in the host chair this week. Joining Alex is the founder of the Power Plays newsletter, Lindsay Gibbs, and Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald. The panel comb through NFL Week 1, the American near victories at the US Open, and Angel Reese’s season-ending injury. In the Bonus episode, Slate Plus members can hear a discussion about Deion Sanders' disappointing Buffaloes.NFL (3:13): The big budgets and big gambles
What Next: Should Parents Face Charges for Kids’ Crimes?
After the school shooting in Georgia last week, charges were brought against the 14-year-old alleged gunman—and also against his father. Who’s really responsible?Guest: Josie Duffy Rice, journalist focused on prosecutors, prisons, and other criminal justice issues and host of What A Day.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the
A Word: The Dark Side of the Force
The New York Police Department is perhaps the most famous—or notorious—police force in America, depending on who you talk to. Some see it as a group of thousands of dedicated civil servants, devoted to public safety. Others say the department is rife with corruption, tangled in politics, and—at best—indifferent to the racist brutality its officers visit on Black citizens of the city.Now, a new podcast aims to shed light on the complicated history of the N.Y.P.D. and race. “Empire City” is a new
TBD | The Misguided Buzz About Mosquitoes
An outbreak of eastern equine encephalitis in the northeast made headlines, but as far as mosquito-borne illnesses go, EEE is serious but still rare. What’s getting way too common is the mosquito itself.Guest: Amesh Adalja, doctor and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health SecurityWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” a
Well, Now: What Drag Queens Can Teach Us About Healthcare
Drag is one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment, and has been making its way into the mainstream in recent years. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we are joined by drag queen, actress, and trans activist, Miss Peppermint. She provides insight on self-advocacy, and how to navigate the healthcare system despite society’s tendencies to overlook transgender health.If you liked this episode, check out: Ending Racism in HealthcareWell, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist M
Slate Money: The Chase Glitch Proves Checks Are Stupid
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers debate one of the great questions of our time: Do Gen Zs even get checks? They can write them at least, as proved by the recent Chase check fraud TikTok fad. Also: the “founder mode” trend has Silicon Valley types in a tizzy, but does it apply to women CEOs? And what’s Japanese knotweed, and why is it destroying Elizabeth’s house? In the Plus bonus mini-episode, the hosts talk about the rise and fall of hotel room service and the allure o
Amicus: Subvert the Election, But Make It Legal
The 2024 election is already underway, with some states already sending out ballots for mail-in voting. But as democrats are basking in the waning glow of their brat summer, the republican party spent the summer on a “protect the vote” tour, spearheaded by RNC co-chair and DJT daughter-in-law Lara Trump. It’s a pretty clever step — from “Stop the Steal” to “Protect the Vote” — and it’s just one of the lessons the MAGA party learned from the failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election. This week
What Next TBD: US v. Google… Again
A month after a federal judge declared that Google was operating as a monopoly because of its search engine, the Justice Department has alleged that Google’s ad business was breaking antitrust law as well. What if Google loses again?Guest: Leah Nylen, Bloomberg antitrust reporter.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our
Political Gabfest: Why Isn’t Harris Doing Better?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the state of the presidential race; the possibility of a hostages-for-Gaza-ceasefire deal with Ruth Margalit of The New Yorker; and foreign interference in U.S. politics. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Joshua Leifer about his book, Tablets Shattered. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Ch
What Next: Who—and Why—Israelis Are Protesting
Will the deaths of six hostages mark a turning point in how Israelis view the war in Gaza—and how Netanyahu’s government is conducting it?Guest: Yair Rosenberg, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of its newsletter Deep ShtetlWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnex
What Next: Could Arlington Cost Trump Military Votes?
How much do military voters and their families care about Trump attempting a campaign stop at Arlington National Cemetery?Guest: Leo Shane III, deputy editor for the Military Times.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast produ
Presidential Pardons Need Reform
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: pardon interruption.What’s the purpose of the presidential pardon? Well, depends on who you ask — hypothetically, it’s meant for course-correction and honoring restorative justice. But presidents on both ends of the spectrum have used it for purposes that are distinctly not that. So do we need the pardon or do we need to get rid of it… and either way, what’s next?Kim Wehle joins us once again to talk about her new book, Pardon Power.Hear Me Out ends next week.
What Next: Why Shein and Temu Are At War
Can fast-fashion giant Shein go public while fending off accusations of bad labor practices, the US government, and a back-and-forth war with newcomer Temu?Guest: Mia Sato, platforms and communities reporter at the Verge. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get
What Next TBD: Telegram's CEO Just Got Arrested. Huh?
Telegram was supposed to be the platform with the freest of free speech, which meant it was also rife with the worst the internet has to offer—"criminal activity” puts it lightly. But are French authorities setting a dangerous precedent with the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov? Guest: Joseph Menn, tech reporter for the Washington Post covering privacy and security.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite S
A Word: Prayer, Politics, and Power Shifts
Election season brings politicians of all parties to the doors of Black churches, looking for photo ops, votes, and support from powerful pastors. But the traditional Black church is—like many American faith communities—shrinking. And a growing number of middle-class African Americans are worshiping in more diverse congregations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Dr. Jason E. Shelton, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for African American Studies at the Uni
Slate Money: Is This Company Keeping the Rent Too Damn High?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the lawsuit against RealPage, a software company the DOJ says helps landlords collude to keep rents too damn high. Also: Was Nvidia’s earnings report worth the hype? And Australia got a new “right to disconnect.” Will Americans ever get to unplug? In the bonus mini-episode, the hosts debate whether airports should limit alcohol and the promise and peril of drinking on planes.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for S
Amicus: The Legal Fallout of Trump’s Immunity (Preview)
In the last episode of our series The Law According to Trump, we try to figure out what it all means. In the months since SCOTUS gave Trump even more immunity than he asked for, the people prosecuting the former president are finding themselves in uncharted waters. How are they doing? Slate’s Jurisprudence editor Jeremy Stahl talks with host Andrea Bernstein about how Jack Smith has tweaked the election interference cases, as well as how Trump’s legal approach has changed since the Supreme Court
What Next TBD: Back To School… Without Phones
Since the pandemic, schools have been reporting that their students are more anxious and having trouble learning. How much does simply removing cell phones from the classroom address these problems?Guests: Laura Meckler, national education writer for the Washington PostRussell Shaw, head of Georgetown Day School and author of “Why We’re Banning Phones at Our School” for the Atlantic.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all
Political Gabfest: Will Harris and Trump Actually Debate?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Kamala Harris-Donald Trump debate and other campaign goings-on; the January 6th and classified documents cases brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith; and the national housing shortage with Conor Dougherty of The New York Times. Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: Wayne Homes: The Great Debate: Front Porch vs. Back Porch; Mariah Timms for The Wall Street Journal: Lawsuits Fly Over Election Rules and Who Gets to Vote; Fin Gómez
Political Gabfest: Will Harris and Trump Actually Debate?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Kamala Harris-Donald Trump debate and other campaign goings-on; the January 6th and classified documents cases brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith; and the national housing shortage with Conor Dougherty of The New York Times. Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: Wayne Homes: The Great Debate: Front Porch vs. Back Porch; Mariah Timms for The Wall Street Journal: Lawsuits Fly Over Election Rules and Who Gets to Vote; Fin Gómez
Gus Walz Loves His Dad. Here’s Why It Matters
On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy, and guest host Maribel Quezada-Smith circle up to talk about the viral moment surrounding Gus Walz’s appearance at the DNC last week — and what it meant to us, and our community, as parents of neurodivergent kids, and especially of boys. We’ll also tackle a round of Triumphs & Fails — including a story about a very special language lesson. Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s
What Next: JD Vance’s Anti-Rizz
Say what you will about Donald Trump, the man can work a crowd. His running mate on the other hand…Guest: Sam Adams, Slate writer and senior editor for Slate’s Culture department.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast product
The Internet History of Kamala Harris
Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe and former host of Vox’s The Weeds Jonquilyn Hill. Vice President Kamala Harris has been a public servant for more than 20 years, but her internet history is just as storied and rife with awkward singing, baffling laughter, and accidental viral hits. From coconut trees to Venn diagrams, ICYMI dives into Harris’ relationship with the internet, the K-Hive, and her hall of fame memes.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy
What Next: Venezuela’s Opposition Brought Receipts
Why has this Venezuelan presidential election led to so much violence and controversy?Guest: Ana Vanessa Herrero, Washington Post correspondent based in Venezuela, reporting on South America. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Po
There’s No Lesser-Evil Candidate
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: PSL (not the drink).Claudia de la Cruz cannot, mathematically, win the presidency. But she’s running anyway… because the two-party system doesn’t lend itself to real representation or the public interest.Claudia joins us to make the case for voting socialist, because the parties with all the power aren’t as different as they want you to think.We’ll also share an important update about the future of Hear Me Out at the end of the episode. After that, please feel
What Next: Is Kamala Harris Progressive?
Since becoming the nominee, Kamala Harris has renounced some of her more progressive policy goals from her 2020 campaign, tacking closer to the Biden administration line and political center. So far, though, it hasn’t cost her progressive support.Guest: Pramila Jayapal, U.S. representative for the 7th congressional district of Washington. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe t
What Next: The Georgia Election Laboratory
Do Georgia’s new “electoral integrity” laws create more faith in the voting process—or just make it more restrictive?Guest: Sam Gringlas, politics reporter at WABE in Atlanta.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production
What Next TBD: Who’s Going to Regulate AI?
Why are national politicians like Nancy Pelosi lining up alongside artificial intelligence companies to oppose safety regulations on this new industry proposed in California’s state legislature? Guest: Rachael Myrow, senior editor on KQED’s Silicon Valley news desk.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sig
Well, Now: How to Reclaim Your Life After a Health Crisis
Every year, millions of Americans experience a stroke. Though the focus is often on prevention and immediate care, many patients are left with long-term effects for years –or even a lifetime– afterward. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we dive into new approaches to overcome the cognitive and physical disabilities that often follow a stroke. Dr. Rajiv Ratan, executive director at Burke Neurological Institute, offers his insights. If you liked this episode, check out – Gut Check: How to Maste
A Word: Masters of the House…and the Senate
Many congressional staffers and workers on Capitol Hill have argued that, regardless of the party in power, the institution hasn’t evolved much on diversity in the workplace. And that means African Americans are frequently underrepresented in high level jobs, and can often be targets of racism and abuse during their work. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Dr. James R. Jones, the author of The Last Plantation: Racism and Resistance in the Halls of Congress. The two discuss
Amicus: The Forgotten Jan 6th Case Against Trump
Former President Donald J Trump keeps figuring out ways to escape criminal liability. The Supreme Court has thrown a wrench into the insurrection case and delayed sentencing in the campaign finance hush money case, while a Florida judge helped him slip out from under charges of recklessly mishandling classified documents… at least, for now.But Trump has seen less success defending himself in civil courtrooms - including two judgments against him in defamation cases brought by writer E. Jean Carr
Slate Money: Disney’s Wrongful Death Nightmare
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Disney’s disastrous attempt to block a man from seeking justice for his deceased wife and the impact of the forced arbitration clauses most of us sign. Also: The political fallout of Kamala Harris’ vague remarks on price control and the White House’s “vibe-rarian,” and what the rise of sports betting means for the financial well-being of ordinary Americans. In the Plus bonus episode: Will a new CEO be a much-needed espresso shot f
What Next TBD: Crypto Courts the 2024 Vote
The last crypto boom left the industry cash-rich and reputation-poor, so they’re doing what any beleaguered industry does—donating to politicians.Guest: Zeke Faux, investigative reporter for Bloomberg and author of Number Go Up.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to
Political Gabfest: The Democrats ‘Do Something’ Convention
This week, John Dickerson returns and joins Emily Bazelon and David Plotz to discuss the Democratic National Convention; presidential polls; and overtourism. Here are this week’s chatters:John: @jdickerson on Threads: Background Sounds on iPhoneEmily: Tablets Shattered by Joshua Leifer; Gabfest Reads: Where Does the American Jewish Experience Go from Here?; and Ginia Bellafante for The New York Times: A Bookshop Cancels an Event Over a Rabbi’s Zionism, Prompting OutrageDavid: David Wade for WBZ
What Next: The DNC Is A Party. How Long Will It Last?
They swapped candidates, are on the offensive, and almost all in accord. The Democrats are suddenly feeling good. Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer at Slate.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena S
What Next: Chicago's Mayor on the Democrats' Toughest Issue
What happened when a blue city inherited a red state problem. Guests: Brandon Johnson, mayor of the city of Chicago.Dr. Kenneth D. Phelps, senior pastor at Concord Missionary Baptist Church (CMBC) in Chicago.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherev
What Next: Can Kamala Harris Win “Uncommitted” Democrats?
Democrats frustrated by Joe Biden’s policy towards Israel and Gaza voted for “uncommitted” in the primaries, notably in the crucial swing state of Michigan. Does Kamala Harris have an opportunity to reach those voters now?Guest: Yazan “Yaz” Kader, uncommitted DNC delegate from the state of Washington and registered nurse.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podc
What Next: The Gender War Election
Voters, especially young voters, increasingly split parties along gender lines. Can an “all-disaffected-men” strategy propel the Republicans back to the White House, or is the Democrats’ “freedom” messaging broad enough to win the election? Guest: Jill Filipovic, journalist, lawyer, and author of OK Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind and The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Nex
A Word: Seeds of Justice for Black Farmers
In a recent CBS News interview, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance charged that the Biden administration was favoring Black farmers over white farmers in federal policy. That came days after the US Department of Agriculture began distributing more than $2 billion in relief to Black and other marginalized farmers who suffered historic discrimination from the agency. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by John Boyd, Jr., a family farmer and the president of the Nationa
What Next TBD: The Rise of Off-Brand Ozempic
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are in high demand and short supply. The internet makes it easy for you to have a compounding pharmacy whip you up a batch—but should you?Guest: Kate Knibbs, senior writer at Wired. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access
Well, Now: Food Is More Than Fuel
We all know the food we eat directly impacts our physical health. But that’s just the start of the story.Food fuels our emotional well-being, connects us with one another, and fosters a key source of identity.On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with award-winning food journalist Mary Beth Albright on her new book Eat & Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well-Being.If you liked this episode, check out: No, Netflix Isn’t Forcing You to Go VeganWell, Now is hosted by registered dietitia
Amicus: Don’t Pardon Trump’s Pardons
The power of the presidential pardon is a holdover from America’s colonial roots. But no one had used it like former President Trump. Over and over he kept pardoning his allies, and then, he’d welcome them back into the fold. . It seemed like he was rewarding these criminals for their loyalty, and belittling whole categories of crime, like fraud, campaign finance violations, and corruption. Is that what was really happening?This week in our series called The Law According to Trump, we go deeper
Slate Money: Nate Silver and the Secret World of Risk-Takers
This week, author and data journalist Nate Silver joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spires to discuss his new book On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything, a deep dive into the risk-taking class that shapes modern society. They discuss the low-risk world of “the village,” and the community of high stakes, go-big-or-go-home investors on “the river.” How do these reams affect investments, AI, and politics? In the Plus segment: Nate gives his election forecast and the hosts debate ho
What Next TBD: Elon Musk’s Bully Pulpit
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter - now X - in 2022, he’s increasingly used it to push his conservative views. A suit against a non-profit brand safety group of advertisers and an exclusive interview with former President Trump show that Elon was never interested in keeping Twitter as a town square, but rather, a soapbox for him to push his political agenda. Guest: Nitish Pahwa, associate writer for business and tech at SlateWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free list
Political Gabfest: Are We Really Still Talking About Crowd Size?
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Marin Cogan of Vox to discuss how the media is reporting on election disinformation and misinformation and Donald Trump’s lies; Vice President Kamala Harris defining Candidate Kamala Harris; and more guns, less violent crime. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Marin Cogan for Vox: What happens when everyone decides they need a gun? and Nicole Narea: Violent crime is plummeting. Why?Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: X
What Next: Would You Die For MrBeast?
MrBeast is known for videos that blend stunts and philanthropy, but his new team-up with Amazon and MGM is bringing some of his less savory aspects to light.Guest: Madison Malone Kircher, reporter covering internet culture for The New York TimesWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.
What Next: Trump Seems Lost. But Can He Lose?
Donald Trump’s presidential opponent has changed—can he? Should he?Guest: Tom Nichols, staff writer at the Atlantic and professor emeritus at the U.S. Naval College. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena
What Next: How Boeing Stranded Two Astronauts
It was supposed to be the triumphant rollout of Boeing’s new, reusable space taxi. Now NASA’s trying to find some other way to get two astronauts home.Guest: Joey Roulette, space reporter at Reuters.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you li
Fact-Checks Make Audiences Suspicious
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: pants on fire.The fact-check is a critical tool in the journalist’s toolbox – and now more than ever, it’s a key part of the job. The problem is that it’s already hard to make the case that definitive “true and false” designations exist anymore… and, it turns out, audiences might be made more suspicious of journalists who fact check, not less.Randy Stein of Cal Poly Pomona joins Hear Me Out to discuss his new research about debunkings and public trust. If you h
Hang Up: Au Revoir, Paris
Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the Dream Team’s close calls on the road to gold, and the U.S. women’s basketball team’s narrow victory, too. They break down the quick overhaul of the U.S. women’s soccer team, which won its first gold medal since 2012. Finally, they assess whether the visually beautiful and athletically compelling Paris Games restored the Olympics’ luster.Basketball (4:12): The U.S. men and women survived gold-medal scares from host France.Soccer (19:25): The new-look U.S.
What Next: AIPAC Vs. The Squad
A Republican-backed organization is spending millions to unseat progressive Democrats—and it’s succeeding.Guest: Alexander Sammon, Slate politics writer.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Pai
A Word: Project 2025: A Contract on Black America?
Project 2025, the massive Heritage Foundation policy blueprint, has become a major issue on the campaign trail for Democrats. While former President Trump has tried to distance himself from the document, many members of his administration and inner circle worked to draft it. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News. They discuss Project 2025, what it could mean for the Black community, and what elements may already b
Well, Now: No, Netflix Isn’t Forcing You to Go Vegan
Research going back decades shows adding more fruits, vegetables, and non-animal sources of protein helps us live longer, healthier lives. A study featured in the Netflix docuseries You Are What You Eat: A Twin Study took that to the next level. Stanford researchers asked 22 sets of identical twins to go 8 weeks eating a healthy, varied diet and regularly exercising. One twin ate an omnivore diet, the other vegan.On this week’s episode of Well, Now we talk to the lead researcher of the “twin stu
What Next TBD: Tesla’s Out of Juice. But Are EVs?
The hype has slowed but electric vehicles aren’t going away—once the infrastructure is in place, they’ll go everywhere.Guests: Nitish Pahwa, associate writer for business and tech at Slate.Paula Gardner, business reporter for Bridge MichiganWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/wha
Amicus: Michael Cohen and the Trump Lawyers Who Get Burned
Even before he was president, Donald Trump was known for stiffing his lawyers. But considering how the stakes changed once he took the Oval Office, not getting paid seemed like a pleasant option. During and after his presidency, lawyers who represented Trump have pleaded guilty in election fraud cases, campaign finance cases and more. So why do they keep representing him? Is this risk of jailtime worth the reward of…well, what is the reward?In this next installment of The Law According to Trump,
Slate Money: What the Heck is Going on in Japan?
This week, Felix Salmon is joined by guest hosts Shira Ovide of the Washington Post and Anna Szymanski of Reuters to discuss Japan’s market chaos, the guilty verdict in Google’s monopoly case, and whether Boeing’s new CEO can fly the company out of a storm of troubles. In the Plus bonus episode: The hosts go to the Mountain Dew belt to discuss the state of soda and the rise of non-alcoholic beer.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free
What Next TBD: Google’s a Monopoly. What About The Rest?
Should the other Silicon Valley giants be worried following the Department of Justice’s decisive win against Google? Guest: Leah Nylen, antitrust reporter at BloombergWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Evan Cam
Political Gabfest: These Walz Could Talk
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government to discuss the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz; Google’s search monopoly and antitrust trial loss; and the guilty-plea deals in three 9/11 cases undone by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.Here are this week’s chatters:Juliette: NBC: Paris 2024 and International Olympic Committee: Olympic ChannelEmily: International Olympic Committee:
What Next: The Olympics Meet the Culture Wars
How Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting—two women boxers fighting in the gender category they were assigned at birth—became the targets of trans panic and subject to another round of “but is she woman enough?” at the Olympics. Guest: Rose Eveleth, reporter and host of the podcast Tested, from NPR and CBC.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Fr
Outward: Is Telehealth the Answer for Gender Affirming Care? with Sohini Desai
This week Jules speaks with journalist Sohini Desai about their latest article for Slate ‘Trans Health Care Is Under Attack. But Are Concierge Providers Really the Solution?’ Together they break down what these services offer and whether they can make a meaningful difference for trans people accessing healthcare across the country. Produced by Palace Shaw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Why It Had to Be Walz
How Minnesota Governor Tim Walz slipped past VP-favorite Josh Shapiro and joined Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket.Guest: Guest: David Faris, associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and author of The Kids Are All Left and It’s Time to Fight Dirty.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our
The Olympics Are a Tool of Oppression
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: opening ceremonies (and a can of worms).We come to you midway through the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. But amid the patriotism, athletic prowess, and sheer spectacle of these games — the most watched and streamed to date, by some measures — there’s also concerns about geopolitical power, human rights abuses, and the facilitation of facism. MacIntosh Ross of Windsor University joins us to talk about the uglier facets of the Olympic Games.If you have thoughts yo
What Next: How Trump Got Ice Cube
Once one of the most politically confrontational artists in music, Ice Cube has become a surprising asset to Donald Trump.Guest: Joel Anderson, staff writer for Slate and the host of Seasons 3, 6, and 8 of Slow Burn.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get acces
Hang Up: The World’s Fastest Human (Barely)
Morgan Campbell, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Noah Lyles’ stunning win in the men’s 100 meters and Sha’Carri Richardson’s silver in the women’s. Slate’s Christina Cauterucci explains the controversy about the women boxers accused of failing a gender-eligibility test. Plus, Olympics potpourri, including NBC’s announcing fails, tennis genius, and archery thrills.100 meters (2:34): Noah Lyles nipped Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in one of the most exciting races in Olympics history.Women’s bo
What Next: Project 2025 Isn't Dead, It's Born Again
The Trump campaign washed its hands of Project 2025. A second Trump term would almost certainly be guided by it.Guest: Sam Adler-Bell, host of the Know Your Enemy podcast.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by E
What Next TBD: If They Can Get Sydney Sweeney They Can Get You
Earlier this month, AT&T was hit by the largest telecom hack ever. Not long after, Sydney Sweeney’s phone number was stolen by criminals, who used it to hack her social media and promote a memecoin. With how much sensitive data telecom companies have on us, why is their security so bad? And how can we protect ourselves? Guests: Joseph Cox, investigative reporter and cofounder of 404 media.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family a
Well, Now: How to Avoid Heat-Related Illness
It’s a fact that summers around the world are reaching record-breaking temperatures.Heat-related illness and death have hit a crisis point, and staying cool is more important than ever.On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with someone living in one of the country's hottest states. Dr. Richard Carmona is a career first responder with more than 50 years of experience caring for people in crisis. A veteran of the U.S. Army as a special forces medic, Carmona also served as the 17th U.S. Surg
Amicus: Why Donald Trump Sues Everyone
In the first in a new series, The Law According to Trump, Amicus begins an extensive exploration of Donald Trump's tumultuous relationship with the courts and legal system, focusing on Trump's use of lawyers and lawsuits to enhance his brand, wealth, and power. In the past few months, attention has rightly been on several blockbuster federal cases involving former President Trump, all the way up to and including his immunity case at the Supreme Court, but Trump’s history with the law goes back
A Word: “Momala” and “Papa Bear”
Many political spouses spend decades preparing for a White House run with their partners. But attorney Doug Emhoff had been married to then-Senator Kamala Harris for just five years when she first ran for the White House. Now, as the first Second Gentleman in history, he’s stepping into the spotlight, sprinting across the country for her whirlwind campaign. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson talks with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff about his family, his work combating anti-Semitism and o
What Next TBD: Why Are More Young People Getting Cancer?
The age when you need to start being screened for cancers may need to be updated, as rates among younger people are on the rise. New testing methods could make the process a lot easier than, say, a colonoscopy - but they’re not perfect. Guest: Dylan Scott, senior correspondent and editor for Vox.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” a
A Word: Guest Wrong: Trump at NABJ
Donald Trump’s bombastic appearance at this week’s National Association of Black Journalist convention drew criticism, not just for the former president, but also the organizational leadership that invited him. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by longtime journalist and media company leader Roland Martin, who attended Trump’s interview. They discuss what happened, the media response, and the reckoning facing the NABJ. Guest: Veteran journalist Roland Martin, host of “Roland
Political Gabfest: These [Republicans] Are Weird
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the new Democratic line against JD Vance and Donald Trump; the Kamala Harris Veepstakes; and President Biden’s attempt to reform the Supreme Court.Here are this week’s chatters:John: The World Jigsaw Puzzle ChampionshipEmily: Social Security and Trends in Wealth Inequality and The Sea ChangeDavid: Who Goes Nazi? By Dorothy ThompsonListener chatter from former Slatester Torie Bosche on the Edith Roller JournalsFor this week’s Slate
Israel Targets Hamas in Iran. Now What?
As the rumored ceasefire slips further out of headlines, the Gaza war is threatening to boil over into a multiple-front war for Israel—while internal conflicts escalate inside the country.Guest: Joshua Keating, senior correspondent covering foreign policy at Vox. His piece, "A very dangerous 24 hours in the Middle East," was published on Vox on July 31.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcast
What Next: America’s Avocados; Mexico’s Problem.
American consumption of avocados has exploded in the last two decades but keeping up with demand is exacting a toll on the local environment—and on local communities—in the Mexican state where most of the avocados are grown.Guest: Alex Sammon, politics writer at Slate.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show pag
Outward: Project 2025 with Orion Rummler
This week Bryan sits down with reporter Orion Rummler to break down Project 2025, conservative 920-page policy blueprint for a second Trump term. Orion’s article ‘What is Project 2025? Here’s the Heritage Foundation’s vision for a second Trump term’ looks at the widespread impact of these ideas for women, LGBTQ+ rights, families, education and the workforce. In this episode, we focus on the impact on LGBTQ rights and the danger of turning transness from a state of being to an ‘ideology’. Learn
What Next: Olympic Gymnastics is Back. But Is It Better?
How physical and emotional abuse from coaches still persists in American gymnastics.Guest: Molly Henseley Clancy, sports writer for the Washington Post.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paig
Pop Stars Run Politics Now
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: who runs the world?Kamala Harris is having a brat summer, which means that you’re likely seeing lots of questions about what brat summer is and why anyone cares. But the meme being co-opted by the Harris campaign is just a small piece of the bigger puzzle.Writer and podcast host H. Alan Scott joins Hear Me Out to argue that pop stars have a huge amount of political influence — that, coupled with “cool factor,” could swing the election. If you have thoughts you
Hang Up: Simone’s Back (and Calf)
Joel Anderson, Morgan Campbell, and Stefan Fatsis discuss the Dream Team’s opening-game win at the Paris Olympics. Gymnastics writer Rebecca Schulman joins to assess whether a calf injury might derail Simone Biles’ quest for redemption. And, the Games’ first scandal: Canadian soccer Spygate.Dream Team (4:53): Led by Kevin Durant and LeBron James, Team USA crushed Nikola Jokic and Serbia it its Olympics opener.Gymnastics (18:26): How severe is the calf injury that left Simone Biles limping and cr
What Next: The DEI Smear Against Kamala Harris
Calling Kamala Harris a “DEI hire” is both sexist and racist, and despite the GOP leadership’s pleading, it has quickly emerged as a favored line of attack from the right. Guest: Dr. Brittney Cooper, professor of gender studies and Africana studies at Rutgers UniversityWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show pa
Well, Now - Gut Check: How to Master Your Microbiome
A key component to wellness is gut health. But what determines if you have a healthy gut? On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we dive into the fascinating world of the gut microbiome, a collection of bacteria and sometimes fungi that live in the human digestive system. We are provided with insight from Dr. Colin Hill, professor of Microbiology at APC Microbiome Ireland on how to properly take care of your microbiome and why it is essentialIf you liked this episode, check out – Doctors Agree: Ob
What Next TBD: The Panopticon Olympics
How France changed its own laws to have the safest, most pervasively surveilled Olympics ever—and why some are worried the new security system will stay in place long after the games end.Guests: Anne Toomey McKenna, professor, author, and expert in electronic surveillance.Henry Grabar, covering the Olympics in Paris for Slate.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Po
Amicus: Judge David Tatel and a New Perspective on the Court
It’s not just us feeling exhausted right? It’s been a totally wild past few weeks. That’s why we are taking off the next few weeks to bring you a special series we’re calling “The Law According to Trump.” Andrea Bernstein, the host of WNYC’s Trump Inc., will be stepping into the host chair for Dahlia Lithwick in the month of August to explain how the former president uses the law to his advantage, and how he has gamed the judicial system to his advantage for decades before he entered political l
What Next TBD: Is Silicon Valley Trump-Vance Country?
For years, Silicon Valley has felt like a liberal enclave.. This election, a handful of powerful voices like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel are expressing support for the Trump-Vance ticket. Is this a shift in ideologies in Silicon Valley, or just a few of the loudest voices? Guest: Nitish Pahwa, associate writer for business and tech at Slate.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe toda
A Word: Kamala Harris: Veep to Victory?
The weeks of Democratic hand-wringing ended suddenly on Sunday after President Joe Biden stepped out of the White House race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Her young campaign has energized Democrats. But Harris has befuddled Republicans who don’t know how to attack her, and a media that doesn’t know how to define her. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses Harris’s record and her prospects with political analyst Niambi Carter, a professor at the University of Maryland’
Political Gabfest: The Coronation of Kamala Harris
This week, hosts Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson are joined by Washington Post associate editor and columnist Ruth Marcus. They President Joe Biden’s big step down, how the race is evolving with Kamala Harris stepping in as the presumptive nominee, and the fallout of the Secret Service. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Ethan Oberman and Cheyna RothResearch by Ethan
What Next: Could Biden's Court Reforms Actually Work?
Before announcing his exit, Joe Biden expressed interest in reforming the Supreme Court. But, in the spirit of re-balancing the three branches of government, isn’t that a job for Congress?Guest: Stephen Vladeck, professor at the Georgetown University Law Center and an expert on the federal courts and constitutional law.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcas
Outward: “Bathroom Bills” Return with Nico Lang
This week Bryan sits down with reporter Nico Lang to break down their recent Slate article ‘Anti-Trans “Bathroom Bills” Are Making a Major Comeback. Where’s the Outrage?.They delve into the concerning return of ‘Bathroom Bills’ and unpack what’s different this time around, why it’s taking root, and the larger strategy of this legislation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Why the Secret Service Director Resigned
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned after the catastrophic security breakdown during a Trump rally in Butler, Penn. But the assassination attempt was only the latest Secret Service disaster, and the agency’s problems won’t be solved by a simple change in leadership.Guest: Abdallah Fayyad, policy correspondent at Vox.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on A
What Next: Kamala Harris: Meme Queen to Madame President?
And just like that, it’s (almost definitely) Kamala. Her rise has fueled a whole species of internet memes—but the questions about her platform are serious.Guest: Scaachi Koul, Slate senior writerWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you liste
What Next: Joe Biden Passes the Baton
Just over three weeks ago, Joe Biden was heading to the stage to debate Donald Trump. Now, he’s out. Guest: David Faris, Slate contributor, associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and author of It’s Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by click
What Next TBD: The Conspiracy Theory Election
In the hours after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, conspiracy theories started circulating all over social media, often amplified by powerful voices on both sides of the aisle. It shows a complete breakdown of trust in institutions during a critical election. Guest: Drew Harwell, technology reporter at the Washington Post. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on
Well, Now: How Nick Cannon Got Celebrities to Open Up About Their Mental Health
We all know about the mental health crisis wreaking havoc throughout the nation and world. On this week’s episode of Well, Now we’re continuing our ongoing discussions of mental health, and this time we’re tackling men’s mental health as a whole. Prime’s new show Counsel Culture, hosted by Nick Cannon and medical professionals across the spectrum, invites men to open up about their histories with anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, and more. Dr. Mike Dow is the resident psychotherapist for th
Amicus: SCOTUS Doesn’t Have To Be This Way
So President Biden finally signaled an openness to maybe possibly thinking about Supreme Court reform. Too little, too late, perhaps - but also, desperately needed, certainly. The US Supreme Court views itself as separate and apart from all other courts - including international counterparts. What could Americans learn from other courts? One of the world’s most respected jurists, retired Canadian Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella, joins Dahlia Lithwick on this week’s Amicus for a ve
Slate Money: Did Y2K Finally Happen?
This week, as computers crash, computer makers are voting Trump. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the behind-the-scenes company behind the global tech shutdown, why Silicon Valley entrepreneurs like Trump and J.D. Vance, and why ESG has survived while DEI is in the dumps. For Slate Plus members: Why is the swimming pool market drying up?If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an a
A Word: Trump’s Race Card
After a tumultuous week of campaign news, Republicans wrapped their convention in Milwaukee by officially making former President Donald Trump their nominee. While President Joe Biden struggles with doubts within his own party, many in the G.O.P. believe there’s a new opportunity to reach out to Black voters. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by political analyst and former RNC Chair, Michael Steele. They discuss the current state of the race, Trump’s ideas about what Black v
What Next TBD: America’s Tech Trustbuster
The biggest companies in the world are now tech companies, which is why the biggest antitrust, anti-monopoly fights in recent memory are centered around Silicon Valley. Guest: Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of JusticeWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. S
Political Gabfest: “Fight, Fight, Fight”
This week on Political Gabfest, John Dickerson is joined by What Next host Mary Harris to discuss Donald Trump’s pick for vice president, the excitement at the Republican National Convention (and why they’re talking about a victory), and the aftermath of the Trump assassination attempt.Here are this week’s chatters:John: The television series, Shetland on BritBoxMary: The New York Times: “100 Best Books of the 21st Century” Listener chatter: Matt from Holland, MI on a visual representation of we
What Next: What Republicans Really Want
With the presidential ticket set and the platform announced, the GOP of 2024 isn’t defined by fiscal conservatism and fighting to end abortion—although those issues are holding on, further down on the list. So what are Republicans fighting for now? Guest: Paul Farrow, county executive for Waukesha County, delegate at the RNC, former chair of the Wisconsin GOP.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate
What Next: How to End One-Party Rule
A perennial presidential battleground state, Wisconsin became a warning—or blueprint—for how one party can subvert democracy and keep power without winning more votes. Does the Badger State hold any lessons about how to walk back a gerrymandered, minority rule? Guest: Ari Berman, Mother Jones’ national voting rights correspondent and author of “Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People―and the Fight to Resist It.”Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free
What Next: J.D. Vance: You're Hired
J.D. Vance, the Yale Law School graduate once hailed by the media as a white working class-whisperer, has been selected as Donald Trump’s running mate. But not too long ago, he was one of the former president’s critics. The former-Marine and San Francisco venture capitalist won over Trump with the hardline, America-first policies he championed in the Senate—and some serious groveling. Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writerWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free
Death, Sex & Money: The Mayor of the Most Controversial City in the U.S.
San Francisco mayor London Breed grew up learning again and again about the dangers of drugs and addiction. She lived in public housing in the city in the 1980’s and saw friends and family members in her community get hooked, get sick, and sometimes pass away. Fast forward to now, and San Francisco is seeing sky-high overdose numbers (though they’re down a bit from last year), and the city has earned a reputation for being in disarray. Mayor London Breed faces a tough reelection campaign this fa
After the Trump Assassination Attempt
Former president Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt Saturday during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. While the gunman has been identified, law enforcement have not offered a potential motivation for the attack. The incident comes at a time of heightened political violence, when more Americans think such acts are justifiable.Guests: Isaac Arnsdorf, national political reporter for The Washington Post, and David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Sla
What Next TBD: The New World of DIY Medical Tests
“Home diagnostics” are a $5 billion industry—and growing. Spurred by social media, people are buying into at-home health tests, without input from their doctors, and often, not even the FDA. Guest: Elizabeth Dwoskin, reporter for the Washington PostWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at sla
A Word: Blerd Up
It's convention season, and nerds everywhere may be suiting up to attend the Cons, gatherings of hardcore science-fiction, comic book, fantasy or anime fandoms. That includes BlerdCon, the gathering where Black nerds celebrate their interests in comics, anime, gaming, and much more. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by two artists who will be featured at this year’s BlerdCon, comedian Jay Washington, and actor Phil Lamarr. They talk about the event, the evolution of Black ner
Well, Now: The Full Truth About Ozempic
Few drugs in the last century have changed the landscape of healthcare and weight management like GLP-1 agonist drugs — drugs like Ozempic and WeGovy.On this week’s episode of Well, Now we talk with Harvard professor and clinician Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford. Her research revolutionized obesity medicine and helped pave the way to get a diabetes drug approved for treating a condition millions have in the U.S.If you liked this episode, check out – Doctors Agree: Obesity is a Disease. The Public Needs
Slate Money: When Are You Too Old to Work?
This week, older people are ditching the office. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what a retirement wave means for young workers left behind, why Gen X-ers aren’t financially prepared to retire, and the rise of non-disclosure agreements in everyday life. For the Plus segment: What’s so special about the $150,000 luxury guard dog?If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additiona
Politcal Gabfest: Even George Clooney Has Abandoned Biden
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz continue to debate if Joe Biden should stay in the presidential race and who might replace him if he goes; discuss Project 2025; and ponder if Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett deserves a strange, new respect.Here are this week’s chatters:John: Joshua Hammer for Smithsonian Magazine: Pablo Escobar’s Abandoned Hippos Are Wreaking Havoc in the Columbia Jungle Emily: Andrea Robin Skinner for the Toronto Star: My stepfather sexually abu
Amicus Opinionpalooza: This SCOTUS Decision Is Actually Even More Devastating Than We First Thought
Administrative law may not sound sexy. And maybe that’s because it truly isn’t sexy. But it is at the very center of the biggest decisions this past Supreme Court term, and also widely misunderstood. In this week’s show, we asked Georgetown Law School’s Professor Lisa Heinzerling to come back to help hack through the thorny thicket of administrative law so we can more fully understand the ramifications of a clutch of cases handed down this term that – taken together – rearrange the whole project
What Next TBD: Boeing Pleads Guilty
Boeing just pled guilty to felony charges of defrauding the federal government, leading to millions of dollars in fines, and new, external oversight. Is this how the company finally turns it around?Guest: Oriana Pawlyk, POLITICO’s aviation reporter.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate
What Next: How to Survive This Heat
Air-conditioning can feel like the only way to get through increasingly hot summers, but it’s an expensive, power-hungry way to keep cool. How necessary is it? And how necessary is it to raise our thermostats up from 72 degrees?Guest: Adam Clark Estes, senior technology correspondent at Vox.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at
What Next: This Congressman Wants Biden to Drop Out
Should Joe Biden still be the Democratic nominee in this presidential race? Elected Democrats have almost all said Biden is still the man. But Rep. Mike Quigley put his misgivings on the record.Guest: Rep. Mike Quigley, Democratic representative for Illinois’ fifth district. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our s
What Next: France Staves Off the Far Right—This Time
France’s far-right looked ready to take control of the National Assembly after the first round of snap elections. But when the dust settled after the second round, the left and center had held. Though French progressives are celebrating for now, the right-wing National Rally party still took more parliament seats than it’s ever held before. Guest: Harrison Stetler, freelance journalist based in Paris. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next
Jeff Bezos Could Save The Post (Again)
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: Bezos vs. the British invasion.The Washington Post, like most legacy media outlets, can’t seem to catch a break. Right now, the newsroom is reeling under leadership changeups — and an editor who’s part of what appears to be a British invasion into American media leadership. It’s hard to imagine Jeff Bezos, a soon-to-be trillionaire, as anyone’s folk hero. When he bought the Post in 2013, many assumed his involvement would put the paper’s editorial integrity at
What Next: Why Gay Rights Are Under Attack – Again
What the fight against the “Briggs Initiative” in 1970s California tells us about the fight for gay rights—and the fight to keep those victories in place.Guest: Christina Cauterucci, senior writer at Slate and host of Slow Burn Season 9: Gays Against Briggs.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up
Well, Now: Michelle Obama Gets Health Advice from This Gyno. Now You Can, Too.
Women, girls, and people assigned female at birth make up more than half of the world’s population. Yet, many of them say they don’t feel supported, heard, or cared for in the doctor’s office — even in spaces designed specifically for their care like obstetrics and gynecology.Dr. Sharon Malone, veteran OB/GYN, is on a mission to change that.On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we speak with Dr. Malone on how to advocate for the care you deserve at every stage of life. It’s the subject of her new
Political Gabfest: Trump Is So Immune
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Supreme Court decisions on presidential immunity in Trump v. United States and the administrative state in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo as well as the future of Joe Biden’s nomination to be re-elected president. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Supreme Court of the United States: Opinions of the Court – 2023, including Trump v. United States, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, Corner Post, In
Amicus Opinionpalooza: The Supreme Court End-of-Term Breakfast Table
What just happened??? Despite going into June clear-eyed and well informed about the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority, the number of huge cases before it, and the alarming stakes in so many of those cases…we are, nonetheless, shocked. The October 2023 term came to a shuddering end on Monday July 1st and Dahlia Lithwick, Mark Joseph Stern, Steve Vladeck and Mary Anne Franks are here to help parse some monumental decisions, some smaller cases with big ramifications, and what we can under
Slate Money: Behind Britain’s Bonkers Election
This week, Felix Salmon, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Shira Ovide, who writes the newsletter The Tech Friend for the Washington Post, and Peter Thal Larsen of Reuters, who demystifies the wacky state of European and British politics. Also: Are Chipotle burritos getting smaller? And why did Warren Buffett, top ally of the Gates Foundation, give his money to a not-yet-existing charity, hypothetically managed by his kids? In the Plus segment, it’s a shopping bonanza as the hosts discuss Niema
What Next TBD: Elon Says Have More Babies
The world’s population has never been bigger, and it’s still growing. but there’s a movement of “pronatalists” who see the slowing birth rate in wealthy, educated populations as a doomsday scenario in the making—and they’ve found their spokesman in one Elon Musk.Guest: Sophie Alexander, reporter for BloombergWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking
A Word: No Justice. No Peace. No Way Back?
This year’s Supreme Court session loosened laws on official bribery, overturned decades of precedent on regulation, and granted immunity to the president for official actions. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by legal analyst Elie Mystal of The Nation. They review the Court’s most important decisions, and talk about the political implications and the potential fall out for ordinary Americans. Guest: Legal analyst Elie MystalPodcast production by Kristie Taiwo-MakanjuolaWant
What Next: The Supreme Court’s Abortion Punt
When Roe v. Wade was overturned, a near-total abortion ban was triggered in Idaho, allowing for health exceptions only when “necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman.” But a case that found the ban in conflict with a federal law known as “EMTALA” went all the way to the Supreme Court, before being sent back to lower courts—neither overturning nor upholding Idaho’s ban. Guest: Dr. Stacy Seyb, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in Boise, Idaho. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate
What Next: How Bad is the Trump Immunity Ruling?
The Supreme Court has ruled that presidents enjoy “substantial immunity” from prosecution for crimes committed while in office, which includes absolute immunity for “core constitutional duties” and “presumptive immunity” for “official acts.” All good news for one Donald J. Trump. How bad is it for the rest of us? Guest: Richard Hasen, law professor at UCLA and director of UCLA Law’s Safeguarding Democracy Project.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the who
What Next: If Not Biden, Then…
If you’re questioning the choice of Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee after his debate, uh, performance last week, you’re not alone. But how do you swap candidates this late in the calendar—and who do the Democrats even have as an option?Guest: David Faris, associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and author of The Kids Are All Left and It’s Time to Fight Dirty.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next f
A Word: Journalism Under the Gun
In this election year, there’s more criticism and distrust of the media than ever. For veteran journalist Ali Velshi, his belief in the power of journalism is rooted in a family history of pursuing social justice, across continents and generations. On today’s episode of A Word, he joins host Jason Johnson to talk about his career, and his new memoir Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy. Guest: Ali Velshi, MSNBC host and author of Small Acts of Courage: A Legac
What Next TBD: Why Are IUDs Still a Mystery?
The story of IUDs is a story of technology, reproductive rights, shortcomings in communication about women’s health, and politics. Guest: Mia Armstrong-Lopez, managing editor at ASU Media Enterprise and author of a recent piece on IUDs for Slate. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.c
Well, Now: Psychedelics' Long Strange Trip to the Doctor's Office
For years, psychiatrists have been researching new methods to help people with treatment-resistant mental illness. These include severe cases of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other debilitating diagnoses.One type of drug has seen some positive results in clinical trials: psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, and LSD.In professional medical settings, they’re used as a part of a multifaceted approach to mental health treatment, including supervised therapy sessions while
Slate Money: SCOTUS Cracks the Sackler Shield
This week, Slate Money goes to court. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss two big Supreme Court rulings: One that stripped government agencies of regulatory power, and another that struck down Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers’ bankruptcy plan. Also: Giant “megacap” companies rule the stock market. Is that good? In the Plus segment: the once-popular potato has fallen out of fashion, but the hosts make the case for a spud renaissance.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing
Political Gabfest: A Law Trapped In Amber
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz discuss the recent Supreme Court rulings on emergency abortions and guns with Yale Law School’s Linda Greenhouse and Congressman Jamaal Bowman’s loss in a New York Democratic primary.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Supreme Court of the United States: Moyle v. United States; United States v. Rahimi; and Murthy v. MissouriGreg Stohr, Kimberly Robinson, and Lydia Wheeler for Bloomberg: Supreme Court Poised to Allow Emergency Abortion
Amicus Opinionpalooza: The Day SCOTUS Became President
While most everyone was reacting to Thursday’s Presidential debate, we had our eyes trained on the Supreme Court. It was again (surprise!) bad. SCOTUS determined that sleeping outside was illegal in Grants Pass v Johnson. They limited the scope by which insurrectionists could be charged for their actions on January 6, 2021 in Fischer v United States. The unelected robed leaders then laid a finishing blow in Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo, overturning the decades-long guidance of the longsta
Political Gabfest: Biden’s Catastrophic Debate
The morning after, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the first presidential debate of 2024 and President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance. Here are some notes and references from the show: CNN Presidential Debate: President Joe Biden and former President Donald TrumpWill Weissert for AP: Here’s why it would be tough for Democrats to replace Joe Biden on the presidential ticket Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced b
What Next TBD: Why Extreme Weather Keeps Surprising You
Saying any one storm or heat wave or weather in general was “caused by climate change” is tricky—summer is, after all, usually pretty hot, and storms happen. But researchers are working on a model that brings “climate change” from abstract into the particular. Guest: Daniel Swain, climate scientist at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, studying how extreme events are changing on a warming Earth.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening t
Amicus Opinionpalooza: SCOTUS and MAGA’s Shared Vision For Government Comes Into View
What’s this? A bonus Opinionpalooza episode for one and all? That’s right! The hits just keep coming from SCOTUS this week, and two big decisions landed Thursday that might easily get lost in the mix: Ohio v EPA and SEC v Jarkesy. Both cases shine a light on the conservative legal movement (and their billionaire funders’) long game against administrative agencies. In Ohio v EPA, the Court struck down the EPA’s Good Neighbor Rule, making it harder for the agency to regulate interstate ozone pollu
What Next: Buckling Up for the Debate
It’s Trump vs. Biden—again. But CNN promises, this time will be different.Guest: Margaret Sullivan, columnist covering media, politics and culture for The GuardianWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Sch
What Next: The OB-GYN Behind the Fight to Ban Mifepristone
The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to uphold access to mifepristone left the door open for another case to be brought to ban the abortion pill. This physician is eager for another chance. Guest: Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), associate scholar with the Charlotte Lozier Institute, a board member of Indiana Right to Life, physician member of the Abortion Pill Reversal Network. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate
What Next: Is the Apprentice Movie Fired?
The Apprentice, starring Captain America’s Sebastian Stan and Succession’s Jeremy Strong, was financed in part by the widely-loathed former-Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder. But after the movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Trump’s attorneys sent cease-and-desist letters to the filmmakers—and Snyder seems to be using veto power on an American sale of the rights. Will this controversial cut of the film ever play on the big screen in the States?Guest: Jake Lahut, political reporter
What Next: Lauren Boebert Will Not Go Away
Lauren Boebert barely won re-election to the House in 2022. Now the gun-loving Freedom Caucus firebrand is running for Congress in a new Colorado district.. Even after a lewd theater scandal threatened to tank her career, how is Boebert still leading in the polls?Guest: Paul Karolyi, Senior Executive Producer of City Cast DenverWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on App
A Word: Black to the Future in Music
June is Black Music Month, and this year marks the 30th anniversary of some of the most influential albums in contemporary African American music, including Nas’ Illmatic, and TLC’s CrazySexyCool, to Notorious B.I.G’s Ready to Die. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by pop culture columnist Panama Jackson to discuss the legendary Black music of 1994, and the difference between a merely great album, and one that’s going to stand the test of time.Guest: Panama Jackson, columnist
Well, Now: Meet Gwyneth Paltrow’s Mold Guy
Everyone knows the quality of the air we breathe directly affects our health. As the summer rolls along and more people seek reprieve from the heat indoors, it’s important to be sure our indoor air is clean and toxin-free.One pollutant to keep an eye out for is mold.Mold inside a home could hurt your health both immediately and in the long term.So to help us better understand how to spot mold in the home and how to get rid of it, we’re joined by air quality expert Michael Rubino, president of th
What Next TBD: Is Your Phone Tracking Your Driving?
As cars get smarter, automakers - with the help of third-party apps - are leveraging the new data they’re able to collect on people's driving habits to influence drivers’ insurance prices. The problem? Most people aren’t aware their driving is being monitored.Guest: Kashmir Hill, tech reporter for the New York Times.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by
Amicus: Rahimi and The Roberts Court’s All New, Also Old, Second Amendment Doctrine
Another major case for the “not a loss/not exactly a win” pile this term at SCOTUS. A majority of the Supreme Court’s conservative majority said what we knew all along - adjudicated domestic abusers shouldn’t hold onto second amendment rights and the guns that they are statistically, horrifyingly, apt to use to harm their intimate partners. In an 8-1 decision in United States v Rahimi, the Roberts Court looked frantically for a way to reverse out of – while still technically upholding – its bonk
Slate Money: McDonald's Fast Food Price War
Fast food prices are sky high, but chains will take losses to get you in the door. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the economics of a new value meal trend. Also: millennials’ are taking secret “quiet vacations” and dicey geopolitics are affecting bond markets. In the Plus segment: Yankee Stadium is now card-payment only. Do Americans have the right to use cold hard cash?If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free exp
What Next TBD: Amazon Wants Your Handprint
Amazon has installed digital palm readers at Whole Foods. The reader scans your palm, collecting biometric data, and links it to your credit card to pay for your groceries. What does exchanging vein mapping for eggs and butter mean for the future of data security and in-person shopping. Guest: Emily Moore, freelance tech and food journalistWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe tod
Political Gabfest: Presidential Debate Preview
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the 2024 presidential debates; a possible warning on social media and another ban of smartphones in schools; and the future and failures of one-party rule. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Ashley Lopez for NPR: Biden vs. Trump remains close, so next week’s debate offers them an opportunityJames Oliphant for Reuters: The Biden-Trump presidential debate: what to watch forShane Goldmacher and Reid J. Epstein f
What Next: Homelessness Before the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is soon expected to decide Grants Pass v. Johnson, a case where a town’s efforts to remove unhoused people from its parks became “cruel and unusual,” according to lower courts.Guest: Dr. Bruce Murray, chief medical officer for the Mobile Integrative Navigation Team (MINT) in Josephine County, Oregon.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts
What Next; How IVF Became the GOP's Next Battle
Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the Christian right seems to be setting its sights on banning in-vitro fertilization. But even though the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution against IVF, it’s a very popular and widely accepted procedure, which is why Senate Republicans signed a statement in favor of access to IVF, the same day almost all voted against protecting it by law.Guest: Megan Messerly, health policy reporter at Politico.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus
What Next: What's Eating the Economy?
The American economy has gotten more consolidated and more reliant on algorithms—while also, according to most people, getting more expensive, slower, and worse. Is there some causality in this correlation? Guest: Matt Stoller, Research Director for the American Economic Liberties Project and author of Goliath: The Hundred Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favori
What Next TBD: The FBI Made a Phone Network. It Was A Trap.
In 2021, one of the largest global law enforcement operations took place. It was all thanks to an encrypted phone service known as Anom, which was secretly run by the FBI. The program was a wild success. But did the agency take it too far? Guest: Joseph Cox, investigative reporter for 404 media and author of “Dark Wire, the Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever”Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all y
A Word: Daddy Lessons
The stereotype of Black fathers is that they’re largely absent, and uninvolved in their children’s lives. And that image persists, despite research that suggests that Black fathers are often more involved in the daily care of their kids than white fathers. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Sean Williams, the founder of The Dad Gang, an organization that uplifts and supports Black and other marginalized fathers. They talk about the challenges of fatherhood, and building a c
Well, Now: Doctors Agree: Obesity is a Disease. The Public Needs to Catch Up.
Ever since it showed up on the Body Mass Index, the label “obese” has been used to judge and often shame people with larger bodies.Medical providers, family and friends, even strangers make assumptions about fat people’s health solely based on their size.At the same time, excess quantities of fat can lead to poor health outcomes such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.Over the decades, medical associations have evolved their understanding of obesity. The American Medical Associa
Slate Money: Is Tesla Even a Good Car Company?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Tesla shareholders’ overwhelming support of Musk’s pay package, the return of the GameStop meme stock influencer, and why Governor Hochul killed New York’s congestion pricing plan. In the Plus segment: a Missouri restaurant has banned 20-somethings. Can they do that?If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our reg
Political Gabfest: Biden’s Risky Asylum Policy
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Biden’s new asylum policy; the recent European Parliament elections with The Atlantic’s Anne Applebaum; and the jammed congestion pricing in New York City. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Corvid Research: Help, I’ve found a baby crow!Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz for The New York Times: In Shift, Biden Issues Order Allowing Temporary Border Closure to Migrants and Miriam Jordan: Biden Open
Amicus Opinionpalooza: SCOTUS Says Yes to Bump Stocks, No to Gun Safety Regulation
A bump stock is an attachment that converts a semi automatic rifle into a weapon that can fire as many as 800 rounds per minute - an intensity of gunfire matched by machine guns. The deadliest mass shooting carried out by a single shooter in US history - the October 2017 Las Vegas massacre - was enabled by a bump stock. On Friday, the US Supreme Court struck down a Trump-era bump stock ban introduced in the wake of that tragedy, in which 60 people were killed and hundreds more injured. Writing f
What Next TBD: Apple Goes Intelligent
On Monday, Tim Cook announced Apple was getting into artificial intelligence. Is Apple about to do for A.I. what it did for personal computers and smartphones?Guest: Gerrit De Vynck, tech reporter for the Washington Post.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get acc
What Next: She Met the Alitos—and Got Them on Tape
Furtively recorded conversations with Justices John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and Alito’s wife Martha-Ann provided a window into what these powerful figures are saying behind closed doors. But do the means of getting these recordings undermine their ultimate goal? Guest: Lauren Windsor, journalist and executive producer for “The Undercurrent” and documentary filmmaker of “Gonzo for Democracy.”Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and
What Next: Wait, Is JUUL Banned or Not?
Two years ago, the FDA announced it was banning JUUL nicotine vapes from sale in the U.S.—and then quickly announced it was holding off on the ban to allow for review. How did regulating ecigarettes end up playing catch-up?Guest: Jamie Ducharme, health correspondent at Time, author of Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Po
What Next: Hunter Biden’s Judgment Day
Is Hunter Biden’s trial proof that the justice system doesn’t care about your last name? Or is the president’s son being targeted? Guest: Ankush Khardori, attorney and a former federal prosecutor in the US Justice Department.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to
Biden Is Courting Voters Who Don’t Exist
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: base instincts.Democratic strategists are reportedly freaking out about Joe Biden. Despite his opponent’s felony convictions, Biden remains unpopular and isn’t polling well in swing states. Young voters are mad about his handling of the war in Gaza; many Americans remain convinced that the economy is bad and the president is to blame for it.So if strategists’ worst fears come to pass… how much of this wound is self-inflicted?Hayes Brown of MSNBC joins Hear Me O
What Next: What’s Biden Doing with the Border?
Joe Biden’s new executive order severely limits migrants from seeking asylum at the border. It’s a far cry from his campaign rhetoric and the New York Times called it the most restrictive immigration policy issued by any modern Democrat. What is he trying to accomplish?Guest: Jonathan Blitzer, staff writer for the New Yorker and author of “Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America and the Making of a Crisis.” Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free l
What Next TBD: Fee’d Up: A Musician’s Take on Ticketmaster
It’s hard to imagine music fans mourning a break-up of Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation, as a Department of Justice lawsuit requests. But even with this monopolistic middleman out of the way, touring musicians still seem destined to struggle financially.Guest: Laura Jane Grace, musicianWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Fr
A Word: The WNBA’s Great White Hype
“Petty.” “Jealous.” That’s what many male sportscasters are saying about the women competing against WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark. The former Iowa star is bringing a new level of attention to women’s basketball, but many men who ignored the league for years are now leading the coverage. So how is sexism and racism fueling the way they’re talking about Clark and the rest of the WNBA?On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by veteran sports journalist Jemele Hill to discuss the way the
Well, Now: The Isolation of a Life-Threatening Diagnosis
Each week, we’ve explored wellness from different perspectives, but we haven’t talked about what it means to live a full life while grappling with the real possibility of death. Most of us hope for a full, long life with “good” health. But a serious, possibly fatal diagnosis changes everything: Our relationships with work, loved ones, and even the way we see ourselves.On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with author, journalist, and artist Suleika Jaouad. Many learned about her work in t
Slate Money: Is the NY Times Just a Gaming Platform?
Even the Grey Lady struggles to profit from the news. This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Semafor founder Ben Smith to discuss media profit models, the impact of Google’s AI on the news biz, and the TikTok-ification of information. In the Plus segment: Vivek Ramaswamy comes for Buzzfeed. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our regular sho
Amicus: The Supreme Court’s Appeal to Heaven
Over the past 15 years, the journalist and author Katherine Stewart has been charting the rise of Christian Nationalism in the United States. On this week’s Amicus, Stewart joins Dahlia Lithwick and Rachel Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State to discuss the worrying signs of the growing power of extremist christian ideologies at the highest court in the land. Together, they trace shifts in jurisprudence that have emboldened and empowered some of the most extreme fringes o
Political Gabfest: Will Trump’s Conviction Help Biden?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the fallout from Donald Trump’s felony conviction; the spin-up for Hunter Biden’s trial; and the upshot for college speech from campus protests with Charles Homans. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Nathaniel Rakich for 538: Trump’s conviction may be hurting him – but it’s earlySarah Longwell in The Atlantic: The Two-Time Trump Voters Who Have Had EnoughDafydd Townley for The Conversation: Trump guilty verdi
What Next TBD: The Secret Semiconductor War
How well is the Biden administration coaxing semiconductor companies to build their chips in the United States? Compared to Taiwan, South Korea, Japan…or even mainland China, things are just okay.Guest: Asa Fitch, reporter for the Wall Street Journal, covering the semiconductor industry.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top
What Next: The Hollywood Strikes Are Over. No One's Back To Work.
After waiting for two strikes to resolve, film and television crews across Hollywood were hungry to return to work. But the work has been slow to come back. As a number of crew union contracts expire at the end of July, how strong is their negotiating position?Guests: Diane Haithman, Senior Entertainment Business Reporter, TheWrapDiego Mariscal, IATSE local 80 dolly gripWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favo
What Next: Rafah Under Fire
Days after Israeli airstrikes hit Rafah, President Biden touted a potential ceasefire agreement. How far away is the end of the war? And how does Gaza rebuild after this?Guest: Tariq Kenney-Shawa, U.S. policy fellow at Al-Shabaka and an editor and fact-checker for AJ+.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show pag
Election Betting Should Be Legal
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: placing bets.Betting on the results of elections is illegal in the United States – though that hasn’t stopped sportsbooks overseas from cashing in. And that doesn’t mean that Americans haven’t placed bets on election results in the U.S., either; that’s a tradition that dates back centuries.There’s a push now to make elections betting legal on American soil — and for American companies to run online casinos. Futures markets are complicated, and it might feel gro
What Next: It’s Supreme Court Blockbuster Season
It will be another chaotic June at the Supreme Court, as the nine justices race to deliver decisions impacting gun rights, abortion, presidential immunity, and more—all before summer vacation.Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer covering law and the courts.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page.
What Next: Election Workers in the Crosshairs
She was a city clerk for Rochester Hills, Michigan. After Trump lost the state, the threats started coming.Guest: Tina Barton, Senior Elections Expert, The Elections GroupWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your
What Next TBD: Would You Buy Poop On the Internet?
“Fecal microbial transplants” treat someone’s unhealthy gut with poop from someone else’s healthy gut, and proponents of FMT claim it can help treat everything from IBS to autism. But if your doctor isn’t ready to fill you up with someone else’s poop, the internet will happily oblige. Guest: Luke Winkie, Slate staff writer who published “The Poop Broker.”Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts
Well, Now: How Doulas Make Childbirth Safer For Everyone
Everyone has a different birth experience. Obstetricians and midwives are well-known members of the birth team. Along with the pregnant person, they are central to labor and delivery.Doulas are lesser known, but they can provide essential support for pregnant women and their loved ones. On this week’s episode of Well, Now: What to expect when working with a doula with Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow.If you liked this episode, check out: Overcoming a Complicated PregnancyWell, Now is hosted b
Slate Money: Nobody’s Gonna Stop Nvidia
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Alex Kantrowitz of the Big Technology podcast. They discuss why the Nvidia juggernaut isn’t going to slow down any time soon, the man, myth, and legend of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and whether U.S. texters will embrace WhatsApp and voice memos. In the Plus segment: Which candidate is most TikTok-able?If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the networ
Amicus: Will the Supreme Court Step Into Trump’s Hush Money Conviction?
As a jury in Lower Manhattan responded with “guilty” to all 34 felony counts in former President and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald J. Trump’s hush money trial on Thursday, dozens and dozens more questions began to swirl. Will Trump appeal? On what grounds? Will Justice Juan Merchan sentence Trump to jail time? Will the US Supreme Court intervene? Is the gag order still active and in place? Luckily, we have the perfect guest on Amicus to answer all those questions to the extent that
Political Gabfest: Donald Trump is Convicted! Plus, Who is Winning The Senate?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the U.S. Senate seats that might turn from blue to red in 2024; The Fall of Roe with The New York Times’s Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer; and the rise of Lauren Boebert with City Cast Denver’s Bree Davies and Paul Karolyi. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter: 2024 CPR Senate Race RatingsJonathan Weisman for The New York Times: 10 Senate Races to Watch in 2024Ben Kamisa
A Word: Not So Smooth Criminal
Former President Donald Trump and his supporters are furious after his conviction on all 34 counts related to his hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by legal analyst Yodit Tewolde to discuss the path to the conviction, key moments in the trial, and what the verdict says about the justice system.Guest: Legal analyst Yodit TewoldePodcast production by Kristie Taiwo-MakanjuolaWant more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immedi
What Next TBD: He’s Suing Big Tech Over Uvalde
His law firm won a $73 million dollar settlement against Remington on behalf of nine Sandy Hook families. Now he’s filing a lawsuit against the gunmaker Daniel Defense, the video game company Activision, and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, on behalf of families in Uvalde.Guest: Josh Koskoff, attorneyWant more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try F
Amicus SPECIAL: Trump Guilty on All 34 Counts
After six weeks of arguments and testimony and a little under 12 hours of deliberation, a Manhattan jury voted to convict former President Trump of 34 felony counts in his hush money trial. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s jurisprudence editor Jeremy Stahl, who was in court for the historic guilty verdict and has followed the case over the past six weeks, to talk about how the verdict was reached, what comes next, and why the former President is unlikely to be headed to jail any time soon.Si
What Next: An “Apprentice” Producer’s Mea Culpa
How one producer—now freed from his 20-year non-disclosure agreement—regrets his role shaping Donald Trump’s image on The Apprentice. Guest: Bill Pruitt, producer for seasons 1 and 2 of The Apprentice.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you
What Next: The View from Israel
What do Israelis think of the war in Gaza and how their leadership is conducting it? Guest: Tamar Harrel-Santis, student and combat reservist living in Ramat Yishai, Israel.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about you
Hang Up: Luka and Kyrie Are Running the NBA
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the stardom of the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as well as Draymond Green’s stint on TNT’s Inside the NBA. Michael McCann of Sportico also joins to break down the multibillion-dollar settlement that will likely mark the end of amateurism in college sports.Luka and Kyrie: How the Mavericks duo took over the Western Conference Finals.NCAA: Will the settlement deal actually become reality? And how will the payments work?Afterbal
Term Limits Could Ruin Congress
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: self-limiting.Congress is historically unpopular; it’s one of the few things that people on both sides of the aisle can agree on. But what could be done to actually fix our legislature?Term limits are often posed as a good potential start. But there are those who argue that that’s not the best way to fix our legislature — and the pool of people who feel that way isn’t exclusively career politicians, either.Charlie Hunt, a professor at Boise State University, jo
What Next: The Death of Bidenomics
After inheriting a tricky, post-peak-pandemic economy, the Biden administration pulled off the double-feat of stalling inflation while also keeping unemployment low. Wages have risen, and so has purchasing power. But if you ask voters, they’ll tell you the economy is terrible. Does Biden have a messaging problem or is an economy where the price of everything still seems too high simply impossible to run on?Guest: Annie Lowery, staff writer at the Atlantic.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate
Slow Burn: A Hotbed of Homosexuality
While the What Next team observes the holiday, enjoy the first episode of Slow Burn's new season.In the 1970s, San Francisco became a welcoming home for tens of thousands of new gay residents—and a modern-day Sodom for the American right. With a moral panic sweeping across the United States, a Florida orange juice spokeswoman inspired an ambitious California politician to launch his own campaign against lesbians and gays—one that would change the course of U.S. history.(If you—or anyone you know
Well, Now | “As Little Regulation as Guns”: How Social Media Hurts Youth Mental Health
Youth mental health has hit a crisis point. Just last year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory connecting young people’s use of social media with adverse mental health outcomes. But Murthy and other public health leaders are fighting back, including New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan. He’s leading the charge against social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube through litigation and legislation.On this week’s episode of Well, Now – holding social
What Next TBD: Why Hospitals Keep Getting Hacked
Last year saw a record number of healthcare hacks with more than 700 separate incidents. And with a subsidiary of United Healthcare forking over a $22 billion ransom this year, the problem isn’t going away. With so much sensitive personal information on file, why aren’t hospitals and their ilk better prepared?Guest: Dina Carlisle, president of the local nurses union, OPEIU 40 in Michigan.Justin Sherman, CEO of Global Cyber Strategies.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-
A Word: Haitian Chaos, American Neglect?
Haiti has suffered under decades of crises, but the latest may be its most intractable. Violent criminals are now effectively in charge of the country, after years of assassinations and political instability left a power vacuum. As a new international force prepares for an intervention, A Word host Jason Johnson discusses the current troubles with Patrick Gaspard, leader of the Center for American Progress. They explore how Haiti fell into such dire circumstances, the role that American guns and
Amicus Opinionpalooza: A Bad June Rising At SCOTUS
As we stand poised at the threshold of June, we brace ourselves for the fire hose of opinions headed our way in the next four or so weeks. But why? Why –even as the Court is taking on fewer cases – is there an absolute dogpile of decisions, with no map for what will come down or when, beyond a SCOTUS-adjacent cottage industry in soothsaying and advance-panic and guessing? Dahlia Lithwick takes us through a whirlwind of Supreme Court decisions and controversies, expertly assisted by Professor Ste
Political Gabfest: Justice Alito's Upside Down Flag
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s right-wing flag-flying; David Leonhardt’s take on A New Centrism; and OpenAI’s use – or not – of Scarlett Johansson’s voice. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Jodi Kantor for The New York Times: At Justice Alito’s House, a ‘Stop the Steal’ Symbol on Display; Jodi Kantor, Aric Toler, and Julie Tate: Another Provocative Flag Was Flown at Another Alito Home; Jodi Kantor and
Amicus Opinionpalooza: Justice Alito Flies the Flag for Racial Gerrymanders (Preview)
In this Opinionpalooza emergency bonus episode, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discuss Thursday’s decision in Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP, highlighting the implications for racial gerrymandering and voting rights. They delve into Justice Alito's majority opinion, Justice Kagan's dissent, and Justice Thomas's concurrence. This decision would seem to effectively close the door permanently on racial gerrymander claims in federal courts. Dahlia and Mark discuss how this decision makes j
What Next TBD: Scarlett Johansson vs OpenAI
When OpenAI showed a demo for the latest version of ChatGPT —the one that you can chat with, you know, with your voice—one of the voices sounded eerily familiar. And instead of a victory lap, it was a reminder of all of the implications for intellectual property and one’s own basic human likeness that this technology carries with it.Guest: Sigal Samuel, senior reporter for Vox's Future Perfect and co-host of the Future Perfect podcast.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad
What Next: Diddy’s Reckoning
Allegations about Sean “Diddy” Combs had been circulating, but it wasn’t until surveillance footage of the mogul assaulting his then-partner Cassie began circulating on social media, that his response changed from defensive to apologetic. Guest: Sidney Madden, reporter for NPR Music and co-host of Louder Than a Riot.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts
What Next: Does Netanyahu Have an Exit Strategy?
Seven months into the war in Gaza, both the international community and many Israelis are demanding to know what Benjamin Netanyahu’s “day after” plan is. Observers are also wondering whether charges from the International Criminal Court will influence Israel’s approach—and whether the death of Iran’s president and foreign minister will change how Hamas fights.Guest: Yair Rosenberg, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the newsletter Deep Shtetl, about the intersection of politics, culture
ICYMI: The Aftermath of a Layoff
Candice Lim is joined by Yowei Shaw (former co-host of NPR’s Invisibilia) to discuss her new podcast Proxy, which takes listeners through the psychological aftermath of a layoff, starting with Shaw’s own layoff from NPR. In March 2023, the public radio institution laid off approximately 10 percent of its staff, resulting in the cancellation of four podcasts, including Invisibilia. Shaw, along with her team, was working on an upcoming season of the podcast when they were suddenly without jobs. Mo
Amicus | How Originalism Ate The Law: What We Can Do About It
In the third and final part of our How Originalism Ate the Law series, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern are joined by Justice Todd Eddins of the Hawaii Supreme Court and Madiba Dennie, author of The Originalism Trap. Being trapped by originalism is a choice, one that judges, lawyers, and the American people do not have to accede to. Our expert panel offers ideas and action points for pushing back against a mode of constitutional interpretation that has had deadly consequences. And they answ
What Next: Is Killing a Protester Still a Crime?
Daniel Perry was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murdering Garrett Foster at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott just pardoned Perry and restored his rights, including the right to own and carry a gun. Guest: Christopher Hooks, contributing editor at Texas Monthly.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try
Hang Up: The Wolves Chomped the Champs
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Pacers’ and Timberwolves’ Game 7 wins in the NBA’s conference semifinals. Slate’s Alex Kirshner also joins to talk about Scottie Scheffler’s arrest at the PGA Championship. Finally, they review Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s ultra-conservative commencement speech.NBA playoffs (3:11): Looking back at a pair of historic road victories. Scheffler (20:18): A bizarre weekend at Valhalla for the world’s no. 1 golfer. Butker (35:47): The Catholi
What Next: What Are Presidential Debates For?
Though their influence on voters seems to be between negligible and nonexistent, presidential debates are still important. And even if their past performances were sometimes hard to watch, it’s good for democracy that Trump and Biden will meet on stage this election cycle. But these debates will be a little different this time…Guest: Alan Schroeder, Professor Emeritus at the Northeastern University School of Journalism with a focus on presidential elections, author of Presidential Debates: Risky
Well, Now: Is Biohacking a Scam?
For many Americans, wellness is about mitigating and navigating disease. They’re looking for reliable ways to live healthier, longer lives.But some are thinking even bigger than that and looking beyond what doctors view as the standard lifespan: 10, 20, 30, even 40 years beyond it. These people are often called “biohackers.”On this week’s episode of Well, Now we talk to someone who’s considered the “Father of Biohacking” Dave Asprey on what exactly this movement is, and whether is it feasible fo
What Next TBD: The Dark Side of GoFundMe
In theory, crowdfunding sites offer an opportunity for anyone to give to any cause, including, say, strangers facing huge medical bills. In practice, crowdfunding suffers from many of the same inequities that led to someone needing to crowdfund to begin with.Guest: Nora Kenworthy, author of Crowded Out: The True Costs of Crowdfunding Healthcare, associate professor at the University of Washington, Bothell.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole W
A Word: Hit After Hit: Rap in a Post Kendrick v. Drake World
Drake didn’t know who he was messing with, and was never on Kendrick Lamar’s level in hip hop. That’s the verdict of cultural commentator and author Touré. On today’s episode of A Word, he joins host Jason Johnson to break down the meaning behind the brutal rap battle, and whether Not Like Us, BBL Drizzy, Family Matters and other songs central to the beef will rewrite the blueprint for diss tracks forever.Guest: Touré, host of the Touré Show podcast, and author of Nothing Compares 2 U: An Oral H
Political Gabfest: How Bad Was The Poll For Biden?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the latest New York Times presidential poll and the Maryland primary results; the presidential debates; and who’s talking inside and outside Donald Trump’s Manhattan trial courtroom. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Nate Cohn for The New York Times: Trump Leads in 5 Key States, as Young and Nonwhite Voters Express Discontent With Biden and Battleground Polling Shows Ticket-Splitting PatternAaron Navarro fo
Amicus: Alito’s Stars and Gripes
Justice Samuel Alito’s wife didn’t attend the January 6th 2021 “Stop the Steal” rally (unlike fellow SCOTUS spouse Ginni Thomas), but in January 2021, in a leafy Alexandria, Virginia cul-de-sac, the New York Times reports that the Alito household was engaged in a MAGA-infused front yard spat with the neighbors, even as the Justice was deciding cases regarding that very election at the highest court in the land. Justice Alito told the New York Times his wife was responsible for the upside down st
Slate Money: Biden Zaps Chinese EVs
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the motivations and impacts of new tariffs plus the cultural forces behind China’s economic policy. Also: Congress is trying to figure out what to do with AI, and Melinda French Gates is getting her groove back. In the Plus segment: Rates for new mortgages suck right now, but what if you could buy out someone existing one?Also: Do you have a donor-advised fund? Do you pay fees on it? Felix invites you to weigh in on his Axios poll
Dear Prudence: When Missing Meds Leads to Racist Remarks
In this episode, Kiese Laymon (author of Long Division, How to Slowly Kill Yourself in America, and Heavy: An American Memoir) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to convince your strict religious parents to let you go to an out-of-state college, whether to report a coworker’s insensitive gym behavior to HR, and how to deal with a mom who forgets to take her medication and immediately uses a racial slur.If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Sla
What Next TBD: Too Stonks Too Furious
The 2021 subreddit-coordinated effort to raise the price of Gamestop stock was, in some ways, a proof of concept: the little guy can get into the market and make some noise. Because even though that “meme stock” rose and fell, the idea of the meme stock went has changed the way our stock market works.Guest: Alex Kirshner, contributing writer for Slate.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. S
What Next: Why Miss USA is Imploding
When Miss USA abdicated her throne, people noticed that the first letters of each sentence of her resignation letter spell out “I am silenced.” Shortly thereafter, Miss Teen USA stepped down with a letter that opens with a quote from Nietzsche. What’s going on at the Miss USA organization? Has the idea of a national pageant outlived its usefulness?Guest: Constance Grady, senior Culture correspondent for Vox. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole Wh
What Next: Can Fox News Still Sway an Election?
Hit with an $800 million lawsuit, missing Tucker Carlson and Rupert Murdoch, and facing competition from fanatical fringe-right media, Fox News might look to some viewers like it’s slipping. But election years are the network’s bread and butter, and the old “everything is terrible and the Democrats are why” song still resonates with voters. Guest: Justin Peters, Slate correspondent and author of The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of Free Culture on the Internet.Want more What Next? Subscri
What Next: The Fight for Joe Manchin’s Seat
What would it take for the Democrats to hold Joe Manchin’s crucial Senate seat in West Virginia? Guest: Zach Shrewsbury, Democratic primary candidate for U.S. Senate in West Virginia. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn mo
Trump Isn’t a Bug. He's a Feature.
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: live from Seattle.Hear Me Out had its first-ever live show on May 4, 2024 — and it was such a great conversation that we wanted to make sure our podcast listeners heard it, too. The Cascade PBS Ideas Festival was full of smart, unconventional thinkers on the biggest issues facing this country… so what better place to have a conversation about Donald Trump, and the future of this country? It’s tempting to think of the MAGA ideology as an unprecedented threat to
What Next: MAGA Eating Itself Alive
They’re suspicious of the 2020 election results, their donors, and each other. Now, the MAGA wing of the Michigan GOP is in control—and has kneecapped the state Republican party’s ability to fundraise, appoint leaders, and perform its most basic institutional functions. Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilley, Slate senior writerWant more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by
Well, Now: Overcoming a Complicated Pregnancy
For many, pregnancy is a time of heightened and joyful anticipation. There are doctor’s appointments, tests, preparation…All with a focus on bringing home a healthy baby. The other side of pregnancy–the complications–is not readily discussed. On this week’s episode of Well, Now we discuss all of these potential roadblocks with economist Emily Oster. In her latest book The Unexpected: Navigating Pregnancy During and After Complications, she arms patients with the data they need to advocate for th
What Next TBD: Would You Choose Your Child’s Sex?
The ability to choose the sex of your child through IVF is banned in most of the world. In America, however, parents can—and do—for a price.Guest: Emi Nietfeld, writer and software engineer, author of “The Parents Who Want Daughters—and Daughters Only” for Slate.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign u
A Word: Between the World and Us
Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates is arguably the strongest voice of his generation on the role of race and identity in American politics and culture. He’s the author of several books, including “Between the World and Me,” “We Were Eight Years in Power,” and “The Beautiful Struggle,” and the recipient of a MacArthur “genius” grant and a National Book Award. For this week’s episode, we feature a conversation between Coates and host Jason Johnson, recorded live at the recent Cascade PBS Ideas Festi
Slate Money: How Neoliberalism Scammed America
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by legal scholar Mehrsa Baradaran, author of The Quiet Coup: Neoliberalism and the Looting of America. Mehrsa explains the roots of the neoliberalism movement and how the myth of free market made the American economy more oppressive, especially against black and brown people. Also: A misogynistic party culture has been revealed at the FDIC, and small banks are feeling the economic pinch. In the Plus segment: The California wild
Political Gabfest: Trump Wore Pajamas
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Stormy Daniels’s testimony in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial; marijuana rescheduling; and the media’s role and responsibility in defending democracy. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Josh Gerstein for Politico: Stormy spoke. Trump fumed. Jurors were captivated – but also cringed.Ivana Saric for Axios: Status of Trump’s criminal casesLi Zhou for Vox: Marijuana could be classified as a lower-risk drug
What Next TBD: Meet the Trump Campaign’s A.I. Guy
You might not know Brad Parscale by name, but you know his work: he was the digital campaign operative behind Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential victory. This election cycle, he’s back—and advising conservatives on how to utilize A.I. in their campaigns. Guest: Garance Burke, global investigative journalist for the Associated Press.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Appl
What Next: Stormy Daniels Takes the Stand
Spare a thought for the judge in Donald Trump’s hush-money trial. Justice Juan Merchan has gone from holding the former president in contempt of court… to telling Trump’s defense they probably should have objected more during Stormy Daniels’ testimony. Guest: Jeremy Stahl, Slate’s jurisprudence editor.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Tr
What Next: Conservative Candid Camera in the Darién Gap
Crossing the Darién Gap, a 66-mile stretch of jungle in Panama, was hard enough before right-wing influencers began showing up with cameras, trying to bait would-be migrants into providing pro-Trump soundbites. Guest: Ken Bensinger, New York Times political reporter covering right-wing media and national campaigns.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by
Bryan talks to the creator of Queering the Map, a digital archive of queer stories from around the globe
This week Bryan talks to Lucas LaRochelle, the creator of the online platform Queering the Map. Queering the Map is a community-generated digital archive and map of LGBTQ2IA+ experiences around the globe. They dig into the map’s beginnings, stories from the platform, and how this archive has been able to share queer joy, sorrow, and possibility across continents and in 23 languages. Podcast production by Palace Shaw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Hamas Agreed to a Ceasefire. Now What?
In a last minute twist, Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire with Israel. But targeted airstrikes are already underway in Rafah. With its infrastructure in shambles, Gaza is facing famine – and worse. What’s next for Gaza’s people? Guest: Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for the Economist.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free”
Punishing A Shooter’s Parents Misses The Point
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: prosecuting parents.Ethan Crumbley’s parents didn’t pull the trigger that killed 4 students in 2021 — but they’ve been sentenced to prison time for it all the same. School shootings are devastatingly common in this country, but punishing the parents of the killer is a new tactic of handling the aftermath. Even if you think the Crumbleys were bad parents, though, the questions should be posed: why are we punishing them under the law? And is this the best way to
What Next: Why Democrats Will Save Mike Johnson’s Job
Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling for Mike Johnson’s job—again. But unlike Kevin McCarthy before him, Johnson has support from a surprising place.Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you liste
Well, Now: How a Former Surgeon General Took on a $5,000 ER Bill
Who hasn’t received necessary medical care and got a shockingly high bill for it weeks later? Even with insurance, many Americans will experience this at some point–including one of the most recognizable doctors in the country: the U.S. surgeon general. Earlier this year, Dr. Jerome Adams – who served as surgeon general for the Trump Administration – received a bill of nearly $5,000 after being treated for dehydration. What was his strategy for fighting it?On this week’s episode of Well, Now: Ho
What Next TBD: Can California Save Journalism?
The California Journalism Preservation Act would make companies like Google and Meta pay publishers for the news content appearing in their feeds and search results—and force news organizations to spend that money on their journalists. How have similar laws worked in Canada and Australia? And could it solve journalism’s on-going revenue problem?Guest: Matt Pearce, former LA Times journalist, the president of Media Guild of the West.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-fr
A Word: Flint's Decade of Disappointment
The city of Flint, Michigan made headlines in spring of 2014, after public officials recognized dangerously high lead levels in the water supply. After ten years and three presidents, many African American Flint residents say their health is still being compromised by their water, and civil actions aimed at compensating them have –so far– only enriched lawyers. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Adam Mahoney, the climate journalist for Capital B News. They discuss how the w
Political Gabfest: Should Student Protesters Be Arrested?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the increasing and increasingly violent campus protests of Israel’s war in Gaza, Emily’s article on How ‘History and Tradition’ Rulings Are Changing American Law, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s chances of a vice presidential nomination after killing her dog and writing about it. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:April Rubin, Kavya Beheraj, Tory Lysik, and Will Chase for Axios: Mapped: Where pro – Pa
Slate Money: Will new DEA rules light up the weed business?
This week: A new DEA designation for cannabis means high times for pot smokers, but what about the industry? Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the future of the cannabis business, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s lax, four-month prison sentence, and why Americans keep buying more cheap junk (but spend fortunes on ravioli). In the Plus segment: Elon Musk fired Tesla’s Supercharger network team: a bold move, or just a dumb one?If you enjoy this show, please consider signi
What Next TBD: Bird Flu—It’s in Milk?
Bird flu isn’t new, you may even remember past outbreaks. But showing up in milk?
Is America ready if it leaps to spreading among humans?
Guest: Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist, senior advisor to the CDC
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access whereve
What Next: Columbia Cracks Down
Professor Joe Howley has been working with student protesters for almost a year. When they occupied his building, he got texts from the kids—and nothing from the administration. Now that Columbia’s called the cops, and nearly 100 demonstrators have been arrested, what does that mean for the future of the institution—and for free speech on campus nationwide?
Guest: Joe Howley, associate professor in the Columbia University Classics Department
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to acce
What Next: Biden’s Climate Report Card
It’s not that we aren’t making progress slowing our carbon and greenhouse gas emissions; it’s just that we still may not be doing enough—fast enough—to avert catastrophe.
Guest: Umair Irfan, correspondent at Vox writing about climate change, Covid-19, and energy policy.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our sho
What Next: The Man Who Wrote the Trump Playbook—30 Years Ago.
In the ‘90s, Pat Buchanan was a fringe figure among Republicans whose positions on immigration and demographic change in the United States were considered too extreme for the party. Now, his ideas are what passes for Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign platform.
Guest: Ari Berman, Mother Jones’ national voting rights correspondent and author of “Minority Rule.”
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate pod
Hear Me Out: Student Protests Can Backfire (Badly)
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: solidarity?
College campuses across the country are grappling with protests and occupations in the name of a free Palestine. Many hundreds of students, faculty, and outside community members have been arrested in tense clashes with police — called onto campuses by the universities themselves.
Student protestors have shaped public discourse on matters like war and the environment for many decades. But without a clear, sympathetic goal, they can also lead to p
What Next: The Jewish Case for Protest
As some members of Congress call for crackdowns, how do college administrators ensure the safety of their entire student body – while also respecting its right to free speech?
Guest: Peter Beinart, Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents and the author of “The Beinart Notebook” on Substack.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at th
A Word: True Life, True Crime
True crime is a hot topic for movies, television, and –yes– podcasts. At the center of many of these stories is a missing woman. In the She Has A Name podcast, veteran journalist Tonya Mosley tries to reconstruct the death –and life– of a woman who went missing in 1987, a woman who happens to be her long lost sister. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Tonya Mosley to talk about uncovering the mystery around her sister Anita’s disappearance and death, and how the podcast hel
Well, Now: Living and Loving With OCD (feat. Allison Raskin)
A vital component of wellness is taking care of our mental health. But mental wellness is more than just drinking water, doing yoga, and going for a walk.
Author and podcaster Allison Raskin has lived most of her life with diagnosed mental illness.
By navigating her mental health journey over the years, she’s been able to find community and humor through her diagnoses, particularly by writing about her experience with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
On this week’s episode of Well, Now – navigati
What Next TBD: The Failures of ‘Organic’ Farming
There are regulations regarding how farm animals are transported, how they’re auctioned, how they’re slaughtered—but when they’re living on the farm? That’s where things get cloudy.
Guest: Annie Lowrey, journalist writing on politics and economic policy for The Atlantic.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show
Amicus: Democracy Dies at SCOTUS
Get your tickets for Amicus Live in Washington DC here.
This past week (that lasted about a year) at the Supreme Court began badly and only went downhill from there. By Wednesday, justices were trying to set aside the facts of women being airlifted out of states where they can no longer access care to protect their major organs and reproductive future, if that emergency healthcare indicates an abortion - in favor of pondering the spending clause. On Thursday, the shocking reality of the violen
Slate Money: The Rich People Restaurant Crisis
This week: a reservation at Carbone New York may cost a thousand dollars, but you’ve always got a table at Slate Money! Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss restaurant reservation resellers, the FTC’s new non-compete clause ban, and Biden’s rules for airline fees that make getting refunds easier than ever. In the Plus segment: After sell-or-be-banned legislation, is it the end for TikTok in America?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus m
What Next TBD: So ... Is TikTok Banned?
The TikTok ban that has been floating around Washington since the last administration has been signed into law. What does that mean for users, creators and the court battles ahead?
Guest:
Louise Matsakis, reporter covering tech and China.
Dillon White, TikToker under the handle @dadchats
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the
What Next: How Trump Found His Lawyer
Who is Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s attorney in the hush-money trial, and how did he end up representing the former president?
Guest: Andrew Rice, features writer for New York Magazine. He’s also the author of The Year That Broke America.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
AMICUS PREVIEW: Abortion Gaslighting is Back at SCOTUS
Listen to a preview of this urgent extra episode of Amicus. The full episode is available to our Slate Plus members. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes of Amicus, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.
What Next: Columbia Calls the Cops
Protests at Columbia University have become a talking point across national media, but does the situation on campus actually resemble the one in the press?
Guest: Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you
What Next: Your Right to Protest? Not the Supreme Court’s Problem.
The constitutional right to protest is right there in the First Amendment. So when the Fifth Circuit Court threatened this right across three states, why didn’t the Supreme Court take up the case?
Guest: Ian Milhiser, senior correspondent for Vox.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at s
Hear Me Out: Third Parties Are Saving Democracy
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: nobody wins with two parties.
A competitive presidential election draws closer every day – and as ever, every vote will count. So is it fair to accuse third-party voters of wasting a vote, as often happens? Or are third-party candidates actually preserving what little we have left of a competitive democracy?
Bernard Tamas of Valdosta State University joins us to make the case for the power of the third party.
If you have thoughts you want to share, or an id
What Next: What the WNBA Salary Debate Misses
With all eyes on the WNBA as Caitlin Clark was drafted, many were surprised at the star player’s new salary, and how it paled in comparison to that of an NBA rookie. What would it take to address this disparity?
Guest: Lindsay Gibbs, author and founder of Power Plays, “a no-BS newsletter about women’s sports” and co-host of the Burn It All Down podcast.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate pod
What Next TBD: The Internet Archive Endangered
From the Wayback Machine to the mass-digitization of the history of Aruba, the Internet Archive is a non-profit doing valuable work. But some of its other projects—a pandemic-era lending library and the ongoing digitalization of 78 rpm records—have led to lawsuits now threatening the future of this repository of the past.
Guest: Kate Knibbs, senior writer at Wired.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite
Well, Now: We Don’t Need to Cure Autism
April is Autism Acceptance Month, and how we’ve come to understand autism has evolved over the past several decades.
For years, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was thought of as something that needed to be cured. Through better data and years of activism, that misunderstanding is changing.
On this week’s episode of Well, Now we discuss that evolution with Sara Luterman, caregiving reporter for The 19th.
Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Ahyiana Angel with editorial oversight by Alicia
A Word: Freaknik: Party in the Black
Nostalgia for the 1990s is everywhere, and for a generation of African Americans, perhaps nothing symbolizes the fun of that decade more than Freaknik. A sprawling days-long festival of all the good –and bad– of spring break behavior, at its height, Freaknik drew tens of thousands of partiers each year from around the country to Atlanta. So why did the party stop, and is there any way it could ever come back again?
On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the Hulu documentary Freak
Political Gabfest: Could You Be A Trump Juror?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s first criminal trial and the Supreme Court argument on a criminal charge related to another Trump case and talk with The Atlantic’s Mark Leibovich about his profile of Governor Gavin Newsom.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Norman Eisen for CNN: Don’t call it a ‘hush money’ case
Brian Beutler for the Politix podcast: Alvin Bragg’s Liberal Critics Are Wrong
Ben Protess, Jonah E. Bromwich,
Amicus: Twelve Jurors and One Angry Ex-President
Get your tickets for Amicus Live in Washington DC here.
The first criminal trial of Donald Trump is finally here. This week, hundreds of possible jurors filed through Judge Juan Merchan’s courtroom in lower Manhattan. The selection process was a preview of some of the challenges and pitfalls in the first ever criminal trial of a sitting or former President. On this week’s show, Slate’s senior legal writer Mark Joseph Stern sits down with Slate jurisprudence editor and Chief Law of Trump™ corres
Slate Money: Tesla’s Toxic Relationship With Musk
This week: Elon Musk wants his colossal, court-blocked pay package, and Tesla’s board wants to give it to him. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers also chat with Alicia Montgomery, current Slate audio VP and veteran of NPR, to discuss what is — and isn’t — behind NPR’s troubles. Also: inflation is high, but does the Fed really need to cut rates? In the Plus segment: Why Biden is going after Chinese steel.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus me
What Next TBD: What’s Driving Tesla’s Layoffs?
Tesla’s market cap has dropped. The company had its biggest round of layoffs ever. The Cybertruck doesn’t seem to be taking off. And Elon’s posting through it. Is Tesla in serious trouble?
Guest: Dana Hull, Bloomberg reporter and contributor to the podcast Elon, Inc.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show pag
What Next: Is It Too Late to Escape “Forever Chemicals”?
Man-made per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are found in all sorts of industrial and consumer products, including carpets, rain jackets, and makeup. They’re also in our drinking water—and in our blood.
The EPA has recently announced plans to regulate the amount of certain PFAS in our water supply. But will these rules do enough to control chemicals for which there is no safe level of exposure?
Guest: Esmé E. Deprez, independent investigative journalist.
Want more What Next? S
What Next: Will Abortion in Florida and Arizona Decide the Election?
How will impending abortion restrictions in Florida and Arizona impact votes this fall?
Guests:
Anna Hochkammer, executive director of the Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition.
Grace Panetta, political reporter for The 19th.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to
Outward: A History of the Gay Right with Neil J. Young
This week Bryan talks to writer Neil J. Young about his new book Coming Out Republican: A History of the Gay Right. They dig into some of the inherent contradictions of the Gay Right and the pillars of their political strategy and reveal how central whiteness and maleness is to their politic.
Podcast production by Palace Shaw.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: What Israel Does Now
Over the weekend Iran fired flocks of missiles and drones towards Israel, but the damage was minimal. What role did Israel’s new network of regional allies play in tamping down the attack? —and how committed to war was Iran to begin with?
Guest: Graeme Wood, staff writer at The Atlantic.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at t
Hear Me Out: Legalize Weed, But Not Like This
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: blaze it.
Ahead of the honorary stoner holiday that is 4/20, we’re taking a look at the marijuana landscape. Public opinion has warmed considerably to legal weed in the past few decades – both medicinal and recreational – even though it remains a Schedule 1 drug on the federal level.
But some public health experts are still sounding the alarm, because this has all happened very quickly… and though hard-line illegality was harmful, what we’re doing now might b
What Next: What Israel Does Now
Over the weekend Iran fired flocks of missiles and drones towards Israel, but the damage was minimal. What role did Israel’s new network of regional allies play in tamping down the attack? —and how committed to war was Iran to begin with?Guest: Graeme Wood, staff writer at The Atlantic.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the t
Hang Up: The Meaning of O.J. Simpson
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin, discuss the death of O.J. Simpson and everything his life and his murder trial dredged up. They’re also joined by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports for a breakdown of the NBA playoffs.
O.J. Simpson's legacy (2:05): Reckoning with the meaning of O.J.
NBA Playoffs (23:45): Breaking down the upcoming playoff picture.
Afterball (41:42): Joel on O.J. Simpson’s long and not so successful sportscasting career.
(Note: time codes are only accurate for Slat
What Next: Trump In (Criminal) Court
Donald Trump is appearing in court today as a criminal defendant. Why did this case take so long to go to trial, and what’s at stake for the former president?
Guest: Jeremy Stahl, jurisprudence editor at Slate.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access
Well, Now: Most Skincare Products are BS. Here Are the Facts.
As we approach the warmer months and start spending more time outside, healthy skin couldn’t be more important. So how can we best protect our body’s largest organ?
Feel free to stock up on all the products for a 10-step routine if you want. But the reality is healthy skin requires just three products. The rest is kind of BS.
This week on Well, Now we talk all things skin health with Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, a dermatologist and dermatopathologist based in New York City.
If you liked this episode
What Next TBD: Is America Ready for Legal Psychedelics?
How the semi-legalization of marijuana has drawn a road map for legalizing psychedelics—and also provided a list of pitfalls to be avoided.
Guest: Jane C. Hu, science journalist and author of the newsletter The Microdose.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get
A Word: Candace Owens: Back to Black?
Commentator Candace Owens’ messy fall from grace in conservative media coincided with her appearances on popular Black chat shows. That includes The Breakfast Club, led by radio host and personality Charlamagne tha God.
Once a minor social media personality who condemned Donald Trump as racist, Owens became one of the former president’s chief defenders, and a leading Black voice of anti-Black rhetoric. So is Owens saying anything new in Black media, and were those outlets doing the right thing b
Slate Money: Why America’s Internet Sucks
This week, Slate Money hacks the mainframe! Washington Post tech writer Shira Ovide joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss what’s wrong with America’s internet industry, how YouTube became the media empire no one talks about, and the promise and peril of the AI toothbrush. In the Plus segment: OpenAI is using YouTube to train ChatGPT. Is that legal?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the
Political Gabfest: Arizona Territory’s 1864 Abortion Law
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the revival of Arizona’s 1864 abortion ban; the end of No Labels; and the past and future of presidential debates.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Mary Jo Pitzl and Reagan Priest for The Arizona Republic: Arizona House GOP halt Democrats’ effort to overturn Civil War era law in chaotic session
Dan Balz for The Washington Post: The Arizona Supreme Court just upended Trump’s gambit on abortion
Jamelle Bo
Amicus: The Jurisprudence of Bleeding Out
Get your tickets for Amicus Live in Washington DC on May 14th here.
We shouldn’t be surprised that we have to keep saying it, but here we are: the Supreme Court (notably trained as lawyers) will soon make decisions about how doctors (notably trained as doctors) can treat pregnant patients in the emergency room. Moyle v. United States - consolidated with Idaho v. United States - is the result of an Idaho lawsuit challenging EMTALA, a federal law requiring hospitals to do whatever they can to sta
What Next TBD: Does Google Suck Now?
Why lately our search engines just don’t seem to deliver results.
Guest: Jason Koebler, cofounder of 404 Media and co-host of the 404 Media Podcast.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg
What Next: The Judge Protecting Trump
How Florida Judge Aileen Cannon is delaying Donald Trump’s trial over classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago—and what special prosecutor Jack Smith can do to get things moving.
Guest: Lee Kovarsky, professor of law at University of Texas, co-director of the UT Capital Punishment Center
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at t
What Next; How the Government Botched Financial Aid
How did an attempt to simplify a tedious student-aid form turn into a full-on debacle that has some high school seniors wondering if they will have to delay starting college?
Guest: Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, national higher education reporter for the Washington Post.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show p
What Next: No Labels Is Out. But RFK Jr. Remains.
2024 is down to two historically unpopular candidates. That may leave the door open for third-party candidates to make some noise. But Democrats have been burned before – and aren’t going down without a fight.
Guest: Dave Weigel, reporter for Semafor.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now
Hang Up: A Transcendent Women’s Tourney
Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Chantel Jennings to talk about South Carolina’s victory over Iowa. They also ponder Caitlin Clark’s WNBA future, John Calipari’s reported move to Arkansas, and Tennessee’s decision to move beyond the Pat Summitt coaching tree. Finally, Sam Koppelman joins to discuss Hunterbrook Media’s new report on Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s mortgage company and how Hunterbrook is trying to use journalism to make money in the stock market.
South Ca
What Next: How Young Is Too Young to Work?
In response to a spike in child labor violations, some states are strengthening their laws against the practice—while 16 states have weakened laws against child labor. What’s going on?
Guest: Lauren Kaori Gurley, labor reporter for the Washington Post.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now
A Word: Criminal Injustice
A young Black man, wrongfully accused of sexual assault, is convicted nonetheless. Evidence that could’ve exonerated him is withheld or covered up, and he spends much of his youth in prison. It sounds like a movie-of-the-week, but it was the real life nightmare of Jarrett Adams. Throughout his incarceration, he fought for his freedom and eventually won. Now, he’s a defense attorney who helps other wrongfully convicted people find justice, and build better lives on the outside through his organiz
What Next TBD: America Needs More Power
The demand for electricity is surging in the U.S. With increasing amounts of power going towards artificial intelligence, manufacturing and electric vehicles, can the grid keep up?
Guest: Evan Halper, business reporter covering the energy transition for the Washington Post
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show
Well, Now: Spring Cleaning Your Medicine Cabinet
Spring is a time for fresh starts. For a lot of us, that means spring cleaning.
But don’t worry, we’re not talking about the whole house.
This week, the Well, Now team is spring cleaning our medicine cabinets. What are some medicinal must-haves, and what things should we definitely toss?
Joining us to help tidy up is Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, a board-certified physician in internal, emergency and obesity medicine.
If you liked this episode, check out: What “Wellness” Is and Isn’t
Podcast productio
Political Gabfest: Florida Bans Abortion Again
Here are this week’s chatters:
Emily: Scott Bauer for AP: Wisconsin voters approve ban on private money support for elections and Unfair Share: The Gerrymandered Chocolate Bar on Kickstarter
John: Joey Roulette and Will Dunham for Reuters: Exclusive: White House directs NASA to create time standard for the moon and John Dickerson Introduces: Navel Gazing
David: Corvid Research: All in the (crow) family; 3 Body Problem on Netflix; The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu; and Foundation and For All M
Amicus: When Gag Orders Become Campaign-Performance Indicators
After weeks of the Trump trials (and the run-up to the Trump trials) becoming ever more engrossing spectator sports, both the public and the media may have lost sight of some of the stakes. They also may have lost sight of the truth of what the legal system can actually deliver in terms of protecting democracy from Donald J Trump.
On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Juliette Kayyem to dissect Trump's impact on legal, national security, and ideological fronts. Kayyem brings her n
Slate Money: EVs Need a Charge-Up
This week: Americans are less revved up about EVs. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss if Elon Musk’s mischief has played a role in slowing sales. Also: the crisis in the wine industry, and how a combination investigative publication/hedge fund wants to blow the lid off corporations — while shorting their stock. In the Plus segment: the proxy battle for the future of Disney.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free e
What Next TBD: Truth Social’s Rocky Week
Donald Trump got a huge financial boost when Truth Social went public last week—or did he?
Guest: Nitish Pahwa, associate writer on business and tech for Slate.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.
Learn more about your ad choices.
What Next: How Much Longer Can Netanyahu Hold On?
Benjamin Netanyahu has been able to count on the support from Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties. But as the IDF needs additional manpower to continue a two-front war, the military exemption that the ultra-Orthodox enjoy is coming under scrutiny, and could fracture Netanyahu’s hold on power.
Guest: Yair Rosenberg, staff writer for The Atlantic.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscr
What Next: How Gambling Took Over Sports
Sports betting is now mostly legal, and, if you watch sports, its advertisements are inescapable. Now, a series of scandals has rocked the professional leagues. When everyone bets, odds are – someone will cross a line.
Guest: Jay Caspian Kang, staff writer for “The New Yorker” and author of The Loneliest Americans.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcas
Hear Me Out: Don’t Blame Capitalism For The Housing Crisis
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: housing the nation.
We have an affordable housing problem — and an affordability problem, period, but that’s another show.
When we talk about solutions to homelessness and cost burden for renters and homeowners alike, many progressives lean toward government intervention… because capitalism seems to have failed us. But has it, really? Or is for-profit development the surprising answer to affordable housing?
Jon McMillan of TF Cornerstone – and author of a
What Next: How a Democrat Flipped a Seat in Alabama
Democrat Marilyn Lands will be sworn in to the Alabama House of Representatives this week, having won a special election in the deep-red state by 25 points. How did Lands do it—and what can the national Democrats learn from her victory?
Guest: Marilyn Lands, Alabama lawmaker who won a special election for the state’s House of Representatives.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subsc
Hang Up: The Kim Mulkey Profile Is Here
Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis are joined by USA Today’s Lindsay Schnell to talk about the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament and by Buzzer’s Eamonn Brennan to discuss the men’s tournament. Finally, the Washington Post’s Kent Babb joins for a conversation about his profile of Kim Mulkey.
NCAA women (5:55): Can anyone beat South Carolina?
NCAA men (23:02): Why everyone loves North Carolina State’s DJ Burns Jr.
Mulkey profile (38:31): Kent Babb on his reporting process and everything t
What Next: The Group Behind Christian Conservatives’ Winning Streak
The group that brought the case that overturned Roe v. Wade is back before the Supreme Court arguing for more restrictions on mifepristone, the “abortion pill.” Who are Alliance Defending Freedom, and what are their goals?
Guest: David Kirkpatrick, staff writer for The New Yorker.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top
Well, Now: Eating Disorders Are Rising Among Boys. Why?
Eating disorders are one of the most deadly psychiatric disorders.
But for decades, much of the criteria to diagnose one applied only to cisgender girls and those assigned female at birth – like a loss of menstruation. This meant that many cisgender boys and those assigned male at birth fell through the cracks.
On this week’s episode of Well, Now: The rise in eating disorders among boys and men with Dr. Jason Nagata, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California San Francisc
A Word: Run for the Border?
The American Dream has long been out of reach for many Black people in this country. Between police violence, the lack of economic opportunity, and the threat of a second Trump term, many African Americans are considering building their dream lives in another country. And for thousands of people, Mexico is one of the top destinations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Adam Mahoney of the CapitalB News to talk about why many Black Americans are moving south of the border, w
What Next TBD: The Psychological Toll of Mars
From science fiction writers to American presidents to Elon Musk, everyone’s eager to send people to Mars. But, even if you could nail the physical aspects, are Earthlings cut out for life on Mars mentally?
Guest: Nathaniel Rich, contributing writer for New York Times magazine.
Kate Greene, author and poet
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicki
Political Gabfest Live In Washington, D.C.!
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz are live in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Supreme Court (again) and abortion (again); Donald Trump’s ups and downs in New York courtrooms and Ronna McDaniel’s rise and fall on NBC; and Gallup’s World Happiness Report 2024.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Ann E. Marimow and Caroline Kitchener for The Washington Post: Supreme Court skeptical of efforts to restrict access to abortion pill
Sierra Club v. Morton,
Slate Money: How Do You Bribe a President? Meme Stocks.
This week: Truth Social is the latest meme stock, and buying it could win favor with a president. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what Truth Social means for Trump, whether Sam Bankman-Fried’s 25-year sentence is too harsh, and a Visa/Mastercard antitrust settlement that could change credit card fees as we know them. (Platinum holders beware.) In the plus segment: Why a global chocolate shortage is racking the candy industry.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing
Amicus: When RAGA Rhymes with MAGA
It’s not quite red-yarn-on-a-corkboard, but given how often we’ve been thinking about the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) over the years, it may as well be. The group has become a vital component of the conservative legal movement, with pay-to-play access afforded to corporate donors to boot. Despite all the money changing hands and obvious conflicts of interest, few have heard of them - and that’s very intentional.
This week we’re joined by Lisa Graves of True North Research to
What Next TBD: Can Boeing Pull Out of This Tailspin?
How supply chains, the pandemic, and a steady stream of Wall Street money led to a crisis at Boeing.
Guest: Jon Ostrower, editor-in-chief of the website the Air Current.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.
Learn more about your ad
What Next: Nickelodeon’s Legacy of Abuse
A new documentary, “Quiet On Set,” looks back at Nickelodeon’s heyday, and the culture of abuse that many of its child stars were subjected to.
Guest: Kate Taylor, reporter for Business Insider and producer of “Quiet on Set.”
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus
What Next: Will Islamophobia Sink This Judicial Nomination?
Nominated by Biden for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Adeel Mangi has a Harvard education and years as a prominent corporate litigator under his belt. But during his Senate confirmation hearing, the main thing Republican lawmakers wanted to talk about were Hamas’s October 7th attacks. Now, Democrats are weighing filling a seat in the federal judiciary against giving in to Islamophobia.
Guest: Nate Raymond, reporter covering the federal judiciary and litigation for Reuters.
Want more What
Hear Me Out: Anti-Vaxers Aren’t Just Extremists
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: getting the jab.
Vaccine hesitancy is not a new phenomenon in the United States, but it is a growing one… particularly in conservative Evangelical circles.
At the same time, there’s a lot for all of us to dislike, and distrust, about the American healthcare system. So, for those of us who have a hard time working up any sympathy for the vaccine-skeptical crowd, it’s worth asking: what if this is a symptom of the problems we’re all experiencing?
Johanna Rich
What Next: Has Trump Run Out the Clock?
With four criminal cases against him, including one that was scheduled to begin this week, Donald Trump and his legal team have successfully muddied the waters in all four trials. With solid odds of winning the presidential election in the fall, has Donald Trump managed to once again wriggle his way out of this one?
Guest: Jeremy Stahl, Slate’s jurisprudence editor.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favori
What Next: After the Moscow Concert Attack
A concert outside of Moscow was interrupted by gunshot and a fire. Though ISIS claimed responsibility within hours, Putin isn’t letting this crisis go to waste.
Guest: Shane Harris, senior national security writer for the Washington Post.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.co
What Next TBD: The Next Round of the Union Fight
After organized-labor victories at Amazon, with automakers, and in Hollywood, big corporations are striking back by, among other things, suing the National Labor Relations Board.
Guest: Noam Scheiber, reporter for the New York Times covering working and workers.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Si
A Word: Love, Family, and Freedom’s Ultimate Price
Myrlie Evers was arguably the first civil rights widow, a woman who was plunged into activism after the assassination of her husband—Mississippi NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers—in 1963. She survived to become a leader of the movement in her own right. But what’s less well known is the remarkable story of how the couple came together, and how their love endures, decades after his death. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Joy-Ann Reid to talk about her book, Med
Well, Now - "People Feel Like They’re Drowning": The Long Covid Survivors Left Behind
While most of the world moves on from Covid-19, millions of Americans remain in limbo: Those living with Long Covid.
Long Covid symptoms are vast and can impact all parts of the body: from gastrointestinal tract issues and fatigue to autoimmune inflammation and cognitive impairment.
On this week’s episode of Well, Now – Kavita and Maya talk with Dr. Wes Ely, an ICU physician based in Nashville, Tenn.
As the co-director of the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction and Survivorship Center, he is on
Slate Money: Is Apple’s Monopoly Good for Us?
This week: Biden’s comin’ for your iPhone! Or at least, his administration wants to make it less restrictive to third-party developers. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the new Apple DOJ lawsuit, how Reddit can leverage its massive IPO, and new rules for real estate brokers that could change the home-buying experience. In the Plus segment: Unilever is dropping Ben & Jerry’s. When did America stop screaming for ice cream?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up fo
Amicus: How The Mifepristone Case Reached SCOTUS
Well, it happened again. The hIgHeSt CoUrT will hear arguments Tuesday in a case based on made up facts! This time it’s mifepristone, the abortion drug at the center of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v FDA.
The claim was that the FDA approval process (three decades ago), for mifepristone, one of two medication abortion drugs, was haphazard and slapdash.. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine also argued that the FDA’s 2021 decision to allow telemedicine abortion and mailing of abortion pills vio
Political Gabfest: When Is Government Speech Coercion?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Supreme Court’s busy week on government speech and immigration authority; Donald Trump’s bond issue and words problem; and COVID learning loss. Join us for Political Gabfest Live in Washington, D.C. on March 27! Tickets are on sale now; get ‘em before they’re gone.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Amy Howe for SCOTUSblog: Court sympathetic to NRA’s free speech claim and Supreme Court skeptical of re
What Next TBD: Reddit’s IPO Gamble
Despite the blackouts, moderator revolts, and long string of controversies, Reddit remains an active, healthy website. As the site goes public this week, can it remain that way?
Guest: Priya Anand, Bloomberg News tech reporter.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus t
What Next: How Anti-Abortion Laws Trap Domestic Abuse Survivors
Experts say domestic violence tends to start or intensify during pregnancy. But since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, terminating a pregnancy—or even advising or helping someone to terminate a pregnancy—has been criminalized in several states which can leave survivors of domestic violence unable to separate from an abusive partner.
Guest: Julianne McShane, writer at Mother Jones covering the intersection of gender and inequity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Outward: Trans Visibility and Community with Chase Strangio
This week, we’re sharing more of our interview with Trans rights activist and ACLU Lawyer Chase Strangio. In this episode, Bryand and Jules ask Chase about his recent New York Times op-ed Trans Visibility Is Nice. Safety Is Even Better. They also talk about how hyper-visibility does not equate safety, and what we all risk losing when we lose trans rights.
Email us at outwardpod@slate.com
Podcast production by Palace Shaw.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Why We Still Don’t Have a Cease-Fire
When even Israel’s American allies like Biden and Chuck Schumer seem to be growing impatient waiting for a ceasefire in Gaza, what is standing in the way?
Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate writer and author of The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our sh
What Next: The Trump Veepstakes Is On
It’s hard to imagine anyone changing their opinion on Trump based on a new running mate. But there’s more at stake with this pick than just the 2024 election.
Guest: Benjy Sarlin, Washington Bureau Chief at Semafor
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get acce
What Next: Haiti’s Power Vacuum
With gangs controlling much of the capital and the prime minister out of office, what is Haiti’s path to stability? What role should the international community play?
Guest: Harold Isaac, independent journalist in Haiti.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to
A Word: Black Country Renaissance
Beyoncé has announced that the second act of Renaissance will be a country album. “Cowboy Carter” is set for release at the end of March, Women’s History Month. Beyoncé has already made history as the first Black woman to top the country charts with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and recently received Dolly Parton’s blessing to cover her classic song, Jolene.
While Beyoncé may seem to be breaking new ground, much of country music has always been rooted in African American culture, and Black women have been
What Next TBD: When Private Equity Gets in to Health Care
Private equity firms have been buying up doctors’ offices and hospitals around the country. But if profits are the primary goal, what happens to the cost and quality of healthcare for patients?
Guest: Gretchen Morgenson, senior financial reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit and co-author of “These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs—and Wrecks—America”
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favori
Well, Now: Life After Lockdown
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization named Covid-19 a pandemic, and public health around the globe changed forever.
Countries shut down their borders, businesses closed and furloughed workers, and millions of students went to remote learning. Two years in, more than one million Americans lost their lives.
This week on Well, Now we mark this grim anniversary by talking about what we have and haven’t learned about this world-changing virus with one of the epidemiologists who first beg
Amicus: Who Gets to Lie Online?
While all eyes and brains are on what SCOTUS thinks about making Trump emperor-king, a lesser known case will be heard Monday that could have a huge impact on how social media can (or cannot) keep election workers safe this year. Murthy v. Missouri arrives at the high court as the result a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, along with a group of social media users—including some doctors and right-wing commentators—who argued that officials in the Biden administrati
Political Gabfest: Did Hur Exonerate Biden?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and Special Counsel Robert Hur’s congressional testimony; crime and punishment with the Wren Collective’s Jessica Brand; and Congress’s move to ban the Chinese government from TikTok. Join us for Political Gabfest Live in Washington, D.C. on March 27! Tickets are on sale now. Planning to attend? Submit a Listener Chatter to gabfest@slate.com and you might be picked to chatter live.
Slate Money: Work is Mid 🤷♀️
This week: Americans don’t care as much about work. They have better things to do. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the prospect of a four-day workweek and what it could mean for the economy. Also: How Liquid Death made water rad as hell, and the uncertain fate of TikTok in America. In the Plus segment: Tanning is back! Producer Cheyna Roth joins the hosts to discuss the rising popularity of tanning salons and self-tan products.
If you enjoy this show, please consider sign
What Next TBD: Is TikTok Cooked This Time?
TikTok’s connection to the Chinese government has been a Washington talking point since the Trump administration, but earlier this month lawmakers in the House introduced a bill requiring the app’s parent company to either divest the company into American hands—or be banned.
Guest: Emily Baker-White, technology reporter and senior writer at Forbes.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Su
What Next: Mexico Is Full Of American Guns. So the Country’s Suing.
How Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit against American gun manufacturers and distributors could pave the way for new gun control tactics in the U.S. and abroad. Guest: Champe Barton, reporter for The Trace. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help
Outward: Chase Strangio on the Anti-Trans Legislation Landscape
2023 was a record-breaking year for anti-trans legislation and with over 500 bills introduced in 2024 it’s shaping up to be another critical year for statutory rights for trans people. This week, Bryan and Jules review the damage done in 2023 and look at the implications for anti-trans legislation this year with Chase Strangio, Deputy Director for Transgender Justice with the ACLU's LGBT & HIV Project.
Email us at outwardpod@slate.com
Podcast production by Palace Shaw.
Learn more about your ad c
What Next: Where is Kate Middleton?
Kate Middleton’s on-going absence has the internet tied in knots, and the heavily edited photo that the royal family released—and then rescinded—only made things worse. What do we know about the Princess of Wales’s whereabouts?
Guest: Imogen West-Knights, contributing writer for Slate based in London.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking
Hear Me Out: Purity Is Poisoning the Progressive Movement
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: the purity test.
Purity, in political science, doesn’t have anything to do with morality. It has to do with whether your policy aligns with your principles.
From “Bernie Bros” to the uncommitted vote against Biden, we’ve seen progressives protect ideological purity… and punish stances that don’t align. An all-or-nothing stance on issues like universal healthcare and student loan forgiveness might sound appealing to voters. But does it doom progress, practica
What Next: Biden's War on Junk Fees
Extra charges and fees for everything from booking a hotel to buying concert tickets have become an insidious part of daily life. President Biden is hoping that by outlawing so-called “junk fees,” he can win some goodwill with voters before the election. Will it work?
Guest: David Dayen, Executive Editor of The American Prospect, author of Monopolized: Life in the Age of Corporate Power.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zer
What Next: He Quoted Hitler. Now, He Could Be Governor.
On Super Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson secured the Republican nomination for governor in North Carolina. His history of anti-semitic, misogynistic, and outright absurd comments wasn’t a problem for MAGA supporters in the state—and it certainly wasn’t a problem for the national Grand Old Party either.Guest: Jeffrey Billman, politics and law reporter at The Assembly.Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all yo
What Next: He Quoted Hitler. Now, He Could Be Governor.
On Super Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson secured the Republican nomination for governor in North Carolina. His history of anti-semitic, misogynistic, and outright absurd comments wasn’t a problem for MAGA supporters in the state—and it certainly wasn’t a problem for the national Grand Old Party either.
Guest: Jeffrey Billman, politics and law reporter at The Assembly.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all
A Word: Freedom Fight Like a Woman
March is Women’s History Month, and for centuries, the roles of Black women in key moments of American history have been diminished. One book that takes a unique approach to exploring their stories is Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts. The book combines historical narrative with illustrations depicting African and African American women rising up against their enslavers, often at the cost of their own lives. On today’s episode of A Word, host Jason Johnson is joined by Wake’s a
What Next TBD: Instagram’s Pedophile Problem
As the debate around child safety online rages on, an investigation by The New York Times found a seedy world of pedophiles interacting with child influencer accounts, often run by their parents, on Instagram.
Guest: Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, investigative reporter at the New York Times.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Fr
Well, Now: How the Food on Your Plate Can Fight Climate Change
It’s impossible to ignore the impact of climate change. Sea levels are rising, and natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires are increasing in strength and number each year.
A major contributor to a warming planet is the way we’re processing our food. So on this week’s episode of Well, Now we discuss ways to eat a full, balanced diet while keeping the health of the planet in mind with registered dietitian nutritionist Chris Vogliano.
If you liked this episode, check out: Breaking Up With
Slate Money: Are Wallets Obsolete?
The New York Times declared that physical wallets are on the outs. But is digital enough? Felix Salmon Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss! Also: Steve Mnuchin’s heroic $1 billion bailout of New York Community Bank, and new rules requiring public companies to report their carbon emissions. In the Plus segment, a leaked Department of Labor email to a mysterious group of “super users” may reveal why January’s inflation numbers spiked.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Sla
Political Gabfest: The Dismal Biden Polls
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Biden v. Trump polls and Super Tuesday, the Supreme Court’s decision to leave Donald Trump on the ballot, and whether The Golden Age of American Jews Is Ending with The Atlantic’s Franklin Foer. Join us for Political Gabfest Live in Washington, D.C. on March 27! Tickets are on sale now. Planning to attend? Submit a Listener Chatter to gabfest@slate.com and you might be picked to chatter live.
Here are some notes and referen
ICYMI: Protecting Child Influencers From Their Parents
Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by writer and journalist Fortesa Latifi who has been reporting extensively on child influencer legislation for Teen Vogue. In August 2023, the governor of Illinois passed an amendment to the state’s child labor law that would require parents to compensate their children for their appearances in monetized content. Drawing comparisons to the Coogan Law, several states have followed suit and proposed their own legislation to finally address the p
Amicus: The Lies Destroying America
It’s not just the justices on the Supreme Court who can’t seem to agree with each other anymore. As we slide into Trump v. Biden 2 (The Second One), it seems like voters can’t seem to come to a consensus on just about anything either, including the facts they are arguing over. Author and superstar litigator Barbara McQuade argues in her new book Attack From Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America the information we consume is crucial to the health of our democracy. She speaks with Dahli
What Next TBD: Why TikTok Went Silent
Thousands of songs have disappeared from TikTok in recent months as music giant Universal Music Group, or UMG, has pulled its catalog from the app. UMG claims that TikTok is a music platform, and that TikTok needs to pay more to license its music. TikTok claims they're a marketing platform that helps labels promote their artists. But while the two sides argue over contract negotiations for licensing music on the video platform, many artists are left scrambling.Guest: Ethan Millman, staff writer
What Next TBD: Why TikTok Went Silent
Thousands of songs have disappeared from TikTok in recent months as music giant Universal Music Group, or UMG, has pulled its catalog from the app. UMG claims that TikTok is a music platform, and that TikTok needs to pay more to license its music. TikTok claims they're a marketing platform that helps labels promote their artists. But while the two sides argue over contract negotiations for licensing music on the video platform, many artists are left scrambling.
Guest: Ethan Millman, staff write
What Next: Rep Jayapal Says the Biden Coalition is 'Fractured'
With Biden trailing Trump in the polls and thousands of Democrats casting votes for “uncommitted” in the primaries, can the president make his case for a second term to frustrated progressives at the State of the Union?
Guest: Pramila Jayapal, U.S. representative from Washington's 7th congressional district and the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite S
Outward: Tennessee's LGBTQ Affirming Churches
In this episode Bryan speaks with Reporter Jessica Bateman about her recent Washington Post article ‘They found spiritual joy. They won’t have it taken away. That details the importance of LGBTQ-affirming churches in Tennessee and the challenges they face.
Email us at outwardpod@slate.com
Podcast production by Palace Shaw.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Can Gaza Survive on Airdropped Aid?
Airdropping aid, food, and supplies is expensive, inexact, and inefficient and usually only a last resort when your enemies have left you no other options. So why is the United States airdropping aid into Gaza, when the borders are controlled by America’s ally, Israel?
Guest: Jane Arraf, reporter for NPR based in the Middle East.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on
Hear Me Out: The House Should Elect The President
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… Parliamentary America?
It’s Super Tuesday, and the process by which we elect a president is on full display (warts and all). Americans on both sides of the aisle agree that the electoral college has to go. But what should replace it?
Maxwell Stearns, author of Parliamentary America: The Least Radical Means of Radically Repairing Our Broken Democracy (out 3/5/2024), presents his case for restructuring American government to look more like a parliamentary syst
What Next: Why Adam Schiff Is Running Ads for a Republican
Nancy Pelosi is no longer in charge of the House Democrats, and Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat is now up for grabs. Will a new generation of progressives step up in deep blue California? It’s not so simple…
Guest: Alexander Sammon, Slate politics writer.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up
Amicus: Yes, You Can Vote for an Insurrectionist
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and extended episodes of Amicus, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.
ROTATING RED LIGHT!!! The Supreme Court ruled early Monday that alleged insurrectionist
What Next: Florida's Anti-Vaxxers Won. Then the Measles Surged.
Measles happens, but this outbreak in Florida is unfolding in a post-pandemic world where mistrust in public health officials and vaccinations is practically the party line.
Guest: Lauren Weber, Washington Post accountability reporter focused on scientific and medical disinformation.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the
What Next TBD: Google’s Scam Obituary Problem
Why scam obituaries are edging out earnest ones, with the help of artificial intelligence and an adept Google game.
Guest: Mia Sato, reporter for The Verge.
Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.
Learn more about your ad choic
A Word: Green Black Power
Environmentalism has long been viewed as a preoccupation of white, educated, affluent voters. But climate change disproportionally impacts communities of color. Now a new generation of activists is building political awareness around environmentalism in the Black community. That’s part of the mission of the Hip Hop Caucus, a group that’s been working for decades to activate young voters around climate justice as a civil rights issue. On today’s episode of A Word, Hip Hop Caucus leader Reverend L
Well, Now: Ending Racism in Healthcare
The U.S. healthcare system can split the country into two Americas.Your zip code, education, class status and more all play a role in the outcome of your health as well as the kind of care you receive. Fewer markers more clearly define these disparities than race. On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita talk about racism in American healthcare with Dr. Uché Blackstock. Her new book Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine gives a historical view of how racis
Slate Money: Musk vs. the AI Overlords
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers ponder the future of computers, cars, and…fast food? They discuss why Elon Musk is suing Sam Altman and OpenAI and the altruistic origins of ChatGPT. Also: Wendy’s “surge pricing” gaff had customers crying foul and Apple’s electric car has been scrapped. In the Plus segment: The downfall of Macy’s and the American department store.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experie
Political Gabfest: Could They Actually Leap Over Biden And Dunk Him?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign; the Supreme Court’s boost for Donald Trump and review of social media’s content moderation; and Senator Mitch McConnell’s decision to time out as minority leader. Join us for our next Political Gabfest Live show in Washington, D.C. on March 27! Tickets are on sale now. Planning to attend? Submit a Listener Chatter to gabfest@slate.com and you might be picked to chatter live.
Here are
Amicus: The IVF Decision We Should Have Seen Coming
It was a wild week at the High Court (another seven days crammed with a year’s worth of news). SCOTUS heard cases about bump stocks, and how Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito would do as Facebook content moderators. The Supreme Court also finally found the time to put a thumb on the scale for serially indicted alleged insurrector-in-chief former President Donald J Trump. We’ll talk about all those things with Slate’s very own Mark Joseph Stern.
But what we’re really focused on this week is the Al
What Next TBD: The Supreme Court Takes on Content Moderation
Is it censorship for social media platforms to moderate their content, or is censorship when the state tells social media platforms how to moderate their content? Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate writer on courts and the law. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextpl
What Next: Biden’s Commitment Problem
With Biden losing thousands of votes to “uncommitted” and Trump unable to pull incumbent numbers, the Michigan primaries seemed to show that the electorate isn’t exactly enthusiastic about either candidate. What options remain for two known quantities to win votes?
Guest: David Faris, political science professor and Slate politics writer.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe
What Next: What Happened to Nex Benedict?
Sixteen-year-old Nex Benedict died one day after being beaten in an Oklahoma high school bathroom. His death has drawn attention to the more-than 50 bills that have been introduced in the state legislature targeting queer and trans people.
Guest: Jo Yurcaba, reporter for NBC Out.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top
Hear Me Out: Horse Race Journalism Is Good, Actually
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… are journalists killing democracy?
Mainstream news outlets are starting to move away from horse race election coverage and toward policy substance. Though it’s a slow change, it’s heralded by much of the news industry as a good one. But what if the horse race was never really the problem?
Journalist and writer Chris Cillizza joins us to defend the horse race.
If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the
What Next: War in Ukraine, Two Years In
The situation for Ukraine is slipping from a stalemate to again losing territory to the Russian invasion. After two years of combat, will American and EU allies support the Ukrainian cause for as long as it takes?
Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s war stories correspondent.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show
What Next: Will Trump Take Over the RNC?
Is RNC chairperson Ronna McDaniel to blame for Republicans’ poor fundraising and recent underperformance in elections?
Guest: Shelby Talcott, reporter covering Trump and national Republicans for Semafor.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access whereve
Diversity in the Diaspora
The American obsession with categorizing people by race isn’t just a problem for our institutions. For multi-racial and multi-ethnic Americans, it can be intensely personal. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Natasha Alford. She shares her own unique experience navigating America’s complicated ideas about race in her new book, American Negra: A Memoir. Alford shares how her African American and Puerto Rican heritage shaped her understanding of race in her early l
What Next TBD: Alabama’s IVF Mess
Fertility doctors and their patients trying to conceive via in vitro fertilization (IVF) were stopped in their tracks this week, as the Alabama Supreme Court declared that embryos have the same rights as people. The decision has left doctors wondering if they can be sued for carrying out standard IVF procedures, and experts worry the ruling could have ramifications for IVF around the country.
Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Constance, reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist in Omaha, Nebras
Well, Now: Is it Burnout? Or, Do You Have a Busy Brain?
Stress is all around us, but that doesn’t mean it needs to run our entire lives. According to Dr. Romie Mushtaq – a neurologist turned corporate wellness consultant – the main culprit behind our culture of stress is what she calls a “busy brain.”
This week on Well, Now Dr. Kavita Patel and Maya Feller, RDN talk with Dr. Mushtaq about curing our busy brains and her latest book The Busy Brain Cure: The Eight-Week Plan to Find Focus, Tame Anxiety and Sleep Again.
If you liked this episode, check ou
Slate Money: Is Capital One’s Discover Deal Doomed?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers come with 0% interest and no fees! They discuss what the proposed merger between Capital One and Discover would mean for the rest of us and why the government probably won’t let it happen. Also: How long will Nvidia’s chip empire last, and why there are suddenly so many car washes everywhere. In the Plus segment: The gang reveals their all-time favorite kitchen gadgets.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Sl
Amicus: A Series of Lawsuits That We Call an Election
Dahlia Lithwick is drinking from the firehose of legal news again and this week is joined by election law professor Rick Hasen to figure out why we’re all still hanging on for the Supreme Court to make a call in former President Donald J Trump’s sweeping claim to immunity from prosecution over the events of January 6th, how Americans could actually achieve a real right to vote, and why no-one’s paying attention to a pair of incredibly consequential social media cases being argued at SCOTUS next
What Next TBD: The Coasts are Sinking
Studies have found that, in tiny increments, America’s East Coast is sinking into the ground thanks to climate change. Can a new approach to urban planning mitigate the effect?Guest: Matt Simon, senior staff writer at Wired.You can read Matt’s reporting here.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do
What Next: The Basketball Phenom Shaking Up the NCAA
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has scored more points than any other NCAA women’s basketball player in history, but her impact extends even further than her substantial range on the court.
Guest: Hayley McGoldrick, associate editor at Sportsnet.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/wha
What Next: Why a Hi-Tech Gun Safety Tool Isn’t Working
Shotspotter lost a huge contract and some face when Chicago opted out of its partnership with the gunfire-identification tech company.
Why can’t new policing tech seem to break the old patterns and problems?
Guest: Jim Daley, investigations editor at South Side Weekly
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show
Hear Me Out: Un-Cancel Woodrow Wilson
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… making (fourteen) points.
A piece in this month’s issue of the Atlantic argues that it’s time to re-evaluate the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. President Wilson was indisputably a productive president — but he’s now reviled by the left as a racist and the right as a tyrant. Is there room to meet somewhere in the middle?
David Frum of the Atlantic joins us to argue that, yes: it’s time to un-cancel Woodrow Wilson.
If you have thoughts you want to share, or a
What Next: Who’s Left to Help Migrants?
The migrant crisis has come to Denver. With no federal help on the way and temperatures dropping well below freezing, a local church tries to pick up the slack. Guest: Keith Reeser, pastor at Denver Friends Church in Colorado.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at
What Next: Alexei Navalny Is Dead. Is His Movement Gone With Him?
Alexei Navalny died last week at age 47 in the prison where he was serving a 19-year sentence for extremism. With just one month left before a presidential election in which Putin is nearly guaranteed to win, the pro-democracy opposition movement in Russia is more beleaguered than ever.
Guest: Joshua Yaffa, contributing writer at The New Yorker and the author of Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin’s Russia.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate P
A Word: Ghost in the Medical Machine
The promise of artificial intelligence in medicine is that it can reduce the influence of human error and bias in health care. But there’s growing concern that A.I. in medicine –as in other fields– can reflect the biases and lack of diversity among its creators. And that can have life threatening consequences for African American patients. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Margo Snipe, a health reporter for CapitalB News. They discuss how A.I. can sometimes fuel medical ra
What Next TBD: Apple Vision Pro: The Ultimate Surveillance Device?
Apple Vision Pro goggles might be a crime against fashion but with the amount of data they can collect—both on the world around the user and on the users themselves—they have the potential to invade privacy right down to where you’re looking and for how long.
Guest: Geoffrey Fowler, Washington Post tech columnist
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear
Amicus: Fani Willis and a Tale of Two Ethics Violations
The future of the Fulton County, Georgia election subversion case against Donald J. Trump and many many accused co-conspirators was cast into doubt this week as the court saw evidentiary hearings in the defence’s motion to disqualify Fulton County AG Fani Willis. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s chief Law of Trump correspondent Jeremy Stahl to discuss why, even with a very high bar for removing Willis from the case, the court was dragged through some tawdry details that are bound to come bac
Political Gabfest: Well-Meaning, Elderly Man With A Poor Memory
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Special Counsel Robert Hur’s description of President Joe Biden; House Republicans’ impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and refusal on Ukraine aid; and Democrat Tom Suozzi’s win in the New York congressional special election. And in Slate Plus, Emily, John, and David talk local news with reporter Ellie Wolfe.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Matt Viser and Tyler Pager for The Washington Post
Slate Money: America is Beating Everyone
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers explain why factories, energy, stimulus money, and immigration have helped the U.S. economy succeed where its rivals struggle. Also: The failed Universal Music deal that silenced Taylor Swift music on TikTok, and why a typo by Lyft was the scourge of after-hours traders. In the Plus segment: Why is chocolate chip ice cream so hard to find?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free
What Next TBD: Warfare Enters the A.I. Era
The war in Ukraine reordered the priorities of the country’s growing tech sector, and has become a place for foreign companies to test out new tools with less regulation or scrutiny.
Guests: Vera Bergengruen, senior correspondent at Time
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign
What Next: The Attack on Rafah
Israeli Defense Forces have extended their campaign to Rafah, the southern-most city in Gaza, and where many Gazans have been gathering to escape the war.
Guest: Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, Middle East political analyst, founder and executive director of Project Unified Assistance
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the
What Next: The American Oligarch Class
How did America end up back in a Gilded Age of incredible wealth disparity, and how did a new generation of oligarchs bend society to their vision?
Guest: Tim Murphy, senior reporter for Mother Jones.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help
What Next: The Fight for George Santos’s Seat
The special election for George Santos’s vacated U.S. House seat has attracted tons of spending and a lot of attention—all to hold the position for less than a year. Who’s running, and what can this vote tell us about what to expect in November?
Guest: Mark Chiusano, writer, journalist, and author of The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefit
Hang Up: The Chiefs Are Super
Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win over the 49ers, the performances of Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy, and how the new overtime rules played out. CNBC’s Alex Sherman also comes on to explain whether a new multi-network streaming deal will change how we watch sports.
How the Chiefs won (3:41): This Mahomes guy is pretty good.
Overtime (20:07): Did the 49ers screw up by taking the ball first?
Streaming (35:47): What you need to know about the new
What Next: Is Biden Too Old?
The special prosecutor’s report into Biden’s classified documents case is out… and it says Joe Biden’s memory is too bad for a jury to convict him. Is the report a politically motivated hit job, or an honest assessment of one of the two very old men running for president?
Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilley, Slate senior writer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and
Well, Now: Football’s Pre-NFL Concussion Problem
Super Bowl LVIII is this Sunday, amid decades of controversy surrounding football’s impact on traumatic brain injuries.
But for many athletes, these long-term effects can be felt well before making it to the pros: on high school and college teams.
On Well, Now this week: Maya and Kavita talk with physical therapist and concussion specialist John Doherty about the science surrounding youth contact sports and what we know about their relationship with brain injuries down the road.
Podcast producti
What Next TBD: Breaking Up with Dating Apps
For a while, it seemed like the only place to meet potential partners was through an app—Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, etc. But as the apps are trying to monetize their matchmaking—and some users now with a whole decade of striking out under their belts—old-fashioned meet-cutes-in-bars or, say, debutante balls look more and more appealing.
Guests:
Katherine Lindsay, culture writer and cofounder of Embedded
Rachael Stein, dating-app spelunker
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Sl
A Word: True Crime in Black and White
The 1989 murder of Carol Stuart in Boston became a national story, fueled by anxiety over urban crime. The city’s police broke down doors in the Black community, strip searched dozens of Black and brown men on the street, and arrested a Black suspect. Then Stuart’s husband was exposed as the killer. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Boston Globe associate editor Adrian Walker, who hosts the Murder in Boston podcast about the infamous case. They discuss the history of racia
Slate Money: Disney's Wish Upon a (Pop) Star
BREAKING NEWS: Felix Salmon paid money to watch the Taylor Swift concert movie, he reveals it in a tell-all chat with Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers. They discuss CEO Bob Iger’s efforts to keep Disney the fairest entertainment company in the land and why New York Community Bank’s financial straits could be a win for ordinary renters. Also, has the backlash against the SAT test been misguided? Dartmouth thinks so. In the Plus segment, the gang explains Superbowl commercial trends.
If you enjoy t
Amicus: Is SCOTUS Afraid of Holding Trump to Account?
Oral arguments at the Supreme Court Thursday in Trump v. Anderson revealed a lot about some of the justices’ commitment to the primacy of originalism. Noah Bookbinder, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss why his organization took up and pursued the long shot case to try to keep former President Donald J Trump off the ballot in Colorado. While the Supreme Court appeared to have little appetite for taking the big swing to find that Tr
What Next TBD: The NFL’s Concussion Settlement Farce
The NFL's concussion settlement was meant to provide financial support and medical help for players who developed traumatic brain injuries from the sport. So why are so many players denied the help they need?
Guest: Will Hobson, sports reporter for the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we
What Next: How Trump Gets Kicked off the Ballot
The Supreme Court now has to decide if the 14th amendment’s provision to keep insurrectionists off the ballot applies to Donald Trump.
Guest: Jamelle Bouie, New York Times opinion columnist.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support ou
What Next: A Mass Shooter’s Mom Found Guilty
Yesterday, a jury found Jennifer Crumbley guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the mass-shooting carried out by her son Ethan at his high school in Oxford, Michigan.
How will this conviction change the way school shootings are prosecuted? Can future violence be prevented by holding the parents accountable?
Guest: Quinn Klinefelter, host and Senior News Editor for 101.9 WDET in Detroit.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like z
Hear Me Out: Campus Assault Hearings Are A Disaster
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… dear colleague.
The way universities and colleges handle sexual assault cases has changed a lot in the last 13 years. Part of that is because of the sheer vastness of the higher education system; everyone does everything differently.
But federal guidance has also shifted with each of the last three administrations… and our guest today argues that none of those systems have worked. In fact, they’ve all been unmitigated failures.
Lara Bazelon of the Universit
Money Talks by Slate Money: You Should Buy Art
In this Money Talks, Bianca Bosker, author of “Get the Picture,” chats with Felix Salmon about her adventures going undercover in the fine art world. Bianca worked as a museum security guard and gallery assistant, among other gigs, and got an inside peak at the smoke and mirrors of creating, collecting, and curating.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week.
What Next: Inside a Gaza Hospital
Pediatrician Dr. Seema Jilani’s work has taken her from Sudan to Afghanistan. Last month, she was in Gaza for two weeks, where she worked tending to the wounded in the besieged Al-Aqsa Hospital.
Guest: Dr. Seema Jilani, senior technical adviser at the International Rescue Committee
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supportin
What Next: The Media Is Missing the Trump Bump
Donald Trump was, if nothing else, a boon for the news business. But this election cycle, even the “Trump bump” isn’t slowing the shrinking of the audience.
Guest: Max Tani, media reporter at Semafor.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help
What Next TBD: Streaming Is Cable Now
The number of TV streaming services is going up—and so is the cost and so are the number of ads. Cordcutters are finding themselves back to cable prices and inconveniences. And these changes don’t just impact the TV viewing experience - they impact the types of shows that get made in the first place.
Guest: Alex Cranz, managing editor at the Verge.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus epis
A Word: Revolutionary Recharge
A generation of activists –and well-meaning citizens– was pulled into intense social justice work by the murder of George Floyd in 2020. And the horrific crime, the fight for progess, and the backlash has taken a toll on their mental health. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by writer and activist Ijeoma Oluo about her new book, Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World--And How You Can, Too. It’s the collected wisdom of acti
Well, Now: How ER Taught Thousands Of Viewers About Cervical Cancer
It’s award season in Hollywood, and it’s got the Well, Now team thinking about wellness and the entertainment industry. Can a medical drama really teach us accurate health information? Or is it all just high-stakes surgeries with beautiful actors?
Maya and Kavita talk this out with physician, showrunner and Harvard lecturer Neal Baer. He brought powerful, data-supported stories on HIV, emergency contraception, cervical cancer and more to hit cable shows like ER and Law and Order: SVU.
If you lik
Amicus: The Neglected Constitutional History That Disqualifies Trump
There haven’t been that many insurrections in the United States, which means the case law ahead of next week’s arguments in Trump v. Anderson (the 14th Amendment, Section 3 disqualification case) is pretty thin. And so we, and presumably the justices, must rely on text and history to understand the intent of the drafters of the Reconstruction Amendments. Civil war and reconstruction historian Professor Manisha Sinha, signatory of one amicus brief and cited in another, explains that the history i
Slate Money: Why Musk Lost $56 Billion
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss why a Delaware judge blocked Tesla’s $55 billion compensation package for Elon Musk and what it means for his Mars dreams. Also: the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of DNA testing service 23andMe, and Felix gives us a glimpse into the world of Sotheby’s and mega-high-end art auctions. In the Plus segment: News platform The Messenger had $50 million to spend. Why did it fold in less than a year?
If you enjoy this show, please c
Political Gabfest: Will The Carroll Verdict Hurt Trump?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss E. Jean Carroll’s $83.3 million win against Donald J. Trump; the events of 1920-1948 that shaped the current relationship of Israel and Palestine; and the tech-bro billionaires of techno-authoritarianism with Adrienne LaFrance of The Atlantic.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Eric Lach for The New Yorker: Nine Regular People Tell Donald Trump to Shut Up and Pay Up
Monica Hesse for The Washington Post: I
What Next TBD: The Taylor Swift Deepfake Saga
For all the promise of the technology, one use-case for artificial intelligence reared its ugly head last week: non-consensual pornographic images. As millions of users saw abusive A.I. generated images of Taylor Swift proliferate across X, the pitfalls of this technology became clear. Guest: Emanuel Maiberg, journalist and co-founder of 404 MediaIf you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus e
What Next: Vince McMahon: Full-Time Heel
Vince McMahon is walking away from professional wrestling, again. The WWE looks to continue without the man that built it into an institution—and shrouded it in scandal.
Guest: Dave Scherer, founder of the pro-wrestling news site, PWinsider.com.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next.
What Next: Has Trump Already Beaten Fani Willis?
One of Donald Trump’s codefendants in the Georgia election subversion and racketeering case has filed a motion to dismiss his case due to an improper relationship between Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and a prosecutor she has hired to work on the case. How can Willis address the allegations and what does it mean for the case?
Guest: Ankush Khardori, attorney and former federal prosecutor in the U.S. Justice Department.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate
Hear Me Out: Actually, Trump Supporters Are Delusional
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… folie à deux (again).
A few weeks ago, Frank Buckley joined us to argue that Trump voters aren’t delusional. And a lot of you disagreed.
One of you, though, turned out to be an expert in the nature of delusion. So who better to join us, and make the case that we got it wrong?
Barry Mauer, a Hear Me Out listener and associate professor at the University of Central Florida, joins us to argue that the pro-Trump movement isn’t just delusional — it’s dangerous, i
Money Talks: Is Pop Finance Rubbish?
In an off-week bonus episode of Money Talks, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Yale finance professor James Choi, who has cross-referenced the advice of more than 50 pop finance books with actual economic theory. How much should you save in your 20s and 30s? Should you put your money in a savings account or the stock market? Is it bad to change your retirement plan? James Choi spills the finance tea!
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate
What Next: Inside America’s First Execution By Nitrogen
With the execution of Kenneth Smith, Alabama became the first state to carry out the death penalty with nitrogen gas. According to Smith’s spiritual advisor, who witnessed the execution, this is not a “humane” future for capital punishment
Guest: Rev. Jeff Hood, pastor, theologian and activist living and working in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Convener of Clergy United Against the Death Penalty
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefit
What Next: Are Two States Still the Solution?
Support for a “two-state solution” has been declining among both Israelis and Palestinians for years. If it’s time to give up on that plan, what’s the alternative?
Guest: Dov Waxman, professor of political science and the director of the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporti
Well, Now: Breaking Up With Diet Culture
On this week’s episode of Well, Now, Maya and Kavita talk about practical ways to break up with diet culture with fitness instructor, speaker and educator Chrissy King.
She’s the author of The Body Liberation Project: How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom.
Chrissy also ties in how breaking up with diet culture is a piece of a larger conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion in the wellness industry.
If you liked this episode, check o
A Word: Fix Your CROWN
Texas is one of the 24 states that has passed the CROWN Act. “CROWN” stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, and these laws are supposed to stop discrimination against Black people who wear their hair in natural styles. But high school senior Darryl George has been fighting suspension for months over his dreadlocks. The issue is now set to be decided in court in February. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Jennifer Wyatt Bourgeois, a professor at L
What Next TBD: Why Is Everybody Sick?
Are we still paying off our pandemic-induced “immunity debt,” or is there another reason that it feels like we’re all sniffling and coughing and just feeling sick?
Guest: Keren Landman, senior health reporter at Vox
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/wh
Slate Money: The Rent is Still Too Damned High
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss record-breaking rents that see most renters forking over more than 30% of their dough. Also: Infant apparel brand Kyte Baby’s maternity leave scandal, and why Josh wine is such a hit. In a British Slate Plus segment: An American professor says to put salt in our tea; Felix cries foul and explains how to make a proper English cuppa.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free
Amicus: Donald Trump and the Apex of MAGA Misogyny
Despite Donald Trump’s efforts, there will be a significant cost for his continued defamation of E. Jean Carroll (And it’s $83.3 million!!). For much of the proceedings he sat behind Carroll muttering under his breath and posting three-dozen times on Truth Social in one night about the unfairness of the judge and the court. But zoom out, and Trump’s actions at the trial and toward women generally have far bigger implications than the size of the check he’ll have to write. This week, Vanity Fair’
What Next TBD: Are You Ready for the A.I. Election?
In the days leading up to the New Hampshire primary, voters received a robocall purportedly from Joe Biden. Authorities have now determined the call was likely A.I.-generated.
In the era of A.I., how can voters tell what’s real and what’s not? And will the general election be thrown into chaos by artificial intelligence-created disinformation?
Guest: Makena Kelly, senior writer at Wired covering politics and technology
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Pl
Political Gabfest: The Election No One Wants
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump v. Biden presidential rematch, the end of the “vibecession,” and the political fights over immigration.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Michael Scherer and Toluse Olorunnipa for The Washington Post: Trump, Biden pivot quickly to a 2024 campaign that many voters dread
Lauren Irwin for The Hill: Trump says Tim Scott ‘must really hate’ Haley
Allison Pecorin and Caleigh Bartash for ABC News: Trum
What Next: Biden Needs Abortion
Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Democrats have found wins after standing up for abortion. But can they ride this issue to a second Biden term, when the administration isn’t offering a clear plan for reproductive rights—and Joe Biden has a history of ambivalence about the issue?
Guest: Grace Panetta, political reporter at The 19th News.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sho
What Next: Trump’s Courtroom Campaign
How has Donald Trump managed to turn multiple indictments into a nigh unassailable lead in the Republican primary—and what looks like a dead heat for the general election?Guest: Isaac Arnsdorf, national political reporter for The Washington Post covering former-president Trump.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be support
Money Talks: Live in an Empty Office
For this edition of Money Talks, Grace Rauh, director of the 5BORO Institute, makes the case for office-to-residential conversion. The pandemic pushed people out of offices, and they don’t want to come back. Meanwhile, demand for affordable, urban housing is on the rise. Can we solve both problems at once? Grace and Felix Salmon discuss.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of
What Next: Are We at War in the Middle East?
Ships are avoiding the Suez Canal at great expense; Iran has launched attacks in Iraq and Pakistan; Israel is exchanging fire with Hezbollah as well as Hamas—has the regional conflict that leaders were worried about already begun?
Guest: Josh Keating, senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy and world news with a focus on the future of international conflict.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate
What Next: The Fall of Ron DeSantis
Once, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was Trump’s biggest rival. Now, his campaign is over – and Trump seems to be sailing to the Republican presidential nomination. How did DeSantis squander his lead? And if Trump’s nomination is preordained – what does that mean for the general election?
Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilley, Slate senior writer
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like S
What Next TBD: Have Algorithms Ruined Our Culture?
How much of our lives—our tastes, preferences and choices—have been fed to us through an interlocking, impersonal network of algorithms?
Guest: Kyle Chayka, staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Nex
A Word: Send In the Clowns?
Decades before most people had heard of Barack Obama, Black Republican Colin Powell was widely believed to be on the path to the presidency. And the Republican Party was the first political home of many African Americans. But the contemporary G.O.P, led by former President Donald Trump, has introduced a new class of Black Republicans who command little respect within the community. What happened, and is there a place for Black Americans in today’s or tomorrow’s Republican Party? On today’s episo
Well, Now: What “Wellness” Is and Isn’t
On this week’s episode of Well, Now we get to the heart of what “wellness” actually means. Depending on who you ask, you get a lot of different answers.
So Maya and Kavita sit down with veteran journalist Isabel Burton to define the term. Burton was the executive editor of renowned health-and-wellness magazines Shape and Self.
If you liked this episode, check out: A Toast to Dry January
Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and
Amicus: Greg Abbott and the Battle for the Texas Border
The immigration fight on the U.S. - Mexico border keeps getting uglier - not between the U.S. and its southern neighbor, Mexico, but between the federal government and a Texas administration apparently unconcerned by constitutional supremacy. Earlier this month, members of the Texas Military Forces took over a public park in Eagle Pass, TX at the behest of Gov. Greg Abbott. The park, on the banks of the Rio Grande, is near a frequently used border crossing. Last weekend, Texas forces blocked Fed
Political Gabfest: Why Trump Won Iowa
This week, John Dickerson re-joins Emily Bazelon and David Plotz to discuss the Republican presidential race, the Iowa caucuses, and the New Hampshire primary; the Loper Bright and Relentless cases at the Supreme Court and the possible end of Chevrondeference; and The Misguided War on the SAT with David Leonhardt of The New York Times.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Nate Cohn for The New York Times: Even the Battle for Second Turned Out Well for Trump in Iowa
Ross D
Slate Money: Antitrust, Boomer Style
This week, Axios tech and policy reporter Ashley Gold joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss the scuttled Spirit/Jet Blue merger and the ambitious anti-trust efforts of Trade Commission chair Lina Kahn. Also: how hybrid work won the office wars and why conflict in the Middle East isn’t really affecting oil prices. In the Slate Plus segment: Will a squabble with Epic Games crack Apple’s stranglehold on the app market?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for
What Next TBD: The Great British Library Hack
When a cyberattack knocked the British Library out of commission in October of last year, a nation's researchers, scholars, students, and bookworms were left high and dry. Months later, the library is starting to come back online in limited capacity, but the attack has laid bare just how fragile our digital systems are.
Guest: Sam Knight, staff writer at the New Yorker
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate
What Next: And God Gave Us Trump
How American white evangelical Christianity has reshaped itself in the image of Donald Trump.
Guest: Rev. Angela Denker, Lutheran pastor and author of Red State Christians: A Journey into White Christian Nationalism and the Wreckage It Leaves Behind
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Nex
What Next: Is Israel Committing Genocide?
South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide before the International Court of Justice and is asking the United Nations to intervene and order the Israeli government to cease military operations in Gaza. The ICJ now must decide how to characterize an increasingly bloody campaign.
Guest: Adil Haque, professor of international law at Rutgers University and author of Law and Morality at War.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefi
Outward: The Outing of Bubba Copeland
This week Bryan Lowder sits down with Evan Urquhart of Assigned Media, a news site dedicated to daily coverage of anti-trans propaganda and its effects to discuss his latest article ‘The Outing of Bubba Copeland’ for Slate. Bubba Copeland was the Mayor of Smiths Station who was outed for having an online trans-identity by a conservative news website and later that week committed suicide. Bryan and Evan discuss how this outing reflects the wave of anti-trans legislation.
Podcast production by Pal
Hear Me Out: George Santos and Gypsy-Rose Aren’t Your Icons
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… yas, queen?
It’s been hard to avoid an onslaught of memes about bad people lately. People like Gypsy-Rose Blanchard and George Santos have been punished for their misdeeds in one way… but now, it seems, they’re being rewarded by the attention economy. The question is: is it our fault?
Rachel Greenspan, writer and social strategist, joins us once again to argue for discretion in memeing.
If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should
What Next: Trump Just Won Iowa. Where’s Biden?
Biden’s poll numbers have been bad pretty much his whole presidency, but going into an election year, he looks especially weak where his party is usually strongest: young voters, Black voters, and Latino voters. What messaging unlocks some—any—enthusiasm for voting for Joe Biden again?
Guest: Alexander Sammon, politics writer for Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of show
A Word: Can He Get an Amen?
President Biden’s campaign kick-off speech at the historic Mother Emanuel AME church in South Carolina was interrupted by protesters this week. It was an awkward moment that provoked a lot of debate on social media about whether demonstrators were abusing the spirit of the Black church, or honoring it. It also revived questions about whether Democratic candidates’ reliance on the Black church is still an effective strategy in motivating African American voters. On today’s episode of A Word, Jaso
What Next TBD: Is Your Car Tracking You?
Covered in cameras, full of microphones, and always eager to use location data, our vehicles are “smartphones on wheels”—and privacy nightmares.
Guest: Kashmir Hill, technology and privacy reporter for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.
Well, Now: A Toast to Dry January
On the first episode of Well, Now – Slate’s new podcast on health and wellness – hosts Dr. Kavita Patel and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Maya Feller tackle resolutions.
A popular one? Sobriety. Or at least Dry January.
With more people becoming “sober curious” Kavita and Maya visit a sober speakeasy in Brooklyn, hosted by the zero-proof cocktail maker Curious Elixirs.
They sit down with the company’s founder and CEO JW Wiseman over some drinks and talk about the rise of the “sober curious
ICYMI: Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Influencer Era
Candice Lim is joined by Vox culture reporter Aja Romano to explain the rapid social media rise of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. On December 28, 2023, Blanchard was released from prison after serving eight years following the brutal murder of her mother. Almost immediately, Blanchard became a social media celebrity who currently has more than 8 million followers on Instagram and 9 million followers on TikTok. But Blanchard’s internet presence raises questions about the way social media treats prisoners
Slate Money: Apple Maps is Finally Good
Last week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spears asked you to weigh in on your preferred map app: Reigning champ Google, or late bloomer Apple? This week, they reveal your answers and discuss the merits of each. Also: Boeing’s airplane malfunctions, and what Bitcoin’s ETF approval means for crypto. In the Plus segment: Untangling the plagiarism drama of billionaire Bill Ackman and his wife Neri Oxman.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members
Amicus: The Supreme Court Gave Itself Huge Extra Powers and It’s Becoming a Big Problem
There’s an ever-growing queue of cases concerning Donald Trump headed for the Supreme Court that threaten to further dent the legitimacy of an institution that has tumbled in the public’s estimation in the last few years. This week’s show examines some of the interlocking issues raising the already sky-high stakes at One, First Street. First, Dahlia Lithwick kicks off the show with an update from Slate’s Law of Trump chief correspondent Jeremy Stahl about arguments in Trump’s immunity appeal at
Political Gabfest: Should Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Be Fired?
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Jamelle Bouie of The New York Times to discuss the absence and silence of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, school absenteeism with Alec MacGillis of ProPublica, and Donald Trump’s claim of absolute presidential immunity.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Politico: Austin’s hospital debacle: A timeline of events
Fred Kaplan for Slate: Why the Secretary of Defense’s Mysterious Disappearance Means He Needs to Go
Max
What Next TBD: Boeing’s Max Mess
Shortly after take off from Portland, OR, the plug exit on a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet blew out – causing an uncontrolled decompression of the plane. Now, accident investigators are hard at work, trying to determine what happened in what's the latest catastrophe for the respected commercial airplane provider.
Guest: Jon Ostrower, Editor-in-chief of The Air Current
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, b
What Next: 2024’s Primary Season is Already Chaos
Primaries competing with caucuses; states going rogue; and parties totally out of sync with each other — the 2024 primary season has everything.
Guest: Ari Berman, voting-rights reporter for Mother Jones and author of “Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America.”
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be s
What Next: The NRA’s Wayne’s World Era is Over
Long-time CEO Wayne LaPierre is out and legal challenges and lawsuits are mounting—but does that mean the NRA is losing its influence over American politics? Guest: Dr. Matthew Lacombe, the Alexander P. Lamis Associate Professor in American Politics at Case Western Reserve University, author of Firepower: How the NRA Turned Gun Owners into a Political ForceIf you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcas
Outward: Trans Activist Raquel Willis is Blooming
This week Jules sits down with Raquel Willis, an award-winning activist and journalist whose work is dedicated Black trans liberation. Raquel’s new memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom chronicles her political and personal awakenings as a Black trans woman growing up in the south. Jules and Raquel talk grief, gender, and collective liberation.
Podcast production by Palace Shaw.
Email us at: outwardpodcast@slate.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear Me Out: Trump Voters Are Not Delusional
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… delusion is not the solution.
Welcome to a presidential election year, where everyone will surely be cool and normal. We know, we know — the prospect of dealing with electoral discourse is one that most of us aren’t looking forward to. But we’re here to prove that it’s possible to talk.
For Democrats, and liberals writ large, it’s hard to understand why anyone would want another Trump presidency; and it’s tempting to chalk that desire up to delusion, idiocy,
Money Talks by Slate Money: Glossier’s Glamorous Girl Boss
In our inaugural edition of Money Talks, Felix Salmon sits down with veteran fashion writer Marisa Meltzer, author of Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier. Marisa discusses the real-life woman behind Glossier’s iconic CEO, the feminism of the beauty industry, and why French is the language of glamour.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of o
What Next: The Anti-Defamation League at War
How the ADL’s commitment to the state of Israel threatens and undermines its ability to fight antisemitism at home.
Guest: Mari Cohen, associate editor at Jewish Currents
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Learn more
How To!: Keep Caring Amid Endless Crises
Sometimes reading our news feeds can feel like getting hit by a semi-truck of devastating information, without really knowing how to respond. We can’t always tune the world out, which means we need to figure out how to be an empathetic person within the chaos. In this episode, Courtney Martin is joined by public theologian and best-selling author, Nadia Bolz-Weber, as well as artist and activist, Jen Bloomer. Together they explore what it means to actually respond to tragedy and injustice.
LI
What Next: GOP Bets It All on the Border
With not one but two spending cliffs on the near horizon—not to mention wars abroad and a crisis at the border—can one of the all-time least productive Congresses get anything done this session?
Guest: Marianna Sotomayor, congressional reporter for The Washington Post
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we
A Word: A Multiverse of Problems
Comic book films have dominated the box office for a generation, and gave many diverse actors and artists an opportunity to shine. But the genre struggled during 2023, and fans are worried that the golden age has ended for those movies and the culture that inspired them. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist David Betancourt, who covered comic book movies and culture for The Washington Post for more than a decade. They talk about why superhero films may be going thr
What Next TBD: Tesla's Cybertruck Problem
What the Cybertruck says about safety, regulation, and the degree to which Tesla is beholden to the whims of Elon Musk.
Guest: Edward Niedermeyer, author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplu
Political Gabfest: Who Wants to Be President of Harvard?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz begin the year discussing the 2024 presidential election; Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation; and the 2023 decrease in homicides.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Steve Peoples for AP: Biden and Trump are posed for a potential rematch that could shake American politics
Rob Crilly for the Daily Mail: Voters describe their 2024 choice between a Trump second term and a Biden second term as a choice betwe
Slate Money: Is Billionaire Charity a Sham?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spears debate the value of massive, tax-deductible donations that spend years in administrative limbo. Also: Biden is cranking up production in American factories, and private equity may be making healthcare sick. In the Plus segment: Should we be afraid of Trump in 2024? (Spoiler: Yes.)
We’re also excited to announce Money Talks, a new interview series from Slate Money. Every second Tuesday, Felix or Emily will sit down for one-on-one chats wit
What Next TBD: Why the New York Times Sued OpenAI
If A.I. and chatbots are the next wave of innovation, then the New York Times and other media organizations are determined to get paid this time.
Guest: Megan Morrone, technology editor for the Axios AI+ newsletter
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/w
Introducing: Well, Now
We all want wellness, but what does that mean exactly?
Is it achieving diet and exercise goals, or finally reaching a place where you’re happy with your body as it is? Is wellness the thing that will keep you out of the doctor’s office, or give you information you need to advocate for yourself when you get there?
No matter what you define as living a life of wellness, our expert hosts want to help you get there.
Every week, Dr. Kavita Patel and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Maya Feller talk
What Next: 22 States Hiked the Minimum Wage. Now What?
The federally mandated minimum wage hasn’t gone up since 2009, but across the country states, counties, and cities are raising their minimum wage. Is this long overdue help for America’s poor, or merely a low-risk political win?
Guest: David Neumark, labor economist and professor at University of California-Irvine
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dea
What Next: How Ukraine Loses The War
How much longer can Ukraine and Russia fight at a stalemate? And does the outcome of the war depend on Biden winning a second term?Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s “War Stories” correspondent and author of The Bomb. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/what
What Next: The Murder of Wadee Alfayoumi
On Oct. 14, 2023, Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old Arab-American boy, was stabbed to death by his landlord, Joseph Czuba. Months later, his parents are struggling to make sense of it.
Guest: Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.c
What Next: The Renewable Energy Shell Game
Buying “renewable energy certificates” is a way for companies to claim to reach their renewable energy goals—instead of, say, putting solar panels on their roof. One of the most enthusiastic consumers of RECs is the federal government. But is this ostensibly environmentally-friendly system actually standing in the way of true sustainability? Guest: Najib Aminy, producer for Reveal.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zer
What Next TBD; Who’s Afraid of A.I.? | 2023 In Review
While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes in January.
Artificial intelligence—as it already exists today—is drawing from huge troves of surveillance data and is rife with the biases built into the algorithm, in service of the huge corporations that develop and maintain the systems. The fight for the future doesn’t look like war with Skynet; it’s h
The Waves: The Year in Celebrity Memoirs
In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by writer, comedian and Glamorous Trash host Chelsea Devantez to break down this watershed year of celebrity memoirs. The trio crowns the best and the worst titles, dissect what separates a good memoir from a great one, and reveal the shocking figure who has appeared in way more memoirs than you’d expect.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
Learn more about your ad choices
Slate Money: America’s Boring Superweapon
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Henry Farrell, author of Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy. Henry explains how American hegemony shifted from guns and tanks to SWIFT codes and internet policies. Can China or Russia beat it at its own game?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be s
Amicus: The Very Worst of SCOTUS 2023
From the Chief Justice seeing the funny side of stalking and harassment, to Justice Samuel Alito’s tiny violin, to fighting in the footnotes and a bench dissent snapback, to THAT painting, it’s been quite a year at One, First Street. Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Stern are back with their bottom 10 picks for the Supreme Court’s worst moments of 2023. But don’t despair, there is a glimmer of hope, one part of the SCOTUS beat sucked less this past year… Stay tuned to hear Dahlia and Mark reveal what fa
Political Gabfest: Live From New York! It’s Conundrums 2023!
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Wesley Morris, critic at large for The New York Times and co-host of the Still Processing podcast, to cogitate on Conundrums 2023.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Thanks to everyone who submitted Conundrums, especially Alex, Brian, Mitchell Kosht, Patricia Gonzalez, Kali Rocha, Becca Nagorsky, Kevin Maginnis, Kevin Collins, Beth Kirsch, Brian Cechnicki, Chuck Terhark, Howard W, Brian, Mike Daugherty, Alan Dybner,
What Next TBD: America’s Killer Car Problem | 2023 In Review
While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes in January.
Pedestrian deaths in America have been rising for the last decade, while dropping in Europe and Japan. What makes the U.S. so dangerous for pedestrians?
Guest: Jessie Singer, author of There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster―Who Profits and Who Pays the Price.
Original
What Next: Does Steven Spielberg Have an Oscars Curse? | 2023 In Review
While the What Next team spends some time with their families this week, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes Jan. 2.
For all of his success, Steven Spielberg has a spotty record at the Oscars. He’s been nominated 22 times, but he’s only won three. Is it a curse?
This Sunday could mark a shift for the King of Hollywood’s five decades in the industry. And with The Fabelmans this year, it’s personal.
Guest: Michael Schulman, N
What Next: Congress Wants to Know: Do Aliens Exist? | 2023 In Review
While the What Next team spends some time with their families this week, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes Jan. 2.
In a recent public hearing, three government officials told Congress that not only are “unidentified anomalous phenomena” real, they’re a major national security concern. But one witness took his testimony even further, claiming the government possesses materials of “non-human origin.” How much do we really know
What Next: Wait, China’s Taking Our Pandas Back? | 2023 In Review
While the What Next team spends some time with their families this week, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes Jan. 2.
Everybody loves pandas—and China knows it. As we say goodbye to the National Zoo’s pandas, we look back at 50 years of “panda diplomacy” and consider its uncertain future.
Guest: E. Elena Songster, author of Panda Nation: The Construction and Conservation of China’s Modern Icon and professor of environmental his
What Next: The Plot Against Pope Francis | 2023 In Review
While the What Next team spends some time with their families this week, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes Jan. 2.
Not all of the Cardinals who elected Pope Francis are pleased with the changes he’s made, or his vision for where the Catholic Church goes next. Both the 86-year-old Francis and his detractors are preparing for his successor. Who’ll prevail?
Guest: David Gibson, Director of Fordham's Center on Religion & Culture
A Word: A Black Power Radical’s Rise and Fall
The man who rose to fame –some would say infamy– as H. Rap Brown has a uniquely American story, inventing and reinventing himself over the course of decades. He turned himself from a teenage tough guy into a civil rights leader. He abandoned the philosophy of non-violence to become a Black Power pioneer. He underwent a jailhouse conversion to Islam, and became Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a guiding force of an insular Black Muslim community. And then, almost 40 years after he stepped into the pu
What Next TBD: Stephen King Is Just as Confused About Blue Checks as You Are | 2023 In Review
While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes in January.
Twitter’s “blue check” verification went from something you applied for, to something you could pay for, to something you had to pay for…to something that many celebrities wouldn’t even accept for free. Master of horror Stephen King told us he wouldn’t pay for a blue check, but he’s not going t
The Waves: What is a Feminist, Really?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we say goodbye by contemplating a key word of the podcast - feminism. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth and original Waves host June Thomas discuss what feminism means, the historical problems with the word, who should get to call themselves feminist, and so much more. Endorsements and Discussed in Episode:A Place of Our Own by June ThomasBetween Two Wars by Cheyna RothIn Defense of Lean In Feminism on The WavesWe Were Once a Family by Roxanna Asgari
Amicus: The Many Trials of Donald J. Trump
This week, the Colorado Supreme Court determined in a pivotal decision that Donald J Trump should not appear on the ballot in the state's Republican primary. Meanwhile the high court is already involved in the possible briefing of another Trump case (about presidential immunity) and has agreed to docket another involving the obstruction of the vote certification on Jan 6 2021. And we haven’t even mentioned the Georgia case. Basically, Trump is going to have a very lawyer-y 2024. So where do all
Political Gabfest: Trump versus Colorado
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to block Donald Trump from the ballot, the new Texas law to allow state and local authorities to arrest immigrants, and guest Amanda Ripley’s suggestions to survive 2024.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Colorado Supreme Court’s opinion in Anderson, et al. v. Griswold, et al.
Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
John Dickerson for CBS News P
Slate Money: Our Surprisingly Great Year
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and guest host Edmund Lee, media reporter for the New York Times, recap the 2023 economic year, which saw strong growth, reduced inflation, and soaring stocks. Also: What a potential Warner Bros.-Paramount merger means for the entertainment business, and why a growing number of pedestrians are being killed by cars at night. In the Plus segment: Can the news industry profit from ChatGPT?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate
What Next TBD: Can Hybrid Cars Save Us?
Without infrastructure to support all-electric vehicles, consumers have increasingly embraced the hybrid. The lower emissions are good—but are they slowing down our transition into an electric future?
Guest: Patrick George, editor-in-chief of InsideEVs.com, contributor to The Atlantic and The Verge.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and
What Next: Marvel’s Disastrous Year
After his character, Kang the Conqueror, was set up to be the big villain of the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jonathan Majors was dismissed from the franchise after being found guilty of reckless assault and harassment.
Guest: Michael Schulman, staff writer for the New Yorker.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll
What Next: When a Miscarriage Becomes a Crime
In September, Brittany Watts had a miscarriage at her home in Ohio. Prosecutors are now charging her with “abuse of a corpse,” a felony that could result in up to a year in prison.
When does a miscarriage become a felony? And could the anti-abortion movement be using this case as a step towards achieving “fetal personhood”?
Guest: Mary Ziegler, law professor at UC Davis and author of Roe: The History of a National Obsession.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus.
What Next: Oh the Humanities!
West Virginia University is wrapping up its first semester following dramatic cuts to undergraduate and graduate programs. Its president calls the “restructuring” an effort to better focus on majors like medicine, nursing, and business – degrees that will lead directly to lucrative jobs. But what is a degree really for? And how do you decide when a diploma is “worth it?”
Guest: Michael Powell, staff writer at The Atlantic.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slat
Slate Money Goes to the Movies: This Is Spinal Tap
In ancient times, hundreds of years before the dawn of history, director Rob Reiner gave the world a band named Spinal Tap. No one knows who they were or what they were doing … except for legendary designer Paula Scher, the mind behind 40 years of music artwork and branding. She chats with Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers about the true stories that inspired the classic mockumentary.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-fre
What Next: Where Do Returned Gifts Go?
“Easy returns” are an essential part of the online shopping experience. But 20-30 percent of online purchases get sent “back,” which is to say, they then enter the labyrinth of third-party return facilities, destined for re-evaluation, restocking—or possibly, the garbage.
Guest: Amanda Mull, staff writer at The Atlantic.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn a
A Word: “Good” Hair; Bad Health
In recent years, several states and localities have passed “crown” laws, statutes that keep employers from discriminating against African Amercans for wearing their hair in natural styles. That’s because, historically, having straight hair has often been a requirement for professional advancement for Black women in particular. But there is more science emerging that connects chemical relaxers with cancer. In today’s episode of A Word, reporter and cancer survivor Victoria St. Martin speaks with
The Waves: In Defense of Lean In Feminism
On this week’s episode of The Waves, why can’t the feminists all get along? Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR political correspondent and author of the Substack, This F**king Job. They dig into what went wrong with Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In, why it wasn’t all completely wrong, and how to stop giving anti-feminists the ammo they need to attack.
In Slate Plus: We’re talking May December!
If you liked this episode, check out: We See Dead Girls
Podc
What Next TBD: The Case Against CLEAR
Going through airport security is a legal requirement. Is it fair for a private company to interject itself in that process—and cut to the front of the line?
Guest: David Zipper, visiting Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, focused on mobility, cities and technology.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do
Slate Money: Is Starbucks Still a Union Buster?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speculate on the Federal Reserve’s surprising new interest rates, whether Starbucks’ store closings are anti-union, and the financial machinations of Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani. In the Plus segment, Felix and Emily hash it out over the usefulness of the UN’s climate change conference.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional seg
Political Gabfest: Is Harvard Antisemitic?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the free-speech controversies that are roiling college campuses since the war in Gaza began; the questions related to Trump cases that the U.S. Supreme Court will answer; and the latest high-profile abortion case coming out of Texas that has real-life and political consequences.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Hannah Natanson and Susan Svrluga for The Washington Post: Harvard President Claudine Gay to
Amicus: Texas Abortion Laws’ Cruel Outcomes
Earlier this week, the Texas Supreme Court said Kate Cox couldn’t have an abortion.Cox’s doctors had diagnosed the fetus with Trisomy 18, an almost certainly fatal genetic condition. On top of that, there were concerns about whether or not Cox would be able to have children again in the future if she continued with this pregnancy. None of this was enough for nine judges in Texas to allow Cox to have an abortion.
Cox’s story isn’t unique. Amanda Zurawski almost died after a Texas court said she c
What Next TBD: Shein’s Newest Offering? An IPO
Fast-fashion titan Shein is preparing for its initial public offering, even as questions of sustainability and labor practices linger.
Guest: Jordyn Holman, business reporter covering the retail industry and consumerism for The New York Times
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD.
What Next: What Texas Abortion Laws Leave Unsaid
Kate Cox’s fight to abort her pregnancy and save her fertility in Texas says a lot about America’s post-Roe, fractured approach to reproductive rights.
Guest: Selena Simmons-Duffin, health policy correspondent at NPR.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/what
What Next: Some Israeli Hostages Came Home. His Son Didn't.
Over 100 hostages being held by Hamas were released during the temporary ceasefire last month. But Sagui Dekel-Chen, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was not among them. With Gaza under bombardment again, all his father can do is plead with the Israeli government, and wait.
Guest: Jonathan Dekel-Chen, professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, father of Sagui Dekel-Chen, who is presumed to be one of the hostages held by Hamas.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plu
Hear Me Out: Race Isn’t Real. The Census Should Reflect That.
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… cen-suspicions.
We’re a little over six years away from the next national census. It’s understandable that this might not be at the top of your mind, but for a small group of academics and activists, it absolutely is.
Race isn’t a real thing, scientifically speaking. But we still live in a heavily racialized society, and the Census sets the stage for many, many policy decisions that impact race equity. So, if race isn’t real, why does the Census act like it’
What Next: Pilots' Hidden Mental Health Crisis
For pilots facing mental health problems, of almost any kind, the cost of getting help might be too much to bear. After a crisis on an Alaska Airlines flight, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are examining how to make the skies safer, while allowing pilots to get help.
Guest: Pete Muntean, pilot, flight instructor and CNN correspondent covering aviation and transportation.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate
What Next: War in Gaza; Violence in the West Bank
As war rages in Gaza, the Biden administration has begun imposing visa bans on people involved in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where assaults by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have been on the rise since October 7.
Guest: Dalia Hatuqa, multimedia journalist living in Ramallah, specializing in Israeli-Palestinian affairs.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of
The Waves: We See Dead Girls
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re bringing out the dead girls. Everywhere you look in popular culture there seems to be a new movie, TV show or true crime documentary detailing the mystery of yet another woman’s death. At least, that was how author and guest Alice Bolin saw things when she wrote her book Dead Girls in 2018. She sits down with Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth to unpack what has - and hasn’t - changed in dead girl culture (from Twin Peak’s Laura Palmer to our persistent
What Next TBD: Musk's War on Free Speech
Elon Musk is suing Media Matters for reporting that advertisers’ content was showing up right next to posts from newly reinstated Nazis on X, something X’s CEO said was impossible. Media Matters is based in D.C, and X is headquartered in California - so why did Musk choose to file the suit in Texas?
Guest: Liz Dye, columnist at Above the Law, Substacks as Law and Chaos Pod, co-hosts the podcast Opening Arguments.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus mem
A Word: Is “The Talk” Too Much?
Shanice Stewart was 9 months pregnant when Sacramento police pulled her over, and compelled her to leave her car at gunpoint. The reason? They mistook her 8-year-old son for a hardened criminal. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Christina Carrega to discuss “the talk.” Carrega explains why the conversation that many Black parents give to their children about the potential dangers of police interactions may be happening for younger children, and whether it makes
Political Gabfest: Should Liz Cheney Run?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz gather around John’s dining room table to discuss Liz Cheney, her book, and how far she’ll go to stop Donald Trump; Chris Christie, his presidential campaign, and whether he’ll stay in the race; and Purdue Pharma, the Sacklers, and if the Supreme Court will let the company go bankrupt to save the family fortune.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney
John Dickerso
Slate Money: The War on Self-Checkouts
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss their Christmas shopping strategies and whether it’s time for self-checkouts to check out. Also: What big airline mergers mean for those of us in economy class, and whether the podcast bubble has finally burst. In the Plus segment: Do we really need to have meetings?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our sh
Amicus: Billionaires Had a Bad Week at the Supreme Court
When Moore v United States landed on the Supreme Court docket, it threatened to take a big swing at any future wealth tax and maybe cut the legs out from under the government’s ability to collect a lot of other tax. But as arguments unfolded Tuesday at One, First Street, it became clear that some of the Justices had studied up on the tax code and were cooling on blowing a big hole in it.
To understand why Moore made it all the way up to SCOTUS in the first place, and why the facts don’t match c
What Next TBD: Spotify Unwrapped
Is Spotify’s 2023—ending with layoffs and cancelling critically acclaimed original podcasts—a sign of trouble at the streaming giant, or an adjustment to expectations that’s setting them up for a brighter future?
Guest: Ashley Carman, Bloomberg reporter who covers Spotfiy
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the wo
What Next: Pickleball vs. Everybody
Pickleball’s exploding popularity isn’t an organic grassroots rise. According to a reporter’s intrepid Freedom of Information Act inquiries, enthusiastic pickleball ambassadors are employing the “USA Pickleball tool kit” and harrying local park departments to elbow out their tennis-and-basketball-playing neighbors.
Guest: Jason Koebler, cofounder of 404 Media and host of the 404 Media Podcast, former editor-in-chief of Motherboard.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate
What Next: The Supreme Court Takes On Opioids
The Sacklers were set to pay $6 billion in exchange for immunity from any future lawsuits over their role in the opioid crisis. But the Supreme Court will now decide whether bankruptcy law can be wielded in this manner to protect the very wealthy—and trump the very-American right to sue for damages.
Guest: Brian Mann, reporter on addiction at NPR.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episod
Hear Me Out: The Oppressed Still Have Moral Duties
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… atrocities beget atrocities.
The war in Gaza is ongoing, and brutal – and on this show we’ve discussed whether you, as an observer, have a responsibility to speak out about it… or to even choose a side between Israelis and Palestinians. This week, we take a different angle: who has a responsibility, in war, to do what? And not do what? And to whom?
Michael Walzer, author and professor emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study, joins us to argue that even
What Next: Nikki Haley’s Surge to Second
Last week, former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley scored a coveted endorsement from Charles Koch’s political advocacy group. She’s passed Ron DeSantis in the polls—and now, she’s the top, non-Trump Republican candidate for president. But is there any hope of winning over Trump voters—or is this a race to be the candidate who steps in if the former president goes to jail?
Guest: Alexandra Ulmer, reporter at Reuters covering the 2024 U.S. presidential race, with a focus on R
What Next: Is Amazon Too Big To Regulate?
Jeff Bezos said Amazon will be “Earth’s safest place to work.” But state and federal investigators are looking into the online retailer’s rates of on-the-job injuries. Is working in an Amazon warehouse inherently unsafe, or is the number of accidents unavoidable for the US’s second largest employer, as the company contends? Given OSHA’s limited powers, does the government have any options other than taking their word for it?
Guest: Caroline O'Donovan, Washington Post reporter covering Amazon
I
A Word: Black Cop, White Mob
The violent January 6th insurrection was a historic threat to American democracy. It led to five deaths, and many more injuries. Several Capitol police were hurt, but still managed to keep congressmembers and staff safe. Veteran officer Harry Dunn was awarded a Presidential Citizens Medal for his service that day, and is now sharing his experience in his new book Standing My Ground: A Capitol Police Officer’s Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th. In today’s episode of A Wo
What Next TBD: They See You When You’re Shopping
Though navigating the internet involves spraying your data pretty indiscriminately, you actually have more control over it than you think—it’s just a pain to rein it in.
Guest: Geoffrey Fowler, Washington Post tech columnist.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at s
The Waves: Why Anime is for Women
On this week’s episode of The Waves, with the emergence of streaming more Americans are becoming fans of Japanese anime. Within that media, viewers can see wide ranges of LGBTQ+ representation and gender presentation that often isn’t found in American animation. But like American media, not all of these representations are as nuanced as they should be. Host Vic Whitley-Berry is an avid anime fan, and they sit down with journalist Princess Weekes on femme representation in Japanese anime.
In Sla
Political Gabfest: Why Does Everyone Hate Bidenomics?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the good U.S. economy and Americans’ bad feelings about it; the Supreme Court case of SEC v. Jarkesy and its threat to the system of U.S. government; and white evangelicals and Christian nationalists with The Atlantic’s Tim Alberta. Send us your Conundrums: submit them at slate.com/conundrum. And join us in-person or online with our special guest – The Late Show’s Steven Colbert – for Gabfest Live: The Conundrums Edition! December
Amicus: Remembering Sandra Day O’Connor
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor died Friday at the age of 93. Amicus host Dahlia Lithwick is joined by former O’Connor clerk and renowned First Amendment scholar RonNell Andersen Jones to talk about the Justice’s trailblazing career, her judicial philosophy, and the combination of humility and strength that marked her time on the court, and away from it.
Later in the show, Dahlia celebrates the joyous return of Mark Joseph Stern to share some big announcements AND to discuss SE
Slate Money: This Year, Give Cash
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers speak with Rory Stewart of GiveDirectly and the author of “How Not to Be a Politician”. They discuss the faults of many approaches to philanthropy, and why giving cash to those in need may be the most effective way to help.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on
What Next TBD: A Moral War for A.I.
Artificial intelligence seems predestined to become a bigger part of our lives. To what extent is the A.I. push being led by Sam Altman and the OpenAI team a cause for concern?
Guest: Karen Hao, journalist, data scientist and contributing writer for the Atlantic.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do h
What Next: Eric Adams May Not Get Out of This One
Eric Adams’ political career has been heavy on soundbites and low-simmering scandals. But now, as mayor of New York, he might have finally risen far enough to fall.
Guest: David Freedlander, New York Magazine contributor and the author of The AOC Generation: How Millennials Are Seizing Power and Rewriting the Rules of American Politics.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows
Outward: PragerU’s Transphobic Twitter Takeover
On this episode, The Outward hosts break down the million-dollar takeover ad on X for Prager University’s documentary Detrans: The Dangers of Gender Affirming Care. NBC reporter Jo Yurcaba joins Bryan, Christina, and Jules to tackle the misdirections and anti-trans agenda of the documentary and take a look at the transphobic shifts on the social media platform.
Read Molly Olmstead's piece for Slate on Praeger University
Email us at: outwardpodcast@slate.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Vis
What Next: Mental Health Treatment—by Court Order
California’s new “CARE courts” are designed to help people struggling with psychotic disorders to get the help they need. But is having judges mandate treatment a step in the right direction?
Guest: April Dembosky, health correspondent for KQED.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. S
What Next: The Cops Don’t Want You Listening In
Citing the risks from criminals listening in and pranksters interfering in their channels, the NYPD is the latest and biggest police department moving to encrypt their radio communications. But what about the reporters who rely on the police scanner—and the public who rely on those reporters?
Guests:
Todd Maisel, contributing editor at AMNewYork and photojournalist
Adam Scott Wandt, associate professor of public policy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
If you enjoy this show, please co
What Next: What Comes After the Ceasefire?
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began this weekend in Gaza, as hostages and prisoners were freed by both sides. But any end to the immediate conflict still remains in doubt.
Guest: Peter Beinart, professor of journalism and political science at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, editor-at-large at Jewish Currents, and author of The Beinart Notebook on Substack.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus memb
What Next: The Race (Back) to the Moon
The first steps on the moon were in the name of “all mankind.” But with more countries—and the private sector—competing to not only return, but to tap into the moon’s resources, we’re going to need some ground rules.
Guest: Chris Davenport reports on NASA and the space industry at the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and
A Word: Quinta Brunson: Comedy’s Class Act
It’s Black Friday, prime time for many of us to binge on holiday leftovers and some of our favorite family-friendly shows. One of them is likely to be ABC’s Abbott Elementary. Before the show rewrote the lesson plan for workplace comedies, star and creator Quinta Brunson joined A Word to speak with Jason Johnson to talk about what inspired Abbott, her foundation in sketch comedy, and her unlikely path to showrunner.
Guest: Quinta Brunson, writer, producer, and star of Abbott Elementary. She’s
Slate Money: The Big Crazy at OpenAI
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Sam Altman’s triumphant return to OpenAI and ponder the future of the artificial intelligence industry. They also discuss the legal woes of crypto exchange Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao. Finally: the economic policies of Argentina’s president-elect Javier Milei.
In the Plus segment: Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers joins OpenAI’s board of directors
Podcast production by Jared Downing.
Learn more about your ad choices.
Political Gabfest: Is Polling Broken?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the problems with issue polling and issues with political journalism; the chaos and conflict of Sam Altman and OpenAI; and the failure of the Oslo Accords and perpetual struggle between Israel and Palestine. Send us your Conundrums: submit them at slate.com/conundrum. And join us in-person or online with our special guest – The Late Show’s Steven Colbert – for Gabfest Live: The Conundrums Edition! December 7 at The 92nd S
What Next TBD: Where Scams Are Born
An app for open money laundering, a corridor of massive casinos in the middle of nowhere, and the global scamdemic.
Guest: Cezary Podkul, reporter for Propublica
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Learn more about
What Next: How Israel-Hamas Has Divided Democrats
The war in Gaza has laid bare some deep fault lines within the Democratic party when it comes to Israel policy. How might that impact next year’s elections?
Guest: Alex Sammon, Slate politics writer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help
What Next TBD: Inside OpenAI's Implosion
OpenAI was the hottest startup in Silicon Valley off the success of ChatGPT. Then, the board fired Sam Altman.
Guest: Mike Isaac, technology reporter at the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Learn
What Next: Moms for Liberty Tanked at the Polls. This Guy Called It.
Over the past few years, ultra-conservative activists took aim at school boards, trying to shape curriculums to match their beliefs. But this year, from Pennsylvania to Iowa, “parental rights candidates” lost handily. What happened?
Guest: Adam Laats, Professor of Education and History at Binghamton University.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Pr
What Next TBD: Bedbugs Are Back, Baby!
The bedbug break-out during Paris fashion week this fall was obviously horrifying, but the bad news doesn’t stop there. Bedbugs are on the rise—and on the move.
Guest: Benji Jones, senior environmental reporter at Vox.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com
The Waves: The Bravo Cinematic Universe
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re digging into the Bravo network. From Below Deck to Selling Sunset to Vanderpump Rules, the Bravo TV network is a reality television behemoth that has made millions on the backs of its female cast members. But is it actually good for women? ICYMI founding host Rachelle Hampton and culture writer Shamira Ibrahim discuss the current Bravo era, how much of Bravo belongs to famous producer Andy Cohen, why cast members can’t rely on a reunion to tell their st
A Word: Rebirth of a Nation
The first hopes for a post-racial America were raised during Reconstruction, the post-Civil War era when the country’s leaders pledged to fulfill the promise of freedom for formerly enslaved Blacks. But after a decade of reforms, the brutal racial hierarchy was reestablished in the South, costing African Americans their rights, opportunities, and—in many cases—their lives. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the legacy of Reconstruction with Vann Newkirk II. He’s a senior edito
The Waves | The Golden Bachelor Recap: Fantasy Suite Edition
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Gerry’s down to two women and two potential fantasy suites. How sweet do things actually get?
Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—yo
Amicus: Is The Federalist Society Over?
Donald J Trump is signaling a split with the conservative legal movement’s kingmakers, The Federalist Society. Instead, the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee is planning a radical (and radically lawless) remaking of American government in his image. On this week’s show, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Amanda Hollis Brusky, professor of politics at Pomona College and author of Ideas with Consequences: The Federalist Society & the Conservative Counterrevolution, and coauthor of Separate But
Slate Money: How Salt Built America
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Ed Conway, economics and data editor of Sky News, whose new book “Material World” tells how a handful of everyday resources built civilization — and remain incredibly important today. Also: the astounding secrets of car paint…and why new cars look like mud.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort and Jared Downing.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Political Gabfest: You’ll Miss Joe Manchin
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Joe Manchin’s departure from the U.S. Senate and what it means for the Democratic majority, No Labels, and the 2024 presidential race; the Supreme Court’s new code of conduct and whether it’s worthless; and the Israel-Hamas war and how it’s affecting Democratic politics. You can be a part of the show: submit your Conundrum at slate.com/conundrum. And join us for Conundrums Live! December 7 at The 92nd Street Y, New York City.
H
What Next TBD: How Deepfake Porn Infected a School
Girls at a New Jersey high school were early victims of a novel and growing problem: their images were taken from social media without consent to create “deep-fake pornography.”
Guest: Julie Jargon, Wall Street Journal family and tech columnist.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next T
What Next: What If Gaza Boils Over?
As Palestinian allies like Hezbollah and Iran voice their support, is there a danger of more countries being pulled into the war in Gaza?
Guest: Gregory Gause, head of the Department of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, specialist in Middle East politics.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn an
What Next: Trump’s Second Term
If you want to imagine what Donald Trump’s second presidential term would look like, look at what he left unfinished from his first—and listen to his long list of personal grievances.
Guest: Susan Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker, co-author of The Divider, a history of Donald Trump in the White House.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prude
Hear Me Out: It’s Time To Sunset Social Security
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… solving the insolvent.
With the threat of a government shutdown looming (again), there are a lot of key programs and initiatives proving contentious for lawmakers. But nobody seems to ever flirt with the idea of cutting – or ending altogether – social security, And maybe it’s time to do just that.
Eric Boehm of Reason Magazine joins us to argue for the end… even the beginning of the end… for social security.
If you have thoughts you want to share, or an id
What Next: How the Israel-Gaza War Rages in America
A Jewish writer and Muslim journalist sit down to discuss the power dynamics, tribalism, and role of empathy in a far-away conflict that hits close to home in America.
Guests:
Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer
Emily Tamkin, writer and author of The Influence of Soros and Bad Jews.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supportin
What Next: The Rise of a Red State Democrat
Andy Beshear, Kentucky’s Democratic governor, maintained a Biden-like moderate image and rode it to victory in this year’s election. His state knows him best as the “infrastructure governor”—but his support for abortion rights might be the biggest takeaway for other Democrats staring down challenging 2024 races.
Guest: John Nichols, national affairs correspondent for The Nation.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on an
Black Voters, Blue Waves?
Despite dismal poll numbers for President Biden, the off-year elections brought big wins for Democrats around the country, including in red states. Kentucky’s Democratic Governor Andy Beshear beat Black Republican Daniel Cameron to retain his seat, while Ohio voters supported legalized marijuana and abortion rights, in defiance of the state’s GOP leaders. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News, to talk about the ro
The Waves: The Golden Bachelor Recap - The Women Tell All and Mince No Words
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we get the first Women Tell All episode of The Golden Bachelor. Waves recap co-hosts Cheyna Roth and Laura Stassi have some thoughts for Gerry.
Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across
What Next TBD: Will A.I. Take My Job?
Employees at Reviewed were surprised when they saw mysterious bylines behind poorly worded articles on the site. But information on their new contributors was hard to find—were they people at all, or was this the first clumsy incursion of A.I. into their newsroom?
Guest: Will Sommer, Washington Post media reporter
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear
The Waves: How to Be a Woman in Music
On this week’s episode of The Waves, what’s it like to be an indie musician? Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by singer and songwriter Dessa. They dig into her newest album and how she has benefited from and been hurt by being a woman in the music industry. Later in the show they explore the breakup song - and all the gendered expectations that go along with writing one.
In Slate Plus: What do a dentist, neuroscientists, and puppeteers all have in common? They’ve worked with Dessa.
Slate Money: Unraveling a Wall Street Legend
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Rob Copeland of The New York Times to discuss his new book The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend, which examines the vast difference between Ray Dalio’s public persona and Bridgewater’s private reality. Then, Felix, Emily and Elizabeth cover the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and WeWork’s bankruptcy.
In the Plus segment: More with Rob Copeland!
Podcast production by Jessamin
Political Gabfest: Was That A Great Or Terrible Night For Biden?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the 2023 election results and Democratic wins in Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky; President Joe Biden’s numbers in recent polls and the youth vote; and U.S. v. Rahimi at the Supreme Court, the 2nd Amendment and gun control, and the history and tradition test. And you can be a part of the show: submit your Conundrum atslate.com/conundrum.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Lisa Lerer and Shane Goldmacher for
Amicus: Dunking On Trump's Lawyers Might Not Be The Win You Think It Is
If we are to take Donald J. Trump seriously (and at this stage it’s surely a fool’s errand not to), then the rule of law and democracy are on the line if (when) he becomes the Republican nominee for 2024. What role will the former President’s many many legal woes play in the coming months? A clearer picture is emerging after testimony for the prosecution wrapped in the civil fraud trial against Trump and his adult sons in their roles at the helm of the Trump Organization in New York City this pa
What Next TBD: Tesla vs. the Swedes
In late October, Tesla mechanics in Sweden began to strike after the company refused to sign a collective agreement. This week, the country's other major unions joined in the fight as well.
Can Sweden’s robust labor culture force Tesla to make concessions?
Guest: Melissa Eddy, Berlin correspondent for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Bu
What Next: The Real Goal of Trump's Indignant Testimony
When Donald Trump took the stand in his civil trial in New York this week, maybe he wasn’t trying to convince the judge who will decide this case—maybe he was playing for the MAGA audience outside, who will be headed to the polls in a year.
Guest: Barbara McQuade, law professor at the University of Michigan and a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Sl
What Next: Israeli Life Will Never Be the Same
A month after the October 7 attack by Hamas, how do Israelis view what happened, their country, neighbors, and the future?
Guest: Iris Zaki, Israeli filmmaker whose latest, ‘I Don’t Have That Empathy. It’s Not in Me Anymore.’ What Israeli Survivors Believe Now, was featured in the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’
What Next: Abortion on a Red-State Ballot
Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights have remained popular among voters—even in red states like Ohio. As the state votes today on whether to add the right to an abortion to the state constitution, the Ohio GOP has been trying to reframe the issue.
Guest: Carter Sherman, reproductive health and justice reporter at The Guardian.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes o
What Next: Mitt Romney Reflects, Regrets, and Retires
As Mitt Romney heads into retirement, is the idea of a moderate Republican being retired as well?
Guest: McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic, author of Romney: A Reckoning
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Lea
The Waves: Penis Politics
On this week’s episode of The Waves, the next presidential election is one year away and we are entering a storm of macho man politics. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by NPR politics reporter Danielle Kurtzleben to talk about why men keep talking about their manly-men bonafides, how that affects women trying to be in politics, and more.
More From Danielle and Mentioned in the Episode:
All the Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Gave Birth by Danielle Kurtzleben
The Ra
A Word: A F—ing Funny Lady
**THIS EPISODE CONTAINS REPEATED PROFANITY, AND MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LISTENERS.**
Leslie Jones got her big break, joining the cast of Saturday Night Live, at the age of 47. She says that the long wait for stardom meant that she knew her worth and how to stand up for herself, even when the stakes were high. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Leslie Jones to discuss her new book, “Leslie Fucking Jones: A Memoir.”
Guest: Comedian Leslie Jones
Podcast production
The Waves: The Golden Bachelor Recap - Hometowns Will Always Be Cringey
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Gerry visits the hometowns of the last 3 women standing on The Golden Bachelor.
Unlike hometown dates in the past, Gerry isn’t meeting the parents. Instead, he’s getting to know the women’s kids and their grandkids. But it doesn’t make the hometown dates any less cringe. Slate Senior Producer Cheyna Roth and Dating While Gray host Laura Stassi recap the episode.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario
What Next TBD: Sam Bankman-Fraud
Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty on seven charges of wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering and is facing a 110-year sentence.
Cryptocurrency, itself, has lost an ambassador, a lot of value, and quite a bit of credibility.
Guest: Nitish Pahwa, associate business and tech writer covering the trial for Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and D
Political Gabfest: Could Nikki Haley Actually Win?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Nikki Haley’s progress and Ron DeSantis’s stagnation in Iowa, Donald Trump’s testimony in New York, and Dean Phillips’s campaign in New Hampshire; the first social-media cases of the term at the Supreme Court; and Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream with author David Leonhardt. And you can be a part of the show: submit your Conundrum at slate.com/conundrum.
Here are some notes and references from this w
Amicus: The Right to Bear Arms and Terrorize Your Partner
Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in one of the most significant—and potentially deadly—cases of the term - United States v Rahimi. The case, a follow on from New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, has the potential to weaponize the court’s Second Amendment extremism against victims of domestic abuse and protect adjudicated abusers. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by gun safety advocate Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, to find out the potential real life-a
Slate Money: The Crypto Crimes of Sam Bankman-Fried
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers tackle the verdict in the Sam Bankman-Fried trial and a lawsuit against realtors. They also discuss the UAW contract negotiations and how it will affect car manufacturers in the rest of the United States.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign
What Next TBD: Biden Goes After AI
Biden’s executive order on A.I. indicates his administration is taking it seriously. Does it go far enough?
Guest: Cecilia Kang, covering technology and policy for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our
What Next: Can Hamas Actually Be Destroyed?
What does the history of Hamas tell us about where the Israel-Palestine conflict could go from here?
Guest: Mohammed Hafez, professor who studies Islamist movements, political militancy, and violent radicalization at the Naval Postgraduate School and author of Why Muslims Rebel and Suicide Bombers in Iraq: The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes
What Next: How to Catch an Insurrectionist
The FBI was overwhelmed trying to ID people who stormed the Capitol on January 6th. An online group picked up the slack and helped catch hundreds of rioters.
Guest: Ryan Reilly, Justice reporter at NBC News, and author of Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supportin
What Next: Can Threat Assessment Stop Mass Shootings?
After mass shootings, one refrain becomes, “We don’t need gun control to treat a mental health problem.” But in a case like the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, there were mental health interventions and red flags raised by the military and the shooter’s family. Why didn’t it work—and what’s a better way forward?
Guest: Mark Follman, national affairs editor at Mother Jones and the author of Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America.
Learn more about your ad choices.
What Next: What Survived in Lahaina, Maui
In early August, wildfire tore across West Maui. Months later, the tourism economy is struggling to get back to speed, while residents remain displaced.
Guest: U’i Kahue, cultural practitioner and the co-owner of Maui Grown 808, LLP.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now a
A Word: Sidelined by Racism?
The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business, with a player population that’s more than 60 percent African American. Yet the league’s owners, leadership, and reporters don’t reflect that diversity. In his role as an NFL Media journalist, Jim Trotter repeatedly questioned officials, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, about the league’s lack of diversity. After he lost his job, Trotter filed a lawsuit, claiming racial discrimination and retaliation. On today’s episode of A Word, Trot
The Waves: Get on the WNBA Train Already!
On this week’s episode of The Waves, the Las Vegas Aces beat the New York Liberty to win their second WNBA championship in a row. But more impressive is that they played in front of one of the biggest crowds to ever attend a WNBA game. Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by sports journalist and founder of the Power Plays newsletter Lindsay Gibbs to unpack the recent surge in popularity for women’s sports, why you should make an effort to support women’s basketball, and mor
The Waves: The Golden Bachelor Recap - WTH, Gerry?!
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Golden Bachelor Gerry is rapidly approaching hometown dates and needs to narrow the pool down to three. To get there, we have a passionate one-on-one date and a high-stakes group date. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth and Dating While Gray host Laura Stassi give their thoughts.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to the
What Next TBD: SBF Takes the Stand
The man at the center of it all takes the stand in his own defense—but what’s left to say?
Guest: Nitish Pahwa, associate business and tech writer covering the trial for Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Le
Political Gabfest: The “Live from Madison!” Edition
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz take the show on the road and gab live with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers; discuss the new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson; and review the former lawyers and Chief of Staff who will testify against Donald Trump.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
City Cast Madison podcast and Madison Minutes newsletter
Jennifer Rubin for The Washington Post: “Wisconsin Dems’ big wins for the rule of law might be an inflection p
Amicus: Watching Trump Shrink in Court
On this week’s show, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s Jurisprudence Editor, Jeremy Stahl. Jeremy is also the lucky person tasked with helming Slate’s coverage of the many many criminal and civil trials of Donald J Trump and Amicus listeners can expect to hear a lot from Jeremy over the next year. After a week of big news across a number of the former President’s courtroom battles, Jeremy gives us a survey of the legal landscape and some vital pointers about what really matters, what
Slate Money: Why Dimes Shouldn’t Exist
Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers and Emily Peck talk about the latest GDP numbers and why people still feel bad about the economy. They also break down two big fossil fuel mergers, and Felix explains why dimes shouldn’t exist.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneypl
What Next TBD: Self-Driving Cars Crash Into Reality
In August, California regulators voted to allow self-driving car companies like Cruise and Waymo to expand their operations and start offering robotaxi services. After a litany of questionable behaviors ranging from the annoying to terrifying, the California DMV has suspended Cruise’s permits, effective immediately.
Is this just a temporary setback, or is the driverless future further off than it looked just a few months ago?
Guest: David Zipper, visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School
What Next: How Extremists Won the Speaker Fight
Is new House Speaker Mike Johnson a palatable face on the same hard-right politics?
Guest: Tim Miller, political consultant and writer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho
ICYMI: A Former School Shooter is a TikTok Star. Should He Even Be Allowed Online?
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim dive into the saga of Jon Romano. At the age of 16, Romano walked into his high school with a shotgun in an attempt, he says, to commit law-enforcement-assisted suicide. Though no one was killed in the ensuing violence, a teacher was shot and injured. Romano pled guilty to attempted murder and reckless endangerment. He served 17 years in prison and was released in 2020. Since his release, he’s been a public advocate for mental health reform an
What Next: The State Dept. Official Who Quit Over Israel
Why one State Department official who worked in weapons transfers quit over America’s policy towards Israel and Gaza—and what that says about U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Guest: Josh Paul, former State Department official working in arms transfers to foreign powers, who resigned on Oct. 18.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll
Hear Me Out: You Don’t Need to Post About Israel and Palestine
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… when silence is violence.
The war in Israel and Palestine is a rapidly-evolving situation – and one that’s bringing up a lot of emotions for a lot of people. Couple that with the flood of mis-and-disinformation on social media, and “to post or not to post” becomes an extremely loaded question.
Are you ever required to speak up on social media? Even if you don’t know the whole story? And if you elect not to say anything, is that inherently choosing a side —
Hear Me Out: You Don’t Need to Post About Israel and Palestine
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… when silence is violence. The war in Israel and Palestine is a rapidly-evolving situation – and one that’s bringing up a lot of emotions for a lot of people. Couple that with the flood of mis-and-disinformation on social media, and “to post or not to post” becomes an extremely loaded question. Are you ever required to speak up on social media? Even if you don’t know the whole story? And if you elect not to say anything, is that inherently choosing a side — and
What Next: Why We Still Don’t Have a Speaker of the House
Weeks after Kevin McCarthy was ousted, Republicans are still scrambling to elect a new Speaker of the House. After failed runs by Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan, the candidate pool keeps growing. Who is in the running now, and will anyone be able to snag the 217 votes needed?
Guest: Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Congress reporter at Semafor.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like
What Next: Abortion Providers in the Line of Fire
Before the new abortion clinic even opened in Casper, Wyoming, it was set ablaze. But to the clinic’s founder, property damage and violence aren’t new.
Guest: Julie Burkhart, founder of Wellspring Health Access
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextpl
The Waves: On The Golden Bachelor, Reality Dating Matures…But Does It Really?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Laura Stassi is back in the host seat. Laura, host of the podcast Dating While Gray, still can’t get over what the heck is going on in 72-year-old Gerry Turner’s love life.
Gerry is the first lead for The Bachelor spinoff The Golden Bachelor. While Gerry and the group of women vying for his heart are seniors over 65 years old, many of the age-old Bachelor franchise tropes are still being put to use. What is it about reality TV dating that forces the stakes t
A Word: Courting a Voting Rights Disaster
Supreme Court watchers are concerned that the Justices are poised to make racial gerrymandering all but impossible to prove. This comes after the Court recently heard arguments in the case of Alexander v. the South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News. They discuss the South Carolina voters who are directly impacted by the case, and what it could mean for voting rights arou
The Waves: The Golden Bachelor Recap - The ‘D Word’
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Gerry says the D Word: Divorce. Laura Stassi, host of Dating While Gray, and Slate Senior Supervising Producer Daisy Rosario recap the fourth episode of The Golden Bachelor.
Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free expe
What Next TBD: Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Takeover
Since Microsoft announced its bid to buy Activision Blizzard last year, regulators around the world sounded the alarm that the merger would suppress competition in the industry.
Now that the deal has officially gone through, should gamers be worried?
Guest: Jason Schreier, covering the video game industry for Bloomberg
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn
Political Gabfest: Still No House Speaker
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Jim Jordan’s efforts to become Speaker of the House; President Joe Biden’s visit to an Israel at war; and Donald Trump’s gag order.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Robert Jimison and Kayla Guo for The New York Times: “As Speaker Chaos Grows, so Does Talk of Empowering McHenry”
Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis on the Hang Up and Listen podcast: “The What Jim Jordan Knew About Sexual Abuse at Ohio State Editio
Amicus: Donald Trump's John Gotti Moment
As MAGA Republicans engage in extremist arm wrestling in the House Speaker race, and the sins of the 2020 election subversion scheme catch up with Donald Trump’s closest allies, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by brand new MacArthur “genius grant” recipient Ian Bassin of Protect Democracy to take a look at the stakes of this moment for American democracy. An attempt to walk and chew gum at the same time, Protect Democracy’s work focuses on the incremental ways the law can be applied to protect electio
Slate Money: The Cable Sports Apocalypse
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Sara Fischer, senior media reporter at Axios, to break down recent media deals with sports leagues, and why cord-cutters are going old school and buying TV antennas. They also discuss Marc Andreessen’s unhinged tech manifesto.
In the Plus segment: The recent survey of consumer finances.
Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next TBD: Inside Hamas' Social Media Strategy
Since war broke out, Hamas has been efficient in getting its message out on social media - both in providing crucial information to refugees fleeing the area, and in waging psychological warfare. How can platforms meet the need for open lines of communication without spreading propaganda?
Guest: Sheera Frenkel, covering tech for the New York Times
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episod
What Next: Biden to Israel; Bombs to Gaza
With bombs falling in Gaza, President Biden traveled to Israel to make a show of support. But as meetings with allied government leadership around the region were canceled, is the president doing more harm than good?
Guest: Yousef Munayyer, Palestinian-American political analyst and writer and Senior Fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sh
What Next: Bob Menendez: Secret Foreign Agent?
New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, who was the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was charged with conspiring to act as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government. This follows on the heels of an indictment for bribery and federal corruption. But Menendez says he isn’t stepping down.
Guest: Jessica Taylor, Senate-and-governors editor at The Cook Political Report.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on
What Next: Does Trump’s Violent Rhetoric Matter?
Donald Trump has been saying shocking—even violent—things for so long, it barely registers as news anymore. But after January 6, and with Trump again leading the field of Republican candidates for president, is there a real-world danger to what he’s saying?
Guest: Robert A. Pape, professor of political science and the director of the University of Chicago’s project on security and threats
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like ze
What Next: Israel’s New Wartime Government
While mounting a military response to Hamas, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been forced to unite his far-right wing with his political rival, centrist Benny Gantz, a former military Chief of Staff. The plans for retaliation that are emerging are unlike any of Israel’s past skirmishes with Hamas.
Guest: Dov Waxman, director of the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits lik
The Waves: The Golden Bachelor Recap: - Gerry’s Crying Again!
On this week’s episode of The Waves recapping The Golden Bachelor, we find Gerry in his feelings…again.
Slate Senior Supervising Producer Daisy Rosario and Dating While Grey Host Laura Stassi give their thoughts on the third episode of Gerry’s journey to finding love and all the tears that go along with it.
Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.
If you
A Word: Cruel and Usual Punishment
With more than one and half million people behind bars, the U.S. is second only to China in the number of citizens who are incarcerated. And an estimated one of three African American men spend some part of their lives under the control or supervision of the criminal justice system. The consequences of incarceration for individuals, families, and communities are devastating…and little understood. Even the worst outcomes in prison –sickness, suicide and other deaths– are frequently overlooked bec
The Waves: The Case For Taking A Sabbatical
On this week’s episode of The Waves: the case for taking a sabbatical.
Host TK Dutes speaks with author and former television writer Patty Lin on her latest book End Credits: How I Broke Up With Hollywood. Lin worked in some of the most notable writers' rooms like Friends, Freaks and Geeks, Desperate Housewives and Breaking Bad. But when she hit a breaking point, she made a big change and stopped working for an entire year. After that? Her relationship with work–and everything else–transformed.
Political Gabfest: Gaza War
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem to discuss the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Steve Scalise’s fight for the gavel of the House Speaker.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Juliette Kayyem for The Atlantic: “A Devastating Attack by Hamas”
Tom Dannenbaum for Just Security: “The Siege of Gaza and the Starvation War Crime”
Zack Beauchamp for Vox: “Benjamin Netanyahu failed Israel”
Aamer Madhani and Ellen Knickmeyer for AP: “Biden’s hopes for
Amicus: Justice Samuel Alito Got Out Of Bed on The Perry Mason Side
In this week’s big voting rights case, Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, the Supreme Court heard arguments concerning whether to uphold a South Carolina congressional map that is avowedly partisan (everyone agrees it favors Republicans, but partisan gerrymanders are A-OK under SCOTUS precedent). What is disputed here is whether the mapmakers relied on race to reach their partisan aims. A three-judge panel in South Carolina found it to be a racial gerrymander, and threw o
What Next TBD: The $30,000 Zelle Scam
Zelle has exploded in popularity as a fast, convenient way to send and receive money. But the story of a couple who was scammed out of a pool shows there are problems with safety on the platform.
Guest: Devin Friedman, journalist and senior correspondent for GQ magazine.
You can read Devin’s piece here.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence
Slate Money: SBF (Sweaters, Birkenstock, FTX)
Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers and Emily Peck talk about the latest in the Sam Bankman-Fried trial. They also discuss the (maybe bad???) Birkenstock IPO, and why your sweaters are getting worse.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
What Next TBD: The Israel-Hamas War Instantly Broke X
When the Arab Spring was unfolding, Twitter was hailed as a way for on-the-ground reporting to reach the public. But when fighting between Hamas and Israel broke out over the weekend, X became flooded with misinformation.
Guest: Casey Newton, founder and editor of the technology newsletter Platformer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and
What Next: Could Student Debt Relief Still Happen?
After their first plan to forgive billions of dollars of student debt was thwarted by the Supreme Court, the Biden administration is quietly searching for other ways to help borrowers.
Guest: Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, senior higher education reporter for Higher Ed Dive.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do h
What Next: A Bipartisan Border Wall?
President Biden’s administration announced plans to resume construction of a wall on the southern border, contradicting a contrast then-candidate Joe Biden drew between himself and his opponent in 2020,
Guest: Muzaffar Chishti, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute at NYU’s School of Law
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and yo
A Word: Black Grief, White Grievance
Many of the gains of the Civil Rights movement were built by African Americans who turned grief—often over the violent deaths of loved ones—into activism. At the same time, grief over anticipated or theoretical losses within the white community is frequently harnessed into political power. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by political science professor Juliet Hooker, author of Black Grief/White Grievance, about why anger and even violence has often been framed as a
The Waves: Female CEOs Can’t Save Us
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate Senior Supervising Producer of Audio, Daisy Rosario can’t get toxic female bosses out of her head. She’s joined by Noelle Crooks, author of the new book, Under the Influence and former employee of one Rachel Hollis, so she knows a lot about bad workplaces. They discuss the insidious nature of saying your workplace is “like a family,” why an office dance party is a BAD thing, and how some powerful women leverage their minority status for ill.In
Political Gabfest: We Need to Talk About Kevin...McCarthy
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the now-former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and the for-now Republican Matt Gaetz; the Supreme Court’s new term; and crime in America.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Marianna Sotomayor, Leigh Ann Caldwell, and Colby Itkowitz for The Washington Post: “Fight for speakership begins as House reels from McCarthy ouster”
David Leonhardt for The New York Times: “America’s Political Turmoil”
Matt Ford f
Slate Money: Is Ozempic Eating Into Snack Profits?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about how Ozempic affects food buying habits, the rise in mortgage and interest rates, and the decrease in stock buybacks.
In the Plus segment: The correlation between life expectancy and having a college degree.
Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next TBD: The Man Who Turned You Into Data
Hank Asher was a lot of things: a Florida condo maven, a drug runner, a DEA informant—and a tech visionary who created the mixed blessing of turning everyone’s online activity into an unshakable shadow profile.
Guest: McKenzie Funk, reporter for Pro Publica and the author of The Hank Show
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be su
Amicus: Senator Elizabeth Warren is Deeply Worried About SCOTUS
Following oral arguments in a case aimed at demolishing Senator Elizabeth Warren’s brainchild - the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Senator Warren to talk about how far this Supreme Court is prepared to go to fulfill right wing deregulatory fantasies.
Next, Dahlia talks to investigative reporter Andrea Bernstein, part of the team behind We Don’t Talk About Leonard, a new podcast collaboration between ProPublica and On the Media. Andrea explains the mechanisms
What Next TBD: Sam Bankman-Fried—and Crypto—on Trial
As the trial begins, SBF is making the case that what he did is typical in the world of crypto. But when the government paints a much bleaker picture of FTX—one riddled with fraud and deception—what does that say about the industry?
Guest: Nitish Pahwa, associate business and tech writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and yo
What Next: Who Is Trump Without Trump Tower?
For once, Donald Trump is going to court for things that have nothing to do with his presidency. As Trump defends himself and his businesses against charges of fraud, what does his conduct in New York tell us about how his other trials may go?
Guest: Zach Schonfeld, courts and legal reporter for The Hill.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence
What Next: The Fall of Kevin McCarthy
After an arduous series of votes to get the job, it only took one vote to remove Kevin McCarthy from his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Guest: Todd Zwillich, deputy Washington bureau chief, VICE News
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com
Hear Me Out: Being Adopted Is Traumatic
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… what? Oh my god, who told you?
Note: this episode includes an update as of October 2nd about Michael Oher, who is mentioned throughout the show.
Adoption is a complicated thing. Raising a child who’s not related to you is challenging — and being that child, in many ways, is even harder.
And it’s all too easy for adoption, particularly a white family adopting a black or brown child, to be framed as a heroic act. The truth, as adoptees will tell you, is a lot
What Next: Dianne Feinstein’s Replacement Is Here. Who Is She?
California Democrats were already jockeying to run for Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat next year and Governor Gavin Newsom sidestepped the contenders by announcing he would appoint Laphonza Butler to the seat.
While Newsom made good on his vow to appoint a Black woman to the Senate, does Butler’s job offer come with a poison pill?
Guest: Alex Sammon, Slate politics writer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any S
What Next: Where the Supreme Court Can Do the Most Damage
One case on the Supreme Court’s docket could upend federal regulatory bodies’ ability to regulate at all.
Guest: Jay Willis, editor-in-chief of Balls & Strikes
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Learn more about your
A Word: Talk That Talk
**Today’s episode discusses sensitive language, including the n-word, and may not be appropriate for all listeners.**
For decades, words and phrases that originate in Black homes, churches, and entertainment have been pulled into the national conversation…where their meanings are often changed or widely misunderstood. And social media has accelerated the process, taking Black vernacular from a group chat, to Twitter, to national headlines in record time. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason John
The Waves: The Afghan Women Left Behind - Gender And U.S. Immigration
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Host Kat Chow turns to Afghanistan, two years since the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. She speaks with reporter Tanvi Misra, who recently published an article with Politico following a family trapped in immigration limbo at a U.S. embassy in Doha, Qatar. Tanvi also explains how the U.S. immigration process singles out women and marginalized genders.
Further reading: They Thought Their Sick Little Girl Would Be Safe in America. Then It Den
What Next TBD: Inside Crypto's House of Cards
The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried marks the end of an era where crypto rose to dizzying, Super-Bowl-commercial heights. Where does the industry go from here?
Guest: Zeke Faux, investigative reporter for Bloomberg and author of Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and Staggering Fall.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be suppo
Slate Money: Delta Sky Miles vs The Two-Percent
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are the two-percent! Well, not Emily, to be clear. They dig into what’s going on with all the changes to Delta Sky Miles, the newest lawsuit by the FTC against Amazon, and why LinkedIn is and is not the worst.
In the Plus segment: What do you do with a concrete banana?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week.
Political Gabfest: Donald Duck and the Seven Dwarves
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the second Republican presidential primary debate; the next federal case against Senator Bob Menendez, and the latest lawsuit of United States v. Big Tech. Join us for Political Gabfest Live in Madison, Wisconsin on October 25!
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Dan Balz for The Washington Post: “Republican debate brings chaos, attacks and a slog for second place”
G. Elliott Morris for 538: “How outlier poll
What Next TBD: Who Will Pay For A COVID Vaccine?
After years of being a rare spot of universal, American-government-funded health care, this fall’s new COVID-19 vaccine is hitting the commercial market for the first time. So far, the rollout has been mired by hiccups and confusion.
Guest: Jen Kates, senior vice president at KFF
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting
Amicus: A Monumental SCOTUS Term Begins: Our Reluctant Curtain-Raiser
Refusing to play the traditional first Monday in October game, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern squint through the cloud of ethics scandals enveloping the High Court to see a docket aimed squarely at unfettering commerce from outside supervision, with a side order of second amendment extremism. What could possibly go wrong?
Sign up for Slate Plus now to support our show.
Dahlia’s book Lady Justice: Women, the Law and the Battle to Save America, is also available as an audiobook, and Amicu
The Waves Special Episode: Senator Dianne Feinstein Dies At 90
On this special episode of The Waves, Slate’s Lizzie O’Leary and Alex Sammon talk about Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s legacy and what her death means for Senate Democrats and the whole party going forward.
Further Reading: Dianne Feinstein’s Death Instantly Creates Two Big Problems to Solve
If you liked this episode, check out: Why All the First Ladies Want to Be Jackie O.
Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery and Daisy Rosario.
Send your
What Next TBD: Is Amazon a Monopoly?
Amazon evolved from a place to get cheap used books to the “everything store”—one encompassing warehouses, logistics and shipping.
But with the FTC now run by Lina Khan—who wrote the essay ‘Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox” while at Yale Law School—a new contender for “antitrust trial of the century” has begun.
Guest: Leah Nylen, antitrust reporter for Bloomberg
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, b
What Next: Can Marriage Fix America?
Why is everyone—on the left and the right—suddenly touting the benefits of a married two-parent family? And what is it about this institution that appeals to a certain class of politicians and pundits as means to address American poverty, even as it loses popularity?
We consider the public meltdown over lower marriage rates and the renewed interest in ending no-fault divorce.
Guest: Rebecca Traister, author of All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation and wr
What Next: Wait, China’s Taking Our Pandas Back?
Everybody loves pandas—and China knows it. As we say goodbye to the National Zoo’s pandas, we look back at 50 years of “panda diplomacy” and consider its uncertain future.
Guest: E. Elena Songster, author of Panda Nation: The Construction and Conservation of China’s Modern Icon and professor of environmental history of modern China at St. Mary’s College of California.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate p
What Next: The Writer’s Strike Is Over: Who Won?
After five long months, the WGA and major Hollywood studios have reached a tentative agreement to end the strike—well, that one anyway. Who won what and where do the actors stand?
Guest: Michael Schulman, staff writer at The New Yorker.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up no
What Next: Rupert Murdoch and the Future of Fox
At 92, Rupert Murdoch is retiring and handing the reins over to his son. Will Lachlan Murdoch watch over a period of managed decline—or will he chase the audience Fox News has been losing to the even-more extreme right?
Guest: Nicole Hemmer, Director of the Roger Center for the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Incompetent Cervix - The Misogynist History Behind Naming The Female Body
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Host Kat Chow welcomes back author and science journalist Rachel E. Gross to talk about the misogynist origins of many names and diagnoses in the female reproductive system. Gross is the author of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage and the New York Times column Body Language.
In Slate Plus: Rachel E. Gross’s thoughts on the documentary Every Body about intersex people
If you liked this episode, check out: The Vagina et Al., an interview with Rachel E. Gross
A Word: School of Destruction
Against the odds, a tight-knit group of Black families created the community of Shoe Lane in Newport News, Virginia in the early 20th century. Residents bought land, and often built their homes, expecting to hand down a thriving African American neighborhood to future generations. Then Christopher Newport University systematically took the land over, pushing out all but a handful of now-elderly residents. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Brandi Kellam, who help
Amicus: SCOTUS Is Not Done With Guns and Abortion
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Ryan Busse, a former gun-industry executive turned gun-safety advocate, who is now running for governor in his home state of Montana. As the right to bear arms for domestic abusers is set to be argued at SCOTUS this term, Dahlia and Ryan discuss how gun culture has been radicalized in order to… sell more guns. They also examine how that radicalization has reached the Supreme Court, and threatens our safety, and our democracy.
Next, Dahlia is joined by Alison Block M
Political Gabfest: Who’s Winning The Autoworkers Strike?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the UAW autoworkers’ strike against the Big Three automakers, talk with Yoel Roth about social media trust and safety, and weigh teachers’ burden to engage in parent diplomacy. Join us for Political Gabfest Live in Madison, Wisconsin on October 25!
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Danielle Kaye for NPR: “Why the UAW is fighting so hard for these 4 key demands in the auto strike”
Yoel Roth in The New York
The Waves: Why Joe Jonas’s ‘Bad Mommy’ Story Flopped
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Host Kat Chow dives into the public divorce of actress Sophie Turner and pop artist Joe Jonas. But we’re not so much getting into the actual divorce, more the way tabloid news is covering it and leaning into some seriously sexist tropes. As news spread about the marriage’s end, articles immediately started speculating as to who was at fault, and tabloids reported using anonymous sources saying Turner was more focused on partying and going out, leaving Jonas a
What Next TBD: What Instacart’s IPO Means for Tech
As other tech companies that rode the pandemic to success started sinking, Instacart managed to stay above water—they turned a profit and even made it to an IPO. But a stubbornly static stock price has some asking if Instacart—and the whole gig economy—hasn’t already peaked.
Guest: Erin Griffith, who reports on tech startups and venture capital for the New York Times
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate
Slate Money: AI Facial Recognition's Creepy Evolution
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Kashmir Hill to talk about her new book, Your Face Belongs to Us. They dig into the way facial recognition technology is used in unexpected (and sometimes creepy) ways. They also talk about the A.I. revolution and Rupert Murdoch’s “exit” from the Fox empire.
In the Plus segment: Kashmir talks about tracking her husband.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience acr
What Next TBD: Did AirBnB Need to Go?
The sword of regulation, which has been swinging over New York AirBnBs for over a decade, is falling at last. But will new laws for short-term rentals have the effect housing advocates are hoping for? And after many failed efforts, can these laws actually be enforced?
Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, Slate writer covering tech and business.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows l
What Next: Tackling Homelessness and Addiction at the Same Time
Following “The Call,” our series on the opioid epidemic continues in Seattle.
Harm reduction focuses on meeting people where they are, including enabling them to use drugs safely when experiencing addiction. But some advocates are asking, what happens when you think bigger?
Guest: Lisa Daugaard, criminal justice reform activist and Co-Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Purpose. Dignity. Action.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus member
What Next: How Wisconsin is a “Laboratory for Destroying Democracy”
Wisconsin has been something of a model for Republicans looking to entrench themselves in the state legislature, and one key move has always been to draw the electoral map as favorably as possible. But now, the state Supreme Court has swung to the left – for the first time in 15 years. The GOP is scrambling to keep this battleground state deeply gerrymandered—and keep power in their own hands.
Guest: Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones.
If you enjoy this show, ple
Hear Me Out: Bring Back The Draft
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… the conscription question.
The U.S. military is having trouble meeting recruitment goals — and for the first time in recent history, the Army has actually failed to meet its minimum.
Joe Plenzler, a writer, consultant and Marine Corps veteran, joins us to argue that it’s time to bring back the draft; more specifically, a partial one. It’d help address recruiting shortfalls, but more importantly, it might also change how Americans feel about public service… a
What Next: The UAW Enters the Ring
Thousands of members of the United Auto Workers walked off the line at Midwestern auto plants Friday, putting an exclamation mark on a summer where labor—from screenwriters to UPS drivers—flexed its muscles. But is this a true resurgence of the broader U.S. labor movement?
Guest: Barry Eidlin, associate professor of sociology at McGill University
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Slate Money | Criminals: TheraNOPE
In this episode of the Criminals series, the gang talks with Rebecca Jarvis, host of “The Dropout” about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. Who were the real victims of Holmes’ crimes? How did her lofty goals drift into scandal? And where does she sit on a scale of “one to evil”?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do
What Next: McCarthy’s Impeaching Biden to Keep His Job
House speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the opening of an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, but members of the Freedom Caucus—a group of right-wing Republicans with a taste for dramatic, extreme actions—had already moved on to fighting the next spending bill, potentially steering the government to another shutdown.
Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Sl
A Word: Wrong from the Beginning
The teaching of Black history has been under increasing political attack in recent years. But the version of African American history taught –even to Black people– has always been incomplete. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by columnist Michael Harriot to discuss his new book, Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America. They discuss the inspiration for the book, the most persistent myths of race and racism, and fighting the backlash against Black history.
Guest:
The Waves: Why Joe Jonas’s ‘Bad Mommy’ Story Flopped
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Host Kat Chow dives into the public divorce of actress Sophie Turner and pop artist Joe Jonas. But we’re not so much getting into the actual divorce, more the way tabloid news is covering it and leaning into some seriously sexist tropes. As news spread about the marriage’s end, articles immediately started speculating as to who was at fault, and tabloids reported using anonymous sources saying Turner was more focused on partying and going out, leaving Jonas a
Political Gabfest: Impeach ‘Em All, Let God Sort ‘Em Out
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are reunited with John Dickerson to discuss the Wisconsin Republicans’ effort to impeach Justice Janet Protasiewicz and protect their gerrymander; Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s decision to start an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden and prevent a government shutdown; and Biden’s age problem and Donald Trump’s battleground-state difficulties. Join us for Political Gabfest Live in Madison, Wisconsin on October 25!
Here are some notes and references from
Slate Money: Old School Union, New School Strike
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the auto workers strike and how the UAW is using some tactics it's never tried before. They’ll also get into how things went down with the big Arm IPO and talk about the latest census data on poverty.
In the Plus segment: Tiny homes are mostly just click bait.
Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next TBD: Can Politicians Keep Kids Safe Online?
The bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act has noble-sounding intentions, but has been called one of the most dangerous bills in years by the digital rights group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Guest: Richard Blumenthal, senior United States senator from Connecticut.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we
Amicus: The Supreme Court We Deserve?
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by award-winning documentarian and lawyer Dawn Porter for a conversation about two projects shining a light on the law and how we can shape it: Porter’s new Showtime documentary series Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court, and the paperback release of Dahlia’s book Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America.
Together they trace the political shifts and cultural earthquakes from the Warren Court to the Burger, Rehnquist and now Roberts Cour
What Next TBD: Google Makes Its Case
A trial a decade in the making has started, as the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google and its unrivaled position as the top search engine begins. Is this the beginning of the government “taking on Big Tech” and the end of Google as we know it?
Guest: Leah Nylen, covering antitrust for Bloomberg.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and De
What Next: The Case Against Harm Reduction
Following “The Call,” our series on the opioid epidemic continues in Harlem. Inside a safe-consumption site, addiction is destigmatized—outside, however, the neighbors feel differently.
Guest: Syderia Asberry-Chresfield, co-founder of the Greater Harlem Coalition and a former Vice President for JP Morgan Chase.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Pr
What Next: Fighting “Disaster Fatigue”
It feels like we live in a world of near constant environmental disasters. Whether it’s living through an emergency, or consuming coverage in the media, collective trauma takes a mental toll. What steps can we take to be ready—for ourselves, our communities, and to help the recovery?
Guest: Dr. Tara Powell, associate professor, School of Social Work, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like
What Next: How DeSantis Turned New College into a Circus
Back in January, Ron DeSantis appointed six new trustees to the board of Florida’s New College, who swiftly set about remaking the school according to a much more conservative vision of what college should be. Now, as the new school year begins, we’re starting to see what that vision actually looks like.
Guest: Sam Greenspan, freelance journalist who attended New College of Florida from 2004 to 2008.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get ben
What Next: Prison for the Proud Boys. Now What?
Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio was just sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the January 6th insurrection. With much of their leadership, and that of the Oath Keepers, now behind bars, has their movement hit a dead end? Or is this just more grist for the anti-government outrage mill?
Guest: Brandi Buchman, independent journalist covering the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys trials
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits
What Next/This American Life: The Call
As the opioid overdose crisis continues, a group of volunteers started a hotline with one mission—not to encourage people to go to rehab, not even to discourage them from using—just to keep them alive for one more day. A collaboration with This American Life.Guests: Stephen Murray, paramedic and overdose researcher at Boston Medical Center.Jessie, a registered nurse who answers calls on the Never Use Alone hotline. Kimber, a caller to the hotline.If you enjoy this show, please consider
The Waves: The Bama Rush to Trad Wife Pipeline
On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s rush time! Host Kat Chow is diving deep into the #BamaRush phenomenon that has taken over the internet recently. She’s joined by professor and New York Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom to talk about her recent article, “In Alabama, White Tide Rushes On” They dig into the very specific “type” of college student that joins the Alabama sorority, the race and gender implications of the Greek “Machine” and the cuteness of it all. Fighter Readi
A Word: Black Toy Joy
Kwamé Holland started his music career at the dawn of the hip-hop era. But after decades in the business, the rapper and producer is reconnecting with his first creative love – toys! And he’s building a community of Black toy lovers who don’t just collect action figures, but build and even play with them. On today’s episode of A Word, Kwamé Holland talks with host Jason Johnson about his unique path to becoming a prophet of playtime, and his work with Let’s Be Onyx, an organization that promotes
What Next TBD: Bad Air, Worse Vibes
COVID’s still here but the public’s appetite for masking, social distancing, or remote learning is long gone. One palatable way to stop the spread: improving air circulation indoors.
Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter for the New York Times
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we
Amicus: Alabama Double-Dares SCOTUS Over Voting Maps
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Marc Elias, who has litigated more election and voting cases than almost anyone, to talk about Alabama’s disregard for SCOTUS’ decision in the big Voting Rights Act case of last term, and why the lawlessness is the point. They also delve into the dangers of tying the disqualification of former President Donald J Trump from office under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the outcomes in his criminal trials. And why, when it comes to defending democracy, dependin
Political Gabfest: Is Biden The Last Politician?
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by The Atlantic’s Franklin Foer to discuss Joe Biden’s White House and The Last Politician; the war in Ukraine and the possible meeting of Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin; and Americans’ views on the value of higher education. Join us for Political Gabfest Live in Madison, Wisconsin on October 25!
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future
Slate Money - Optimal Illusions: The False Promise of Optimization
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Coco Krumme to discuss her book Optimal Illusions: The False Promise of Optimization.
In the Plus segment: The story in Felix’s newsletter today on why the city of Birmingham in the UK has gone bankrupt.
Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next TBD: Tech Disrupts the School Bus
When Howard County signed a $27 million contract with the start-up Zum, the company promised to modernize the way schools provide transportation. But when the school year started, that’s not what happened.
Guest: Daniel Zawodny, covering transportation for the Baltimore Banner and corps member of Report For America.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and De
What Next: Can Kids Catch Up After the Pandemic?
Math and reading scores plummeted during the year of virtual learning. Kids are now back in the classroom—but they aren’t back on track. What will it take to catch up a generation —and do schools have the will and resources to make it happen?
Guest: Alec MacGillis, reporter for ProPublica.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be su
What Next: Our Aging Congress Is a Problem
The problem with a Congress that is statistically so much older than the country it represents is systemic and—like almost everything in Washington—much of the issue can be traced back to money in politics.
Guest: Walt Hickey, Deputy editor for data and analysis for Insider who worked on their “Red, White, and Gray” reporting project.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows li
Hear Me Out: Overconfidence Is Killing The Supreme Court
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… supreme hubris.
The Supreme Court is currently unpopular to a historic degree. That popularity is, of course, contingent on political opinion – and whether the court has bucked it recently. But most people agree that something’s wrong with the Supreme Court as an institution.
And, according to Aaron Tang, it’s not partisanship… even though that’s a popular scapegoat. It’s overconfidence and egos running wild.
Professor and author Aaron Tang joins us to discu
What Next: To Impeach a Republican In Texas
The impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is slated to begin in the state Senate today. Though Paxton’s history of scandals is long and storied, this could be the first time he’s faced accountability—and all it took was leaving taxpayers on the hook for a $3.3 million bill.
Guest: Sergio Martinez-Beltran, political reporter with NPR’s The Texas Newsroom, a public radio collaborative.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get bene
One Year: The Team Nobody Would Play
In honor Labor Day, What Next proudly presents the opening salvo from our colleagues at One Year: 1955. We'll be back in your feed tomorrow.
The Cannon Street All-Stars dreamed of playing in the 1955 Little League World Series. Their biggest obstacle didn’t come on the field. In the year that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus, these Black 12-year-olds became unlikely civil rights pioneers—and faced the wrath of a white society that wasn’t ready to change.
Josh Levin is One Y
Slate Money | Criminals Series: The $5 Billion Fraud
Felix Salmon and Elizabeth Spiers speak with Tom Wright, the author of Billion Dollar Whale to discuss Malaysian fraudster Jho Low. They talk about how he used political connections to live a lavish lifestyle and buy Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now
A Word: After Jacksonville, Is Antifa the Answer?
The racist murders of three Black Americans in Jacksonville renewed fears of a rising tide of violent white supremacists. At the same time, fascist movements are successfully recruiting more diverse members. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Daryle Lamont Jenkins, an activist who has devoted his career to tracking and confronting extremists, and even to helping people escape white supremacist groups. Jenkins proudly embraces the maligned “antifa” label, and is encouraging
The Waves: The Forced Kiss Seen Round the World
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking about The Kiss. Scaachi Koul is joined by Women’s World Cup reporter for The Athletic and freelance sports reporter, Tamerra Griffin to talk about Spanish Soccer President, Luis Rubiales forcibly kissing player Jennifer Hermoso after Spain’s World Cup final win. They dig into the internal strife that was already going on within the Spanish team, Rubiales’s history of alleged misconduct, where the sport can go from here, and more.
In Slate Plus
What Next TBD: Social Media’s Pivot from News
It wasn’t long ago when social media was a place to go for up-to-the-minute updates in an emergency. But even as internet access is more widespread than ever—and natural disasters more frequent—Twitter and Facebook are less useful than ever. As hubs for news, that era appears over.
Guest: Will Oremus, tech reporter for the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sh
Political Gabfest: March Forth, Trump!
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s trials schedule and the 2024 election calendar; Vivek Ramaswamy; and “What the Best Places in America Have in Common.”
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Devlin Barrett, Rachel Weiner, and Perry Stein for The Washington Post: “Trump’s D.C. election-obstruction trial scheduled for March 2024”
Josh Barro in Very Serious: “Section Guy Runs For President”
Kathryn J. Edin, H. Luke Shaefer, and
Slate Money: You Better Not Be Working
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the state of working in the United States three years after the COVID pandemic began. They discuss the latest in the efforts in the SEC’s attempts to litigate cryptocurrencies. And finally, can you be a guilt-free investor? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting th
What Next TBD: Is LinkedIn...Cool Now?
As Twitt—sorry, X—continues to go through tumult, an unlikely, long-time player is emerging as the last acceptable place to post.
Guest: Sarah Frier, tech editor at Bloomberg Businessweek.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support
Best of What Next | Fighting for the Right to Die
As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on April 27. What Next will resume regular programming next week.
A self-described activist had late-stage, fallopian tube cancer. She didn’t live in one of the 11 jurisdictions that allows terminally-ill patients the choice to medically end their own lives. But rather than relocating, she argued Vermont’s residency restrictions were unconstitutional
Best of What Next | What Texas' Attacks on Trans Healthcare Did to One Family
As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on Nov. 9, 2022. What Next will resume regular programming next week.
As Texas laws have become more discriminatory against trans individuals and their families, many wonder if they can even stay in the Lone Star State, especially when parents could be investigated as child abusers for providing healthcare to their children. This family made the diff
Hear Me Out: Harm Reduction Saves Lives
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… preventing the preventable.
At best, the rate of epidemic of drug overdose deaths in this country is slowing — but by many metrics and in many jurisdictions, the situation remains as dire as ever.
Which begs the question: what tactics will work to prevent these deaths, if nothing has yet?
Laura Guzman, Executive Director of the National Harm Reduction Coalition, joins us to say that harm reduction strategies like clean needles, clean pipes, and Narcan dist
Best of What Next | He Couldn’t Teach ‘Slavery Was Wrong.’ So He Quit.
As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on April 17. What Next will resume regular programming next week.
Iowa was one of the first states in the country to pass legislation against teaching that the United States is systemically racist — an idea some equate with “critical race theory.” But when one social studies teacher asked how he could teach U.S. history without running afoul of the n
Best of What Next | The Diagnosis Was Fatal. She Couldn't Get an Abortion.
As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on March 30. What Next will resume regular programming next week.
Two weeks after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Lauren Hall found out the baby she was carrying had a fatal condition: her head and skull weren’t properly developing. Texas’s three overlapping bans on abortion forced her to fly to Washington to terminate the unviable pregnancy. With the C
What Next TBD: The Cost of "Sustainable" Pet Food
Most pet food is made from the byproducts of the meat that we, humans, eat. Recently, there’s been a rise in high-end pet food products - including things like lab-grown meat - that are touted as sustainable options for your furry friend. But a closer look raises questions about whether or not this food is actually better for the environment.
Guest: Chloe Sorvino, writer for Forbes and the author of the book Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat.
Sp
A Word: Democracy Dies in Dixie?
A small-town government’s failures pushed volunteer Patrick Braxton to run for mayor. He won the right to lead in Newbern, Alabama. But a white minority has literally locked him out of office. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Aallyah Wright, the Capital B journalist who helped elevate Braxton’s ordeal to national news. They discuss the wider issue of ways Black political power is thwarted by old school racism, and the need for a more wide ranging response.
Guest: Aallyah
Why Trans Women Transfix Celebs Like Carlos Santana
On this week’s episode of The Waves, why can’t celebrities and sports organizations leave trans people alone? On the heels of the International Chess Federation excluding trans women from competing, and some terrible statements from singer Ne-Yo (remember Ne-Yo?) Waves host Scaachi Koul wants to know why everyone is so obsessed with trans people. She talks with cartoonist and author of the graphic novel, Boys Weekend, Mattie Lubchansky about why celebrities can’t help but get involved, why trans
Political Gabfest: Who Won the Trump-less Debate?
This week, John Dickerson is back and joins Emily Bazelon and David Plotz to discuss the first Republican primary debate and the simulcast Tucker Carlson interview of Donald Trump; the Republican law professors’ debate about whether the U.S. Constitution prohibits another Trump presidency; and the United Diners of America.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Colectivo Coffee in Madison, Wisconsin
Josh Dawsey, Michael Scherer, and Marianne LeVine for The Washington Post: “R
Slate Money: Twelve Ways to Help Fix the World
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speak with author and academic Bjorn Lomborg about his latest book, “Best Things First”. How does Bjorn’s advice differ from effective altruism? And where should you donate your own money?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.
What Next TBD: TikTok's Shady Deal with the U.S.
In the spring, it looked like TikTok was on the verge of being banned in America. Since then, it’s continued operating business as usual.
But this week, it was revealed that ByteDance and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States came close to striking a deal that would allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. The negotiations give a glimpse into how social media—and by extension speech itself—could be regulated on the internet.
Guest:
Emily Baker-White, tech reporter and
What Next: From a Texas Bus to the New York Subway
Over the past year, a growing number of women and children started appearing on New York City subway platforms and trains, selling candy. Their stories illuminate a country in turmoil a continent away—and an ongoing migrant crisis at home.
Guest: Jordan Salama, author of “The Candy Sellers: The lives and livelihoods of some of the city’s newest migrant children” for New York magazine.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero a
What Next: What’s Vivek Ramaswamy’s Deal?
Polls show Vivek Ramaswamy pulling even with Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, trailing only Donald Trump (albeit substantially).
How did Ramaswamy go from anonymous multimillionaire to a potential Trump alternative in just six months? And what would a Ramaswamy administration look like?
Guest: Mini Racker, staff writer covering politics for TIME Magazine.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any
What Next: Why The Blind Side's Narrative Fell Apart
Last week, retired NFL lineman Michael Oher sued the Tuohy family and revealed a gulf between real life and how he and the family were portrayed in 2009’s The Blind Side.
Guest: Santul Nerkar, reporter on sports and business for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Nex
What Next: Why Tuition’s So Damn High
Over the last 20 years, the average college student at a public university has seen prices go up 64 percent, as schools spend more and more on amenities to attract students and raise their own rankings.
Guest: Melissa Korn, higher education reporter at the Wall Street Journal.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting th
Slate Money: Criminals Series - Scammer John Ackah Blay-Miezah
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speak with Yepoka Yeebo, author of Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World. Yeebo explains how John Ackah Bley-Miezah convinced people that he held the keys to a large fortune. All they needed to do was help him access it.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week.
A Word: The Donald Went Down to Georgia
This week’s indictment of former President Donald Trump in Georgia is widely considered to be the most ambitious prosecution he faces. With 41 counts, and 18 named co-conspirators, it covers alleged crimes in Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 loss in the state. But the case also highlights his attacks on individual Black women, and legitimacy of Black votes in general. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by attorney and voting rights advocate Nse Ufot. She’s the founder of t
What Next TBD: Digital Life After Death
Sorting through a loved one’s things after they’ve died can be an emotional, difficult chore. But now, added to that, people have to sort through the deceased’s password-protected online presence.
Guests:
Kate Lindsay, author of the internet culture newsletter Embedded and the article “My Mom Will Email Me After She Dies” in the Atlantic.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sho
Political Gabfest: Georgia v. The Trump 19
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Lulu Garcia-Navarro of The New York Times to discuss the indictment in Georgia of Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants for trying to overturn the state’s 2020 election results; the court win by Montana youth for “a clean and healthful environment” and the devastating losses of Maui residents to wildfire; and the lawsuit of Michael Oher against his supposed “Blind Side” parents.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
C-SPAN
Slate Money: Rao’s Pasta Sauce is the Zoom of Food
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss FDIC chair Martin Guenberg’s proposal to let big bank debt holders lose money before the uninsured depositors. Also, Rao’s upscale cornering of the red sauce market leads to its $2.7 billion sale to Campbell’s. Finally “The Wig”: Argentina’s right-wing primary winner Javier Milei’s arresting mop and his plan to toss out the currency.
In the Plus segment: Why can’t it be Halloween all year round?
If you enjoy this show, please consider sign
The Waves: How Drake Betrayed Megan Thee Stallion
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Tory Lanez has been sentenced for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, and we have THOUGHTS. Scamfluencers co-host and former BuzzFeed reporter Scaachi Koul is joined by Refinery29 reporter Kathleen Newman-Bremang to unpack why so many people turned against Megan despite Tory Lanez being a wasteman. They explain what exactly is a “Toronto Mans” and why this dangerous subsection of man is crossing American borders in the forms of Drake, the Weeknd, and more.
In Sla
What Next TBD: How Crypto Fails Sex Workers
At first, cryptocurrency seemed like the solution to the problems sex workers have had with traditional banks. But as the US moves to regulate the crypto industry, many are finding it hasn’t worked out like they hoped.
Guests:
Joel Khalili, reporter at Wired
Liara Roux, sex worker, organizer, and writer
You can check out Joel’s reporting in Wired here.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus
What Next: Who Failed Hawaii?
Hawaii is in flames, with the death toll from fires on Maui exceeding 100. Now, the search for where the failure—or multiple failures—occurred begins.
Guest: Brianna Sacks, reporter covering climate change and extreme weather for the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Ne
What Next: Fani Willis Takes on Trump
The fourth shoe dropped this week, when Fulton County DA Fani Willis announced Donald Trump’s latest indictment, charging the former president, along with 18 others, for engaging in a sprawling criminal conspiracy to disenfranchise Georgia voters. Trump has been responding by lashing out against Willis and voters in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee.
Guest: Rick Hasan, professor of law at UCLA and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signi
What Next: The Trials of Hunter Biden
Earlier this summer, it looked like Hunter Biden’s legal team had reached a plea deal. But last week, the Justice Department announced a special counsel was being appointed to his case. What happened in between? Is the president's son getting singled out—or special treatment?
Guest: Ankush Khardori, attorney and a former federal prosecutor in the US Justice Department.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate
What Next: Trump’s Spiraling Legal Fees
With every indictment, Donald Trump’s legal fees grow—but so do his campaign donations. But money is leaving faster than its arriving—how long can he keep this up?
Guest: Ben Kamisar, deputy political editor for the NBC political unit.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now
What Next TBD: Tech's Mask Off Moment
When conservative writer Richard Hanania’s old posts, originally published under a pseudonym, came to light, people were shocked at just how racist and reactionary they were. Perhaps less shocking were the tech moguls who were revealed to be supporting him.
Guest: Anil Dash, technologist and writer, and the head of Glitch
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn
Slate Money: ESPN Bets on Sports Betting
Felix Salmon and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Cardiff Garcia (host of The New Bazaar) to discuss ESPN’s big new investment in sports betting. They break down the state of a lawsuit over how much UFC fighters get paid. Finally, they talk about the increasing allure of private credit.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the wo
Political Gabfest: Abortion Rights Win at the Polls
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem to discuss the Ohio vote not to make it harder to change the state constitution; Republican views on Donald Trump’s offenses; and emergency preparedness or the lack thereof.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Jack Goldsmith for The New York Times: “The Prosecution of Trump May Have Terrible Consequences”
The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters by Juliette Kayyem
Charles M. Blo
What Next TBD: Can Smart Guns Save Lives?
A “smart gun” is designed to only work in the hands of the gun’s proper owner. With the first smart gun potentially coming to market later this year, can the tech deliver on its promise?
Guests:
Champe Barton, reporter at The Trace
Kai Kloepfer, founder and CEO of Biofire
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the wor
A Word: Haiti on the Brink
According to the United Nations, more civilians died in Haiti than died in Ukraine during the first few months of 2023. Institutions have collapsed; violent gangs control the capital, and kidnappers are terrorizing citizens. What’s left of the Haitian government has pleaded for international help, but historically, foreign interventions in Haiti have harmed, exploited, and even killed many Haitians. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Patrick Gaspard, chief of the Center for
What Next: Justice for the Gilgo Beach Murder Victims
In December of 2010, four bodies were discovered in Gilgo Beach, Long Island. Nearly 13 years later, police now say they’ve identified the killer.
Though the victims’ family members are relieved, they’re also left wondering what took so long.
Guest: Robert Kolker, author of Lost Girls.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be sup
The Waves: Why All The First Ladies Want to Be Jackie O.
On this week’s episode of The Waves, former Buzzfeed reporter and current Scamfluencers host, Scaachi Koul is taking over hosting The Waves for the next few weeks. This week she’s digging deep into the life of First Lady hopeful, Casey DeSantis. Scaachi is joined by Washington Post reporter, Ruby Cramer. Ruby wrote a masterpiece on Casey DeSantis, “Tracing the power of Casey DeSantis.” They get into why Casey DeSantis scares Scaachi, how to properly make fun of Ron’s wife, and why the Ron and Ca
What Next: Haiti’s Kidnapping Crisis
What’s behind a recent uptick in kidnappings and gang violence in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, and how did Kenya end up being the country stepping up to help?
Guest: Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean correspondent at The Miami Herald.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.c
How To!: Cope With Climate Anxiety
As the massive Caldor fire blazed towards South Lake Tahoe in 2021, Joyce knew she had to get out. “The sky was red. It was like hell on earth,” she remembers. Her family got to safety and her house was miraculously spared. But, even now, it can be jarring to remember the fire. Climate-related extreme weather events are on the rise and another disaster is seemingly right around the corner. Especially with freakish flash floods, a scorching heatwave and wildfire smoke blanketing much of the count
Hear Me Out: Affirmative Action Failed Poor Black Kids
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… almost affirmative.
We don’t yet know what the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action is going to do, tangibly, to college admissions — or how long those impacts will last. But, based on past experiments, we have a decent idea. And many advocates say the implications here are urgent and dire.
But affirmative action might not have been the great equalizing force that a lot of people believe it was.
Bertrand Cooper, freelance journalist and policy rese
What Next: Judges on the Trump Trials
Who are the judges presiding over Donald Trump’s trials and what can the prosecution—and defense—expect, based on what’s happened already?
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer covering courts and the law for Slate Magazine
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.
What Next: Florida Public Schools' New Anti-Woke Partner
In July, Florida approved the use of Prager U materials in its classrooms. The organization claims its videos offer an alternative to the prevailing left-wing ideology in the classroom. Its founder told a sympathetic audience that what they offer is indoctrination. What impact could these videos have in public schools? And where could they be heading next?
Guest: John Knefel, senior writer for Media Matters for America.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate P
What Next TBD: Another Summer of COVID
After a quiet spring, COVID is surging back for the fourth consecutive summer. So, is this just life now?
Guest: Katherine Wu, staff writer at the Atlantic
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Learn more about your
A Word: Golden Lady Ballers
More people are watching women’s sports than ever before, and the U.S. has high hopes for the Women’s World Cup. Still, there’s a lag in media coverage and resources for women athletes, particularly women of color. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Subria Whitaker, the chief of the non-profit organization Grow the Game. They discuss why the growth of women’s sports still isn’t matched by media coverage and economic resources, and how that impacts audiences and athletes of
The Waves: Hollywood is On Strike. Let’s Burn it Down.
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking the Hollywood strikes. Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by longtime journalist and author of Burn It Down, Maureen Ryan to unpack the systematic oppression that has taken place behind the scenes of your favorite movies and television shows for decades. They dig into the structures in place to keep women and marginalized voices from getting to the top of the ladder, and how none of these stories are examples of one bad ap
Slate Money: America’s Credit Rating Went Down. So What?
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the recent downgrade of America’s credit rating by one agency. They also cover how Taylor Swift and Beyonce are changing concert tours, and figure out whether or not anyone is judging you during a business lunch.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here o
Political Gabfest: The Defendant Knew They Were False
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s third indictment, this one for January 6th and the 2020 election; Trump v. President Joe Biden poll results; and, joined by David French of The New York Times, the country song “Try That In A Small Town.”
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Devlin Barrett and Josh Dawsey for The Washington Post: “Heart of the Trump Jan. 6 indictment: What’s in Trump’s head”
Judd Legum for Popular Information:
What Next TBD: Tesla's Big Lie
Tesla sold a vision of how electric vehicles would work: just like gas-powered cars, but cleaner, better. But as a scandal about misrepresented battery life and driving range unfolds, and the price of their cars remains high, it increasingly looks like the transition will be anything but seamless—if it happens at all.
Guest: Edward Niedermeyer, author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors.
You can check out Reuters reporting on Tesla’s range scandal here.
If you enjoy this sho
What Next: It’s Hot as Hell. Why Are Pools Closed?
The temperature is going up, but the number of open, public pools isn’t. It’s not just a summer bummer; it’s turning into a public health crisis.
Guest: Mara Gay, member of the New York Times editorial board, focused on New York State and local affairs.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What
What Next: U.S. vs Trump
We’re eight months into the year—and former president Donald Trump has now been indicted three times. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury charged Trump with three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction. But what exactly does that mean? And can someone really run for president…while juggling three different trials?
Guest: David Graham, staff writer for “The Atlantic”
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Sl
What Next: After the Strike
In December, University of California graduate students went on strike for six weeks. It was the largest higher education strike in U.S. history. But even after the new contract was signed and the strikers were back at work, they found the fight didn’t stop.
Guest: Peter Lucas, a writer covering labor and politics.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and De
What Next: Congress Wants to Know: Do Aliens Exist?
In a recent public hearing, three government officials told Congress that not only are “unidentified anomalous phenomena” real, they’re a major national security concern. But one witness took his testimony even further, claiming the government possesses materials of “non-human origin.” How much do we really know about UAPs – or, as they’re more commonly known, UFOs? And now that Congress is involved, are we about to learn a whole lot more?
Guest: Garrett Graff, contributor at WIRED magazine; au
What Next TBD: America’s Downtown Ghost Towns
It’s 2023 – and less than half of all Americans have returned to the office full time. That means U.S. downtowns from San Francisco to New York are emptier than they’ve been in decades. Offices are actually trending away from policies that mandate returning five days a week. So, how can cities get creative – and develop some new ways to boost the local economy?
Guest: Henry Grabar, Slate staff writer
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get bene
Slate Money: Will The UPS Union Deal Deliver?
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the tentative agreement between UPS and their unionized workers. They discuss how Goldman Sachs’ Apple credit card went bad, and a new study reveals how household income influences Ivy League admission rates.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Sla
Political Gabfest: Can Israel Survive As A Democracy?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legislative win limiting judicial powers while hundreds of thousands of Israelis protest; Harvard University and other elite colleges’ reconsideration of legacy admissions; and the revise-or-bust status of Hunter Biden’s plea deal.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: “How Israel’s Supreme Court Might React to the Challenge to Its Pow
What Next TBD: Washington vs. A.I.
At a White House summit late last week, some of the biggest names in tech - including Meta, Google and OpenAI - signed “voluntary” commitments to safeguard artificial intelligence. In Congress, Senate Leader Chuck Schumer recently introduced a “legislative framework” for A.I. law… but as they debate and deliberate, the A.I. train continues to move full steam ahead. It’s clear the government’s paying attention, but can they keep up with the technology?
Guest: Makena Kelly, politics reporter at
A Word: The Rise of Post-Obama Racism
For some, the election of Barack Obama signified hope. For others, it intensified hate. But what role did mainstream political rhetoric play in fueling subsequent violent racially charged incidents? On today’s episode of A Word, guest host Ahyiana Angel is joined by Wesley Lowery, journalist and author of American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress. Lowery details how he used first-hand reporting and historical analysis to explore the role of race in politics and the new wave
The Waves: How a Drag Queen Recreated the American Dream
On this week’s episode of The Waves, drag queens are under attack and being labeled bad for families and kids. But RuPaul’s Drag Race and Drag Race All Stars contestant Mrs. Kasha Davis is making people rethink the American Dream. She sits down with Slate senior supervising producer, Daisy Rosario to talk about the real life inspiration for the character of Mrs. Kasha Davis, her new music video showcasing the importance of Drag Story Hour, and why more people need to see happy queer families lik
What Next: Jason Aldean’s “Dog-Whistle Anthem”
Country music’s Jason Aldean has been around for years. But he didn’t crack the Billboard Top 5 until he released “Try That in a Small Town” – a controversial hit that portrays American city living as a gauntlet of violence and crime. CMT pulled down the song’s video, which featured Aldean singing at a former lynching site. But “Try That” is more popular than ever. Why? And what does its ubiquity say about modern country music? Guest: Jason Lipshutz, senior director of music at Billboar
What Next: Has Netanyahu Lost Control?
This week, Israel’s far-right coalition government voted to strip the Supreme Court of the power to overturn “unreasonable” government actions and appointments. Protesters and experts alike worry it's the first step in a broader push towards gutting the judiciary altogether. Is Israel on the brink of authoritarianism?
Guest: Yair Rosenberg, staff writer at The Atlantic, author of its “Deep Shtetl” newsletter
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members g
Hear Me Out: Learning Gun Safety Could Save Your Kids’ Lives
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… safety on.
July sees the most accidental shootings involving children of any month on the calendar — but there’s not really a month where these tragedies don’t happen.
So put aside your feelings on gun control for a moment and consider: how, in the world we live in right now, can we protect children from their own curiosity?
Our guest, author Yehuda Remer, argues that teaching kids what guns can do — and how they can keep themselves safe — is the best sol
What Next: How Far Will Texas Go?
A recent escalation of Texas’ Operation Lone Star is facing renewed scrutiny. The Justice Department plans to sue the state over a floating barrier in the Rio Grande. It’s also investigating accusations from a state trooper that agents were told to push a group of migrants - including children - back into the water. What is happening at the southern border? And how did it get so dire?
Guest: Ben Wermund, Washington correspondent for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News
If you e
What Next: Climate Change Goes to Court
Around the United States and around the world, people are suing their governments and governments are suing fossil fuel companies over the changing climate—revealing what they knew and when they knew it. But even if these lawsuits succeed, what difference can they make for a problem with a literal global scale?
Guest: Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter at The Guardian.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads o
A Word: Justice Delayed, Justice Denied?
Oklahoma’s legendary “Black Wall Street” was destroyed in the Tulsa Massacre of 1921. Hundreds of victims were murdered and dumped in mass graves, and dozens of homes and businesses were burned to the ground. More than a century later, three survivors remain, fighting for justice. But their lawsuit seeking reparations was recently dealt a blow in court. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons to talk about the case, the history and the next steps
What Next TBD: Why Tech Lays Women Off First
When the tech industry started rounds of layoffs this year, almost half of the people let go were women—even though they make up a much smaller percentage of the workforce. What does this say about women in tech, and efforts to diversify the industry overall?
Guest: Emma Goldberg, a reporter who covers the future of work for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes o
The Waves: Why Barbie Lives On
On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about Barbie. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth sits down with M.G. Lord, author of Forever Barbie and co-host of “LA Made: The Barbie Tapes” from LAist and So Cal Public Radio. They discuss the history of the Barbie doll and how she’s managed to endure, how Barbie might actually be feminist, and what the new Greta Gerwig movie gets right about Barbie.
In Slate Plus: Episode 6 of our And Just Like That…recap.
If you liked this episode check out I
Political Gabfest: Trump Legal Traffic Jam
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz are together again and talking about Donald Trump’s next indictment and the charges against his “false electors” in Michigan; the struggles of candidates Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, et al.; and Congressional Republicans’ culture war against the U.S. military.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
James Madison: “Impeachment of the Executive, [20 July] 1787”
FiveThirtyEight: “Who’s Ahead In Republican Primary Polls?”
F
What Next TBD: America’s $5 Trillion Grid Problem
To keep places like Phoenix habitable, we need to have air-conditioning. But to have air-conditioning, we need a functional, modern electrical grid. With America’s grid already aging—and more demand coming in the form of electric cars and more A/C for hotter weather—what will it take to keep it going as the weather gets more extreme?
Guest: Dr. Joshua Rhodes, research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin studying energy systems and how they interact with our environment, climate, and
What Next: Judging the Supreme Court
The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering a code of ethics for the Supreme Court—but Chief Justice John Roberts doesn’t believe they have the right to impose one.
But with the Court’s legitimacy in question - and its popularity down the tubes - who should hold the Justices accountable?
Guest: Judge Jeremy Fogel, executive director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slat
What Next: The Indefensible Defense Bill
Even with Congress famously gridlocked, it reliably passes the National Defense Authorization Act. But this year, hardline conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives added amendment after amendment that were less concerned with national defense and more in line with their own culture war grievances.
How can a government function when even the simple things become impossible?
Guest: Melanie Zanona, Capitol Hill reporter at CNN
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up
What Next: How Hollywood Shot Itself in the Foot
Actor Lea DeLaria knew Orange is the New Black was a hit. But Netflix made sure their paychecks didn’t reflect it. Fast forward ten years and this business model is the norm for nearly all working American actors.
So now, the actors are joining the writers on strike, something that hasn’t happened in Hollywood since 1960, when television was the new, upstart technology. Today the double strike is about streaming services and artificial intelligence.
Guests:
Alissa Wilkinson, Vox senior corres
What Next: Thousand-Year Floods, Annually
You can be forgiven for not thinking of Vermont as a place prone to catastrophic flooding. But as the climate changes, we have update our expectations—and our floodplain maps.
Guest: Anna Weber, senior policy analyst focused on the current and future effects of flooding and sea level rise at the NRDC.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—an
What Next TBD: America’s Killer Car Problem
Pedestrian deaths in America have been rising for the last decade, while dropping in Europe and Japan. What makes the U.S. so dangerous for pedestrians?
Guest: Jessie Singer, author of There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster―Who Profits and Who Pays the Price.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be support
A Word: Black Dolls Matter
Barbie is more than a toy. She’s an icon, and now the focus of a blockbuster film. For generations, Barbie has helped define all-American beauty, often leaving girls who weren’t blonde, thin, and white feeling invisible. But that began to change in the 1980’s with the introduction of Black Barbies. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Lagueria Davis, the producer of Black Barbie: A Documentary. The film tells the stories of the African American women who helped bring Black Ba
Amicus: Zero-Sum Justice
In the first of Amicus’ summer series of conversations about books and podcasts that have helped us look at the Supreme Court from a different angle, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Joel Anderson, host of Season 8 of Slate’s Slow Burn podcast: Becoming Justice Thomas. They talk about the experiences and people who helped shape Justice Thomas’ worldview and how deeply his jurisprudence is rooted in a kind of “cruel to be kind” ethos from his childhood. And why he was so blind to the challenges and s
Slate Money: Trouble in the House of Mouse
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about Disney’s challenges especially now that writers and actors are both on strike. They discuss the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on student loans. And finally, what to do if your bank suddenly closes your account.
In the Plus segment: Giant cruise ship!
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show eve
The Waves: Watch The Women’s World Cup, Damn It!
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking about the Women’s World Cup and why you should be watching it (even if sometimes it’s a little tricky to find). Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by investigative sports journalist Jessica Luther with a Waves guide to the cup. They discuss what players to look for, why nationalism can sometimes trump misogyny, Megan Rapinoe’s retirement, and why the US women’s soccer team is so good.
In Slate Plus: Episode 5 of our And J
Political Gabfest: The World Is Burning
This week, John Dickerson and David Plotz are joined by Vox’s Marin Cogan @marincogan to discuss the extreme weather, heat, and floods that are wreaking havoc across the United States and around the world; the social media phenomenon of Threads; and the American love-hate relationship with cars.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Cara Buckley for The New York Times: “To Help Cool a Hot Planet, the Whitest of White Coats”
Jonathan Erdman for The Weather Channel: “America
What Next TBD: Will UPS Workers Join "Hot Strike Summer?"
Contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS broke down last week and now a strike looms. With time running out, can both sides reach a deal?
Guest: Noam Scheiber, labor reporter for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnex
What Next: QAnon Goes to the Movies
Beat it, Barbie; outta the way, Oppenheimer—this summer’s biggest box office surprise is “The Sound of Freedom,” a low-budget search-and-rescue thriller that Hollywood doesn’t want you to see—or so the implication goes.
Guests:
Sam Adams, Slate senior editor
Will Sommer, media reporter at the Washington Post and author of Trust the Plan The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits
What Next: What Homelessness Is Really Like
Despite holding only twelve percent of Americans, the state of California is home to nearly one-third of the nation’s people experiencing homelessness. A landmark study from UCSF—the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness— produced an intimate look at who is living on the streets and in their cars in California, how they got there, and what actual aid would look like. Guests:Claudine Sipili, co-leader of UCSF’s Lived Expertise Advisory Board for the California St
Hear Me Out: You Need To Care About Meghan Markle
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… royal pains.
The British Royals are far from the imperial power they once were. Whether you love the institution, hate it, or simply don’t care, it’s hard to deny that it feels like an artifact of another time.
Which is perhaps why Meghan Markle’s arrival on the scene – and subsequent departure, with Prince Harry at her side – threw so many people for a loop. Meghan continues to receive racist, sexist, and downright fabricated harassment from the public, and
What Next: Can’t Stand the Heat
The 4th of July was the hottest day yet—not just of the summer but of recorded human history. Between waves of Canadian wildfire smoke, malaria reappearing in the United States, and deaths from heat, this might be the year that we’re forced to reckon with what life will be like on our newly hotter planet.
Guest: Jeff Goodell, contributing writer at Rolling Stone and the author of the upcoming book The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet.
If you enjoy this show, please
What Next: Can Moms for Liberty Swing an Election?
Moms for Liberty call themselves a “parent’s rights group,” but the Southern Poverty Law Center calls them an “anti-government extremist” group. Even if they don’t all have kids, these “moms” do have goals for the future of education in America—and quite a bit of clout.
Guest: Kiera Butler, senior editor at Mother Jones reporting on how purveyors of disinformation target online communities of women.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get bene
What Next TBD: Is Your Son Watching Andrew Tate?
Andrew Tate’s gross mix of self-help, toxic masculinity and misogyny captured the minds of young boys on the internet. It also led to indictments in Romania on human trafficking and rape charges.
Guest: Lisa Miller, contributing editor at New York magazine.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here o
A Word: Trouble the Waters
It can take years for a water crisis in a predominantly Black city or town to make national news. But the harms of contaminated water often harm communities for generations. Beyond the ongoing health threats, dirty water can stifle business and economic development, driving down educational achievement, property values and investment. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Adam Mahoney who has reported extensively on how undrinkable water in hurting Black communities
Amicus: Supreme Arrogance
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus.
In our final Opinionpalooza episode of 2023, Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern host the Amicus annual “breakfast table” round-up at the end of the Supreme Court term, and they’re joined by:
Jamelle Bouie, former chief political correspondent at Slate and current New York Times Opinion colu
Slate Money: Can Threads Take Down Twitter?
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about Threads, the new competitor to Twitter. They also discuss Janet Yellen’s trip to China and what it means for American foreign policy. Finally, have tipping and service charges gone too far?
In the plus segment: Pregnant workers now have more workplace rights.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. Y
Political Gabfest: Rural Arkansas Explored in an Extra Gabfest Reads
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz are on vacation, but Emily taped an extra episode of Gabfest Reads for everyone. She sits down with author Monica Potts to talk about her new memoir The Forgotten Girls. They discuss growing up in rural Arkansas, Monica’s childhood best friend Darci, and more.
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and John chatter about what’s making them happy this summer, an article about how bad things really are, and more.
In the J
The Waves: Is the Wedding Dress Dead?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth does a deep dive on wedding dresses. From the oldest family-run bridal shop in the United States, to a warehouse in New York, she explores what the modern wedding dress looks like. Along with brides-to-be Shannon Palus and Susan Matthews, Cheyna talks with Marteal Mayer, the owner of Loulette Bride in Brooklyn, and mother-daughter duo Shelly Mueller and Alyssa Pung, co-owners of Becker’s Bridal in Fowler, Michigan.
In Slate
What Next TBD: Threads vs. Twitter
It seems like with each new Musk innovation, a new Twitter replacement appears in response. But Threads is backed by Meta and available in just a few clicks for an Instagram user. Could it be the one?
Guest: Mike Isaac, technology reporter for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do he
What Next: Is Biden To Blame for the Student Debt Mess?
The Biden administration’s plan to forgive federal student loan debt has been stalled, perhaps indefinitely, by the Supreme Court’s decision in Biden v. Nebraska.
Was their plan to help borrowers always doomed, or was there another way? And after the Roberts court delivered such a broad-sweeping decision, what options does Biden have left?
Guest: Jed Shugerman, professor at Boston University School of Law.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members
What Next: Beyond Biden vs. Trump
America’s winner-take-all electoral system casts third-party candidates as spoilers—but what would it take to open the door to not just a third party, but a fourth or more?
Guest: Lee Drutman, senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and yo
Hear Me Out: Insurrection Is A Force For Good
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… don’t you know they’re talking ‘bout a revolution?
July 4th celebrates one of the least bloody milestones of the American Revolution. But we have a complicated relationship with overthrowing the powers that be in this country – not to mention when other nations do it.
We call what happened on January 6th, 2021 an insurrection. But what do we do with the George Floyd uprisings? Other efforts to buck the system? Who, as the “common man,” should we be rooting
What Next: Justice Roberts Takes Back the Court
Unpopular decisions and multiple scandals involving lavish, undisclosed gifts from conservative megadonors have the Supreme Court handing down decisions under a cloud of public outcry and controversy—but that hasn’t stopped the conservative majority from acting just as hardline as its critics feared.
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, court watcher and senior writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate p
What Next TBD: Turning Your Face Into Your Ticket
Even if you like the convenience of your phone unlocking after it reads your face, there are reasons to be wary of the TSA bringing facial recognition technology to the airport.
Guest: Geoffrey Fowler, technology columnist for the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next
A Word: The Rise of Miss Ross
As this year’s LGBTQ Pride Month ends, transgender Americans find themselves under political attack. At the same time, a number of transgender creatives are thriving, building bright careers and awareness of their community. Actress and activist Angelica Ross is one of those artists. She joins journalist Aisha Mills, who is filling in as host, on today’s episode of A Word. Ross talks about her own journey from struggling teen, to military service, to groundbreaking performer and entrepreuer.
G
Slate Money: How The Affirmative Action Ruling Changes Corporate America
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers take on the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action. They also talk about the (very good!) marketing campaign behind the upcoming Barbie movie, and the (less good) influencer campaign for SHEIN.
In the Plus segment: Vanna White needs a raise!
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be suppor
Political Gabfest: Live in Washington D.C. with Governor Wes Moore
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz are live and on stage with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and also discuss the Supreme Court’s legitimacy problem and the not-Trump Republican candidates’ struggle. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:C-SPAN: “Maryland State of the State Address”Jeffrey M. Jones for Gallup: “Trust in Federal Government Branches Continues to Falter” and “Confidence in U.S. Supreme Court Sinks to Historic Low John Dickerson and A
Amicus: MAGA SCOTUS Is Back
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.
As the Supreme Court’s June term wraps up with a slew of awful decisions, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern
The Waves: Can Fairy Tales Be Feminist?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re diving into fairy tales. Slate book critic Laura Miller talks with author Kelly Link about her collection of fairy tale inspired short stories, White Cat, Black Dog. They discuss how fairy tales have influenced Kelly’s work, the allure of the “searching for a beloved” story, finding a community of female writers.
In Slate Plus: Cheyna Roth and Luke Winkie discuss episode three of Max’s And Just Like That…
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editor
What Next TBD: The Never-Ending Cancer Drug Shortage
A shortage of basic chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer is jeopardizing the care of hundreds of thousands of patients. The drugs aren’t expensive, or patented—so where are they?
Guest: Ed Yong, science journalist at The Atlantic.
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Ne
Amicus: The End of Affirmative Action
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.
In an emergency episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern to analyze SCOTUS’ decision to wipe out
What Next: Would You Join the Army for US Citizenship?
To shore up sagging enrollment, the U.S. military is doing what American industry does—looking to immigrants to fill out their numbers. Once a faster way to citizenship, serving in the armed forces has become another place where being an immigrant can carry harsh penalties—and can instead be a step on the way to deportation.
Guest: Sofya Aptekar, associate professor of urban studies, school of labor and urban studies, CUNY. Author of Green Card Soldier: Between Model Immigrant and Security Thre
What Next: Why We Have to Take RFK Jr. Seriously
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s politics, such as they can be parsed, are a mix of conspiracy theories and vibes. But in a post-Trump landscape, and with RFK polling at 20 percent among Democratic presidential candidates, cranky contrarians have to be taken seriously—right?
Guest: Vera Bergengruen, investigative correspondent at Time magazine.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows l
Amicus: Moore v Harper Was a Win for Democracy, A Big Loss For Donald Trump
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.
In deciding against the bonkers (technical legal term) “Independent State Legislature Theory” in Moore v Harper, the Supreme Court ch
Hear Me Out: Patriarchy Hurts All Of Us — Including Men
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… gendering, everywhere, all at once.
In the final days of Pride Month, we wanted to turn our attention to another complicated and contentious facet of the LGBT+ dialogue: gender identity. If gender isn’t a binary, but a fluid spectrum, what do we do with our notions of sexism, misogyny, and toxic masculinity?
As it turns out, we do very much live in a patriarchal society — but the truth of how that society operates, and who it advantages, might be more complic
What Next: We Need to Talk About Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy has always had his eyes on one job - Speaker of the House. But after Republicans won Congress’s lower chamber by a razor thin majority, the party’s right wing extracted major concessions before handing over the gavel. When the GOP accepted a deal with the Biden administration to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, House hardliners felt betrayed. Now McCarthy faces renewed attacks on his leadership from within his own party. With important legislation that still needs to be passed, an
What Next: The Failed Coup in Russia
For months, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has been railing against his own country’s military leadership. It all came to a head this weekend – when the mercenary leader gathered his troops, took over a Russian city, and started to march towards Moscow. Then – as suddenly as it began – it stopped. Russia says Prigozhin has fled to Belarus, and his troops will all be granted amnesty. But an independent Russian journalist in exile doubts the official narrative, and speculates on Vladimir Pu
What Next TBD: Can Ozempic Cure Addiction?
Semaglutide, otherwise known as Ozempic, has been making headlines as a weight loss drug – despite only having FDA approval to treat diabetes. Now, some say it doesn’t just quell cravings for food – it helps quiet cravings for alcohol, drugs, and other compulsive behaviors. For years, researchers have been studying Ozempic’s effectiveness as an addiction cure in animals. What have they found? And – does it actually work?
Guest: Sarah Zhang covers health and medicine for The Atlantic
If you en
A Word: Black and Proud
During this LGBTQ Pride month, many members of the community are reflecting on a year of unprecedented political and legal attacks. One of the biggest battlefields has been in public schools and libraries, where books featuring LGBTQ stories have been the targets of censors. On today’s episode of A Word, guest host journalist Aisha Mills is joined by George M. Johnson, author of one of the most banned books, All Boys Aren’t Blue. They talk about the intersection of race and gender identity, and
Slate Money: The NCAA is…What, Exactly?
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Anna Szymanski break down the last two years of the college sports economy. Players can get paid for their name, image, and likeness. Is that a good thing? And how interest rate hikes have put private equity firms at risk.
In the plus segment: Why college sports coaches make so much, and how that might be changing.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segm
Political Gabfest: Not THAT President Kennedy
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Keziah Weir for Vanity Fair: “How Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Became the Anti-vaxxer Icon of America’s Nightmares”
Matt Viser for The Washington Post: “The complicated relationship between a presidential father and a struggling son”
Pam Belluck and Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: “New York Passes Bill to Shield Abortion Providers Sending Pills Into States With Bans”
Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: “A Medical Frontier”
Here are this
Amicus: Supreme Court Politics One Year On From Dobbs
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions, and the other legal happenings in June. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.
On this one year anniversary of Dobbs, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Anat Shenker Osorio to ta
What Next TBD: The U.S. vs Amazon Prime
On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon, accusing the online giant of “tricking and trapping people into recurring subscriptions.” The complaint says Amazon “knowingly duped millions of consumers into unknowingly enrolling in Amazon Prime."
With murmurs of a larger antitrust probe against Amazon just around the corner, how serious is this suit for the tech giant?
Guest: Leah Nylen, antitrust reporter at Bloomberg
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Pl
The Waves: A Year Without Roe
On this week’s episode of The Waves, one year after the Supreme Court decision that set off a national crisis in reproductive health care, we’re taking a look at what the end of Roe has wrought. Countless lives have been affected: There's the people who've traveled across the country to get their lives back, the people who've been forced against their will into pregnancy and childbirth, and those who've been denied life saving medical care because their doctors are afraid of the law. There's als
What Next: Is Planned Parenthood Stepping Up?
Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of the end of Roe – a historic decision that’s led to long lines, clinic closures, and a flood of abortion bans across the country. Planned Parenthood has always been in the political crosshairs… but now, their role is arguably more important than ever. What does America’s largest abortion provider look like in the post-Roe era? We sit down with its CEO to find out.
Guest: Alexis McGill Johnson, CEO of Planned Parenthood
If you enjoy this show, please c
Amicus: Samuel Alito and The Billionaire
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of the final weeks of the Supreme Court’s term. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.Amicus is coming at you again with an emergency episode. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mark Joseph Stern to process
Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 4: A National Disgrace
Anita Hill’s accusations launched urgent and heated conversations about racism and sexual harassment. They also stoked an anger in Clarence Thomas that’s never stopped raging.
Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.
Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.
This episode was edited by Josh Levin, Derek John, Sophie Summergra
What Next: Why There’s a Cop at Your Kid’s School
It’s been one year since the Uvalde school shooting – and while Texas hasn’t passed any gun control legislation, it has passed a measure aimed at “hardening schools.” Last week, Governor Greg Abbott signed HB-3 into law, requiring every public school to have an armed officer on campus. The legislation comes even as a former sheriff’s deputy is on trial in Florida for failing to protect students when a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
Do school safety officers
Hear Me Out: Descendants Of Slaves Don’t Need Reparations
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… an archaeology of grievances.
In honor of the third Juneteenth being celebrated as a national holiday, it’s worth unpacking symbolic gestures like Juneteenth — and, as many states are finding out, like Reparations.
The movement to compensate the descendants of slaves is gaining more traction than ever before, in many parts of the country. Could this be our chance to clear a massive, lingering blight on our nation’s history?
Our guest today argues no. Podcas
What Next: They Pledged to Stop Sex Abuse. Instead, They Targeted Women.
Last week, the Southern Baptist Convention held its annual meeting in New Orleans – and its main order of business was to tighten the reins on what women can, and can’t, do in the church. It’s the result of a years-long push from the SBC’s ultraconservative wing to reverse what it calls a “liberal drift.” As the nation’s largest Protestant denomination prepares to crack down on gender roles, what does that mean for American evangelicals – and for the rest of us?
Guest: Beth Allison Barr is a h
A Word: More Than A Hashtag
Police killings of Black men have their own grim, but established, rituals in American society. But what happens to those who survive police violence? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Leon Ford, who survived being shot multiple times by Pittsburgh police more than a decade ago. In his new memoir An Unspeakable Hope, Ford candidly describes his legal, physical, and mental health challenges, and why he eventually dedicated himself to working with police, including reaching
What Next TBD: The George Soros Succession
One son was preparing to take over George Soros’s multi-billion-dollar empire. Then, there was a falling out, and a new heir-apparent was chosen.
Who is Alex Soros? And, as he takes over for one of the most influential figures in American politics, what can we expect from him?
Guest: Gregory Zuckerman, special writer at the Wall Street Journal
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcas
Slate Money: Could Global Inequality Actually Be…Good?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what the decline in global economic inequality really means for our future, why you shouldn’t take luxury pictures right after you burn an industry to the ground, and why the Instant Pot couldn’t survive.
In the Plus segment: Felix’s piece on why you shouldn’t stress about commercial real estate.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amicus: SCOTUS Wants To Drain The Swamp, Too
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by environmental appellate lawyer Sean Donahue to discuss the far-reaching consequences of one of the bigges
Political Gabfest: What Could Judge Cannon Do?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the federal case against Donald Trump involving national-security documents, Atlanta’s Cop City training facility, and Elizabeth Gilbert’s decision to delay her next book situated in Soviet-era Russia.
Join us for a live taping! Political Gabfest Live in Washington, D.C., Wednesday June 28, 7:30 p.m., Sixth & I. In-person and virtual tickets on sale now.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Confidence Ma
What Next TBD: Reddit’s Rolling Blackouts
Across Reddit, thousands of forums have gone “private” and effectively disappeared. Users are protesting the site’s plan to capitalize on its data, which has been enjoyed for free by people making third-party apps for Reddit, as well as some of the world’s biggest companies training their A.I.
Guest: Sarah Needleman, reporter for the Wall Street Journal who writes about interactive entertainment and social media
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus
Amicus: Is A New Supreme Court Emerging?
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.
Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern join forces for this Opinionpalooza extra episode of Amicus where they discuss Haaland v Bracke
The Waves: Your Period Deserves Respect
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking about menstruation. Period. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author and anthropologist Dr. Kate Clancy. Kate recently published her extensive study on menstruation, Period and they dig into why Western culture has constantly looked at menstruating bodies with shame, how this impacts scientific studies and healthcare for women and gender minorities, and how we can overcome the embarrassment.
In Slate Plus: Why language matters in
What Next: After They Testified: The Rabbi Leading an Interfaith Fight for Trans Rights
Red-state resident, religious, and proud of his trans son, a Missouri rabbi has testified more times than he can count in front of the state government over the years, and is both dispirited and confused by the changes he’s seeing in his state lawmakers—from attitudes towards anti-Semitism, to the disappearance of business-focused Republicans who care if anti-trans legislation is going to cost the state millions.
This is the third installment in What Next’s Pride Month series. “After They Test
Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 3: I’m Their Guy
When Clarence Thomas got nominated to the Supreme Court, his behavior during the 1980s would get put under a microscope. To understand who Thomas was then and who he is today, you need to hear how he treated the women he worked with. You also need to hear from the woman who knew him best during those critical years: his ex-girlfriend Lillian McEwen.
Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.
Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn
What Next: The Culture Wars Curriculum
Homeschooling is more popular than ever — and for decades, it’s been seen as a haven by a movement of conservative Christians. But isolating children from the world doesn’t just mean tribalism and fear of “government schools” — the lack of regulation can also lead to abuse. We talk to one former home school student about the conservative Christian world that raised him, and how some of its tenets have now gone mainstream.
Guests:
Peter Jamison, enterprise reporter with the Washington Post.
Aar
Amicus: Can Trump Outrun The Law?
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions, and the other legal happenings in June. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.
An extra episode of Amicus as the former President of the United States, Donald J Trump, is a
Hear Me Out: A Little Racism Can Be A Good Thing
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… Racism Lite.
Racial politics is responsible for a lot of ugliness, in the United States and around the world. Humans want, and even need, to sort themselves into categories — and sometimes, that tribalism yields as much good as it can bad. So do we always need to be a melting pot?
Writer Damon Young joins us to make the case that we’re all racist, and there’s no reason to pretend otherwise.
If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we s
What Next: How This Trump Trial Is Different
Donald Trump heads back to court, facing federal charges over the handling of sensitive documents after his presidential term ended. While the indictment looks bad for Trump, and he lost two lawyers from his team on Friday, there are silver linings for the ex-president.
Guest: Ankush Khardori, attorney and a former federal prosecutor in the U.S. Justice Department.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podc
How To!: Quit Your Calling
Amy and Sarah are high school English teachers who both want to quit the classroom, but for very different reasons. Amy has over 200 students, and tensions between teachers and parents are on the rise so she’s “beyond burned out.” Whereas Sarah has been teaching for over a decade and is itching for a change. On this episode of How To!, the second in a two-part series, co-host Amanda Ripley is joined by Daphne Gomez, a former teacher who’s now CEO of Teacher Career Coach. (She also hosts the Teac
What Next: The Liberal Case Against Affirmative Action
If the Supreme Court rules against affirmative action for certain racial groups, as expected, how will colleges and other institutions create diverse student bodies and address racial disparities? Guest: Richard Kahlenberg, senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute and professorial lecturer at George Washington UniversityIf you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows l
A Word: Hollywood Shuffle
Weeks into the Hollywood writers strike, and there’s no sign of a settlement. WGA members say that studio chiefs are using artificial intelligence, streaming, and other methods to undervalue their work. And a wealth of already produced content, along with the misconception that writers are well paid, could minimize sympathy from fans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Eric Haywood. He’s a board member of the Writers Guild of America, and a creative whose work has been seen
What Next TBD: Are You Ready For A.I. Generated Actors?
As “deep fakes” have demonstrated, it’s getting easier and easier to swap an actor for a digital likeness—something that contributed to the Screen Actors Guild voting to authorize joining the writers on strike.
Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, Slate writer covering tech, business, and A.I.
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence
The Waves: Finding Love Without Romance
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we talk about living a life alone, but without loneliness. Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion talks with author Amy Key about her new book, Arrangements in Blue, and how Key has found fulfillment without romantic love.
In Slate Plus: The influence of Joni Mitchell’s album, Blue.
If you like this episode, check out: Why Medical Mysteries Plague Women
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send you
Political Gabfest: Chris Christie Kamikaze Campaign
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the latest three Republicans battling for the presidential nomination; Oklahoma’s approval of a Catholic public-charter school; and Saudi sportswashing in golf and soccer.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Andrew Prokop for Vox: “Trump’s next indictment is looming – and the evidence against him is trickling out”
Sean Murphy for AP: “Oklahoma school board approves what would be the 1st taxpayer-funded re
Slate Money: The SEC’s Crypto Crackdown
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the SEC lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase. Then they are joined by Slate’s own Henry Grabar for a chat about his new book, Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.
In the plus segment: More conversation with Henry Grabar
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting th
Amicus: The Trump Indictment
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.
Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern join forces again for an urgent look at Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of former Presi
Political Gabfest: Trump Is Indicted – Again
In a Gabfest Special Edition, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Donald Trump’s indictment on charges relating to classified documents and the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision on Alabama racial gerrymandering.
Here are some notes and references from today’s show:
The Washington Post: “Live Updates: Trump criminal indictment is unsealed, shows he faces 37 charges”
Robert Barnes for The Washington Post: “Supreme Court: Alabama’s voting maps unfair to Black residents”
Join us for
What Next TBD: Is Crypto Toast?
This week, the SEC sued Binance, the largest crypto exchange in the world, and Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the US. Is it a sign that the glory days of crypto are gone?
Guest: Stacy-Marie Ishmael, managing editor for crypto at Bloomberg News
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the wo
Amicus: Did John Roberts Really Just Save Voting Rights?
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern join forces for this Opinionpalooza extra episode of Amicus discussing a seismic Supreme
What Next: After They Testified: The Drag King Who Loves Performing for Kids
Deep in the heart of Texas, they performed in drag, for kids and enthusiastic crowds. But as state legislation moved to ban drag performances, they stopped lip syncing and spoke for themself—and the queer people who depend on them at their day job.
This is the second installment in What Next’s Pride Month series. “After They Testified” is about the Americans who’ve shown up in the last year to speak out against anti-queer legislation, how it felt to do so, and what came next.
Guest: Jay Thom
Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 2: Smiling Faces
Clarence Thomas went to Yale Law School because he thought it was a good fit for his left-wing politics. But when he got there, it seemed like all the white liberals thought he was only there because he was Black. The sting Thomas felt fueled a lifelong resentment of affirmative action. It also drew him to a group of conservatives who helped sharpen his political beliefs.
Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.
Josh Levin is the editori
What Next: How Putin’s Chef Became Putin’s Butcher
How Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group became essential to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—and one of Russia’s most vocal critics.
Guest: Brian Taylor, political science professor at Syracuse University, with a focus on Russian politics.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign u
How To!: Help Teachers Thrive
Today there are about four million teachers in America, and nearly a third of them are thinking about leaving their jobs. It has become harder to be a teacher in the U.S. due to a lack of resources, political meddling, and teacher shortages, to name a few reasons. On this episode of How To!, the first in a two-part series, co-host Amanda Ripley talks with two teachers, Sarah and Amy, and Daphne Gomez, a former teacher and now the founder and CEO of Teacher Career Coach. They discuss challenges i
Hear Me Out: Corporate Pride is Tacky, Pointless and Counterproductive
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… these gays are trying to murder my neutral palate.
Pride Month festivities come at a time this year when LGBT+ rights are under attack across the country. Brands like Target and Bud Light are facing backlash for lifting up queer voices — but is this all a symptom of pride having gone a little too mainstream?
Comedian, writer and podcast host H. Alan Scott joins us to discuss his vision for a pride to be proud of… and, at length, the trouble with rainbows.
If
What Next: Can the Feds Lower Your Rent?
Housing prices have skyrocketed, from the usual hot spots in New York and San Francisco, out to the until-recently-affordable places like Boise, Idaho and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Sen. Brian Schatz proposed an $85 million program to entice cities and suburbs to enact “fair housing policies,” but is that enough to address a nationwide problem?
Guest: Henry Grabar, Slate writer and author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up f
What Next: Do Work Requirements Work?
Last week, Congress finally passed a debt ceiling deal. Part of that deal included expanding the work requirements for government assistance programs like SNAP, specifically for people ages 50 to 54.
Where did the idea of work requirements come from? And do work requirements actually help keep people in the workforce?
Guest: Pamela Herd, professor of public policy at Georgetown University and co-author of Administrative Burden: Policymaking by Other Means.
If you enjoy this show, please co
What Next TBD: Tech’s Newest Trillion Dollar Company
Until recently, Nvidia was a company known for graphics cards—a brand name among gamers but not necessarily the general public. But as part of the A.I. boom, Nvidia’s stock has skyrocketed, putting the company in Silicon Valley’s trillion-dollar valuation class with Apple, Meta, and Alphabet—briefly, at least.
Guest: Don Clark, freelance reporter specializing in chips and enterprise tech.
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get
A Word: My Father, the Spy
Every family has secrets. As a girl, Leta McCollough Seletzky learned that her father, Marrell McCollough– was on the scene of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. But it would be years before she learned that he was there as a spy for the Memphis police, who wanted information on King’s local allies. On today’s episode of A Word, she speaks with Jason Johnson about her father’s story, captured in her new book, The Kneeling Man: My Father's Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination
Political Gabfest: Kevin McCarthy, Hercules of Capitol City
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the debt-ceiling deal; the Russia-Ukraine war with the Atlantic’s Kori Schake @KoriSchake; and the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
John Wagner for The Washington Post: “Senate racing to pass debt ceiling bill ahead of Monday default deadline”
The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future by Franklin Foer
Kori Sc
Amicus: How SCOTUS Enabled The Explosion of Anti-Trans Laws
This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.On this week’s Amicus, a sobering interview between Dahlia Lithwick and the ACLU's Chase Strangio. Chase is deputy director fo
The Waves: The Hustle of Being Beautiful
On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about the beauty industry. Senior writer and editor at New America, Julia Craven is joined by author and NPR host-at-large Elise Hu. They discuss Elise’s new book, Flawless - a remarkable investigation into the Korean beauty world. They also unpack the hustle culture inherent in beauty, how Eurocentric beauty trends are everywhere, and more.
In Slate Plus: Is Shiv Roy from HBO’s Succession misunderstood?
If you liked this episode, check out: Who’
Slate Money: The Economic Tale of the Writers Strike
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the ongoing WGA strike, the latest news on the Fed’s fight against inflation, and how CEOs are courting Chinese business while staying in America’s good graces.
In the Plus segment, movie theaters are trying everything to get you back into the cinema, including booze and gourmet food.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segme
What Next TBD: When Your Childhood Was Their Content
When someone posts a photo of you online without your consent, it should be easy to have it taken down or confront the person who posted it. But what if the poster is your parent, and it’s not just one photo, but your entire childhood that’s readily available online? And as social media algorithms evolve to push content in front of as many people as possible, what happens when a temper tantrum goes viral?
Guest: Kathryn Lindsay, technology and culture writer.
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this
What Next: After They Testified: The Trans Pharmacist Who Went Viral
As the fight for trans rights, including gender-affirming medical care, heads through state legislation, activists and medical providers are stepping up to testify. While explaining her perspective as a medical professional, a Little Rock pharmacist, who is trans, was asked about her genitalia in the middle of the Arkansas general assembly.
This is the first installment in What Next’s Pride Month series. “After They Testified” is about the Americans who’ve shown up in the last year to speak ou
Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 1: America’s Blackest Child
Growing up in Georgia, Clarence Thomas wanted to make his mark. His goal was to become his hometown’s first Black Catholic priest. But in the 1960s, he abandoned that dream. Instead, he embraced campus activism and the teachings of Malcolm X.
Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.
Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.
Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.
What Next: New Sex Abuse Charges Roil the Catholic Church
After a long-delayed five-year investigation, the Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul released the report on sexual abuse in the Illinois Catholic church. Where does this case fit in in the long history of abuse in the Catholic Church? And over two decades after the infamous Boston Globe investigation into the Catholic Church, has anything changed?
Guest: Robert Herguth, investigative reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times, part of the Watchdogs team.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signi
Hear Me Out: “Thank You For Your Service” Feels Cheap
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… empty thanks?
Memorial Day is meant to commemorate those who lost their lives in serving this country. Around such a heavy day — and on many others — the common refrain of “thank you for your service” can feel hollow to living veterans, as well as military families. What are we reflexively thanking these people for, and how could we tangibly show gratitude instead?
Third-generation veteran and writer Lucian Truscott IV joins us to propose that, while words m
What Next: Covering the Supreme Court
Right-wing activists have been waiting for a Supreme Court like this one, willing to hand down unpopular, reactionary opinions on guns, abortion, and voting rights. Meanwhile, the general public’s opinion of the court is cratering, and this year’s docket doesn’t look like it will help.
Guest: Jay Willis, editor-in-chief of Balls and Strikes.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of s
A Word: Reckoning on Campus
The murder of George Floyd prompted a number of American colleges and universities to reckon with their historic roles in slavery. Three years later, many institutions have abandoned those efforts. One that’s still going strong is the Hard Histories Project at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by historian Martha Jones, the director of that effort. The scholars associated with the project have uncovered many challenging truths, including
What Next: TBD | The Trouble With TikTok Songs
How the music streaming business opened the door to billions of dollars in fraud.
Guest: Ashley Carman, Bloomberg News reporter covering the podcasting, music, and audio beat.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Lea
Slate Money; Rainbow Rage
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the conservative backlash to corporate LGBTQIA+ Pride campaigns, Nvidia’s soaring stock and what it means for the future of AI, and what’s up with Germany’s economic slowdown.
In the Plus segment: Elizabeth's piece on strivers and Succession.
Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Patrick Fort.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Political Gabfest: When Is The X Date?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the imminent X Date when the United States hits the debt ceiling and could default; the presidential campaign announcements of Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott; and the possibilities of regulating artificial intelligence.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Ezra Klein for The New York Times: “Liberals Are Persuading Themselves of a Debt Ceiling Plan That Won’t Work”
J. Baxter Oliphant for Pew Research Center: “T
The Waves: I Don’t Care If You Like Me
On this week’s episode of The Waves, are female characters becoming less likable? Slate senior supervising producer, Daisy Rosario is joined by author and comedian Jena Friedman. Jena’s new book Not Funny explores likeability and what that means for women in comedy and the world. They talk about unlikeable female characters and anti-heroines in shows like Rosanne, Killing Eve, and more. How unlikeable female characters have evolved - and how streamers actually helped bring down some gatekeepers
Amicus: Fixing The Court, One Story at a Time
Take your seats for a live show from Washington DC this week. This live show is part of Slate’s Full Court Press coverage, a provocation for the fourth estate to hold the third branch of government to account. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern, Elie Mystal of The Nation, and Jay Willis of Balls and Strikes. As we perch on the precipice of another slew of catastrophic decisions this June, they unpack how Supreme Court reporting has failed to meet the moment - and crucially, w
What Next: TBD | Tweetering on the Glass Cliff
How Twitter’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino finds herself on the edge of “the glass cliff”: when a woman is sent in to fix a big mess.
Guest: Vittoria Elliot, reporter for Wired, covering platforms and power
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to
What Next: DeSantis Makes It Official
The Florida governor has finally officially entered the Republican presidential primary. With electoral wins and culture war conflicts under his belt, does Ron DeSantis actually have a chance at beating Donald Trump?
Guest: Molly Ball, Time magazine’s national political correspondent.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be suppor
What Next: Republicans' Stealth Plan to Ban Abortions
A national ban on abortion remains so unpopular that even Republican presidential candidates won’t commit to one. However, a law from the 1870s, depending on how it's interpreted and enforced, could ban both abortion pills and the procedure across America.
Guest: Mary Ziegler, law professor at UC Davis and author of Roe: The History of a National Obsession.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bo
Hear Me Out: Policing Can’t Be Reformed And Must Be Abolished
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… imagine a world without police.
Three years after George Floyd’s murder, we’ve seen some incremental change in how we try to prevent police brutality. But it still happens, all too often — and Americans are still dying, in alarming numbers, at the hands of police.
Writer and organizer Geo Maher joins us to argue that our law enforcement system is too bloated and corrupt to fix. Instead, we should dismantle it entirely and start from scratch.
If you have th
What Next: The Navajo Fight for Water
The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case that will determine whether or not the government is obligated to ensure water access for Native American tribes. The arguments in the case, Arizona v. Navajo Nation, hinge upon whether or not the government has violated past treaties with the tribe by not providing adequate water.
Guest: Heather Tanana, assistant professor of law at the University of Utah and citizen of the Navajo Nation.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slat
What Next: How the Next Pandemic Starts
Bats have been linked to a “greatest hits” list of infectious diseases—not just COVID-19, but SARS, Marburg, and even ebola. And now, 1.8 billion people are living in “jump zones” where the next viral spillover may occur.
Guest: Ryan McNeill, London-based deputy editor for the Reuters global data-journalism team.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear
A Word: The Ballot, the Bullet, and the Truth
Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925, and he remains one of the most polarizing figures of the civil rights movement. An enduring myth from that era is that he and Martin Luther King Jr. were diametrically opposed politically. But the recent revelation that a quote where King condemned Malcolm X was false has prompted a wider reconsideration of his beliefs and legacy.
On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by historian Peniel Joseph, author of “The Sword and the Shield: The Revolut
What Next: TBD | A Tipping Point for Digital Tipping
From the coffee shop to the salon to the grocery store, Americans feel like they’re being prompted and prodded for tips more than ever—and they’re starting to resent it.
Guest: Kelly Phillips Erb, tax and law reporter for Forbes.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now
Slate Money: The Debt Ceiling is Dumb
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss this big debate over the debt ceiling and why it’s so dumb, Sam Altman’s request for AI regulation, and the theory of “greedflation”.
In the Plus segment: British accents!
Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Patrick Fort.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Political Gabfest: What Is The Comstock Act?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the John Durham report on the FBI investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign; the mifepristone case heard by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the 12-week abortion ban in North Carolina; and the legal showdown between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
David Frum for The Atlantic: “A Sinister Flop: Special Counsel John Durham served up not an investigation, but
The Waves: Why Medical Mysteries Plague Women
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re unpacking medical mysteries. Science writer and Slate contributor Eleanor Cummins is joined by Allison Behringer. Allison is the host and creator of the KCRW podcast, Bodies. Now in its fourth season, every episode of Bodies digs into a person’s medical mystery. Eleanor and Allison talk about Allison’s own ‘body story,’ why female bodies contain so many mysteries, and what we can do to solve them.
In Slate Plus, using social media to connect people wit
Amicus: E. Jean Carroll and the Lawyer Who Beat Trump
Get your tickets for Amicus Live in Washington DC on May 24th here:
https://slate.com/live/amicus-live-may-24-in-washington-d-c-full-court-press.html
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by a pair of legal history-makers, E Jean Carroll and Roberta Kaplan. They discuss the landmark defamation and sexual abuse case they won against former President Donald J Trump; how the case came together, what tipped the balance in court, if vindication lasts, and what happens when the defendant won’t stop doing the same
What Next TBD: Why Sports Are All in on Betting
Out of the smoky backrooms, Vegas and clandestine dens, and straight to your phone—how did gambling on sports go from forbidden to inescapable seemingly overnight?
Guest: John Holden, associate professor at Oklahoma State’s Spears school of business
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What N
What Next: North Carolina’s Rush to Restrict Abortion
When a Democratic pro-choice representative defected from her party, North Carolina Republicans instantly secured a veto-proof supermajority in the state legislature. Then, they quickly sent a bill that restricts abortion to their Democratic governor’s desk, and overrode his veto, ending North Carolina’s time as an abortion destination in the southeastern United States.
Guest: Rebecca J. Kreitzer, associate professor of public policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and expert
What Next: The Roots of Latino White Supremacy
The shooter who killed 8 people at an Allen, Texas mall had Nazi tattoos and left behind an online diary filled with white supremacist beliefs. He also was Latino.
Guest: Tanya Katerí Hernández, professor of law at Fordham University School of Law and author of Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sh
Hear Me Out: Workplace DEI Trainings Do More Harm Than Good
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… if you need a Chief Diversity Officer, you’ve already failed.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) trainings are reaching ubiquity in pretty much every American workplace. There’s no doubt that discrimination, harassment and sequestering — on the basis of sex, sexuality, gender, race, age — all of that exists.
The question becomes what to do about it. And there’s an argument to be made that the trainings and buzzwords might be doing more to make workplaces w
What Next: How Erdogan Stays in Power
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has run Turkey in some capacity for 20 years. Even after his government’s slow, incompetent response to an earthquake and an ongoing economic crisis, the presidential election is heading to a run-off in two weeks. How does Erdogan keep hanging on? And could he finally be unseated?
Guest: Suzy Hansen, author of Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get be
What Next: Trump Is Back. Is the Media Ready?
Much of the media world looked on with a sinking feeling as Donald Trump held forth in a primetime CNN event. More than most candidates, Trump seems to feed off media attention. Journalists have a responsibility to cover the leading Republican presidential candidate—so how can they do it responsibly?
Guest: David Folkenflik, NPR’s media correspondent.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus epi
What Next TBD: Space After NASA
Space might seem to be heading from the domain of big government programs to a playground for billionaires. But just below the surface, a world of start-ups are getting ready to launch.
Guest:
Ashlee Vance, business columnist and author of When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like S
A Word: Dungeons, Dragons, and Diversity
The persistent stereotype that role-playing, tabletop game players are overwhelmingly white is rooted in race, housing, and history. The suburban homes where people could dedicate a surface to a sprawling, multiplayer board game used to be almost exclusively white. And the knights, wizards, and other fantastic creatures in these games were closely tied to European mythology. But a more diverse world of game playing is rising, with more people of color getting a seat at the creative table. On tod
Amicus: The Supreme Court's Dangerous Return to Its Roots
Get your tickets for Amicus Live on May 24th.
On this week’s Amicus, we head to Seattle for a live taping of the show at the Cross Cut Festival with guest Michael Waldman, President of NYU Law School’s Brennan Center. Dahlia Lithwick asks him about his new book, THE SUPERMAJORITY: How the Supreme Court Divided America, and what the ongoing ethics scandals and plummeting public approval for the court mean for our democracy. They also look ahead to next month when the court’s legitimacy may be st
Political Gabfest: Donald Trump is Liable
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, discuss the $5 million jury verdict for E. Jean Carroll and against Donald Trump; joined by New York Times Mexico bureau chief Natalie Kitroeff @Nataliekitro, the end of Title 42 and the flow of migrants at the border; and the looming crisis of raise the debt ceiling or default.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Kara Scannell, Dan Berman, and Nicki Brown for CNN: “Key moments from the video of Trump’s deposition
The Waves: What E. Jean Carroll Did For Women
On this week’s episode of The Waves, E. Jean Carroll won, but what now? Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth talks with Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci about the use of civil trials in cases of alleged rape and domestic violence, how the #MeToo movement influenced the trial, and what Carroll’s win could mean going forward.
More About Carroll:
“Not My Type” by Christina Cauterucci
Lie Detector by Christina Cauterucci
There’s a Remarkable Piece of Evidence in the E. Jean Carroll Trial by C
What Next TBD: Who’s Afraid of A.I.?
Artificial intelligence—as it already exists today—is drawing from huge troves of surveillance data and is rife with the biases built into the algorithm, in service of the huge corporations that develop and maintain the systems. The fight for the future doesn’t look like war with Skynet; it’s happening right now on the lines of the Writer’s Guild strike.
Guests:
Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation, co-founder of the AI Now Institute at NYU
If you enjoy this show, please co
What Next: Debt Ceiling Dinner Theater
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced that June 1 is the “drop dead date” by which the American government has to either raise the debt ceiling or run out of money to pay its obligations. Can President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy come to an agreement that will mollify their bases and keep the government working? And why does it feel like we have to go through this ritual every couple of years?
Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Washington editor at Semafor.
If you enjoy this show, pl
What Next: The Border's New Normal
Activated during the Trump administration in 2020, Title 42 is a controversial border policy that makes it easier to quickly expel asylum seekers. Even though Biden campaigned on moving away from Trump’s anti-immigration stance,, his administration has also leaned on Title 42 to control the border. . Now that the policy is being lifted this week, pressure is on the Biden administration to answer the practical question: “What does a fair and humane asylum system look like in America?”
Guest: Ar
What Next: Why Richard Glossip Has Escaped Execution Nine Times
Richard Glossip has been on death row for 26 years and stared down nine execution dates. The 1997 killing that sent him to death row has been investigated numerous times and the actual killer—who brutally bludgeoned a motel owner with a baseball bat—has even sought to recant his testimony against Glossip. Over the decades, anti-death penalty activists and a growing number of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have spoken out to save Richard Glossip. But now his case is in the Supreme Court’s
What Next: Can DeSantis Beat Disney?
To hear Ron DeSantis tell it, “Disney” represents “wokeness.” To the state of Florida, though, the company represents tourist dollars and tax revenue. As the war between Mickey and the Florida governor heads to the courts, Disney CEO Bob Iger doesn’t seem worried. Is DeSantis?
Guest: Lori Rozsa, the Washington Post’s Florida correspondent.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sh
A Word: Becoming “The Black Mozart”
Even classical art can be revolutionary. That was true for violinist Joseph Bologne. He was a biracial musical prodigy who worked and charmed his way into the center of 18th-century French society. But the new film “Chevalier” shows how even his genius couldn’t save him from the poisonous combination of bias and envy. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by actor Kelvin Harrison Jr., star of “Chevalier.” They talk about rediscovering this largely forgotten musical history, and H
What Next TBD: What's Going on at Meta?
Meta’s reached a sort of mid-life crisis. Between the layoffs, the stagnant metaverse and Facebook’s dwindling profile, does Zuckerberg have a plan here?
Guests:
Naomi Nix, Washington Post reporter
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to hel
Amicus: Clarence Thomas and the Billionaires
After weeks of controversy, piled upon intrigue, heaped with scandal and topped with crisis at the Supreme Court, it can be hard to get your bearings. What’s illegal, what’s unethical, what’s just a bit hinky? And what does it really mean for an institution that is about to hand down decisions that reach into every part of our lives, from justice to climate, from youtube to universities? On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Lisa Graves from True North Research. Lisa ia a veteran i
Political Gabfest: E. Jean Carroll, ‘Why Didn’t You Scream?’
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and the New York Times’s Jamelle Bouie @jbouie discuss the battle between President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy on raising the debt ceiling; the courtroom drama of E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump; and the power of Republican supermajorities in state legislatures.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Nick Mourtoupalas and Derek Hawkins for The Washington Post: “Washington is running out of workdays to strike a debt ceil
The Waves: How to Protect Your Kids From Diet Culture
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re doing a very special Mom and Dad Are Fighting crossover with host Jamilah Lemieux. Jamilah sits down with author Virginia Sole-Smith to talk about her new book, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture. They discuss helping kids accept their bodies in whatever form they take, dealing with our own internalized fatphobia, and more.
In Slate Plus, answering a listener’s question on secret snacking.
If you liked this episode, check out Making Friend
Slate Money: Why The First Republic Failure Is Different
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the failure of First Republic Bank, the (maybe) end of interest rate hikes, and how the shopping app Temu is shaking up e-commerce. Also, a more humane approach to chickens.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/
What Next TBD: What the Writers' Strike Is Really About
When television and screenwriters went on strike in 2007, Netflix had just started offering the option to stream content. This week, the Writer’s Guild of America went on strike to update pay structures for the streaming era—and to get ahead of A.I. and the changes it may bring.
Guests:
Michelle Dean, television writer and journalist
Anousha Sakoui, entertainment industry writer for the Los Angeles Times
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members ge
What Next: Charles In Charge
It’s the first British coronation in 70 years and along with the celebration, questions abound: What kind of king will Charles be? Who is Charles anyway? And why even have a king?
Guest: Imogen West-Knights, writer and Slate contributor
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at s
How To!: Raise Kids in a Nation Full of Guns
Guns are now the leading cause of death for children in America. Each tragedy can be visceral, whether it’s in your community or across the country. And it’s especially heartbreaking when your kid voices that fear directly, as our listener Allison recently experienced. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Melinda Wenner Moyer. Melinda is an author and science journalist with years covering gun violence and parenting issues. She’s also the author of the substack, Is My Kid
What Next: America’s Rich History of Gun Control
When the Supreme Court struck down New York’s concealed carry law last year, it set a precedent that gun control laws should be judged against “historical tradition.” But judged against actual American history, it’s the on-going repeal of gun control laws that’s an anomaly.
Guest: Robert J Spitzer, professor emeritus at SUNY Cortland, author of The Gun Dilemma.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast
Hear Me Out: The Iraq War Was a Necessary Evil
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… Mission Accomplished?
This year marks the 20th anniversary of then-President Bush’s infamous address aboard an aircraft carrier, declaring that the war had been won and Iraqis were free.
We know now, of course, that the war had not been won – and in 2003, it was far from over. Many thousands of lives were lost. With the gift of hindsight, can we see the war as anything other than a costly mistake?
Iraqi-American and President of Ideas Beyond Borders Faisal Sae
What Next: What E. Jean Carroll Is Fighting For
Author E. Jean Carroll has accused Donald Trump of raping her in a dressing room in the mid-1990s—and she’s suing him for battery and for defamation in response to his claims that she’s lying and “mentally sick.” The trial began on Tuesday, April 25th, in federal court in Manhattan.
What’s at stake in this latest trial against the former president?
Guest: Christina Cauterucci, Slate senior writer and host of Outward.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Pl
What Next: War in Ukraine: The View Behind Closed Doors
What a slew of documents leaked via Discord reveal about Ukraine’s war against Russia—both from Ukraine’s and Washington’s perspectives.
Guest: Shane Harris, senior national security writer at the Washington Post
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to
Slate Money: Succession S4 Ep6: Living+
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Ed Lee of the New York Times for a spoilery recap of episode six of the final season of HBO’s Succession. They talk about Waystar’s investors meeting, Roman’s attempts to fire some people, and Tom and Shiv’s new game.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do
What Next TBD: Is Your Uber Drivers' Pay Rigged?
Two gig workers standing side-by-side can be offered the very same job and get offered two different wages. Set by an algorithm and based on calculations that are never explained to the workers themselves, this unequal pay for equal work is already subject to lawsuits that call it a form of price fixing and wage discrimination, but the tech is being tested in other industries.
Guests: Veena Dubal, law professor at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Sergio Avedian, s
A Word: Autism Beyond Awareness
April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance month, and might be the only time of year when many Americans think about neurodiversity. But for many families, receiving an autism diagnosis for a child can set off an all-consuming search for doctors, therapists, and education that can work for their kids. That’s more complicated for African-American families, who have to overcome systemic racism in schools and health care to get the right help for their children. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Jo
Political Gabfest: Biden: ‘Let’s Finish the Job’
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the kick-off of President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign; the firings of Tucker Carlson from Fox News and Don Lemon from CNN; and the Bud Light marketing misstep with Insta influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Joe Biden Campaign: “Let’s Finish the Job”
Aaron Zitner for the Wall Street Journal: “They’re the Happiest People in America. We Called Them to Ask Why.”
Brian Stelter for
Slate Money: “Traffic”: Ben Smith and the Death of the Social Web
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith to discuss his new book. They also break down Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News and the end of Buzzfeed News.
In the Plus: A throwback to the olden days of blogging.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Sl
The Waves: Making Friends As An Adult
On this week’s episode of The Waves, finding friends as an adult. Slate executive editor Susan Matthews is joined by author, comedian, and musician Lane Moore to talk about Moore’s new book You Will Find Your People. They dig into the necessity of healthy boundaries, letting go of old friendships that no longer serve you, and the importance of deep friendships that require work.
In Slate Plus, unpacking celebrity friendships.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy
What Next TBD: Stephen King Is Just as Confused About Blue Checks as You Are
Twitter’s “blue check” verification went from something you applied for, to something you could pay for, to something you had to pay for…to something that many celebrities wouldn’t even accept for free. Master of horror Stephen King told us he wouldn’t pay for a blue check, but he’s not going to fight it either—he just doesn’t really understand what’s going on. Does anyone at Twitter understand?
Guests:
Alex Heath, deputy editor of The Verge
Jon Favreau, co-founder of Crooked Media, speechwrit
What Next: Fighting for the Right to Die
A self-described activist had late-stage, fallopian tube cancer. She didn’t live in one of the 11 jurisdictions that allows terminally-ill patients the choice to medically end their own lives. But rather than relocating, she argued Vermont’s residency restrictions were unconstitutional.
Guest: Lynda Bluestein, a 75-year-old woman seeking to end her life on her terms, who successfully sued Vermont over their residency requirement in their “Patient Choice At End of Life” law.
If you enjoy this
What Next: The Ballad of Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson has now completed the holy trinity of cable TV news: joining — and leaving — MSNBC, CNN, and now Fox News. Why did Fox oust him so abruptly? And how did he create a feedback loop that made Fox millions — and changed American politics forever?
Guest: Nicole Hemmer, Director of the Rogers Center for the Study of the Presidency at Vanderbilt University.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podc
What Next: Beyond Stand Your Ground
“Stand Your Ground” laws have expanded across the country over the past 20 years, allowing people to use deadly force even when they could safely retreat from a perceived threat. But when someone shoots a person standing on their porch, or as they turn around in a driveway, or in a crowd, the claim that these laws exist for self-defense doesn’t seem to wash.
Guest: Tamara Lave, professor of criminal law at the University of Miami and a former public defender.
If you enjoy this show, please con
How To!: Face the A.I. Revolution
If you haven’t heard of ChatGPT, chances are you will soon. Maybe you’ve tried casually playing with the artificial intelligent chatbot. Maybe you’ve tried avoiding it. Or maybe ChatGPT is the new host of this podcast and you haven’t realized it yet. Either way, we’re on the precipice of a new, powerful technology. On this episode of How To!, co-hosts Carvell Wallace and Amanda Ripley join forces to talk through all things artificial intelligence. They bring on Kevin Roose, tech columnist for th
What Next: Why Evan Gershkovich Went to Russia
Evan Gershkovich is the first foreign journalist arrested in Russia as a spy since the Cold War. When the war in Ukraine began, Evan - like most journalists - left the country. But then, he went back. Why?
Guest: Drew Hinshaw, senior reporter at the Wall Street Journal
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do he
A Word: Home is Where the Hurt Is
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the African American community has a complicated relationship with corporal punishment of kids. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Stacey Patton, a writer, child abuse survivor, and the author of Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won’t Save Black America. She debunks myths about spanking, including the idea that physical discipline of children has roots in Africa. They also discuss the emotional and psychological damage caused
What Next TBD: "Crap Apps": Why Weather Apps Suck
Weather apps can be frustrating. And with how much we rely on them to know if we should wear pants or shorts, they'll still leave you in the rain. But as the climate gets wilder, the questions of how to tell people what they need to know—and quickly—can be an issue of life or death.
Guest: Charlie Warzel, staff writer at the Atlantic
Daniel Swain, UCLA climate scientist
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits lik
Slate Money: Elon’s Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the biggest business, tech and finance stories of the week. This week, Fox News settles with Dominion, Elon’s rocketship blows up, and Apple has a savings account now.
In the plus: Quantifying the value of domestic labor.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do
Political Gabfest: Was Fox News Punished Enough?
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the $787.5 million settlement of the Dominion Voting v. Fox News defamation lawsuit; the political game being played with raising the U.S. debt ceiling; and the Russian detention of American journalist Evan Gershkovich.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Jim Rutenberg and Katie Robertson for the New York Times: “A $787.5 Million Settlement and Embarrassing Disclosures: The Costs of Airing a Lie”
Matthew Igl
Amicus; Justice Roberts’ Unfunny Stalking Jokes at SCOTUS
As laughter ricocheted around the Supreme Court chamber Wednesday, Professor Mary Anne Franks wondered if she could quite believe her ears. The matter of some hilarity, it seems, were messages sent by a convicted stalker to his victim. Individual messages that were among what one detective estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands - possibly as many as one million messages - sent by Billy Raymond Counterman to singer Coles Whalen. Counterman’s campaign of harassment drove Whalen away from
What Next TBD: Will A.I. Close Off the Internet?
Reddit announced it will start charging companies to use its huge, ever-growing trove of text to train A.I. chatbots. It’s another expense for the fledgling tech and another knock against the “open internet” ideals that Reddit once embodied.
Guest: Mike Isaac, tech reporter for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and yo
What Next: So Fox News, What Did We Learn?
Just as the defamation trial was set to begin, Fox News settled with Dominion Voting Systems at a cost of $787.5 million. While not nearly as expensive as a Rupert Murdoch divorce, surely the settlement and the airing of their texts and emails has taught them something valuable—right?
Guest: Justin Peters, Slate correspondent.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow
What Next: Dianne Feinstein's Last Stand
The 89-year-old Dianne Feinstein has stated she plans to retire at the end of her term, but her health-related absences have stymied the Democrats’ ability to confirm judges—one of the few things the party can actually do in a divided government.
Guest: Joe Garofoli, senior political writer at the San Francisco Chronicle, covering national and state politics.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast,
What Next: Fox News Goes to Court
The defamation trial between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News is slated to start this week. Though Dominion uncovered a trove of texts and emails from people at Fox News who knew calling the 2020 election stolen was a lie, proving “defamation” is a high bar in the United States. Can Dominion win the case? And even if Fox News can win the legal case, is their reputation shot?
Guest: Erik Wemple, Washington Post media critic
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus.
What Next: He Couldn’t Teach ‘Slavery Was Wrong.’ So He Quit.
Iowa was one of the first states in the country to pass legislation against teaching that the United States is systemically racist — an idea some equate with “critical race theory.” But when one social studies teacher asked how he could teach U.S. history without running afoul of the new law, he didn’t get any clarity — or help.
What happens when legislation targets teachers? And as America’s teacher shortage grows — what will this mean for the country’s kids?
Guest: Greg Wickenkamp, former
A Word: The Color of Money
The deadline for filing taxes this year is April 18th, and tax season brings on anxiety in lots of Americans. For Black folks, a lack of intergenerational wealth often means fewer contacts and networks that can offer guidance on taxes. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary to talk about some of the tax challenges that disproportionately affect the Black community, last minute filing tips, and how to plan now for a
What Next TBD: Will Banning Social Media Help Kids?
A new law in Utah that goes into effect next year states that anyone under 18 needs parental permission to use social media. Is it a necessary step to protect children from harms associated with social media, or are we blunting a tool of expression for the youth?
Guest: Dr. Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at American Psychological Association
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slat
A Word: The Color of Money
The deadline for filing taxes this year is April 18th, and tax season brings on anxiety in lots of Americans. For Black folks, a lack of intergenerational wealth often means fewer contacts and networks that can offer guidance on taxes. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary to talk about some of the tax challenges that disproportionately affect the Black community, last minute filing tips, and how to plan now for a
The Waves: How to Survive in Hollywood
On this week’s episode of The Waves - the freelancing side of acting with Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actress Caroline Aaron. Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by Caroline Aaron - a familiar face in movies for over forty years, if not a household name. They discuss building a life with an unstable career path, how women’s stories are done a disservice in film and television, and how Caroline’s show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel seeks to overturn all of that.
In Slate Plus, Caroli
Amicus: Anti-Abortion Lawyers Love this Zombie Law
There’s a terrible legal Easter egg in Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk’s ruling on the abortion medication, Mifepristone. And that same Easter egg makes an appearance in the Fifth Circuit’s partial stay. It’s the Comstock Act - a mostly forgotten 19th century vice statute that is suddenly the anti-abortion movement’s favorite zombie legislation. On a special extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mary Ziegler, an expert on the law, history, and politics of reproduction, health care, an
Slate Money: The China Problem
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers go over China’s expanding role in the international debt market. They discuss a new problem with the American mortgage system, and dive into the wild world of the collectibles market.
In the Plus segment, Rupert Murdoch’s email divorce.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work
What Next TBD: How Gamers Leaked Classified Pentagon Docs
Discord is a place to share a community online. Most often, it's for gaming. So why did classified intelligence from the Pentagon end up on a small server whose main interests seem to be video games, military equipment and memes? And how?
Guest: Shane Harris, national security reporter for the Washington Post.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like S
Political Gabfest: That Shoddy Abortion Pill Ruling
This week, David Plotz and Emily Bazelon discuss the federal court rulings on the F.D.A.-approved abortion medication mifepristone, the expulsion of two Democratic representatives by the Republican-supermajority state legislature in Tennessee, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ latest ethics problem.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Adam Unikowsky for Adam’s Legal Newsletter: “Mifepristone and the rule of law, part II”
Allison McCann for the New York Times: “I
What Next: Do Abortion Pills Actually Need FDA Approval?
Last week a federal judge in Texas refuted the FDA approval for mifepristone, a pill used for medication abortions, which would suspend that approval across the country.
But some experts say - plenty of drugs don’t have FDA approval, and are still widely distributed… from baby formula, to multivitamins.
Guest: Rachel Rebouché, dean and James E. Beasley professor of law at the Temple University Beasley School of Law and faculty fellow at the Center for Public Health Law Research.
If you enjoy
What Next: Narcan Over the Counter
The FDA just approved a version of Narcan, the most commonly used version of the overdose prevention medicine naloxone, for over-the-counter sales. The move comes in response to overdose deaths steadily rising since the late ‘70s and around 100,000 Americans dying from overdose just last year. What took so long?
Guest: Nancy D. Campbell, department head at Rensselaer’s department of science and technology studies, author of OD: Naloxone and the Politics of Overdose.
If you enjoy this show, ple
Hear Me Out: Don’t Celebrate the Trump Indictment
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… a former president got indicted, and all we got was this stupid t-shirt.
Writer and former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori joins Celeste to make the case that, while historic, this indictment is not a victory for anyone; it’s far from a legal slam dunk, it’s a symptom of a sluggish Justice Department, and it might actually worsen this nation’s political divide (which, in case you haven’t noticed, is already pretty bad).
Read the pieces Ankush mentions her
What Next: Tennessee’s House Divided
The Tennessee House, which has a Republican supermajority, voted last week on motions to expel three Democratic members for “disorderly behavior” after they led protest chants from the floor of the chamber.
Two Black lawmakers, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson—both in their late 20s and new to the House this session—were ousted. The motion to boot the other Rep. Gloria Johnson, who’s white, failed by one vote.
Guest: Melissa Brown, state politics reporter for The Tennessean.
If you
What Next: Clarence Thomas’s Friends in High Places
A ProPublica investigation revealed that Justice Clarence Thomas has been gifted luxury vacations by Republican donor and billionaire Harlan Crow. For over two decades, Justice Thomas has taken private jets, gone on yachts and stayed at private resorts alongside powerful Republican donors, all funded by Crow. For the most part, Justice Thomas did not disclose these vacations.
The investigation raises questions on the legality of these types of gifts, as well as the lack of oversight and ethics
What Next TBD: Why Flying Is So Bad Now
U.S. air travel is being strained on all sides—travel demand is back to 2019 levels, but the number of pilots and planes and ground crew hasn’t caught back up, and a rash of close calls are raising safety concerns about America’s aging flying infrastructure.
Guest: Jon Ostrower, editor in chief of The Air Current.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows li
A Word: The Battle for Eatonville
Folklorist and Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston made her hometown of Eatonville, Florida famous in her writing, including her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. But her fame hasn’t saved the town from the pressures that many African American communities have endured: a population fighting poverty, government indifference, and developers that want to scoop up the land to build housing that current residents can’t afford. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Aallya
Slate Money: How to Win at Roulette
Slate Money hosts Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the podcasting economy and if the bubble has burst—or if it will soon. They also talk about Anthony Scaramucci’s hedge fund troubles, and a story about how to win at roulette.
In the Plus segment: The implications of Supreme Court Justice Thomas’ ties to a billionaire, and the broader politicization of the American judicial system.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get
Amicus: Tennessee-Style Power Grabs are Coming to a State House Near You
On this week’s Amicus Dahlia Lithwick is first joined by Sherrilyn Ifill, former President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, to talk about Tennessee and the mounting evidence of Republican state houses and governors finding novel (but also depressingly old) ways to disenfranchise voters and subvert democracy. Ifill sounded the alarm about all of this in a prescient piece in Slate last month that deserves your attention.
Next, Dahlia is joined by Professor Step
Political Gabfest: No Mugshot For Donald Trump
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus discuss Donald Trump’s arraignment; the elections of Janet Protasiewicz to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Brandon Johnson for Chicago mayor; and the possibility of No Labels playing spoiler in 2024 presidential politics.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Manhattan District Attorney’s Office: “District Attorney Bragg Announces 34-Count Felony Indictment of Former President Donald J. Trump”
Ruth M
The Waves: Make Movies Horny Again
On this week’s episode of The Waves, author, journalist, and former host of Slate podcast Thirst Aid Kit Nichole Perkins is joined by journalist Eliana Dockterman to discuss the disappearance of sexuality in recent movies. They unpack Eliana’s recent piece in TIME, “Why Aren’t Movies Sexy Anymore?” and try to work through the reasons films that hit the theaters are lacking heat. Hint: One reason has to do with some superheroes.
In Slate Plus: Movies that DO have sex scenes.
Podcast production
What Next TBD: Wait, TikTok Has a Sister App?
While TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, is fighting to keep its flagship app from being banned in the United States, it’s also pushing a new app into the marketplace—Lemon8. One part Pinterest, one part Instagram and a dash of its sister app, Lemon8 is most likely saddled with the same security concerns that led lawmakers to consider banning TikTok.
Guest: Sapna Maheshwari, business reporter for the New York Times.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for S
What Next: How Scared Should Trump Be?
Is the Manhattan DA’s case against Donald Trump something he can wriggle out of, or is the former president in real legal trouble this time? Some are already dismissing Alvin Bragg’s investigation as weak and small potatoes. But others are more optimistic. What’s the case for indicting - on these charges?
Guest: Norm Eisen, senior fellow at Brookings Governance, CNN legal analyst.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ad
What Next: Preventing Preventive Care
A federal judge has struck down a provision in the Affordable Care Act requiring private insurers to provide preventive care—screenings and the like—at no cost to patients.
But preventive care is a good investment for insurance companies and for national health. It’s something Americans already don’t get enough of — but is anyone willing to step in and save it?
Guest: Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent Kaiser Health News, host of the “What the Health” podcast
If you enjoy this show
What Next: Wisconsin’s High-Stakes Supreme Court Race
In Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court election is breaking records when it comes to campaign spending on a judicial race. With abortion rights for Wisconsinites, their state’s electoral geography, and potentially the fate of the 2024 presidential election on the line, that big ticket spending makes sense. But will it make a difference in who gets the seat?
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior staff writer for Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus mem
Hear Me Out: Childbirth Should Be Free
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… the right to life and socialized healthcare walk into a delivery room.
Writer and journalist Liz Bruenig joins Celeste to discuss her vision for a United States where childbirth costs nothing. In a nation with skyrocketing healthcare costs, attacks on reproductive rights, and potential rollbacks on preventive care, we tell birthing people that not only do they have to give birth — they have to court financial ruin in order to do it.
Liz says it doesn’t have
What Next: Trump Heads to Court
In a history-making move, a grand jury voted to indict a former president. We’ll have more answers about the details of the charges after Donald Trump’s Tuesday arraignment, but what this means for the GOP nomination, the 2024 race, and for future presidents in politically-hostile states is still up in the air.
Guest: Ankush Khardori, former federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits
A Word: Build Black Better
Baltimore is one of many aging American cities that is plagued with both a lack of affordable housing, and a surplus of vacant homes. But a local non-profit is addressing both those issues, and teaching community members to rebuild their neighborhoods one house at a time. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Shelley Halstead, who founded Black Women Build in Baltimore.
Guest: Shelley Halstead, founder of Black Women Build
Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel
You can skip a
What Next TBD: Seeking Asylum Via App
CBP One, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's app that is supposed to make crossing the border more efficient, is littered with bugs. But even a perfectly functional smartphone app would pose problems for people seeking asylum on the southern U.S. border.
Guest: Arelis Hernández, Washington Post reporter
Gia Del Pino, director of communications at the Kino Border Initiative
Felicia Rangel Samponaro, director of the Sidewalk School
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider
Slate Money: The Layoff Dopamine Hit
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Kevin Delaney, co-founder of Charter. They discuss the layoffs that have swept across multiple industries, and if letting workers go actually solve the issues CEOs say they are. They also take a look at how work has changed during the pandemic, digging into how middle managers have the worst jobs, and how having too many meetings sucks.
In the Plus segment: Who does the radical candor system actually help?
If you enjoy th
Political Gabfest: Why Netanyahu Blinked
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to pause the legislation that will weaken Israel’s judiciary; the Congressional testimony of TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew; and the possibility of Chris Christie for President in 2024.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: “Behind Protests’ Fury in Israel, Fear of a Quiet Slide From Democracy”
Peter Baker for The New York Times: “A Four-Decade
The Waves: What the Hart Family Murders Reveal About Foster Care
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by Texas Tribune reporter Roxanna Asgarian to discuss her book We Were Once A Family: A Story of Love, Death and Child Removal in America and its findings on the foster care system. The book covers the tragic Hart family murders in 2018 where two mothers drove their six adopted children off a cliff.
In Slate Plus: How Roxanna navigated writing about a tragic family story in a pandemic while being a first-ti
Gabfest Special: What the Trump Indictment Means
In a Gabfest Special edition, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Donald Trump’s indictment.
Here are some notes and references from today’s show:
The New York Times: “Live Updates: Trump Likely to Be Arraigned on Tuesday”
Slate Political Gabfest: The “Trump Will Be Indicted Next Tuesday” Edition
Email your questions and chatters to gabfest@slate.com or Tweet us @SlateGabfest. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast production by Cheyna
What Next TBD: When A.I. Denies Your Health Care
As Medicare Advantage plans have increased their reliance on software to determine what their customers require—and, therefore, receive—elderly patients are being denied coverage for care they need. What happens when an algorithm — not a doctor — decides how much care you need and it’s not enough?
Guest: Casey Ross, national technology correspondent at STAT
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any
What Next: The Diagnosis Was Fatal. She Couldn't Get an Abortion.
Two weeks after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Lauren Hall found out the baby she was carrying had a fatal condition: her head and skull weren’t properly developing. Texas’s three overlapping bans on abortion forced her to fly to Washington to terminate the unviable pregnancy. With the Center for Reproductive Rights, she’s now one of five plaintiffs suing the state, so no one else will have to go through what she did.Guest: Lauren Hall, plaintiff suing the state of Texas over its abortion bans.If y
What Next: March Madness Comes to Capitol Hill
Two years ago, the NCAA changed their rules to allow college athletes to make money from their “name, image and likeness.” It was a stop-gap measure at best, and some folks even want to see athletes gain employee status. But, the NCAA has taken to Capitol Hill today to try to prevent just that.
Guest: Dan Murphy, staff writer at ESPN and author of Start By Believing.
Spotify listeners, click here and follow What Next and to make sure you never miss an episode.
Learn more about your ad choic
Hear Me Out: Secession Could Be A Good Thing
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… the case for breaking up the union.
Frank Buckley, professor at George Mason University and author of American Secession, makes a case for allowing states to peacefully secede — not just in the interest of preventing another civil war, but in hopes of creating a happier, more functional society for us all.
Podcast production by Maura Currie
You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a m
How To!: Bounce Back From a Layoff
On a recent workday, Pauline woke up and logged into her computer from home … only to find an email saying she was being laid off — effective immediately. She and her entire team, many of them working remotely, instantly lost access to all of their company accounts. Pauline was shell-shocked, hurt, and wondering what to do next. In the wake of massive tech layoffs, it’s a story that’s now all-too familiar. On this episode of How To!, host Carvell Wallace brings in Susan Peppercorn, a career coac
What Next: Why Israelis Are Protesting
Israel ground to a halt on Monday after a series of massive protests against planned judicial reforms. Though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the reforms will be delayed, getting them passed is a top priority for his far-right coalition government. How can the government—and country—move forward?
Guest: Dahlia Scheindlin, international political and strategic consultant and fellow at Century International in Tel Aviv.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plu
What Next: Will Crime Decide Chicago’s Mayoral Race?
In Chicago, a city plagued by recent crime concerns from its citizens, a progressive former Teachers Union organizer faces an opponent who has described himself in the past as “more of a Republican than a Democrat.”
Guest: Gregory Pratt, Chicago Tribune reporter covering Mayor Lori Lightfoot and City Hall.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and
Slate Money: Succession S4 Ep1: High-Calorie Infosnacks
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by author and journalist Jim Stewart to recap episode one, season four of HBO’s Succession. They talk architecture, business deals, and parallels between the television drama and real-life media moguls.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips and Patrick Fort.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: When a Race War Threat Was Real
For many people of faith, Holy Week brings the most sacred days of the year. But in 1968, that season was marred by the murder of Martin Luther King Jr., and the violent unrest and riots that followed. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Vann Newkirk II. He’s a senior editor for The Atlantic, and the host of its Holy Week podcast, which examines this moment in history. They discuss the political and social forces that led up to these pivotal events, and how they’re remembere
What Next TBD: Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Woes
Elon Musk has been promising fully self-driving Teslas to the public for years and the beta version of Full Self-Driving is already in over 300,000 cars. But as a recent recall attests, the software still isn’t ready to take the wheel—and Musk himself may be a big reason why.
Guest: Faiz Siddiqui, tech reporter for the Washington Post
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bon
The Waves: We Need to Talk About Postpartum Psychosis
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by New Yorker editor Jessica Winter to talk all about postpartum psychosis. They dig into how the medical world is failing new moms during one of the “worst psychiatric emergencies” and why we need to talk about it more. After the break, Cheyna and Jessica talk about how movies and television have depicted postpartum depression and psychosis.
In Slate Plus, are “influencer parents” really new?
Articles Mentioned
Amicus: What To Expect When You're Expecting An Indictment
On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick talks with Andrew Weissmann, former lead prosecutor in Robert S. Mueller’s Special Counsel’s Office and former Chief of the Fraud Section in the Department of Justice from 2015 - 2019.
Together, they tackle the tangled web of investigations into the former President, and the trajectory of possible indictments. And Andrew helps us hone in on some crucial details we may have missed in the fog of building barricades outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse.
Slate Money: Too Big, To Fail, Too Furious
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the rescue of Credit Suisse. They also break down the politics behind federal deposit insurance, and what will come out of this week’s Congressional hearings about TikTok.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Political Gabfest: Trump Will Be Indicted Next Tuesday
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Trump’s announcement he expects to be arrested; what ChatGPT means for the world; and interview Rachel Donadio, contributing writer for The Atlantic, about the unrest in France.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Rachel Donadio for The New York Times: “Macron May Keep the Presidency, But Le Pen Has Already Won”
Annie Gowen for The Washington Post: “Iowa’s Sharp Right Turn: From Centrist State To ‘Florida Of
What Next TBD: The Case Against TikTok
To most of its 150 million American consumers, TikTok is a fun app. To some creators, TikTok is a job and their platform. But to members of the US government, TikTok is a national security risk. As the fight over TikTok’s future comes to Capitol Hill this week, what’s next for the embattled social media platform?
Guest: Emily Baker-White, senior writer, tech reporter at Forbes
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefi
What Next: Why Biden Broke his Promise on Drilling
Despite his campaign promises, President Biden has signed off on the Willow Project, an $8 billion plan to extract 600 million barrels of oil from public lands in Alaska. But how useful might this 30-year project be with the country continually prioritizing electric energy?
Guest: Ben Lefebvre, energy reporter at Politico.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Bur
What Next: Why Is Adderall So Hard to Find?
Since last summer, it’s been difficult to fill an Adderall prescription. The shortage is driving some people to try other ADHD medications—causing shortages of those medications too—while others are sourcing their medication on the “gray market.”
Why is such a common drug nowhere to be found?And why has the FDA been so mum on the subject?
Guests:
Ike Swetlitz, health journalist for Bloomberg News
Sheila McClear, writer for Los Angeles magazine
If you enjoy this show, please consider signin
What Next: Atlanta's Battle Over "Cop City"
The Atlanta Police Foundation’s $90 million police training facility, a mock-urban space with a nightclub, convenience store, and even homes, has drawn the ire of police reform activists, environmentalists, and even advocates for the homeless. The months-long effort by forest-dwelling protesters to prevent the construction of this facility has left an advocate dead, a state trooper shot, 35 individuals facing terrorism charges, and a community divided.
Guest: Madeline Thigpen, criminal justice
What Next: Could Trump Be Arrested Over Stormy Daniels?
This weekend, former President Trump warned supporters on Truth Social he could be arrested on Tuesday, and called for them to “TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” Although it’s unclear whether Trump is facing imminent arrest, many observers believe legal proceedings focused on Trump’s “hush money” payment to Stormy Daniels suggest an indictment is coming soon.
How strong is this case, and how likely is it that Trump will face real legal consequences?
Guests:
Dahlia Lithwick, host of Slate’s Amicus, and
What Next TBD: When A.I. Steals Your Voice
Using just what you’ve posted to social media, generative A.I. can create a “puppet version” of your voice—one that’s close enough to scam your family into paying thousands in, say, bail money. And imitating public officials to create “deep fakes” who say whatever they’re told is even easier.
Guest: Pranshu Verma, tech reporter for the Washington Post.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any
A Word: No More “Black Picket Fence”
For decades, there has been a stigma attached to remaining unmarried and childless in the Black community, particularly for women. But a growing part of the Black middle class is single, childfree adults. Does the trend threaten the future of the Black family, or is it time to recognize a different model for family life? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by sociologist Kris Marsh, author of “The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class.”
Guest: Kr
Slate Money: Normal Bank Failure
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers dive into the drama in the banking world. They discuss the fallout of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and its subsequent government takeover. They also take some listener questions about SVB! Felix, Emily and Elizabeth also discuss Credit Suisse, and how government policy may change for banks that are “too big to fail”.
In the Plus segment: What was it like to have an SVB bank account in the last week?
Podcast production by Anna P
Political Gabfest: Go Ahead, Call It A Bailout
David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the Silicon Valley Bank bailout with David Leonhardt; Ron DeSantis coming out against aid to Ukraine; and free speech fights at elite law schools.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
William Saletan for The Bulwark: “The Ukraine Untruths of Disingenuous DeSantis”
Ken White for The Popehat Report: “Hating Everyone Everywhere All At Once At Stanford”
David Lat for Original Jurisdiction: “Yale Law Is No Longer #1—For Free
What Next TBD: Where Is Silicon Valley Going to Bank Now?
The economy is doing well almost every but in tech, where headlines about layoffs have been replaced with news about Silicon Valley Bank’s demise. The collapse of “the central artery for the tech industry” looks like the end of an era. Where do venture capitalists, start-ups—and the industry writ large—go now?
Guest: Priya Anand, reporter at Bloomberg covering venture capital and start-ups.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members
What Next: Is the SAT Done For?
Colleges are dropping the SAT as a requirement in their admissions process, citing studies that what the test measures best is simply how well you’ve prepared for the test. But the question at the heart of the matter remains: how do you create a fair and equitable college admissions process? And can a test-optional system help foster a more equal playing field when there’s still so much inequality built into our school systems?
Guest: Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, senior reporter at Higher Ed Dive.
If you
Hear Me Out: Coming March 21
Slate’s political and discussion podcast, Hear Me Out, launches March 21. Join host Celeste Headlee and a guest each week for a smart, fair debate on issues that matter.
In a nation where many of us have forgotten how to talk to each other, veteran journalist Celeste Headlee has devoted years to reinvigorating the art of civil conversation and debate. Each week on Hear Me Out, she'll invite a thoughtful guest to discuss their controversial perspective on a current issue, and engage in a tough,
What Next: Why Silicon Valley Bank Collapsed
The downfall of Silicon Valley Bank marks the second largest bank collapse in American history.
Why and how did SVBgo under? Where were the regulators? And how do we stop this from happening again?
Guest: Annie Lowery,staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Give People Money.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting th
What Next: How Anti-Trans Legislation Cost Rural South Dakota a Doctor
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has made anti-trans legislation a trademark of her term, but singling out trans people—and those who provide them medical care—comes at a cost to the state and its residents. It left the tiny rural town of Webster with only one physician.
Guest: Mayson Bedient, a family medicine and gender-affirming care specialist in Fargo, North Dakota
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate po
What Next: A Disability Rights Icon’s Long Legacy
Judy Heumann devoted her life to advocating for Americans with disabilities and was a fixture at protests, sit-ins, and activist meetings, eventually becoming a presidential advisor. After passing away at 75, her work continues through her friends and those she fought for.
Guest: Sandy Ho, founder of Disability and Intersectionality Summit and disability policy researcher.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any S
What Next TBD: Would You Let A.I. Date For You?
The online dating world can be brutal and repetitive—just the kind of thing you might want to automate. But, in one tech writer’s experience, artificial intelligence isn’t ready to make real connections—at least, not without a lot of help.
Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, covers business and technology at Slate
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow
A Word: Screaming in Color
The Scream franchise returns to theaters this weekend. Since it first debuted in 1996, the racial dynamics of horror films have evolved. And for the first time in generations of scary movies, African American characters are surviving, killing the monsters, or even slaying as horror villains themselves. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Mark Harris, the co-author of The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar, to talk about the evolution of Black horr
Amicus: Lessons from The Trump Years for SCOTUS
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by political analyst Michael Podhorzer (ex AFL-CIO, now newly-minted substacker). Michael was one of the all-hands-on-deck responsible for shoring up the 2020 election against subversion, he’s a political data geek, and for Amicus’s purposes - he’s someone with a fascinating take on the Supreme Court, and all the ways we fail to truly understand it. Hear why Michael doesn't care about Leonard Leo, the lessons learned in the Trump years that we should be applying to the
Slate Money: The Banks Special
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by American Banker national editor Kevin Wack to discuss all things banking, including retail banking, why it’s so difficult to switch banks and why neobanks aren’t more successful. They also discuss the Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal.
In the Plus segment: the lead up to the Silicon Valley Bank downfall.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips and Patrick Fort.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Hollywood Needs an Overhaul
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe is joined by film producer and Stay Gold Features founder Daniela Taplin Lundberg to discuss the challenges of film production and the importance of movies that tell women’s stories, even when they seem too risky to make.
In Slate Plus, Nadira and Daniela talk about their favorite (surprisingly) feminist movies.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Tori Dominguez with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgo
What Next TBD: When Meta Tells Law Enforcement About Your Abortion
Just weeks before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a Nebraska woman and her daughter were charged with performing an illegal abortion, thanks to information that law enforcement uncovered by going through their Facebook accounts.
Guest: Johana Bhuiyan, senior reporter on tech and surveillance for The Guardian
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sh
Political Gabfest: Another Florida Man Is Running For President
David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign, the end of pandemic-era medicaid & food security protections, and the many legal fights over medication abortion.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show
Hannah Dreier and Kirsten Luce for The New York Times: “Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S.”
Jeff Stein and Tony Romm for The Washington Post: “Biden Calls For Trillions In Tax Hikes And New Domestic S
What Next: Does Steven Spielberg Have an Oscars Curse?
For all of his success, Steven Spielberg has a spotty record at the Oscars. He’s been nominated 22 times, but he’s only won three. Is it a curse?
This Sunday could mark a shift for the King of Hollywood’s five decades in the industry. And with The Fabelmans this year, it’s personal.
Guest: Michael Schulman, New Yorker staff writer and the author of Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus memb
What Next: Why Child Labor is an Immigration Issue
The New York Times published an exposé on immigrant children illegally employed to do dangerous jobs across the country. To one U.S. representative, it’s not just a labor issue; it’s symptomatic of the larger problems in the immigration system. Fixing it, then, will require once again taking up the fight to overhaul immigration.
Guest: Rep. Hillary Scholten, U.S. representative from Michigan’s 3rd congressional district.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slat
What Next: Food Stamps Face Their Biggest-Ever Cut
The federal government ended the COVID-19 increase to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program this month. What does this mean for people who depend on SNAP to put food on the table?
Guests: Helena Bottemiller Evich, reporter and founder of Food Fix, a publication on food policy.
Jennifer Barnes, founder of Solidarity Sandy Springs in Georgia.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episode
What Next: The Fight To Return Native Remains to Their Tribes
The “Native American Graves and Repatriation Act” passed more than 30 years ago, with the goal of returning human remains, which were taken from native burial sites, back to their tribes. But museums and universities still hold the remains of thousands of people—UC Berkeley alone has nearly 10,000.
Guest: Mary Hudetz, Propublica reporter focusing on tribal issues throughout the Southwest.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like ze
A Word: De La Soul is Alive
The music of De La Soul is finally available on streaming. When they released their debut album “3 Feet High and Rising” in 1989, the group expanded the idea of what hip hop was and who it was for. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by rapper, composer, and producer Don Will to discuss De La Soul’s impact, endurance, and what a new generation of hip hop fans can learn from them.
Guest: Don Will, host of “The Almanac of Rap” podcast
Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanj
What Next TBD: The Hollywood Weight Loss Wonder Drug
The diabetes medication Ozempic has exploded in popularity, particularly amongst those in Hollywood looking to lose a few extra pounds. But a silver bullet for weight loss leads to a number of questions: Is “buying weight loss” via injection somehow worse than diet and exercise? Are so many people buying and using this drug that people who need it for its intended purpose are missing out? What happened to body positivity?
Guest: Matthew Schneier, feature writer for New York Magazine.
Host: Li
The Waves: It’s OK to Hate Your Spouse (Sometimes)
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus talks with Heather Havrilesky about the divine tedium of marriage. They discuss Heather’s book, Foreverland and the explosive response the book initially got (especially when Heather called her husband “a heap of laundry”). Later in the show, they dig into what to do when your husband is truly being a little bit of a patriarchal jerk.
In Slate Plus, a behind the scenes look at what goes into writing the Ask Polly column.
Slate Money: Microchips and Child Care
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss a stipulation in the CHIPS Act that requires companies who take federal funding from the CHIPS Act to provide child care options for their employees. They also discuss the political controversy over ESG investing, and the confusion over a new partnership that will allow Amazon employees to pay for their mortgage with Amazon stock.
In the Plus segment: restaurant ordering etiquette.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more
What Next TBD: What Would Convince a Lab Leak Skeptic?
It was reported this week that the U.S. Department of Energy now believes, “with low confidence,” that the COVID-19 virus came from a lab. But is there enough evidence for the “lab leak theory” to convince those who believe the virus emerged from animals in a wet market?
Guest: Angela Rasmussen, virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate
What Next: Will SCOTUS Kill Student Loan Relief?
President Biden’s student loan debt relief plan goes before the Supreme Court this week. Though the court’s conservative majority seems opposed to the program, debt-relief detractors are struggling to answer a major question: who does this program harm?
Guests:
Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer covering the courts
Alice Turner, hospital pharmacist and compounder
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate pod
What Next: Why Insulin Prices Keep Rising
It’s a rare bi-partisan point of agreement: the price of insulin is too high—and it’s still rising. With the stakes literally life-or-death for millions of Americans, what can be done?
Guest: Bram Sable-Smith, Midwest correspondent for Kaiser Health News.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next
What Next: When Politicians Need Mental Healthcare
When John Fetterman checked himself into a hospital for clinical depression in mid-February, he was praised by both parties and public health officials for his bravery. But not long ago, being diagnosed with depression or taking time for your mental health were seen as disqualifying for those seeking public office.
Guest: Jason Kander, President of National Expansion at Veterans Community Project, author of Invisible Storm: A Soldier's Memoir of Politics and PTSD, and co-host of Crooked Media’
What Next: Beijing’s Crackdown on Hong Kong Dissidents
When Beijing passed a new law that harshly penalized protests in Hong Kong, activists and dissident groups had to choose whether to shut down or get out. Now, 47 pro-democracy activists are facing charges and likely prison time, and a generation of dissent may be quelled.
Guest: Emily Feng, NPR’s Beijing correspondent.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn a
What Next TBD: Is a 25-Year-Old’s Brain Mature?
New understandings of how our brains develop are changing how the law considers who is mature and who isn’t. But If our brains are still developing, when can the law treat us like adults? Guest: Jane C. Hu, independent science journalist.Host: Lizzie O’LearyIf you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Wh
A Word: Ranching, Racism, and Rumors
Courtney and Nicole Mallery claim that their dream of ranching in Colorado has become a nightmare because of racist neighbors and hostile police. Their case grabbed national attention after videos of Courtney Mallery’s arrest went viral. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Ezekiel Walker of The Black Wall Street Times, who is covering the case. They talk about the controversy surrounding the Freedom Acres Ranch, and how the dispute echoes more than a century of stories of Bl
Slate Money: Homebuilders are Doing Great
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss why the market for newly built homes is outperforming the market for existing homes. They also talk about the increased employment rate for people with disabilities, as well as the new slew of charges against Sam Bankman-Fried.
In the Plus segment: the new World Bank president.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amicus: SCOTUS on the Internet: “It’s Complicated”
For every person screaming about Section 230 (looking at you, Ted Cruz), there are approximately 0.0000001 Danielle Citrons, i.e. folks who actually understand it, what it does, and how it might be tweaked or interpreted to do better. Luckily, we have a whole Professor Danielle Citron on this week’s show. Professor Citron not only manages to make sense of Section 230 for us, she also takes us through this week's internet cases involving Twitter and Google, and content moderation and liability. S
What Ballet’s Best Choreographer Destroyed
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion is joined by Erika Lantz, host of the podcast The Turning to discuss the impact of ballet culture and the legacy of George Balanchine on dancers of all levels.
In Slate Plus, how ballerinas and nuns have more in common than you think.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Tori Dominguez with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.
What Next TBD: Why A.I. Says the Darndest Things
Microsoft has been testing out their new artificial intelligence on their long-ridiculed search engine Bing. The results? A chatbot that lies brazenly and confidently, and has a penchant for manipulation. What are the risks and rewards of letting bots loose on the world?
Guest: Drew Harwell, Washington Post tech reporter covering artificial intelligence
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Sla
Political Gabfest: What Tucker Carlson is Saying When You’re Not Listening
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the year of war on Ukraine with Anne Applebaum; the smoking gun Fox News text messages; and Google’s defense of Section 230 at the Supreme Court.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Anne Applebaum and Nataliya Gumenyuk for The Atlantic: “‘They Didn’t Understand Anything, But Just Spoiled People’s Lives’”
Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Biden’s Hope vs. Putin’s Lies”
Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Biden W
What Next: Ukraine’s War Is Its New Normal
The sound of air raid sirens in Kiev are almost comforting to one Ukrainian journalist—it means the air defense system still works. But even with the Russians running low on weaponry, he doesn’t see how the war ends while Vladimir Putin is alive.
Guest: Romeo Kokriatski, managing editor of New Voice of Ukraine, and co-host of the podcast Ukraine Without Hype
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, b
What Next: When an Earthquake Hits a Civil War
How getting recovery aid and assistance to Turkey and northern Syria has been complicated by on-going aftershocks from the earthquake and the reverberations of the Syrian civil war.
Guests:
Louisa Loveluck, Baghdad bureau chief for the Washington Post.
Dr. Ahmad Dbais, Operations Director and Disaster Management Team Leader for UOSSM (Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations).
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zer
What Next: The Ohio Trainwreck Blame Game
How a derailed train and the dark cloud of chemical burn off over East Palestine, Ohio, came to confirm everything you think is wrong with everything.
Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilley, Slate staff writer
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our
A Word: Lights, Camera, Diversity in Action
Awards season can be a frustrating moment for Black writers in Hollywood, when even their most successful shows and films are frequently overlooked. Rodney Barnes has built a thriving career by telling stories of Black life, from “Everybody Hates Chris,” to “The Boondocks,” to “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.” On today’s episode of A Word, he joins Jason Johnson to discuss the challenges and rewards of his rise as a screenwriter and producer. His latest work is a graphic novel, “Bl
What Next TBD: The Baby-Sleep Industrial Complex
The tech-laden, luxury bassinet “Snoo” has been presented as preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, helping babies sleep longer, and a totally reasonable way to spend $1,700. Is any of that true?
Guest: Kate Taylor, senior features correspondent for Business Insider
John Collins, Lizzie’s husband.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn a
The Waves: The Inherent Fear in Being a Woman
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth talks all about fear with author Erica Berry. They discuss trying to navigate alone in the world as a woman, how one fairy tale tells you everything you need to know about women and fear, and Erica’s new book, Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear.
In Slate Plus, Cheyna and Erica talk about how one wolf, OR-7, stole hearts across the nation.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Da
Slate Money: Rihanna for World Bank President
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain why the president of the World Bank is stepping down, and throw out some guesses of who might replace him. They also discuss the train derailment in Ohio, and the influx of subpar online advertisements.
In the Plus segment: How should Felix market his upcoming book?
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next TBD: What Made the Balloon Drama Pop Off?
Come to think of it, a giant balloon seems like a pretty conspicuous way to spy on another country. So what was that Chinese spy balloon doing above the U.S.—and what have American planes been shooting down since?
Guest: Shane Harris, Washington Post reporter covering intelligence and national security.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow B
President Nikki Haley?
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign; the legal history likely to lead to the end of affirmative action; and Amanda Ripley’s reporting on the congressional committee that got things done.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Emily Bazelon for The New York Times Magazine: “Why Is Affirmative Action in Peril? One Man’s Decision.”
Amanda Ripley for The Washington Post: “These Radically Simple Changes Helped Lawmak
What Next: Will Abortion Pills Be Banned?
A judge in north Texas is considering a lawsuit that could make access to abortion pills more difficult across the country. While anti-abortion activists can point to a string of recent successes, the existence of another, widely-used abortion medication would make medical abortions nearly impossible to ban outright.
Guest: Christina Cauterucci, Slate senior writer and host of Outward.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero
What Next: Is Nikki Haley the GOP’s Future?
Former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador Nikki Haley announced that she is running to be president in 2024—challenging Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. How will she define herself in contrast to the former president—her former boss—without losing his base?
Guest: Ed Kilgore, political columnist for New York magazine.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows l
What Next: Why the West Bank Is at a Boiling Point
With hard-right, pro-settler representatives in the Israeli government, and the Palestinian Authority losing credibility with Palestinians, illegal settlements in the West Bank have become flashpoints in the ever-present yet still-escalating tension in the region.
Guest: Yair Rosenberg, staff writer at the Atlantic and the author of its newsletter, Deep Shtetl, about the intersection of politics, culture, and religion.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Pl
What Next: The Mass Shooter Database
Why does someone become a mass shooter? Researchers are interviewing perpetrators and their victims—and those who narrowly averted committing a mass shooting—and discovering a common thread of psychological despair. Can their work be applied to the prevention of future violence?
Guest: Jillian Peterson, forensic psychologist, violence researcher, and author of The Violence Project.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads
A Word: Surviving “Driving While Black”
For many Americans, the “Green Book” is an Oscar-winning film. But for generations of Black Americans, it served as a literal map for traveling through an often hostile and hateful country, finding safety and businesses that would serve us. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by writer and financial educator Alvin Hall. He’s the author of Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance. Hall explains how the original Green Book began, discusse
What Next TBD: Contraband Tech Behind Bars
It’s hard to put a number on it but judging from the number of videos emerging online, there are more and more contraband cell phones finding their way into the hands of people in prison, who use them to record TikTok dances, take online courses, and alert the outside world to what’s happening on the inside.
Guest: Keri Blakinger, criminal justice reporter at the Los Angeles Times, author of Corrections in Ink.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate
The Waves: How ADHD Disorients Women
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by stand-up comic Blaire Postman to discuss their journeys as women with ADHD, from receiving a diagnosis to the many ways it affects their everyday lives.
In Slate Plus, how Blaire navigated living with ADHD in the pandemic-era social media boom of all things ADHD content.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Tori Dominguez with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.
Send your commen
Slate Money: Will A.I. Kill the Internet?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Microsoft’s attempt to break into artificial intelligence assisted search with a revamp of their Bing search engine. They also talk about record high profits for oil companies and Bed Bath & Beyond’s financial shenanigans.
In the Plus segment: Tether.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amicus: The "Stop the Steal" Fight That Never Ended
Wisconsin’s State Supreme Court heard one of the landmark cases of the 2020 presidential election. During oral arguments in Trump v Biden in December 2020, Justice Jill J Karofsky participated in proceedings via Zoom from her office inside the state capitol in Madison. Outside her office window, she could see armed protesters gathered in what she later viewed as a dry run for January 6th. In a 4-3 decision, with one Republican justice siding against Trump, the Wisconsin Supreme Court voted to up
What Next TBD: Why Ban TikTok?
TikTok was banned on government agency devices in December; several schools and universities have banned it on their devices and wifi networks, and the governor of Texas unveiled a plan to ban it in the state. Can “Project Texas” stem the anti-TikTok tide? And would banning the app actually achieve…anything?
Guest: Louise Matsakis, reporter for Semafor covering tech and China
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefit
Political Gabfest: Biden Gets Frisky
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the raucous State of the Union; the spy balloon and U.S.-China relations; and Susan Dominus’s reporting on missed opportunities in treating menopause.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Katie Rogers and Peter Baker for The New York Times: “Kamala Harris Is Trying to Define Her Vice Presidency. Even Her Allies Are Tired of Waiting.”
Susan Dominus for The New York Times Magazine: “Women Hav
What Next: How Florida’s School Censorship Spreads
Governor Ron DeSantis canceling the rollout of AP African-American Studies course in Florida is more than just another salvo in the culture war. It has implications across public education, across the country—and its chilling effect is already evident.
Guests: Jeremy Young, historian and Senior Manager of Free Expression and Education at PEN America.
Chyna-Lee Hunter, a 12th grade student at Robert Morgan Educational Center in Miami, Fla.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up fo
What Next: The Russian “Collaborators”
For Ukrainians who remained behind when the war began, choices made in the fog of occupation come under scrutiny when the invading army leaves, and neighbors once divided by the Russians again must live side by side.
Guest: Joshua Yaffa, contributing writer at The New Yorker and the author of “Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin's Russia.”
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate pod
What Next: His Son Died in Uvalde. He’s Still Fighting.
Immediately following a mass shooting, public officials will say that “now is not the time” to discuss what changes—for example, making it more difficult to get an assault weapon—could have prevented the shooting, yet once the media cycle moves on, so does the momentum for change. But Brett Cross, whose son was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting in Texas, won’t give up his fight for accountability and reform.
Guest: Brett Cross, father of Uziyah Garcia, who was killed at Robb Element
Mom & Dad: How Schools Failed the Reading Test
On this episode: We’re going to be talking about why so many kids (and adults) have a difficult time reading. As Emily Hanford, host of Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong, discovered—some US schools are not actually teaching kids how to read. Instead of teaching research-backed skills that kids need in order to become strong readers, an idea has taken hold in the US education system that students can learn the general gist of words. For some students, this teaching method is g
What Next: Georgia Takes on Trump
A special grand jury in Georgia may soon announce whether Donald Trump will face criminal charges, including racketeering, for a phone call to Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger following the 2020 election.
Guest: Tamar Hallerman, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's lead reporter covering the Fulton County special grand jury investigation.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus epis
What Next TBD: Did a Twentysomething Con America’s Biggest Bank?
JP Morgan Chase is getting an education on FAFSA and financial aid–which would’ve been helpful before they acquired a now, quite dubious seeming start-up.
Guest: Ron Lieber, New York Times journalist, author of the “Your Money” column.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on
A Word: A Killing in Cop City
Days before footage of the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols was made public, protests disrupted downtown Atlanta. The demonstrations there came in response to law enforcement shooting protestor Manuel Teran to death at the controversial site of a future police training facility. The area has come to be known as “Cop City,” and on today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by attorney and State President of the Georgia NAACP Gerald Griggs to talk about the project, its history, and wh
Slate Money: The Drug that Debunks Free Will
This week, former Slate Money host Cathy O’Neill joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss the technical glitch at the New York Stock Exchange. They also talk about a new study that found the IRS disproportionately audits Black taxpayers, and about Ozempic, a shockingly effective – and expensive – weight loss drug.
In the Plus segment: a debate over Slack etiquette.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Are “Cool Moms” A Menace?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion is joined by NPR political reporter Danielle Kurtzleben to unpack all the fears that come with pending motherhood. They unpack Danielle’s brilliant Substack piece, “A Professional Lady Correspondent Stares Down Motherhood,” their fears of “cool moms” and…the possible merits of ”lean in feminism.” Heavy emphasis on the possible.
In Slate Plus, how Danielle navigated covering abortion post-Roe while pregnant.
Podcast produc
What Next TBD: How COVID Changes Our Immune Systems
Last fall it seemed like everyone got sick—not just with COVID, but from a slew of respiratory diseases, from the mild to the severe. Researchers are trying to untangle how our immune systems have changed in the COVID era, and if we’re paying back an “immunity debt” or are victims of “immunity theft.”
Guest: Tim Requarth, contributing writer to Slate.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any
Political Gabfest: Is Police Reform Possible?
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the killing of Tyre Nichols; violence interruption efforts–with guest Alec MacGillis; and the upcoming State of the Union.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “The Police Cannot Be a Law Unto Themselves”
Radley Balko for The New York Times: “Tyre Nichols’s Death Proves Yet Again That ‘Elite’ Police Units Are a Disaster”
Alec MacGillis for The New Yorker and ProPublica: “
What Next: The Plot Against Pope Francis
Not all of the Cardinals who elected Pope Francis are pleased with the changes he’s made, or his vision for where the Catholic Church goes next. Both the 86-year-old Francis and his detractors are preparing for his successor. Who’ll prevail?
Guest: David Gibson, Director of Fordham's Center on Religion & Culture
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus
What Next: The Hysteria Over D.C.’s New Crime Bill
The Revised Criminal Code Act is a major overhaul to D.C.’s criminal code that critics say will clog the courts with low-level crimes and fill the streets with criminals. Slate’s legal expert doesn’t see the data to support any of that.
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer covering courts and the law.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—
What Next: From Rodney King to Tyre Nichols
The video of Tyre Nichols being fatally beaten by Memphis police officers was made public on Friday. How does this latest high-profile incident of police brutality echo the killing of George Floyd or the beating of Rodney King? And 30 years after the latter, what’s still standing in the way of police reform?
Guest: Joel Anderson, staff writer at Slate, host of Seasons 3 and 6 of Slow Burn.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like z
What Next: Who Doesn’t Have Classified Documents?
At this point, classified documents have been uncovered in the homes of former President Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, and President Biden. But there are more practical issues with how the government treats classified documents than just whose garage they’re sitting in.
Guest: Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits
What Next TBD: Did A.I. Write This Headline?
The proliferation of chatbots and A.I.-generated art has consumers and tech companies alike convinced that artificial intelligence is ready to be integrated into consumer electronics, products, homes, and across industry. In fact, it’s already in progress. What’s the worst that can happen?
Guest: Will Oremus, technology reporter for the Washington Post
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any S
Slate Money: Chip War
This week, Chris Miller joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss his new book, Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. They discuss the crucial role of microchips, the global dynamics of microchip design and manufacturing, and how chips factor into US-China relations.
In the Plus segment: Moore’s Law.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amicus: The Dobbs Leak Investigation
First, there was the Dobbs case. Then there was the leaked opinion in the Dobbs case. Then there was the investigation into the leaked opinion in the Dobbs case. Then there was the report on the investigation into the leak. Then there was the supplemental report from the Marshal on the report on the investigation into the leak. AND THEN there was the revealing reporting from the NY Times’ Jodi Kantor on a court roiled by reports and investigating and leaks. This week, Dahlia Lithwick is joined b
The Waves: How a Man Writes Women Protagonists
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author and Slate editor Dan Kois to talk about men writing women. Dan’s new book, Vintage Contemporaries, is the coming of age story of Em and the two women who had a meaningful impact on her life. Dan and Cheyna talk about how Dan wrote true to life female characters without falling into the #menwritewomen trap, why he told a story with female characters, and how to navigate the tricky world of writing character
A Word: The Fire This Time?
Five former Memphis police officers are charged with second degree murder in the death of Tyre Nichols. Footage of them reportedly beating Nichols after a traffic stop is set to be released to the public on Friday evening. Nichols’ death came just days after English teacher Keenan Anderson was tazed repeatedly by LAPD officers, who were responding to a traffic incident. Anderson died hours later.
These deaths, and an increase in police killing civilians in 2022, are fueling concerns that the m
What Next TBD: Will Google Get Broken Up?
The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that it is suing Google over its ad technology. What do they contend Google has been doing? And does this mean Alphabet is headed for a Bell Telecom-style bust-up?
Guest: Leah Nylen, reporter covering antitrust for Bloomberg News
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and
Political Gabfest: DeSantis University
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and guest host Josie Duffy Rice discuss the rise of Marjorie Taylor Greene; Ron DeSantis’ attacks on educators; and the bipartisan bashing of monopolist Ticketmaster.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Jonathan Swan and Catie Edmondson for The New York Times: “How Kevin McCarthy Forged an Ironclad Bond With Marjorie Taylor Greene”
God's Harvard: A Christian College on a Mission to Save America, by Hanna Rosin
Josie Duffy Rice for iH
What Next: Election Deniers Shot at Her
A newfound commitment to never accepting election results you don’t like is taken to the extreme in New Mexico, where a string of shootings targeting elected officials led to 12 bullet holes in a state senator’s Albuquerque home.
Guest: Linda Lopez, state senator in New Mexico’s Bernalillo County.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be
What Next: The "Other NRA" Fighting Restaurant Workers
How COVID-stress, a tipped minimum wage locked in since 1991, and lobbying from the National Restaurant Association have pushed restaurant workers—and the industry as a whole—to the brink of crisis.
Guest: Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage and the Director of the UC Berkeley Food Labor Research Center.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—
What Next: Will the Debt Ceiling Cave in This Time?
The U.S. has hit the debt ceiling—again And with Congress divided, it’s unclear when or how the government will get approved to borrow more.Why is this perennial fight coming back around now? And what happens—locally and to the world economy—if the U.S. Treasury defaults?
Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Washington editor for Semafor.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow
What Next: Cities’ Wetter, Wilder Future
California going from drought-to-downpour this month was a vivid illustration of the future we’re facing: with more dramatic weather in a warmer, wetter climate. But how can cities—built for a world where hundred-year floods happened only once a century—adjust to a new reality?
Guest: Henry Grabar, staff writer for Slate, author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads o
What Next TBD: Does Meta Even Care When Its Users Get Hacked?
It can feel very personal to have your Facebook or Instagram page hacked—they’re your pictures and your friends after all. But Meta, the social media parent company, handles hacks with anything but a personal touch.
Guest: Kirstin Grind, investigative reporter for the Wall Street Journal.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Pr
A Word: Haiti: Fear of a Black Republic
Headlines suggest that Haiti could be on the verge of collapse, with gangs controlling its streets, the economy at a standstill, and political leaders fearing for their lives. But while international observers decry it as a “failed nation,” Haiti’s path to success has been consistently blocked since its successful slave rebelion in 1804. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Leslie Alexander, author “Fear of a Black Republic: Haiti and the Birth of Black Internationa
Slate Money: It’s Not TV
This week, Felix Gillette joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to talk about his new book It's Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO and discuss the state of streaming, the relationship between sports and advertisers, and the decline of the movie theater industry.
In the Plus segment: YouTube.
Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Political Gabfest Reads: Two Horrifying Days in D.C.
David Plotz talks with author Shahan Mufti about his new book, American Caliph: The True Story of a Muslim Mystic, a Hollywood Epic, and the 1977 Siege of Washington, DC. They discuss an Islamic group’s multi-location attack in D.C., the terror that hostages experienced while held captive for the two days, and the movie that started the whole thing.
Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
The Waves: Exercise Shouldn’t (Always) Feel Punishing
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate science and health editor Shannon Palus talks with freelance science writer Eleanor Cummins about how to detach exercise from diet culture, and learning to strive toward fitness goals that actually serve them. They discuss two recent pieces in Slate, Shannon’s article on the benefits of slow running and Eleanor’s on why yoga classes cost so much—an how the teachers, which are mostly women, can actually get paid more. They discuss why relaxing in a worko
What Next TBD: An Antivax Dog Whistle Goes Viral
The idea that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to sudden deaths among young people has no scientific support, but the theory nevertheless has a lot of traction on social media.
How can public health officials educate the public—especially on subject like vaccines, where their effectiveness renders them effectively invisible?
Guest: Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist and data scientist
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get b
Political Gabfest: Does Alito Hate Sotomayor?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the discovery of classified documents at Biden’s home; the justices of the Supreme Court exhibiting open animosity toward one another; and fears of a “polycrisis” at Davos.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Matt Viser, Tyler Pager, Carol Leonnig and Yasmeen Abutaleb for The Washington Post: “Inside The White House Document Strategy And Its Pitfalls”
Steven Mazie for The Atlantic: “The Supreme Court Justice
What Next: Latin America’s Lost Decade
In the early 2000s, economic growth exploded in South America—and the citizens of Brazil, Peru, Chile and elsewhere enjoyed increasing prosperity. But over the last decade, the churn of the world economy has made it hard for leaders across the region to meet their people’s raised expectations.
Guest: Brian Winter, editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly, former foreign correspondent for Reuters in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus.
What Next: The Spike at the End of “Zero COVID”
In the wake of mass protests and a depressing effect on its economy, China has ended its “zero COVID” policy. But with cases now rising, is the country ready for the upcoming Spring Festival, a huge holiday for travel that could spread the virus to its remotest corners?
Guest: Dake Kang, reporter for the Associated Press Beijing bureau.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows
What Next: Hospice for Profit
Since the 1980s, hospice has been covered by Medicare, and it’s come to be an expected part of the healthcare that millions of Americans receive at the end of their lives. But beneath the pamphlets of patients living out their days in comfort lies an uglier reality: a cottage industry that frequently misappropriates taxpayer dollars in the name of profit.
Guest: Ava Kofman, investigative reporter for ProPublica.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus memb
What Next TBD: Tesla’s No Good, Very Bad Year
Elon Musk was promising an “epic” Q4 at Tesla last year. But 2022 ended closer to what might be considered an “epic fail,” with the stock price down 65 percent. In an uncertain economic environment like this one, how much blame goes to Musk for unloading $40 billion worth of stock and focusing on his shiny new social media network? Or are these just growing pains that every company goes through as they mature?
Guest: Dana Hull, automotive and technology reporter for Bloomberg News in San Franc
A Word: Shut Up and Teach?
Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E. Act has been law for less than a year. And while court challenges persist, it’s already having a chilling effect on many educators who teach about race. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Jonathan Cox, a University of Central Florida Professor of Sociology. Cox recently spoke with ProPublica about how the crusade against critical race theory led him to cancel some classes and alter others.
Guest: University of Central Florida Sociologist Jonathan Co
Slate Money: Is Inflation Ova?
This week Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss how the avian flu has skyrocketed egg prices, even as inflation continues to plateau. They also talk about the ongoing controversy over gas stoves and scrutinize a recent article about Columbia Business School’s new campus.
In the plus segment: Noma, an extravagant restaurant in Copenhagen hailed as the world’s best restaurant, is closing. What does that say about that status of “fine dining”?
Podcast production by Anna Phillip
The Waves: Who’s Getting Rich Off Menopause?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate Money co-host Emily Peck is joined by New York Times writer, Amy Larocca to discuss, as Amy says, the “menopause gold rush.” They dig into when exactly menopause starts, how younger women embracing their bodies has trickled up to their moms, and the companies that have started aggressively targeting menopausal women - for better and for worse.
In Slate Plus, how telehealth and online medicine have changed the menopause game.
Podcast production by C
Amicus: The Labor Case Before SCOTUS Has Big Implications for Democracy
Amicus is sponsored by Betterhelp.
The Supreme Court of the United States got back into the swing of things its first week back after New Years, with a case about cement workers and the rights of organized labor. The “swing” the court was getting “back into” with this case was potential precedent-busting. Dahlia Lithwick is joined on this week’s show by Terri Gerstein, director of Harvard Law School’s Center for Labor and a Just Economy, to discuss what this case could mean for worker’s rights,
What Next TBD: Why the Feds Want to Kill Noncompetes
You might think of noncompete agreements as mostly limited to highly skilled, highly paid tech workers to protect trade secrets. But one-third of workers bound by noncompetes make $13/hour or less: fast-food workers, security guards, and the like.
Noncompete clauses not only give employers leverage over their employees—both during and after their employment—but studies have shown the agreements are a weight on the economy, which is why the FTC is angling for a federal ban.
Guest: Elizabeth Wi
Political Gabfest: Weaponization of Government
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the House GOP’s “Weaponization of Government” subcommittee; the insurrection in Brazil–with Marcos Nobre; and what Prince Harry’s book, Spare, means for the British
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Matthew Yglesias for Slow Boring: “A New Plan To Get Around The Debt Ceiling Hostage”
Matt Levine for Bloomberg: “Financial Engineering the Debt Ceiling”
Spare, by Prince Harry
Here are this week’s chatters:
What Next: How They Got El Chapo’s Son
Ovidio Guzmán, the son of Sinaloa cartel head Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, was arrested last week in a huge sting by the Mexican government. Who is Ovidio and how does his arrest affect the cartel?
Guest: Luis Chaparro, journalist and producer who moves between Texas and Mexico covering narcos, drugs and immigration.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Am
What Next: A Sex Crimes Lawyer's New Mission
New York’s new Adult Survivor’s Act has opened a “lookback window”—a year-long suspension of the civil statute of limitations—to allow people who may have been assaulted a long time ago the chance to go to court and demand compensation. For those who choose to pursue legal action, what can they expect?
Guest: Carrie Goldberg, victim rights lawyer specializing in sex crimes and author of Nobody’s Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs, and Trolls.
If you enjoy this show, please consider sign
How To!: End Political Violence (from an Ex-Gang Leader)
In the wake of the anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, and now similar riots in Brazil’s capital, we’re picking up our conversation about how to reduce political violence. In the first episode of our two-part series, we heard from Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This week, we’re talking with Curtis Toler, director of outreach at Chicago CRED. After joining his first street organization at the age of 9, Curtis went from a gang leader
What Next: Mr. Santos Goes to Washington
How far can you go on a lie? Looking at the career of George Santos, United States Representative, it can take you at least to the congressional floor. But now, firmly in the public eye, his resume unraveling, is Santos’ political career about to be derailed before it starts? And how did it get this far in the first place?
Guest: Azi Paybarah, national reporter covering campaigns and breaking politics news at the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Pl
What Next: McCarthy’s Road to Speaker
On Friday night, Representative Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of the House—but not before a far-right revolt kept Congress in a weeklong deadlock. As he begins his tenure as Speaker, will these sorts of standoffs be the rule, not the exception?
Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and
What Next TBD: How War in Taiwan Could Short-Circuit U.S. Tech
Roughly 95 percent of advanced semiconductor chip manufacturing happens in Taiwan, leaving the U.S. vulnerable to supply chain shocks and national security threats. Is the Biden administration’s $280 billion bill, signed in August last year, enough to boost domestic chip manufacturing?
Guest: Don Clark, freelance reporter specializing on chips and enterprise tech.
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads
A Word: Dying for Football?
Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin seems to be making a remarkable recovery after suffering cardiac arrest on Monday Night Football. But the incident has renewed questions about how the NFL tries –and often fails– to keep the sport from threatening the health of its athletes. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by veteran sports journalist Howard Bryant to discuss the NFL’s history of responding to injuries, and whether media and fans are complicit in the suffering of players.
Political Gabfest: Kevin McCarthy In Hell
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss GOP’s speakership debacle; George Santos; and improving access to medication abortion.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: “The Dawn of the Post-Clinic Abortion”
Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: “Risking Everything to Offer Abortions Across State Lines”
Mark Oppenheimer for The New York Times: “Why Did George Santos Lie About Being Jewish?”
Here are this week’s cha
The Waves: The Myths About Fat People
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate science and health editor Shannon Palus is joined by author and co-host of Maintenance Phase, Aubrey Gordon. Shannon and Aubrey discuss Aubrey’s new book, “You Just Need to Lose Weight” and 19 Other Myths About Fat People, the fraught nature of “body positivity” and the insidious goalpost moving of the Dove “Love Your Body” campaign.
In Slate Plus, Aubrey and Shannon discuss the new weight-loss fad, Ozempic.
Further Reading Recommendations From Aubre
What Next TBD: Will Southwest Be Held Accountable?
Over the holidays, thousands of passengers were left stranded or delayed when Southwest Airline’s outdated re-booking software broke down. Who can be held accountable, and why don’t airlines invest more in their own infrastructure?
Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, business and technology reporter for Slate.
Host: Mary C. Curtis
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Bur
What Next: Trapped on the Streets of El Paso
Enacted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Title 42 allows border patrol to expel migrants from the U.S. before they have a chance to apply for asylum. Denied the opportunity to apply for asylum, and unable to travel, migrants are left to fend for themselves on the streets of El Paso in winter.
Guest: Bob Moore, founder and CEO of El Paso Matters
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus
What Next: The "Grooming" Panic's Real Origins
For decades it felt like society was growing more accepting of the LGBTQ community, but in the past few years, hospitals have faced bomb threats, drag story hours have been beset by armed protestors, and queer spaces have been violently targeted. What happened?
Guest: David Mack, senior breaking news reporter for Buzzfeed News.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow
How To!: Prevent Another Jan. 6
It’s been two years since the January 6th riot at the US Capitol in Washington DC. Over 900 people have been criminally charged, but political violence continues to be a threat. Well, here at How To!, we are not content to just marinate in fear and blame so we’re dedicating two episodes to see how we can prevent more tragedies like January 6. In our first episode, we bring on Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace where she focuses on the intersecti
What Next: Nancy Pelosi’s Legacy
Villainized by the right, protested from the left, Nancy Pelosi led the Democrats through the Iraq War, the fight for Obamacare, and two impeachments. As Congress resumes, she will step down from leading the House Democrats, leaving behind a complicated legacy—and a list of hard-fought accomplishments.
Guest: Rachael Bade, political analyst for CNN and the co-author of Politico’s “Playbook” newsletter.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get be
Political Gabfest: Conundrum 2022 with Alison Bechdel
Special thanks to:
Andy Andrews
Sarah Chapin
Marc Colello
David Duesing
Alan Dybner
Phil Goldstein
Jason Howard
Andrew James Pierce
Eric Koleda
Carrie
Jerm
You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast p
The Waves 2022 Rewind: How Gone Girl Changed Publishing
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate staff writer Heather Schwedel is joined by Slate books and culture columnist Laura Miller on the 10-year anniversary of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. They talk about the initial reaction to Gone Girl, why the twists packed such a punch, and the enduring impact of the famous “cool girl” speech. Then they explore why, despite many books proclaiming to be so, there has never really been another Gone Girl.
In Slate Plus, Laura takes Heather behind the scenes o
One Year 1942: When Internment Came to Alaska
As we catch our breath over the holidays, enjoy this episode of Slate's One Year podcast. What Next returns next week.
Six months after Pearl Harbor, Japan launched another attack on the United States. This time, Axis forces actually invaded, turning the Aleutian Islands into a battleground. What the country did next, in the name of “protecting” Alaska’s Indigenous people, is a shameful chapter of the war. And it’s one the nation has never fully reckoned with.
This episode of One Year was produc
One Year 1942: The Info Wars of World War II
As we catch our breath over the holidays, enjoy this episode of Slate's One Year podcast. What Next returns next week.
In March 1942, a new nightly radio show hit the American airwaves. The stated goal of Station Debunk was to correct all the lies getting tossed around about America’s involvement in the war. But the real story was a whole lot stranger and more devious than it appeared.
One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Josh Levin.
Derek John is senior supervisin
One Year 1942: The Year Everyone Got Married
As we catch our breath over the holidays, enjoy this episode of Slate's One Year podcast. What Next returns next week.
There were 1.8 million weddings in 1942, the most that had ever been recorded in a single year in American history. But how many of them would last? 98-year-old Millie Summergrad tells the story of one that did: her own. And a pair of brothers explain what it was like to grow up inside the busiest chapel in Yuma, Arizona—the wedding capital of the United States.
One Year is prod
Political Gabfest Reads: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing a President
John Dickerson talks with author Gautam Mukunda about his new book Picking Presidents: How to Make the Most Consequential Decision in the World. They talk about how Mukunda’s first book, Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter laid the groundwork for Picking Presidents. Later, Dickerson and Mukunda dig into why ‘intellectual brilliance’ – which goes beyond IQ - is a strong predictor of presidential performance and how the human portion of the job of president is changing.
Tweet us your quest
Slate Money: In Defense of Nepotism
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the proposed changes to retirement plans in Congress’s 2023 spending bill. They also talk about the current boom in cocaine production and debate whether or not nepotism is as bad as everyone says.
In the Plus segment: Felix, Emily, and Elizabeth admit what they each got wrong about 2022.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Are Women of Color Disappearing From Comedy Again?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario talks to comedian and activist Aida Rodriguez about the state of women in comedy. They dig into Aida’s background and what it was like to come up as a woman of color in comedy. They also unpack the sneaking suspicion that women of color are getting fewer and fewer chances these days, and how to turn trauma into comedy.
In Slate Plus, Aida and Daisy talk about whether it’s feminist to not stand up for yourself
Political Gabfest: Inciting Insurrection
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the January 6th Committee’s findings and criminal referrals; the brewing water crisis in the West–with Washington Post reporter Josh Partlow; and the biggest stories of 2022.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Joshua Partlow for The Washington Post: “Officials Fear ‘Complete Doomsday Scenario’ For Drought-Stricken Colorado River”
Joshua Partlow for The Washington Post: “Disaster Scenarios Raise The Stakes
A Word: Season’s Streamings
With the holidays comes time to rest, recuperate, and unwind. What are this year’s best seasonal offerings to curl up in front of and watch with the family?
Guest: Rebecca Theodore-Vachon, essayist and pop culture critic.
Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola
You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next TBD: One Year - 1942: The Most Hated Man in America
At the beginning of World War II, the greatest threat to the American war effort wasn’t the Nazis or the Japanese—it was runaway inflation. The man in charge of stopping it was the country’s “price czar,” Leon Henderson. In 1942, he controlled how much coffee ordinary people could drink and how many tires they could buy. Those rules made him a nationwide villain. But would they save the country?
One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Josh Levin.
Derek John is senior
What Next: 2022 Retrospective | Dua Lipa’s Copyright Problem
This week we look back on some of our favorite stories from a year that had us asking—sometimes with excitement and sometimes with exasperation—"What Next”? This episode originally aired March 29.
After more than 70 weeks on the Billboard U.S. Hot 100, Dua Lipa and her song “Levitating” have run into trouble: two separate copyright complaints claiming the pop star ripped off other artists in writing her hit. These aren’t the first lawsuits to test the boundaries of what counts as plagiarism in
What Next: 2022 Retrospective | How Soccer's Best Women Finally Got Paid
This week we look back on some of our favorite stories from a year that had us asking—sometimes with excitement and sometimes with exasperation—"What Next”? This episode originally aired June 1.
If you want to understand the way inequality is baked into the systems and structures all around us, examining the pay equity issue in U.S. soccer is a pretty good place to start. But after a six-year battle, the U.S. Women’s National Team struck an agreement with U.S. Soccer, ensuring equal pay for eq
What Next: 2022 Retrospective | Amazon Gets Its First Union
This week we look back on some of our favorite stories from a year that had us asking—sometimes with excitement and sometimes with exasperation—"What Next”? This episode originally aired April 4.
Few were betting that a group of workers on Staten Island could win union recognition at their Amazon warehouse. Now that they’ve done it, can they replicate this win at other shops across the country? And what will the nation’s largest unions do to help Amazon workers join the labor movement?
Guest
What Next: 2022 Retrospective | What the Sackler Family Won
This week we look back on some of our favorite stories from a year that had us asking—sometimes with excitement and sometimes with exasperation—"What Next?" This episode originally aired March 21.
A very strange bankruptcy case is coming to a close. Its settlement hinges not on payments rendered or bills neglected, but on the pain of millions of American families who slid into the jaws of the opioid crisis. Now, the people who set off the crisis are about to settle their debts.
Guest: Brian Mann
What Next TBD: Are You Ready For Lab-Grown Meat?
The Food and Drug Administration gave an important thumbs up to lab-grown chicken, which means we could start seeing it in stores as soon as next year. While billions of dollars have been spent developing lab-grown meat, important questions remain: Is the production of it actually greener than raising livestock? Can it be made affordably? Is it healthy? And will anyone eat it?
Guest: Chloe Sorvino, staff writer on food and agriculture at Forbes, and the author of Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Co
A Word: HBCU Football Blues
Former NFL star Deion Sanders turned the struggling Jackson State University Tigers into a winning team, and brought a national spotlight to football at historically Black colleges and universities. That’s why his decision to take a coaching job at the University of Colorado sparked a debate among HBCU fans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by University of Houston Professor Billy Hawkins about why Sanders’ time at JSU had such an impact, and whether HBCUs can retain some of
Slate Money: Should You Care About the Dot Plot?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain what the Fed’s interest rate dot plot means. They also talk about Microsoft’s attempted acquisition of video game developer Activision, and the latest details of the SBF scandal.
In the Plus segment: the revival of the office holiday party.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amicus: “Is This How We Do Law Now?”
The highest court in the land has ignored the need for standing, the trial record, and of course precedent this past year––and it matters.
Host Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Sherrilyn Ifill, former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and a senior fellow at the Ford Foundation. They discuss Sherrilyn’s thought-provoking piece this month in the New York Review of Books, which opens out into a big-picture discussion of what this Supreme Court’s tendency t
Political Gabfest: Is Kyrsten Sinema Toast?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Krysten Sinema leaving the Democratic party; Republicans’ good turnout, poor performance midterms; and the new documentary, Pelosi in The House.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Pelosi in the House
Here are this week’s chatters:
John: Watch Richard Nixon’s Watergate speeches at the Miller Center’s website.
Emily: Jessica Blatt Press for The Philadelphia Citizen: “Hey, Phillly! Let’s Hire A Mayor!”
Dav
The Waves: Tis the Hallmark Season
On this week’s episode of The Waves, host of Slate’s ICYMI podcast Rachelle Hampton is joined by Vulture’s Rebecca Alter to talk all about those cheesy holiday movies we can’t escape this time of year. They dig into what makes a Hallmark Holiday Movie™ (inns and men who have probably been to therapy are a must), how the movies have evolved over the years and whether their attempts at diversity are just forcing other cultures to conform to their model. Plus, all the holiday vibes.
In Slate Plu
How To!: House Everyone in Your City
This week, Los Angeles’ newly elected mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency to help address the city’s homelessness crisis. It’s an overwhelming issue that has left a lot of Angelenos wondering how they can help, including this week’s listener Alex. On this episode, host Amanda Ripley brings on two people who have experience fighting housing insecurity. Theo Henderson is an activist and host of the podcast, We the Unhoused, which sheds light on the struggles faced by the unhoused commun
What Next TBD: SBF's Worst Week Yet
Even in a crazy year for crypto, Sam Bankman-Fried’s story is undeniably the most bananas. And even in the context of the implosion of FTX, getting arrested has got to make this week his worst yet. What charges does SBF face?
Guest: Stacy-Marie Ishmael, managing editor on crypto for Bloomberg News
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Sponsored by Saks.com. Check out the Holiday Gift Guide on saks.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Germany Cribs From the QAnon Playbook
The Reichsbürger movement is the group behind the plot to overthrow the German government that was disrupted last week. Their grievances are both specific to their country—that the German government is illegitimate and the Reich needs to be reestablished—and familiar to right-wing extremist watchers in the U.S.. They have been radicalized by lockdowns, vaccine requirements, and Qanon. How is this American conspiracy exporting itself?
Guest: Josh Keating, global security reporter at Grid focuse
What Next: Inside the Right-Wing Judicial Machine
Since its founding in the 1980s, the Federalist Society has been advancing right-wing judges through the American judicial system. One of their most ardent critics called up a member to talk about how.
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign
What Next: The Magic of Messi
Argentina and Croatia face off in the World Cup semifinals today, and all eyes are on Lionel Messi. At 35, Messi is trying to put a cap on a legendary career and bring a World Cup championship to his home country.
How did he get to the top of the soccer world? And what will be his legacy if Argentina loses?
Guest: Jasmine Garsd Garcia, host of NPR’s soccer podcast “The Last Cup.”
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads
Mom & Dad: Why You Need Narcan
On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth are joined by Slate writer, editor, and former Mom and Dad are Fighting host, Dan Kois, who is here to urge parents (and teens) to get trained to administer Narcan. He first wrote about the “miracle” tool in his piece: Parents, You Need Narcan. Essentially, the drug is a powerful tool that’s easy to use, widely available, and will give people peace of mind knowing that if there’s an emergency—you’re prepared.
Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth also answer
What Next: The Last Time NYC Tried to Hospitalize the Homeless
In an effort to address New York’s growing problem of unhoused people living on the streets, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city would start involuntarily hospitalizing people. It’s a strategy the city tried back in the ‘80s as well. Why didn’t it work then?
Guest: Sam Tsemberis, founder and executive director of Pathways to Housing, and associate clinical professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate P
A Word: Is Rikers Island a Death Trap?
New York’s Rikers Island is infamous for its violence and danger, even to prisoners who haven’t been convicted of any crime. At least 18 detainees have died there under questionable circumstances this year alone. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by attorney Olayemi Olurin. She shares more about what led to these deaths, and why political leaders like New York Mayor Eric Adams may be standing in the way of closing Rikers or making it safer.
Guest: Olayemi Olurin, a public de
What Next TBD: San Francisco’s Self-Driving Mess
Self-driving cars and robotaxis are starting to appear on the streets of San Francisco. While we have a whole regulatory system in place for drivers, who’s making sure these new cars are safe?
Guest: David Zipper, Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Taubman Center for State and Local Government
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow
Slate Money: The NYT Strike: End of the Wordle Streak
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the Trump Organization’s tax fraud conviction, why workers at The New York Times went on strike and ChatGPT, a shockingly articulate AI chatbot.
In the Plus segment: How to tackle holiday gifting.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: The World Record Book of Racist Stories
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior supervising producer of audio Daisy Rosario is joined by sisters and authors Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar. Amber and Lacey just released their second book, The World Record Book of Racist Stories, a collection of humorous and sometimes heartbreaking essays about the racism they and the people they know experience every day. Daisy, Amber and Lacey talk about needing to write a second book (because they didn’t fit all the stories in the first book)
What Next TBD: Let’s Talk, Chatbots
Artificial intelligence is growing in leaps and bounds, and everywhere from Big Tech companies like Google to small teams like OpenAI are developing more and more convincing chatbots. Is the world ready for convincing, talking computers?
Guest: Alex Kantrowitz, host of the Big Technology podcast.
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dea
What Next: Can Iran's Protest Movement Survive?
Toomaj Salehi, an Iranian rapper known for criticizing the regime with his music, has been arrested by the Iranian government. His friends and family now worry he could face the death penalty.
Guest: Nahayat Tizhoosh, Producer at the CBC
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at
What Next: What It Took for a Red State to Pause Executions
Three botched lethal injections in Alabama have once again highlighted the practical complexity and possible illegality of the death penalty. Even states that are adamantly in favor of capital punishment are being stalled on a purely pragmatic level.
Guest: Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and yo
What Next: The Last Senate Race
Even after a campaign awash in scandals, gaffes, and the occasional speculation on werewolves vs. vampires, Herschel Walker still can’t be counted out in the run-off election to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate. What can the parties take away from the last race of the 2022 midterms?
Guest: Jim Newell, Senior Politics Writer for Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sho
What Next: Out of Afghanistan
The U.S. has welcomed thousands Afghan refugees since pulling out of Afghanistan in 2021. Safe from the Taliban, but without social security numbers,credit ratings, or even sometimes basic English, they have to make a new life relying on a patchwork of volunteers and their wits.
Guests:
Elena MacFarlane, volunteer with the Immigrant and Refugee Outreach Center and assistant Professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Genetic Medicine.
Lila and Basheer, Afghan refugees living in Maryland.
If
A Word: Bot Battling in the Age of Elon
For many years, tech professionals dismissed the threat of disinformation. Christopher Bouzy was one of them, until the 2016 election changed his mind. Bouzy founded and leads the organization Bot Sentinel to fight online disinformation. On today’s episode of A Word, he talks with host Jason Johnson about how best to detect lies and false narratives in social media, and how Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter complicates his mission.
Guest: Christopher Bouzy, founder and C.E.O. of Bot Sentinel
P
What Next TBD: Big Tech’s Boogeymen In Washington
The Biden administration’s Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are both staffed with accomplished progressives who are proving more aggressive than their predecessors in either the Trump or Obama eras. But can Big Tech be tamed?
Guest: Leah Nylen, reporter for Bloomberg News
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear P
The Waves: Fleishman - and Middle Aged Marriage - Are in Trouble
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate Money host Emily Peck is joined by journalist and author Taffy Brodesser-Akner to talk about Taffy’s new show, Fleishman is in Trouble, based on her bestselling novel. They dig into why men’s magazines are more freeing to write for, how ambition can mess up a marriage, and how midlife crises and divorce are different experiences for women.
In Slate Plus, Emily and Taffy talk about Toby’s eating disorder, how empathy can make people mad, and more.
Pod
Slate Money: The Tale of Two Bobs
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the CEO shakeup at Disney, shrinkflation, and Sam Bankman-Fried’s unusual post-scandal media appearances.
In the Plus segment: the controversy over Balenciaga’s new ad campaign.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amicus: The Blockbuster Case You Probably Haven’t Heard About
When Christian conservatives lost in Masterpiece Cake Shop back in 2018, they regrouped and picked up the trail of breadcrumbs from Justice Clarence Thomas’ dissent that suggested a freedom of speech approach. Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in 303 Creative v Elenis - another case that takes aim at Colorado’s anti discrimination laws. This time, arguments about whether a website designer has the right to advertise that she will not design websites for same-sex weddings, will be
Political Gabfest: Is Antisemitism Back?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Trump hosting prominent antisemites Ye (f/k/a Kanye West) and Nick Fuentes; Chinese protestors challenging their authoritarian government–with Sheena Chestnut Greitens; and Congress legislating to protect marriage equality through the Respect For Marriage Act.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Sheena Chestnut Greitens for Foreign Affairs: “Xi Jinping’s Quest for Order”
Sheena Chestnut Greitens and Julian
What Next TBD: Twitter's Vulnerabilities, Exposed
Dating back to the Arab Spring, Twitter’s potential for real-time organizing has been a selling point. But trying to find information on China’s “Zero COVID” protests reveals just how vulnerable the now-understaffed platform is to manipulation.
Guest: Joseph Menn, cybersecurity reporter for the Washington Post.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like
What Next: China’s Revolt Against “Zero COVID”
For nearly three years, people in China have endured their government’s “Zero COVID” policies to prevent cases from overwhelming their hospital system. But after a fire in Urumqi broke out and videos spread of fire rescue having trouble reaching the building, people have taken to the streets in defiance of orders and even gone as far as demanding President Xi Jinping’s resignation.
Guest: Matthew Brazil, co-author of Chinese Communist Espionage: An Intelligence Primer and a fellow at the James
What Next: It Isn't Time to Negotiate in Ukraine...Yet
With no clear path to advance and winter settling in, what would it take for Russia to negotiate an exit from Ukraine?
Guest: Fred Kaplan. Slate’s war stories correspondent
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Learn more about
What Next: Is This the End of College Rankings?
With Yale and Harvard law schools withdrawing from U.S. News & World Report’s annual law school rankings, others have followed suit. With the rating system for all colleges taking criticism, being “gamed,” and beset by scandal, is this the beginning of the end of the influential college-ranking system?
Guest: Colin Diver, the Charles A. Heimbold, Jr., Professor of Law and Economics Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, former Dean of Penn Law School and president of Reed College, 2002 thr
What Next: Hakeem Jeffries’ House
Hakeem Jeffries appears set to take over as Nancy Pelosi steps down as the head of the House Democrats. As a member of the Progressive Caucus who has often sided against progressives with party leadership, what will the House Democrats look like with Jefferies at the helm?
Guest: Alex Sammon, politics writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and
What Next TBD: The Trap of Buy Now, Pay Later
The option to “buy now and pay later” over installments exploded over the past two years, thanks to people being flush with stimulus cash and shopping online during the pandemic. But is this new, underregulated industry a useful line of credit or another path into debt?
Guest: Paulina Cachero, personal finance reporter for Bloomberg.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus
Slate Money: Fleishman is in Trouble
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by New York Times Magazine writer and Fleishman is in Trouble author Taffy Brodesser-Akner to talk about wealth, class and the media industry, specifically through the lens of the Fleishman is in Trouble book and new limited TV series.
In the Plus segment: what is everyone thankful for this Thanksgiving?
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Political Gabfest: What If Twitter Dies?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the future of Twitter, the ghoulish World Cup, and a minister’s allegation that Justice Alito leaked the outcome of the Hobby Lobby case.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Jodi Kantor and Jo Becker for The New York Times: “Former Anti-Abortion Leader Alleges Another Supreme Court Breach”
Jodi Kantor for The New York Times: “Allegation of Supreme Court Breach Prompts Calls for Inquiry and Ethics Code”
Rob S
Amicus: The Alleged Hobby Lobby Leak at SCOTUS
When the New York Times built on previous reporting in Politico and Rolling Stone about an evangelical christian ministry that sought to sell access to and influence Supreme Court Justices with fancy dinners and donations, the Hobby Lobby leak dominated the headlines. But there is so much more to this story. To discuss how the headlines fit into a larger narrative of dark money and a captured court, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. Senator Whitehouse is C
What Next: Ticketmaster's Swift Meltdown
When presale tickets for Taylor Swift’s upcoming tour effectively broke the internet last week, Ticketmaster emerged as the villain…again. The media behemoth has been reviled since the ‘90s, but it has continued to grow, through a merger with Live Nation. What can a Department of Justice antitrust investigation, buoyed by Swifties, actually do?
Guest: Jason Koebler, editor-in-chief of Motherboard at Vice.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members ge
What Next: Why Outlawing Slavery Won't Outlaw Slavery—Yet
During the 2022 midterms, four states voted to ban slavery, which is still legal—and practiced—in the form of forced prison labor. The ballot initiatives are designed to keep people from having to work against their will and could provide prisoners with the opportunity to sue for higher wages, and better working conditions, including medical exemptions for those who are pregnant and postpartum.
Guest: Candace Bond-Theriault Esq., Director of Racial Justice Policy & Strategy at Columbia Law Sch
What Next: The Real Danger of Fentanyl
Fentanyl has been a right-wing boogeyman and ostensible reason for Republicans to rail for more security at the U.S.-Mexico border. As the opioid crisis continues, the danger fentanyl poses has become vividly clear. While stopping overdoses is important, resurfacing nasty drug war tropes isn’t helping.
Guest: Brian Mann, NPR correspondent covering addiction
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bo
What Next TBD: The End of the Tech Boom
After decades as America’s booming industry, tens of thousands of tech workers have been laid off in November alone. Is the venture-capital, low-interest-rate wind leaving the sails temporary or is this the end of the hunt for “the next big thing?”
Guest: Timothy B. Lee, reporter for Full Stack Economics covering labor markets, technology, and housing.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any S
A Word: Black Soccer GOALS!
The eagerly awaited World Cup starts on Sunday. While the sport features star athletes from across the African diaspora, many Black people in the U.S. still consider soccer a white sport. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with Jermaine Scott. He’s an African American Studies professor at Florida Atlantic University, a life-long soccer player and fan, and an expert on Black soccer history. They discuss why so few African Americans have historically embraced the sport, what’s bein
Slate Money: Enron 2
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss updates in the collapse of crypto exchange platform FTX and how the situation compares to past business downfalls. They also talk about Joan Didion’s estate sale.
In the Plus segment: the death of Twitter.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Ejaculate Responsibly
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author Gabrielle Blair. Blair’s new book Ejaculate Responsibly presents the radical idea that men should take control of the fertility conversation by better managing their sperm. After all, they're fertile 24-hours a day compared to women’s 24-hours a month. Cheyna and Gabrielle also talk about the problem with not prioritizing women’s pain, Gabrielle’s history as a “Design Mom” and how even Mormons seem to agre
Political Gabfest: SBF FTX WTF?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Trump’s campaign announcement, election denying candidates’ failures in the midterms, and guest Matthew Zeitlin on the impact the implosion of Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange FTX may have on the Effective Altruism movement.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Donie O'Sullivan for CNN: “Facebook Fact-Checkers Will Stop Checking Trump After Presidential Bid Announcement”
Matthew Zeitlin for Grid: “Sam Bank
What Next TBD: The Case Against Climate Reparations
At this year’s annual UN conference on climate change, they are discussing “climate reparations,” wherein the rich countries that grew their wealth burning fossil fuels pay money to poorer and more vulnerable countries. It sounds sensible, but is the UN capable of administering something like this? And how much money are we talking here?
Guest: Vijay Vaitheeswaran, global energy and climate innovation editor at The Economist.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signin
What Next: The Shiny New Target for Political Spending
State supreme court elections, for a long time, were an afterthought; filler for the ballot’s second page. But with questions of abortion rights on the line, this year both parties started pouring money and attention on the races across the country. Even where the races are explicitly “non-partisan,” the partisan political machine has arrived.
Guest: Erik Ortiz, staff writer for NBC News focusing on racial injustice and social inequality.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for
What Next: Will SCOTUS Take Native Children Away From Their Families?
The Supreme Court case Brackeen v. Haaland concerns how adoption placement currently works under the Indian Child Welfare Act. The law prioritizes placing Native children with Native families. But depending on how the court rules, striking down or changing ICWA could affect not only adoption but Indian tribes’ entire status as sovereign nations.
Guest: Elizabeth Hidalgo Reese, Stanford law professor and scholar of American Indian tribal law, federal Indian law, and constitutional law.
If you
What Next: How New York Democrats Blew It
After bracing themselves for a “red wave,” the Democrats will keep their Senate majority after the midterms. However, the Republicans will likely, narrowly take the House, thanks in part to gains made in deep blue New York State. How did the party bungle this so badly? And why do some Democrats say it’s Andrew Cuomo’s fault?
Guest: Jimmy Vielkind, reporter for the Wall Street Journal covering New York State politics and government.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate P
What Next: The Far Right’s Alarming Rise in Israel
Though just last year he was ousted from office amidst corruption charges, Benjamin Netanyahu has returned to power, leading a coalition of three hard right-wing parties. Palestinians inside Israel are concerned that some of their leaders are now emboldened in their goal of expelling Arabs from the country.
Guest: Peter Beinart, professor of journalism and political science at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York and an editor-at-large at Jewish Cur
A Word: Black Panther’s Pride
Wakanda Forever carries on the story that thrilled fans of the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Evan Narcisse. He’s one of the comic book writers whose work –including the Marvel Black Panther Wakanda Atlas– helped flesh out Wakandan mythology in the years since the original film debuted. Narcisse talks about how the Afro-futuristic utopia inspired him, and how he and other creators hope to build its legacy.
Guest: Writer Evan Narcisse
Po
What Next TBD: Is This The Cryptocalypse?
The (once) second-largest cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, collapsed in stunning fashion this week, highlighting why consumers really do want regulation, and why old financial institutions remain wary of crypto.
Guest: Felix Salmon, host of Slate Money, chief financial correspondent for Axios.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear
Slate Money: WTF SBF
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and What Next TBD host Lizzie O’Leary discuss the ongoing disaster at crypto exchange platform FTX. They also talk about the slightly smaller meltdowns at Twitter and Meta.
In the Plus segment: the sale of Paul Allen’s art collection.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Political Gabfest: Extremely Surprising Midterms
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the midterm results we have so far and the Supreme Court case that could upend family law and more for Native Americans.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Stefan Becket for CBS News: “The Unresolved 2022 House And Senate Races That Will Determine Control Of Congress”
Rebecca Nagle for The Atlantic: “The Supreme Court Case That Could Break Native American Sovereignty”
Leah Litman and Matthew L.M. Fletcher f
The Waves: Oprah Has The Best Voice (and Other Vocal Thoughts)
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior supervising producer of audio, Daisy Rosario is joined by actress and director Lake Bell to talk about voices. Bell’s new audio book Inside Voice is all about her obsession with how people sound. They dig into why we should take better care of our voices, how trauma impacts our ability to speak, why candidate voices impact their electability, and more.
In Slate Plus, Lake and Daisy talk about the problem with the sexy baby voice.
Podcast prod
What Next TBD: Senator Chris Murphy on Elon's Acquisition of Twitter
The second largest investor in Twitter, after Elon Musk, is the Saudis, which raises questions about what kinds of “free speech” Musk is really committed to. But it also raises questions around national security in the U.S.
Guest: Chris Murphy, U.S. Senator from Connecticut
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’
What Next: Did Trump Crash the Red Wave?
The dust still hasn’t settled from the midterm elections. But some themes have begun emerging: the GOP underperformed; the right to abortion won on state-level votes; Florida has gone red, but Democrats won gubernatorial races across the old “blue wall.” And it may be time for Republicans to consider who they are, apart from the party of Trump.
Guest: Jamelle Bouie, columnist at the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefi
What Next: What Texas' Attacks on Trans Healthcare Did to One Family
As Texas laws have become more discriminatory against trans individuals and their families, many wonder if they can even stay in the Lone Star State, especially when parents could be investigated as child abusers for providing healthcare to their children. This family made the difficult decision to move to Colorado.
Guests:
Katie Laird, social justice blogger.
Noah Laird, high school junior.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits lik
What Next: The Frightening Rise in Political Violence
Paul Pelosi joined a growing list of Congress members and their families who have been targets of violent political attacks. What can be done about the growing safety risk of being in the public eye? And what does living under threat do to the people charged with running the government?
Guest: Liz Goodwin, Congress reporter at the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episode
What Next: How the Dems Win Back the Rust Belt
Trump won Ohio handily, and it’s been expected that JD Vance would cruise into a Senate seat this fall. But Democratic candidate Tim Ryan seems to have struck a chord with the very demographics that have been drifting away from his party. Does he have what it takes to win in Trump country? And could his success be replicated across the Midwest?
Guest: Alec MacGillis, politics and government reporter at ProPublica.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus me
A Word: Gang Bangers with Badges
Southern California’s gang violence has made national headlines for decades. Less well known are allegations of violent gangs within the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Cerise Castle, host and executive producer of A Tradition of Violence. This new podcast probes charges that the L.A. County Sheriff's Department tolerates violent gangs within its ranks, and has done so since the 1960s.
Guest: Journalist Cerise Castle, host a
ICYMI: How Are the Midterms Affecting Social Media?
On today’s episode, Senior Supervising Producer Daisy Rosario is sitting in the host chair. She’s joined by Slate’s own Nitish Pahwa, who covers business and tech for the site, and has written a lot about these upcoming elections. They’ll be talking about which candidates are and aren’t using TikTok well, how easy it is to encounter election misinformation, Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, and the state of right wing social media platforms.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Ha
The Waves: Why Sarah Palin Won’t Go Away
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we dig into why Sarah Palin is still around - and if you should be paying attention. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci to talk about Christina’s time spent in Alaska where Palin is trying to make a political comeback in a tight race for Alaska’s lone Congressional seat. Later in the show, Christina explains why it’s necessary to keep talking about Palin after all these years.
In Slate Plus, Cheyna and Chr
Political Gabfest: Live From Atlanta!
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson are Live in Atlanta discussing Georgia’s midterm election with NPR-WABE’s Rose Scott, as well as increasing political violencein the U.S.; and affirmative action at the Supreme Court.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Closer Look with Rose Scott
John Dickerson for CBS Primetime: “Political Threats And Violence In The U.S.” (Inteview with Robert Pape)
Steal This Book, by Abbie Hoffman
Here are this week’s chatters
What Next: The Stakes of Nevada’s Latino Vote
Democrats have been winning reliably in Nevada, but between the lack of enthusiasm for Joe Biden among Latino voters, and a lackluster voter-turnout effort from Vegas’s hospitality union, it’s very possible that the face of Nevada’s “Stop the Steal” effort may win a Senate seat.
Guest: Jon Ralston, CEO and Editor in Chief of The Nevada Independent.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episod
What Next: Can an Anti-Trump Republican Still Win?
Joe Biden won Colorado by 13 points, which is why Jim O’Dea is running for the Senate as a moderate Republican—one who will stand up to Donald Trump. It’s a message that isn’t winning support from Democratic voters, and may well be undermining his appeal to Republicans.
Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Bur
What Next: SCOTUS Reviews Affirmative Action…Again
Yesterday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases challenging race-conscious admissions programs. If the justices decide that affirmative action is unconstitutional—as they seem poised to do—how can universities still create diverse student bodies?
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer at Slate covering the Supreme Court.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows
What Next: Should You Panic Over America's Test Scores?
According to the recently released results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, American students across the country are scoring lower on math and reading. But before we panic, it’s important to put those results in context, and consider what evaluations can actually tell us.
Guest: Jack Schneider, associate professor of education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and co-host of the education policy podcast “Have You Heard.”
If you enjoy this show, please consider signin
What Next TBD: Big Brother, Big Tech and China
There are some 400 million surveillance cameras installed in China, one for every three to four civilians. Built with the help of American tech companies, the surveillance state was pitched to the public as a way to make society safer and more efficient. But after severe lockdowns during COVID, the public has been objecting out of the eye of the camera lens. Protests are being written on bathroom walls.
Guest: Josh Chin, deputy bureau chief, China, for the Wall Street Journal
Host: Lizzie O’Le
Political Gabfest Bonus Episode: The PA Midterms Edition
David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson talk to civil rights journalist and WHYY radio host Cherri Gregg about the Pennsylvania midterm campaigns.
Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.
Research by Bridgette Dunlap
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Jim Crow’s Killers
For every civil rights martyr like Emmett Till, there were many other Black Americans who were brutalized or killed by racist violence in the early 20th century and remain largely unknown. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Margaret Burnham, author of By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners. This new book unravels many of the lesser known stories of racist violence, the perpetrators, victims, and survivors. It’s also offering descendants of victims a pla
Political Gabfest: Are British Politics More Or Less Crazy Than Ours?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the final midterm sprint; the latest British Prime Minister; and Trump’s legal troubles.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Adrian Wooldridge for Bloomberg: “Rishi Sunak Is a New and Old-Fashioned Tory”
Barton Gellman for The Atlantic: “The Impeachment of Joe Biden”
The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward's Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump
Nathaniel Rakich for FiveThirtyEight: “The Most Important Electi
The Waves: Hocus Pocus Has No Focus
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion is joined by Jess Zimmerman, who writes about witches, feminism, and all the scary ladies. They sit down to unpack their feelings about Disney’s Hocus Pocus films - both past and present and how the witch discussion has changed in the thirty years between movies.
In Slate Plus, is Taylor Swift’s Anti Hero music video feminist?
Recommendations:
Rebecca: The audiobook of The Mercies by Kiran Milwood Hargrave and read by Jess
What Next TBD: Twitter Is Dead; Long Live Twitter
Twitter has been a lot of things—where you posted your lunch, where you met your people, where you were subjected to a harassment campaign. Now, as Elon Musk prepares to take the reins, where is it headed?
Guest: Will Oremus, technology reporter for the Washington Post.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be
What Next: When Child Protective Services Gets It Wrong
An investigation into child welfare agencies around the country uncovered that the vast majority of searches of home environments happen without anything like a warrant, increasing the stress for parents as well as the children whose welfare is supposed to be being protected.
Guest: Eli Hager, ProPublica reporter covering issues affecting children and teens in the Southwest.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any
What Next: The True Origins of the U.K.’s Political Mess
The truth is, no one ever had a workable plan for Brexit. And as Liz Truss becomes the fourth Prime Minister to resign since the referendum and Rishi Sunak steps in as tribute, it’s an important lesson for voters on any side of the Atlantic: You can’t stake your party—or your country’s future—on a lie.
Guest: Felix Salmon, host of Slate Money, chief financial correspondent at Axios.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero
What Next: Is Fetterman's Disability Anyone’s Business?
Reporters have questioned whether Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, who had a stroke in May, is competent to serve in the U.S. Senate. The attention on his apparent aphasia – or ability to process conversation and speak clearly – reveals the biases that keep many disabled people from disclosing their conditions or even running for office in the first place.
Guest: Sara Luterman, caregiving reporter for The 19th News.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate
What Next: How DeSantis Redrew Florida’s Map
Ron DeSantis broke with tradition when he rejected the Florida legislature’s redistricting map and presented his own. But by splitting a majority Black district in northern Florida into four other districts, he may have violated both Florida and federal laws against gerrymandering.
Guest: Joshua Kaplan, reporter at ProPublica.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow
A Word: We Won’t Black Down
In 2020, the Black vote proved critical for Joe Biden in key states, and helped win the Senate for the Democrats. But in the years since, Republican leaders have pushed through laws aimed at discouraging and diluting the power of the Black vote. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with Cliff Albright, executive director of the Black Voters Matter Fund, about why fighting for ballot access remains essential, even in the face of violence.
Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanj
What Next TBD: Can We Make an Alzheimer’s Drug That Works?
Alzheimer’s treatment hasn’t changed much in the past two decades, and the way researchers have been thinking about and approaching the disease may be to blame.
Guest: Damian Garde, reporter for Stat covering the biotech industry.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What
The Waves: Why You Hate Women’s Voices
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior supervising producer of audio Daisy Rosario is joined by author Elissa Bassist to talk about women’s voices. They discuss Elissa’s new book, Hysterical and unpack why we cringe when we hear vocal fry, and ask why we don’t have similar words to describe male vocal ticks. Later in the show, they dig into how the fear of scrutiny women have over their voices silences them in ways you haven’t imagined.
In Slate Plus, Elissa talks about her involvem
Political Gabfest: The Polls Do Not Look Amazing For Democrats
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson concerning polls for Democrats, women protesting Iran’s regime, and the trial of Arkansas’ law targeting trans kids.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Roya Hakakian for The Atlantic: “The Bonfire of the Headscarves”
A Beginner’s Guide to America for the Immigrant and the Curious, by Roya Hakakian
Matthew Yglesias for Slow Boring: “Pre-Registering Some Takes On The Midterms: Why I Think Democrats Will Undershoot T
What Next TBD: When An Algorithm Raises Your Rent
One company’s software is helping set prices for apartments across the country. But when does an algorithm telling landlords how much to charge—by drawing on property data—cross the line from “handy tool” to “illegal price-fixing”?
Guest: Heather Vogell, reporter with ProPublica
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and
What Next: What Happened to Kanye West?
You can divide the career of the artist formerly known as Kanye West into chapters using off-script televised moments—announcing “George W. Bush doesn’t care about Black people” during a Hurricane Katrina telethon; interrupting Taylor Swift on stage at the VMAs; calling 400 years of slavery a choice in the TMZ offices. Now his Tucker Carlson appearance and subsequent bans from social media for antisemitic posts have Ye entering the “buying Parler phase” of his career. Fans of the “old Kanye” are
What Next: GOP to Cities: Drop Dead
Republican rhetoric paints America’s cities as cesspools of crime, homeless and, uh, out-of-touch elites, and the party has largely given up courting urban voters. The GOP may be able to hold on to power thanks to voting systems that favor rural areas, but legislating as though their responsibilities stop at the city lines is a growing concern for the Americans who actually live there.
Guest: Henry Grabar, staff writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plu
What Next: Five Years of #MeToo
Five years after exposés in the New Yorker and New York Times, Harvey Weinstein is in jail—but a major rallying point of #MeToo was just how widespread this sexual harassment, abuse, and violence really is in workplaces across industries. Looking back, from the top of media to blue- and pink-collar work, how much has the #MeToo movement changed?
Guest: Christina Cauterucci, senior writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefit
What Next: An American Surgeon in Wartime Ukraine
As a Syrian American surgeon living in Chicago, Dr. Samer Attar felt compelled to be of service during the Syrian civil war, when doctors were being driven underground by Syria’s Russia-backed military. When Russian bombs began raining down in Ukraine this year, Dr. Attar once more raised his hand to cross the border and treat the war-wounded.
Guest: Dr. Samer Attar, associate professor of surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
If you enjoy this show, please consider
What Next TBD: Are You Ready to Be Composted When You Die?
The idea of composting a human body may seem unsettling—or even gross—and it runs counter to the normal American funeral rites of embalming and internment, which preserve the body. But advocates say it’s a greener and more peaceful way to return our bodies to the Earth.
Guest: Eleanor Cummins, science journalist
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like
How Tech Can Help—or Harm—Racial Justice
From Ferguson to Minneapolis, protests against racist policing have been catalyzed by videos of the brutality being spread on social media. On today’s A Word, Jason Johnson sits down with Dr. Ruha Benjamin to talk about her book, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want, and where social sciences and technology intersect.
Guest: Ruha Benjamin
You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.
Learn more about your
Political Gabfest Bonus Edition: Michigan and Arizona Midterms
David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson talk to Craig Mauger of The Detroit News about the major midterm elections in the swing state of Michigan. Then the hosts speak with the Washington Post’s Yvonne Wingett Sanchez about the MAGA diehards and their opponents in Arizona’s midterm election.
Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.
Rese
The Waves: Why the Law Cares About Your Sex
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate homepage editor Sol Werthan sits down with trans rights activist and author, Paisley Currah. They discuss Paisley’s new book, Sex Is As Sex Does and discuss why “male” and “female” are used as a legal and social classifier. And why, even for cis people who identify with the gender binary, that might not be the right way to go.
In Slate Plus, Sol and Paisley talk about the politicization of trans kids.
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial o
Political Gabfest: Clarence Thomas Is A Prince Fan
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson LA’s racism & redistricting scandal, the Andy Warhol copyright case at the Supreme Court, and developments in Putin’s war on Ukraine.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Putin’s Newest Annexation Is Dire for Russia Too”
Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “The Kremlin Must Be in Crisis”
They Might Be Giants - Gab On (Theme to the Slate Political Gabfest)
Here are this week’s chatters:
What Next TBD: The Next Amazon Union Fight
Following their victory in Staten Island, the Amazon Labor Union is still facing an uphill battle. Both the company and the union are closely watching the organizing vote at a warehouse outside of Albany, NY.
Guest: Noam Scheiber, labor reporter for the New York Times.
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be su
What Next: How Bad Is the Economy Going to Get?
With inflation up and unemployment down, the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates and signaling that they’re willing to risk a lot to stall the rising price of everything. But is Jerome Powell doing too much—or is he already too late to avoid a painful recession?
Guest: Jordan Weissmann, senior editor at Slate reporting on economics, politics, and public policy.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate po
What Next: How Is Herschel Walker Still in This?
Herschel Walker’s campaign for the U.S. Senate has been rocky to say the least, with revelations of heretofore-unmentioned children, accusations of domestic abuse, and multiple abortions paid for by the aggressively pro-life candidate. Yet the race remains close with Reverend Raphael Warnock—and the outcome could determine which party controls the Senate.
Guest: Greg Bluestein, political reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate
What Next: Roger Stone’s January 6th
When the January 6 committee reconvenes, one their first orders of business will likely concern longtime GOP operative and Trump ally Roger Stone. What have lawmakers discovered in the raw footage from a Danish documentary team, and Stone’s personal text messages? And what does it reveal about January 6?
Guest: Josh Meyer, USA Today’s domestic security correspondent.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate
What Next: Amicus: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Gives SCOTUS a History Lesson
What Next is still enjoying the three-day weekend, so we proudly present this special episode of Amicus.
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by two key players from this week’s consequential voting rights cases at the US Supreme Court. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s senior counsel Deuel Ross argued part of Merrill v Milligan at the High Court on Tuesday, and Evan Milligan of Alabama Forward is the named plaintiff in one of a pair of cases that argued that Alabama’s congressional maps are r
A Word: Bleeding Heart on the Bayou
The new Interview With the Vampire television series is giving life to a whole new generation of fans who love the human monsters created by the late Anne Rice. On today’s episode of A Word, actor Jacob Anderson talks with Jason Johnson about his role as the reimagined blood sucker, and his career as a singer and sci-fi screen star.
Guest: Jacob Anderson
Podcast production by Yanii Evans
You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 f
What Next TBD: When Your Church Surveils Your Phone
Churches are using accountability apps to keep tabs on their members' behavior. But if your pastor wants to monitor your phone, can you truly consent?
Guest: Dhruv Mehrotra
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Why Are We Obsessed With Queens?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion is joined by Slate contributing writer Imogen West-Knights to talk all about queens. From the daily news to Sunday nights on HBO, queens are everywhere right now. Rebecca and Imogen talk about the enduring appeal of shows like The Crown, House of the Dragon, Victoria, and more and what these representations are lacking.
In Slate Plus, is the modern iteration of Hillary Clinton still feminist?
Recommendations:
Rebecca: Dirt
What Next TBD: Could the Supreme Court Kill the Internet As We Know It?
Twenty-six words defined the internet as we know it today. What happens if they’re deleted?
Guest: Jeff Kosseff
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Political Gabfest: What Is Herschel Walker Lying About Today?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the new Supreme Court term; Herschel Walker’s abortion lies; and the legal mess Dobbs created for doctors providing abortion via telemedicine.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Emily Bazelon for The New York Times Magazine: “The Doctors Risking Everything to Offer Abortions Across State Lines”
The New York Times: “Is Elon Musk’s Deal to Buy Twitter Back On? Here’s What We Know.”
Here are this week’s chatt
What Next: Putin Is in a Dangerous Spot
With the war turning towards Ukraine’s favor, Vladimir Putin is becoming more isolated and more dangerous. Can Ukrainians expel the Russians—or the Russians expel Putin—while avoiding the worst-case scenario?
Guest: Bryan Bender, senior national correspondent for POLITICO.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the wor
What Next: Congress Can't Quit the Stock Market
A bipartisan effort to prevent members of Congress from trading stock while in office is wildly popular. But so far, no such bill has gained much traction on Capitol Hill. Why?
Guest: Sam Brodey, congressional reporter for The Daily Beast.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up
What Next: The Baby Formula Crisis Is Still Happening
The drastic shortage of infant formula this spring revealed how flaws in food regulation and the supply chain can threaten this most vulnerable part of our population—and everyone else.
Guest: Helena Bottemiller Evich, founder of Food Fix, a publication about food policy.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work
What Next: What Venezuelan Migrants Are Fleeing
Venezuela has lost about a fifth of its population since its economic collapse in 2014. Roughly 6.8 million people have fled the country, creating one of the largest refugee crises in the world. Why does Venezuela’s free-fall continue? And how is the U.S. government responding to increasing numbers of Venezuelan refugees?
Guest: Cindy Arnson, a distinguished fellow at The Wilson Center and former director of its Latin American Program.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate
What Next TBD: The Philosopher With Silicon Valley's Ear
Longtermism, the idea that positively influencing the future is a key moral priority of our time, is hot in Silicon Valley. But does it miss the bigger picture?
Guests: William MacAskill, Robert Wright
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Case for Critical Race Theory
For decades, critical race theory was something discussed almost exclusively by scholars and academics. That was before conservatives turned it into a political football, even though most couldn’t define it properly. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by UCLA Law Professor LaToya Baldwin Clark, a leader of CRT Forward. That’s a project that tracks attacks on CRT, and works to reframe the public policy discussion around it. She and her colleagues say CRT could play a vital role
The Waves: Do Co-Ed Sports Hurt Girls?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus and transgender journalist Evan Urquhart pose the question: Do we really need to separate sports by sex? The pair discusses Maggie Merten’s recent piece in The Atlantic, “Separating Sports By Sex Doesn’s Make Sense” and what role biology does (and doesn’t) play in determining who the top player on the field is. Later in the show, Shannon and Evan talk about why co-ed sports would be great for transgender youth.
In Slate Plu
Amicus: A Hair-Raising SCOTUS Curtain-Raiser
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern and Jay Willis of Balls and Strikes for a preview of the big cases headed our way this Supreme Court term. They tackle cases concerning voting rights, indigenous rights, environmental protection and affirmative action, before turning their attention to the tricky business of covering a court that is radically changed and how the traditionally deferential Supreme Court press corps needs to update its methods and reporting in response.
Dahlia’
Political Gabfest: Is the Polling Wrong?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss potential polling inaccuracy, Brett Favre and the larger scandal of states misusing federal welfare funding, and Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s take on Italy’s neo-fascist future Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Nate Cohen for The New York Times: “Yes, The Polling Warning Signs Are Flashing Again”
Anna Wolfe and Mississippi Today’s coverage of the Mississippi welfare scandal.
Annie Lowry
What Next TBD: When Climate Change Makes You Sell Your House
With disaster relief funds from Hurricane Harvey, Houston's Harris County instituted a mandatory buyout program for residents in flood-prone areas. But some residents didn't want to leave.
Guest: Amal Ahmed, Dolores Mendoza
Host: Mary C. Curtis
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Does the NBA Have a Bully Problem?
Last week, Robert Sarver, the owner of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, announced he would be selling both teams. The decision came after ESPN revealed nearly two decades of harassing behavior by Sarver, and after the NBA slapped him with a one-year suspension and $10 million fine. How was Sarver’s bullying able to go unchecked for so long? Does his departure signal a positive step forward for professional U.S. basketball, or a continuation of the status quo?
Guest: Amira R
What Next: What Iranian Protesters Need Now
What began as a revolt in the wake of an overstep by Iran’s morality police has evolved into a mass movement calling for “death to the dictator.” Protests in Iran are nothing new, but these demonstrations strike at the heart of the Islamic Republic’s repressive regime. Could the nascent movement change a sclerotic regime?
Guest: Gissou Nia, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Litigation Project.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get
What Next: What's Up With the Midterms?
For decades, the conventional wisdom surrounding the midterm elections has been that the party in the White House will lose the seats in the House, Senate, or both. Earlier this year, skyrocketing gas prices and Biden’s sinking approval rating portended misfortune for Democrats, particularly those in swing districts. But now, the fall of Roe and some snappy social media campaigns have shaken up most politicos’ predictions.Guest: Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Rep
What Next: What's Up With the Midterms?
For decades, the conventional wisdom surrounding the midterm elections has been that the party in the White House will lose the seats in the House, Senate, or both. Earlier this year, skyrocketing gas prices and Biden’s sinking approval rating portended misfortune for Democrats, particularly those in swing districts. But now, the fall of Roe and some snappy social media campaigns have shaken up most politicos’ predictions.Guest: Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Rep
What Next: Election Fraud Evangelists Coming to a Town Near You
The 2022 midterms are about to happen, but many Republicans still cling to the big lies that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, or that Joe Biden could have only won through massive fraud. How do you hold an election when a large number of voters, officials, and even candidates are convinced the whole thing is rigged? How do you fight misinformation when it rolls into town like a circus?
Guests:
Annie Gowen, Midwest correspondent for the Washington Post.
Robyn Holmes, county clerk
A Word: The Kids are Alright
The growing racial diversity in American public schools is often framed as a challenge. In the new documentary Defining US: Children at the Crossroads of Change, veteran educator Paul Forbes focuses on the hard work of understanding how structural racism affects schools. The film spotlights success stories among “at risk” students of color, and the dedicated teachers who are making the system work for them. On today’s episode of A Word, Paul Forbes joins Jason Johnson to talk about Defining US,
What Next TBD: Can Nuclear Power Be Green?
Nuclear technology has become more important than ever, thanks to a global energy crisis and climate change. But it also has a complicated history.
Guest: Joshua Keating
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Free Britney. From Her Fans.
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Nicole Lewis, former Slate senior editor and Daisy Rosario, senior supervising producer of audio at Slate, talk about Britney…bitch. Mega-pop star Britney Spears is trying to navigate her life after being released from the court order that gave her father almost total control of her life. But the fans that put her conservatorship in the spotlight still can’t let her go. Nicole and Daisy unpack the toxic relationship between Britney Spears and fame—as well as
Political Gabfest: Ron DeSantis’ Sadistic Plan
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson New York’s massive fraud case against the Trumps; Ron DeSantis’ treatments of asylum seekers; and Dahlia Lithwick’s Lady Justice.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Trading Barriers: Immigration and the Remaking of Globalization, Margaret E. Peters
Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America, by Dahlia Lithwick
Ruth Igielnik for The New York Times: “Trump Support Remains Unmoved by Investigations
What Next TBD: The Fight Over Online Speech Headed to the Supreme Court
Conservative lawmakers in Florida and Texas are taking aim at content moderation on social media, with implications that go far beyond just the platforms.
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Puerto Rico Without Power, Again
When Hurricane Maria hit in 2017, it destroyed Puerto Rico’s power grid, leaving vast swathes of the island in the dark and claiming almost 3,000 lives. $9.5 billion was set aside to rejuvenate the island’s power grid and the government-run utility company was taken over by a private one. But five years later, before Hurricane Fiona even hit, the island lost electricity. How could this happen—again?
Guest: Gloria Gonzalez is the Deputy Energy Editor at POLITICO
If you enjoy this show, please
What Next: A Student Ran For School Board … and Won
Public schools have become hotly debated—what’s on the curriculum and what isn’t; which books are allowed and which aren’t. But one voice frequently missing from these debates is that of the people most affected: students.
One high school senior in Idaho decided to speak up by running for school board, and he won by unseating an incumbent who had been endorsed by right-wing extremists.
Guest: Shiva Rajbandari, senior at Boise High School and recently elected member to the Boise School Distri
What Next: Is Hunter Biden’s Laptop Actually a Big Deal?
An obsession with Hunter Biden’s laptop has been written off as the byproduct of a right-wing media bubble—but the reality is that what you don’t know can hurt you. It’s past time for Democrats and their supporters to confront some uncomfortable facts.
Guest: Olivia Nuzzi, Washington Correspondent for New York magazine.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and
What Next: Abortion Can’t Be Settled by the States
For years anti-abortion activists have argued that Roe v. Wade wasn’t just immoral, it was federal overreach, and abortion laws should be written on the state level. Only months after Roe’s overturn, district courts are hearing cases that demonstrate why that won’t work—and Republican senators are proposing a national ban on abortions after 15 weeks.
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer covering courts and the law for Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus
A Word: Teaching While Black
The student body of America’s public schools is more diverse than ever, with a solid majority of children of color. But the teacher corp doesn’t reflect that diversity. Fewer than a quarter of American teachers are non-white, and fewer than 10 percent of teachers are Black. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by former U.S. Secretary of Education John King about what’s driving Black teachers from the classroom, and the efforts to bring more young teachers in.
Guest: John King,
What Next TBD: The Hidden Abuse Behind Those Spam Texts You're Getting
Victims of a new and high tech kind of human trafficking are forced to scam people all around the world.
Guest: Cezary Podkul
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Human Trafficking’s Newest Abuse: Forcing Victims Into Cyberscamming
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: How to Live With Your Partner’s PTSD
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus sits down with writer and political scientist Virginia Eubanks. They talk about Virginia’s New York Times magazine essay , “His PTSD, and My Struggle to Live With It,” and how the condition is more widespread than most people realize, even as terms like “trauma” and “triggered” are tossed around cavalierly. Later in the show, they talk about why you shouldn’t give unsolicited advice to people living with PTSD—and what kind of
Political Gabfest: What if Ukraine Wins?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Ukraine’s advances with Anne Applebaum; Lindsey Graham’s national abortion ban bill; and the controversy over requiring religious schools in New York to meet minimum educational standards.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “It’s Time to Prepare for a Ukrainian Victory”
Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “The Other Ukrainian Army”
Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine, by Anne
What Next TBD: How Big Internet Keeps Small Communities Disconnected
A small parish in Louisiana tried to get affordable, fast internet. An incumbent ISP stopped them.
Guest: Issie Lapowsky, Wanda Manning
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Master of Monkeypox Messaging
One of the many things laid bare by COVID-19 was the importance of public health messaging—and the many ways it can fail. So when monkeypox began spreading in the U.S., the White House found someone who understands just how important it is to know your audience.
Guest: Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator and former director of the CDC Division of HIV Prevention.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members
What Next: If Russia Loses the War
A Ukrainian counteroffensive has pushed Russian forces back to the east surprisingly quickly and effectively. Military experts are now wondering if Ukraine will win the war outright and avoid the stalemate that seemed likely only a few weeks ago. But if Vladamir Putin starts to feel the heat both in the field and from citizens at home, what is he capable of? And lacking a mechanism to remove their leader from office, what can Russians do?
Guest: Fred Kaplan is Slate’s war stories correspondent
What Next: The U.K.’s Actual Leadership Crisis
The United Kingdom is saddled with an energy crisis, a pandemic-weary national health service, and continued economic fallout from Brexit. For now, the country is observing an official mourning period, after losing its longest-serving monarch. But soon it will be time for King Charles and newly-installed Prime Minister Liz Truss to show what they’ll do to lead the U.K. through what’s expected to be a grim winter.
Guest: Charlotte Ivers, political correspondent for Times Radio, and columnist fo
What Next: The Starbucks Unions' Next Fight
Unions have won more elections in 2022 than they have in nearly 20 years, and they’re making in-roads in high-turnover, retail and service jobs like Starbucks, Chipotle and Amazon. As corporate leaders close down stores, fire union stalwarts, and stall bargaining, unionized workers fear they may never get a contract.
Guest: Rani Molla, senior correspondent at Recode covering business, technology, and the future of work.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate
A Word: Save the Children
Over the last two decades, suicide among Black youth has surged to crisis levels. And many schools, doctors and parents are unprepared to recognize the signs early enough to stop a tragedy. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Kevin Simon to discuss the issue. Dr. Simon is also the Chief Behavioral Health Officer for the city of Boston, and a leading voice in preventing suicides among African American children.
Guest: Dr. Kevin Simon,
What Next TBD: The Chaos That Made YouTube a Juggernaut
An inside look at the rise of YouTube into a social media behemoth.
Guests: Mark Bergen and Claire Stapleton
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How To!: Have a Healthier News Diet
In the second of a two-part episode on reimagining the news we continue our conversation with Nicole Lewis, Senior Editor of Jurisprudence at Slate, and a longtime reporter on the criminal justice beat; and David Bornstein, co-founder/CEO of the Solutions Journalism Network, and former contributor to the New York Times’ Fixes column. The discussion picks up where we left off on how journalists can regain the trust of their audience, and how news consumers can find stories that inspire hope, agen
How To!: Unbreak the News
About five or six years ago, host Amanda Ripley started noticing that her normal news diet left her feeling depleted and depressed. She tried mixing up her news habits, even avoiding it for awhile, but nothing helped. It felt like a shameful secret. Shouldn’t journalists love consuming the news? She began to wonder, is it me....or is it the news itself? On this episode of How To!, the first of two parts, we’ll hear from several of our listeners who feel the same way. We’ll also talk with Nicole
The Waves: The Undying Appeal of Very Sexy Trash
On this week’s episode of The Waves, erotic thrillers are making a comeback and The Waves is ready to dig into it. Freelance podcaster and writer, Nichole Perkins is joined by Slate features editor Jeffrey Bloomer to talk about why they love these movies, while also acknowledging the many flaws they contain. Then, Nichole and Jeffrey talk about what they want to see change and evolve as we enter into a new era of erotic thrillers.
In Slate Plus, is taking your partner’s last name feminist?
What Next TBD: Can A.I. Make Great Art?
Technology is transforming the creative economy and ideas about what "art" even is.
Guest: Drew Harwell
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Political Gabfest: Semi-Fascist
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the inexplicable success of Trump’s special master gambit in the Espionage Act investigation, Biden calling out anti-democratic elements of the electorate; and the roots of the Jackson, MS water crisis.
Here are this week’s chatters:
John: Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius for The Great Courses: Turning Points in Modern History
Emily: Jerusalem Demsas for The Atlantic: “What’s Causing Black Flight?”
David: Pepperidge Farm Far
What Next: The DeSantis Ally on the School Board
Under Governor Ron DeSantis, the Parental Rights in Education Act—what critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill—and “curriculum transparency” laws are going into effect in Florida schools. Supporters say the laws are there to protect students and keep them from being “indoctrinated.” But the state now faces a “critical teacher shortage” and teachers are pointing to state intervention as a reason for low morale.
Guest: Bridget Ziegler, Sarasota County school board member and co-founder of Moms fo
What Next: An Out Teen in the “Don’t Say Gay” State
Today’s high schoolers have lived in an America with legally recognized gay marriage for nearly half of their lives, but this fall, Florida students are starting the first school year under the “Parental Rights in Education” law, a.k.a. “Don’t Say Gay,” and LGBTQ students are bracing for a very different classroom experience.
Guest: Will Larkins, a 17-year-old senior at Winter Park High School, Florida and cofounder of the school’s Queer Student Union.
If you enjoy this show, please consider s
What Next: The Christian College Upending Florida's Schools
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has encouraged a small Christian college to exert an unusual amount of influence over education policy. Hillsdale College is an institution growing in notoriety among conservative luminaries. Now, Hillsdale is using Florida public schools as a laboratory for its plans to reshape public education across the country.
Guest: Anita Carson, a former sixth-grade teacher in Florida, and Sommer Brugal, education reporter for the Miami Herald.
If you enjoy this show, pleas
What Next TBD: The Summer Vaccine of the Future
LYMErix, the first vaccine against Lyme, was pulled from the market amid poor sales and pressure from the public. Now, over 20 years later, a new vaccine is in late-stage trials.
Guest: Cassandra Willyard
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: A Dream Defaulted: Black College Debt
While political conservatives slammed it as wasteful, President Biden’s student debt plan was greeted with relief by many borrowers. But questions remain about whether it goes far enough to help most of the Black students burdened by student loans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the issue with Professor Fenaba Addo, co-author of A Dream Defaulted: The Student Loan Crisis Among Black Borrowers.
Guest: UNC Professor Fenaba Addo, co-author of A Dream Defaulted: The Student L
Political Gabfest: Diligent Search
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Trump’s strange legal maneuvering in the obstruction investigation; what Trump’s second term would do to U.S. democracy; and what voters deserve to know about a candidate’s health.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Jonathan Rauch for The Atlantic “Trump’s Second Term Would Look Like This”
Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton
Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James
Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad
Lord Ji
The Waves: Why Women Carry the Bulk of Student Debt
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Lizzie O'Leary host of What Next: TBD is joined by Emily Peck co-host of Slate Money to explain the new Student Debt Relief Plan. They delve into the reason women often carry more debt on average and why they stand to benefit the most from even modest relief. Then, Lizzie and Emily unpack debt-relief criticism itself, what Biden’s plan does well, and where it could improve.
In Slate Plus, some hard-hitting, in-depth analysis on whether or not laundry-folding
What Next TBD: A.I. Made to Fight Child Porn Ensnared an Innocent Dad
A father took a photo of his son for their doctor. He wound up being investigated by the police.
Guest: Kashmir Hill
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Best Of 2022 | The Michigan Democrat Who Said “Enough”
Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow went viral in April for striking back at an extreme characterization made by a Republican colleague. The video of McMorrow’s speech—viewed over 14 million times—tells a bigger story about how national political rhetoric is affecting local political debates. But is the senator really demonstrating how to reset the terms of debate? Or is she just one more person who went viral for speaking to her echo chamber?
As summer winds down, we're replaying some of o
What Next: Best Of 2022 | When Your Book Gets Banned By the School Board
Banning books in schools is on the rise. Around the country, parents are lobbying to banish from libraries and curriculums any work they deem to be “graphic” or “offensive,” often sweeping up books centered on queer or POC experiences in the process. Some authors say that’s no coincidence - nor is it surprising that this is happening just as the publishing industry is remaking itself to tell more diverse stories. The question is, what’s the best way to respond to the outrage?
This week as we wi
What Next: Best Of 2022 | The NFL’s Race Problem
Until last month, Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and one of only three Black head coaches among the NFL’s 32 teams. That number has since dropped to one.
On Tuesday, Flores announced he was suing the NFL, alleging that the league's hiring practices are racist. His suit comes almost 20 years after the creation of the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for senior positions, and eight years after Colin Kaepernick was black-balled from
What Next: Best Of 2022 | Ginni Thomas Wanted a Revolution
Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is a fervent right-wing activist. She was also a supporter of the attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, as evidenced by a batch of texts shared with the congressional committee investigating January 6th.
The Ginni Thomas texts create a conflict of interest for Justice Clarence Thomas as he hears cases pertaining to the insurrection. But the Supreme Court is not expected to do much to dispel notion
What Next TBD: The Streaming TV Bloodbath
Shows are disappearing. Staff are getting axed. Is It greed, or necessary for the networks' survival?
Guest: Julia Alexander
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Ballers and Shot Callers
Are you ready for some football! After decades of being kept out of the quarterback position, more Black quarterbacks are creating success and finding stardom in the NFL. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by ESPN’s Jason Reid, author of “Rise of the Black Quarterback: What It Means for America.” They discuss how the business and politics of race have changed for football’s most sought after players, and what challenges remain for Black quarterbacks.
Guest: Sports writer Jaso
The Waves: Why Jane Austen Still Slaps
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by culture writer Anna Nordberg to talk all about Jane Austen. The romance novelist may have written her seven books well over a century ago, but as Cheyna and Anna discuss, her work still endures in popular culture. They talk about why Austen’s characters are even more modern than the men and women we see on screen today and why some of the men are kind of meh. Later in the show, they talk about what makes an endea
One Year 1986: No Crime Day
Basketball star Isiah Thomas had an audacious plan to transform Detroit: asking criminals to stay on the good side of the law for 24 hours. Would “No Crime Day” set the city on a new path, or was it a recipe for failure?
One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin.
Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts and Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director.
Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get acce
Political Gabfest: Could the Democrats Actually Win?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss what the special election results suggest for the midterms, an unprecedented $1.6B donation to a secretive conservative organization; and Biden’s student loan forgiveness and repayment plans.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGhee
The Sum of Us podcast
Here are this week’s chatters:
John: The Bullshit Generator; The Ag
What Next TBD: The Hacker Blowing the Whistle on Twitter
Legendary hacker Peiter "Mudge" Zatko’s reputation in the cybersecurity world is unmatched. His allegations against Twitter’s security are all the more damning because of it.
Guest: Joseph Menn
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: How Serena Transcended Tennis
After winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, and over $100 million in prize money, this month Serena Williams announced the end of her professional tennis career. While her on-court accomplishments and longevity put her in the sporting pantheon, her cultural impact is just as remarkable.
Guest: Amira Rose Davis, assistant professor of Black studies at the University of Texas Austin and co-host of the feminist sports podcast Burn It All Down.
If you enjoy this show, pl
What Next: Abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention
The Department of Justice announced this month that they were investigating allegations that leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention mishandled sexual abuse accusations for decades. How have abusers exploited the church’s decentralized structure and notions of forgiveness to avoid accountability, and how have church teachings about sexuality and “purity culture” allowed the abuse to continue?
Guest: Robert Downen, reporter at the Houston Chronicle.
Jules Woodson, co-Founder & COO of Help;Hea
What Next: Oklahoma's Upcoming Execution Spree
Despite its fraught history of botched executions, the state of Oklahoma is preparing to begin a 29 month execution spree this week. 25 dates have been set for men with severe mental illness, personal histories of childhood abuse, inadequate legal representation, or claims of innocence. Though these inmates have been deemed "the worst of the worst," activist nun Sister Helen Prejean implores the world to look at fuller pictures of their lives, and seek out an alternative to the death penalty.
G
What Next: The Migrants Texas Sent to New York City
As part of a stunt to protest the Biden administration’s immigration policies, the governors of Texas and Arizona have been sending bus-loads of migrants to DC and New York without any support. Immigrant advocate groups are scrambling to take care of these people, who were vulnerable well before being used as political props.
Guest: Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director at New York Immigration Coalition & NYIC Action
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus mem
What Next TBD: We're Expecting the Wrong Things From the CDC
There's no way to remove politics from public health.
Guest: Tim Requarth
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Black Wombs Matter
The U.S. has some of the worst maternal mortality rates in the industrialized world. And African Americans are three times more likely to die in childbirth than whites. The documentary Aftershock focuses on how the healthcare system is failing Black mothers at the most vulnerable time of their lives, and how their families are fighting to change that. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with the film’s co-director and co-producer Tonya Lewis Lee about the history of the crisis and
Political Gabfest: The Martyrdom of Liz Cheney
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Benjamin Wittes discuss the Trump investigations; Liz Cheney’s defeat; and Dana Goldstein’s reporting on controversies over how to teach kids to read.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Jack Goldsmith for Lawfare: “Prosecuting Trump: A Reply to Josh Marshall”
Dana Goldstein for The New York Times: “An Old and Contested Solution to Boost Reading Scores: Phonics”
Dana Goldstein The New York Times: “In the Fight Over How to Teach Re
The Waves: It’s Not TV. It’s a Sh*tshow.
On this week’s episode of The Waves, the streaming wars have come for us all. The Daily Beast’s Allegra Frank sits down with Inkoo Kang of The Washington Post to talk about what happened at HBO and where gender fits into it all. HBO Max recently canceled the nearly done Batgirl, and has been quietly removing content from its streaming service as it prepares to merge with Discovery+. Allegra and Inkoo talk about how streaming services reducing their content offering likely spells trouble for non-
What Next TBD: What All That Money for Green Tech in the Climate Bill Is Buying
The Inflation Reduction Act is spurring progress towards new climate technology that, at times, sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. Will it make a dent in the fight against climate change?
Guest: Pranshu Verma
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Red States Punishing Green Businesses
State treasurers in red states have been banding together to punish companies that are trying to divest themselves from the fossil fuel industry. But it isn’t clear if, say, BlackRock needs West Virginia more than West Virginia needs BlackRock. And this new front in the culture war may come with a bill that taxpayers have to pay.
Guest: David Gelles, correspondent on the Climate desk at The New York Times, covering the intersection of public policy and the private sector.
If you enjoy this s
What Next: Will Kentucky Fail Breonna Taylor Again?
When Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron investigated the night Breonna Taylor was killed, his office concluded that the two officers who shot Taylor acted in good faith while executing the warrant provided. The Department of Justice’s investigation, however, suggests the warrant itself had false information, without which officers would never have been at Taylor’s home in the first place. Now a candidate for governor, will Cameron pay for his inattention in this high-profile case?
Guest:
What Next: What the DOJ Should Do About Trump
After an FBI search of Mar-a-lago last week, it was revealed that Donald Trump is being investigated for federal crimes including violating the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice, and criminal handling of government records. How can the Justice Department do its job with the former president calling the investigation a hoax and his supporters demonstrating a willingness to respond violently? Who should be worried here?
Guest: Ankush Khardori, contributing writer for New York Magazine's Inte
What Next: Who Influences the Influencers?
During his presidency, Donald Trump demonstrated the power that social media can have in politics. Now, influencers are taking money to spread messages from across the spectrum. Unlike political ads in older media, though, influencers don’t have to disclose who is paying them—or even that they’re being paid at all.
Guest: Ben Wofford, writer based at Stanford Law School, contributor to Wired.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits li
What Next TBD: Big Pharma’s Bet on Psychedelics
The psychedelic renaissance is here. But not everyone’s on board.
Guest: John Semley
Host: Sonari Glinton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Designing Wakanda
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters this November. The franchise has provided a showcase for African Americans across the entertainment industry, including those behind the scenes. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with one of those rising creatives, conceptual artist Phillip Boutte Jr. Boutte left an acting career for film design, working on several sci-fi blockbusters. They discuss how Black Panther has helped change the dynamic for African American film profe
Political Gabfest: What’s in Trump’s Safe?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Juliette Kayyem discuss the Mar-a-Lago search; the Inflation Reduction Act; and Caitlin Dickerson’s article investigating how separating families at the border became U.S. policy.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “An American Catastrophe: The Secret History of Family Separation”
Juliette Kayyem for The Atlantic: “The Bad and Good News About Trump’s Violent Supporters”
Curated Decay: Heritage
The Waves: Live. Laugh. Lexapro.
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus is joined by the managing editor of Future Tense, Mia Armstrong. This week is all about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of drugs commonly used to treat depression and anxiety. Shannon and Mia discuss their own experiences with their mental health and SSRIs. Then they dig into the cultural narrative around using medication for anxiety and depression,a recent study disproving an old adage about depressi
What Next TBD: Crypto Could Leave Texas in the Dark
Crypto mining is booming in Texas. Will the power grid be able to handle it?
Guest: Russell Gold
Host: Sonari Glinton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Crisis of Trust That Dobbs Created
New abortion restrictions following the repeal of Roe v. Wade have turned some reproductive care into a criminal liability. After a traumatic ectopic pregnancy, one Texas woman is wondering whether state laws delayed her diagnosis and treatment, ultimately leaving her with a ruptured fallopian tube.
Guest: Fatima Abdelwahab of Houston, Texas.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of
What Next: Is This Climate Bill Worth the Wait?
After decades of dragging their feet on action to slow climate change, the Senate passed what is modeled to be the most impactful climate policy yet. What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act, and how did Democrats finally get the mercurial Joe Manchin on board?
Guest: Robinson Meyer, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the newsletter The Weekly Planet.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonu
What Next: The Taliban vs. the Press
Afghan women and LGBTQ+ people immediately felt the impact of the Taliban’s return to power last year. But journalists trying to tell their stories could face intense and even violent backlash from the extremist group—like what happened to Lynne O’Donnell.
Guest: Lynne O’Donnell, columnist at Foreign Policy and former Afghanistan bureau chief for Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits lik
What Next: The New Era of Child Labor
With an ongoing labor shortage, companies turn to third-party labor brokers to fill jobs. But with little oversight and a surge of immigrants, the line between “ recruiter” and “ trafficker” gets blurred as vulnerable children are sent to work in dangerous conditions.
Guest: Mica Rosenberg, national immigration reporter for Reuters.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows lik
What Next TBD: The Monkeypox Vaccine Monopoly
It makes intuitive sense for companies that develop a technology to hold its intellectual property rights. But in the case of vaccines and medical treatments, IP laws slow down manufacturing and distribution and give private companies the power to make huge decisions that affect public health globally.
Guest: Zain Rizvi, researcher for advocacy group Public Citizen, specializing in pharmaceutical innovation and access to medicine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Full-Court Fighter
NBA star Bill Russell, the first Black American to coach a major-league sports team, died this week. His playing earned him 11 championships. His activism won him respect in the Black community, but the hatred of many white fans, and surveillance from the FBI during the civil rights era. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by sports journalist Howard Bryant to discuss Russell’s legacy, on and off the court.
Guest: Veteran sports journalist Howard Bryant
Podcast production by
The Waves: Liz Cheney’s Mom Energy
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci and Slate books and culture columnist Laura Miller talk all things Liz Cheney. They discuss Laura’s piece on how the Republican Congresswoman is coming across like a disappointed mom during the January 6 hearings—and whether comparing women politicians to mother figures is always sexist. Then they dig into what Cheney’s long-game is as she defies the Republican party and goes against Donald Trump.
In Slate Plus, Chris
Political Gabfest: Nothing’s The Matter With Kansas
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Heather McGhee discuss the primaries and Kansan voters’ defense of abortion; Alex Jones on trial; and Annie Lowrey’s story of surviving pregnancy in the United States.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Sam Adler-Bell for The New York Times: “The Violent Fantasies of Blake Masters”
Jason Beeferman for The Texas Tribune: “How Sandy Hook Lies and the Jan. 6 Inquiry Threaten to Undo Alex Jones”
Annie Lowrey for The Atlantic: “Ameri
What Next TBD: The Homes We Forgot to Build a Decade Ago
The US has been in a housing shortage for decades. Can it ever be fixed?
Guest: Conor Dougherty
Host: Emily Peck
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Democrats’ MAGA Gambit
In the primaries of purple states like Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, Trump-backed, far-right candidates have been getting a boost from a surprising source: the Democrats. Calculating that it will give their party the edge in general elections, local and national Dems have spent thousands elevating extremists. But will the strategy pay off?
Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer for Slate
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefi
What Next: Is It Time to Free the “Merchant of Death”?
Known as the “Merchant of Death,” Viktor Bout illegally ferried weapons, diamonds, and even UN peacekeepers around the world. The man who wrote the book on Bout thinks it’s time to send him home, if it can free Brittney Griner.
Guest: Douglas Farah, co-author of Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes and the Man Who Makes War Possible.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows l
What Next: Kansas's Sketchy Abortion Vote
Following a 2017 state supreme court decision, the right to an abortion is recognized by Kansas’s state constitution. But with some suspect scheduling and seemingly deliberately confusing language, citizens of Kansas are voting today on whether to return control over reproductive healthcare to the state’s deeply Republican legislature.
Guest: Stephen R. McAllister, former U.S. district attorney and University of Kansas law professor.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Sla
What Next: The Jan. 6 Rioter Whose Son Turned Him In
Like many families during the Trump years, the Reffitts fought about politics. But not many families had a son calling the FBI on his father. Now Guy Reffitt is facing a 15-year sentence for domestic terrorism for his actions on Jan. 6 while his loved ones pick up the pieces.
Guest: Ilya Marritz, senior reporter at WNYC, co-host of the Wondery podcast “Will be Wild”.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate pod
A Word: The Third COVID Summer
People are back in the office; schools are planning full classes in the fall; masks are seen less and less frequently. It’s the third COVID summer, but the latest variant of the virus is causing another surge in infection rates and hospitalizations. What do we need to do to protect ourselves now? And how can we be prepared for monkeypox, and the next pandemic?
Guest: Dr. Ebony Hilton, practicing physician, and a frequent medical analyst for MSNBC.
Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuo
What Next TBD: The Dark Web of Online Spider Sales
Researchers have untangled a world of illicit trade that threatens ecosystems and endangers species.
Guest: Dr. Alice Hughes, Richard Stewart
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Cafeteria Catholics Can Support Abortion Rights
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by staff writer Molly Olmstead to talk about the much-hyped threat against the Catholic Church in the wake of Roe’s dismantling. They talk about Molly’s piece, “Is the Catholic Church Under Attack” and where the vandalism against churches stacks up against other religious persecution. Then they take a look at “Cafeteria Catholics” - those who follow the religion, but not all the teachings at the top of the male hier
Political Gabfest: Did You Apologize to Manchin Yet?
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the surprise deal for climate legislation, new January 6th revelations, and the deadliest road in America.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Carol D. Leonnig, Devlin Barrett, Josh Dawsey and Spencer S. Hsu for The Washington Post: “Justice Dept. Investigating Trump’s Actions In Jan. 6 Criminal Probe”
Carol D. Leonnig and Maria Sacchetti for The Washington Post: “Secret Service Watchdog Knew in February Th
What Next: Why Adoption Isn’t Enough
Adoption is often invoked as an alternative to abortion. But looking back at how adoption worked before Roe v. Wade—and looking at how it works now—the option is cold comfort for many people facing unintended pregnancies.
Guest: Ann Fessler, author of The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any
What Next: The Fight to Defend Gay Marriage
The “Respect for Marriage Act” protects same-sex marriages nationwide and already has bipartisan support. If put to a vote in the Senate, it seems likely to pass. So why aren’t Democrats making it a priority?
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on
What Next: The Worst Drought in 1,200 Years
The American southwest is in a megadrought. Water levels in lakes are dropping, threatening the local environment as well as agriculture, hydroelectric power, and the people living there. As global temperatures rise, it could be a preview of worse things to come.
Guest: Dr. Jason Smerdon, ocean and climate physicist, and Lamont research professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and co-director at the Earth Institute Faculty.
If you enjoy this show, please consi
What Next: The Price Liz Cheney Will Pay
Liz Cheney rose through Republican leadership based on her conservative bona fides, but thanks to her prominent role in the Jan 6th committee, she’s gained donors and admirers from across the aisle. Her constituents back in Wyoming aren’t so enthusiastic though, throwing her future in Congress into doubt.
Guest: Bob Beck, news director of Wyoming Public Radio.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast,
A Word: Hip Hop McCarthyism?
In Georgia, award-winning hip hop artist Young Thug and rapper Gunna are awaiting trial on multiple charges, and prosecutors used some of their lyrics in their indictment. Is that fair game, or an attack on free speech? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by ACLU attorney Stephanie Willis to talk about the broader implications of the case, and ways that artists are learning to protect themselves.
Guest: Attorney Stephanie Willis
Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola
The Waves: The 10 Year Old Who Needed An Abortion
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor of Jurisprudence, Nicole Lewis is joined by Susan Matthews, Slate’s executive editor and host of Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade. Earlier this month, a story about a 10-year-old girl seeking an abortion after she was raped went viral, and Nicole and Susan dive into how themedia’s handedthe story, before questioning how news outlets should handle the influx of first-person abortion narratives in a post-Roe world.
In Slate Plus, is asking Vice Pres
Political Gabfest: Hot, Hotter, Hottest
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Josie Duffy Rice discuss Europe’s deadly heat wave, Joe Manchin’s balk at climate legislation, and the inevitable tragedies already happening post-Roe.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Lindsay Whitehurst, Camille Fassett, and Jasen Lo for the Associated Press: “Social Programs Weak in Many States With Tough Abortion Laws”
The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness,
What Next: Three Theories on Joe Manchin
Is there any climate-saving legislation that could win the vote of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin?
Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visi
What Next: A Different Kind of Pollution
Animals navigate the world using echolocation, ultraviolet vision, and a sensitivity to sounds and scents that humans can only imagine. That means things like light pollution or the noise of a highway can impact them in ways we might not readily consider. But with an empathic ear—and eye, and nose—we can make small changes to be much better neighbors to our fellow species.
Guest: Ed Yong, science writer at the Atlantic and author of An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms A
What Next: The Prosecutors Stuck With Abortion Bans
Abortion is now illegal in eight states, and more trigger laws banning the procedure are expected. The new state policies usher in an era of criminalized abortion. In Missouri, one liberal prosecutor is still struggling to predict how strictly these laws will be enforced.
Guest: Jean Peters Baker, elected prosecutor of Jackson County, Missouri.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes o
What Next: The Biden Problem
Joe Biden broke through the Democratic primaries as the safe choice, the one to beat Trump and get stuff done by reaching across the aisle. But two years into his presidency, his approval rating has plunged, his own party has stymied most of his agenda, and the most effective political body in Washington is the conservative-majority Supreme Court. What’s Biden’s plan here?
Guest: Perry Bacon Jr., columnist for the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Pl
A Word: They Want to Kill Americans
This week’s January 6th congressional hearings offered an in-depth look at the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, and other violent extremist groups that organized the insurrection. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the issues with counter terrorism expert Malcolm Nance, who has spent years chronicling the rise of white supremacist and other American political extremist movements. His new book is “They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the
Amicus: Eric Holder's Supreme Court Protest
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by former Attorney General Eric Holder as Amicus begins its summer season while the Supreme Court is in recess. General Holder describes his feelings when, as President Barack Obama’s Attorney General, he realized he could not in good conscience take part in the long-held tradition of the AG arguing an “easy case” before the Supreme Court. The issue? That same court had just eviscerated the Voting Rights Act in a case that will forever bear his name: Shelby County v Hol
The Waves: Brittney Griner and the Problem With Women’s Basketball
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by Amira Rose Davis, professor, historian, and co-host of the feminist sports podcast Burn It All Down to talk about Brittney Griner. The WNBA superstar has been detained by the Russians for months. Cheyna and Amira talk about how Russia treats its women athletes like superstars (until they don’t), while in America it takes weeks for people to really notice when a star WNBA player is missing. Later in the show, they
Political Gabfest: Lowest Approval Rating
This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Mark Leibovich discuss Biden’s 2024 plans, the establishment Republicans who stand by Trump, and Herschel Walker’s alarming Senate campaign.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission, by Mark Leibovich
Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “History Will Judge The Complicit”
Mark Leibovich for the New York Times Magazine: “Donald Trump Is Not Going Anywhere”
What Next: The Proud Boys' New Plan for Power
The Proud Boys started as a loose coalition of men who filtered misogyny and racism through an ironic, “just joking” veneer. But once Donald Trump told them to “stand back and stand by” from the debate stage, it became clear that something more serious was happening. After taking part in the Jan. 6 insurrection, the Proud Boys have become even more active in GOP politics, choosing candidates, and even running candidates from their own ranks.
Guest: Andy Campbell, Senior Editor at HuffPost and a
What Next: The Real Risks of Monkeypox
Doctors feel confident they can deal with the ongoing monkeypox outbreak. But, once again, our public health agencies have been stumbling to get a hold of this virus before it spreads widely.
Guests: Matt Ford and Shannon Palus, Slate senior editor.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Nex
What Next: The Russians Invaded. The Opera Played On.
Persistent Russian missile strikes since February and an ongoing blockade have silenced Odesa’s normally busy port—but not its 19th century opera house. Performances now end with a singing of the Ukrainian national anthem.
Guest: Ekaterina Tsymbalyuk, a soloist at the Odesa Opera.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting
What Next: The War on LGBTQ+ Rights
As anti-gay and anti-trans politics become more mainstream, the Trevor Project has a unique perspective. They run a hotline where queer kids are talking about how Republican rhetoric is meeting reality. Bullying once thought to be confined to high schools has made its way to mainstream politics.
Guest: Sam Ames, civil rights lawyer and director of advocacy and governmental affairs at The Trevor Project.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get
The Waves: The Caregiver Crisis
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Brigid Schulte, author of Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time and director of the Better Life Lab, is joined by author Angela Garbes. They unpack the modern challenges of motherhood, further illustrated and then exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. They talk about Angela’s new book, Essential Labor, how caregiving is seen as sacred, yet we make it so hard in the United States, and why we pay caregivers—a key part of our society—p
A Word: Back to Black Colleges?
While the vast majority of African American students attend predominantly white institutions –or PWIs– for college, many Black scholars are giving historically Black colleges and universities a second look. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the issue with Michelle Purdy, an associate professor of education at Washington University at St. Louis. She has studied the intersection of race and education, and is also the author of “Transforming the Elite: Black Students and the Des
What Next: How to Fix the Economy
Last month, inflation hit a new 40-year high. Americans are feeling it in their grocery bills, at the gas pump, in airline tickets, electrical bills, and rental costs. What can be done to combat rising prices in the current economy – and at what price?
Guest: Jordan Weissmann, senior editor and writer at Slate focused on economics, politics, and public policy.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast,
What Next: The Supreme Court Needs an Upgrade
The Supreme Court treated its most recent term like the opening salvo in a conservative revolution, approving prayer in schools, establishing a constitutional right to conceal and carry a firearm, and eliminating the constitutional right to abortion. What options do President Biden and Congress have to check the power of this co-equal branch of government?
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get
What Next: A Fight to Put Abortion on Arizona’s Ballot
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the question of abortion rights became a state issue. Although Arizona was one of 26 states with so-called “zombie laws” that banned abortion when Roe was struck down, it’s also one of three states that lets its citizens write l amend the state’s constitution. Now, abortion rights activists are racing to collect more than 350,000 signatures by July 7 to put the question of abortion rights in the hands of Arizona voters.
Guest: Shasta McManus, acti
A Word: No Choice: Fighting for Abortion Rights
Activists and abortion rights supporters are trying building a movement in the post-Roe v. Wade era. An empowered conservative court, a potential digital dragnet, and an unfocused Democratic response is making that complicated. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by legal analyst Imani Gandy, who explains why –despite the setback– she feels energized and hopeful about this moment.
Guest: Legal analyst Imani Gandy, co-host of the Boom! Lawyered podcast
Podcast production by Er
The Waves: Unpacking NY Mag’s Teen Cancel Culture Piece
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate staff writer Heather Schwedel and Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion sit down to talk about New York magazine cover story “Canceled at 17,” which features a boy who was ostracized by his peers after he showed a nude of his girlfriend. The talk about whether the article is a display of “himpathy,” and the fact that the writer had a personal connection to the school that she did not initially disclose. (New York magazine’s statement on that matter is avail
What Next: The Shocking Jan. 6 Hearing Was Not a Slam Dunk
A surprise session of the House’s Jan. 6 committee featured testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, the former executive assistant to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Hutchinson was inside the White House as the Jan. 6 riot happened, and she testified that Trump knew an armed crowd was chanting “hang Mike Pence”—the thing that upset him most was not being able to join them.
Hutchinson’s testimony was the bombshell the committee had been waiting for. Is it enough to actually hold Donald Trum
What Next: What Texas Can’t Forget
One tragedy replaces another in the headlines—that’s just how things go.
The Texas state legislature isn’t scheduled to convene until January 2023, when the shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde will no longer be fresh in people’s minds, and the momentum for changing Texas’s gun laws will be long gone. One state senator, however, won’t accept that.
Guest: Roland Gutierrez, Democratic Texas State Senator for District 19, which includes Uvalde.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing u
What Next: The State That Brought Down Roe
How did Mississippi go from resoundingly voting down a “fetal personhood” amendment in 2011 to being the state that brought down Roe v. Wade? Outsiders have long viewed the state as a potential fulcrum to overturn abortion laws in America, to the point where three different legislators introduced three identical bills to ban abortion 15 weeks after fertilization in 2018.
Guest: Ashton Pittman, senior reporter for the Mississippi Free Press.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up f
What Next: Your Body, Their Choice
For years the conservative justices slow rolled abortion restrictions, limiting how the procedure is done and who can perform an abortion, making accessing reproductive health care harder and harder. Now, with a majority of justices agreeing to completely overturn Roe v. Wade, the slow roll is over.
Guest: Susan Matthews, Slate’s news director and host of Slow Burn Season 7: Roe v. Wade.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like ze
Amicus: Abortion, Guns, and Justices Doing What They Were Put On The Court To Do
Well it happened, Roe v Wade has been swept away and Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, and the author of “Dollars for Life: The Anti-Abortion Movement and the Fall of the Republican Establishment.”
And then we turn to the other blockbuster decision this week, in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen. Dahlia talks to the Duke Center for Firearms Law, Joseph Blocher.
In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia and Slate’
The Waves: What The F*** Do We Do Now?
On this emergency episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth and Slate senior staff writer Christina Cauterucci respond to the decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and get real about how they’re handling this devastating blow.
Read Christina’s piece on medication abortions here. Find all of Slate’s coverage of Roe v Wade here, and a guide to basic questions about what happens next here.
Recommendations:
Cheyna: Getting your kid the COVID vaccine and JellyCat
Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade, Roe Against Wade
Harry Blackmun wasn’t Richard Nixon’s first choice to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. But after Blackmun was confirmed, he got the assignment of a lifetime: writing the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade. His approach to that case would have consequences he never imagined.
Season 7 of Slow Burn is produced by Susan Matthews, Samira Tazari, Sophie Summergrad, and Sol Werthan.
Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts.
Editorial direction by Josh Levin, Derek John, and Johanna
A Word: Full Court Stress
With the Golden State Warriors wrapping up another championship, NBA players are settling in for the off-season when many will be working on physical fitness and strength. But more teams are recognizing that mental fitness –especially for a league full of young Black men– is just as important. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Corey Yeager, a life coach and psychotherapist for NBA’s Detroit Pistons. They discuss how Black athletes are dealing with the mental challenges of
What Next: The Poll Workers Targeted by Trump
The third week of the House of Representatives investigation into the Jan. 6 riot is focusing on the weeks-long pressure campaign waged by Trump and his allies. Individuals around the country were harassed by Trump loyalists in order to change the election outcome. Trump’s “stochastic terrorism” campaign set the stage for what would happen at the capitol come January.
Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilley, Slate senior writer
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus memb
What Next: Why Biden Can’t Ice Out Saudi Arabia
On the campaign trail, Joe Biden called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” and said its ruling regime should be held accountable for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But now, rising oil prices have caused President Biden to soften his tone and plan a visit to Saudi Arabia next month. How much can the U.S. really demand of its allies?
Guest: Gregory Gause, head of the Department of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.
If you enjoy thi
What Next: An Overlooked Tool to Stop School Shootings
A school with armed teachers and every door locked sounds a lot more like a prison than a nourishing educational environment. How does the discussion around school shootings change when you change your starting point from “how can we stop this?” to “what kind of world do we want to live in?”
Guest: Ron Avi Astor, professor of public affairs, social work, and education at UCLA.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on
The Waves: The Truth About “Normal” Sex
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate science writer and editor Shannon Palus is joined by Popular Science executive editor and author Rachel Feltman to talk about sex, baby. Rachel’s new book, “Been There, Done That” explores the quirky, wild, and often queer side of the history of sex. Shannon and Rachel talk about why animal sex is so relevant to human sex, the “loop-de-loop” of sexual evolution, and they ponder the age old question, “Why are even men?”
In Slate Plus, Rachel talks abou
A Word: Black Gay Pride and Prejudice
*This will be a frank discussion about homophobia, and our guest will talk about his experience being called an anti-gay slur.*
This LGBTQ Pride Month has been marred by a rash of anti-gay and anti-trans laws, and some groups plotting physical attacks at Pride events. For Black members of the community, racism has added even more tension to this year’s Pride. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Clay Cane, author of Live Through This: Surviving the Intersections of Sexuality
What Next: Bill Barr Calls B.S. on Trump
The hearings have started for the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. The televised hearings have already circled in on a major, and possibly criminal theme: Donald Trump would not accept that he lost the election and was willing to listen to any theory or allegation—no matter how little evidence there was to support it—that would let him stay in office. Why are former Trump officials finally willing speak out against the former president?
Guest: J
What Next: The Real Lesson of San Francisco's D.A. Recall
San Francisco is all but short-hand for “liberal American city,” but their progressive district attorney Chesa Boudin just got booted from office in a not-so-close recall. Elected as part of a wave of progressive prosecutors, why is Boudin now out, while his reformer-minded peers remain popular? And what does it mean for criminal justice reform in America?
Guest: Jessica Brand,founder and co-director of the Wren Collective, a consulting service focused on transforming the criminal justice syst
Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade, Women vs. Connecticut
Soon after Ann Hill arrived at Yale Law School in 1968, she realized she was pregnant. Her options were limited: she could give birth—or get an illegal abortion. The decision she faced inspired her to take on Connecticut’s abortion ban. The legal battle that followed would set the stage for Roe v. Wade.
Season 7 of Slow Burn is produced by Susan Matthews, Samira Tazari, Sophie Summergrad, and Sol Werthan.
Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts.
Editorial direction by Josh L
What Next: The Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh
Last month, Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed while reporting on an Israeli military raid of a Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. Multiple media investigations say the evidence suggests Abu Akleh was killed by targeted Israeli fire, not stray bullets from a chaotic skirmish. Meanwhile, the U.S. has called for an impartial investigation into Abu Akleh’s death, but has stopped short of leading such a probe.
Guest: Dalia Hatuqa, a journalist sp
How To!: Run for Office Without Being an A**hole
We all know the country is deeply fractured right now, and that’s especially true in our politics. There is vitriol, bitter partisanship and an expectation that in order to succeed you need to beat up on your opponent. So is it possible to fight for your beliefs, remain civil and still win elections? On this episode of How To!, we brought together two politicians from either side of the aisle who are living proof that we can practice politics with humanity. Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Vermont
What Next: Does Gun Violence Need an Emmett Till Moment?
To the people who deal with the reality of bullet wounds, the aftermath of shootings aren’t so abstract. If politicians and the public had to see what military weaponry actually does to the body, would that change the conversation around gun control?
Guest: Dr. Amy Goldberg, interim dean of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine and surgeon-in-chief at the Temple University Health System.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ad
Slow Burn: S7 Ep. 2: Life or Death
Jack and Barbara Willke got their start on the Catholic speaking circuit talking about the pleasure of sex within marriage. Their daughter would convince them to shift their focus to another hot-button issue. The Willkes’ Handbook on Abortion, and the photographs they distributed along with it, would help kickstart the right-to-life movement.
To see the cover of the Handbook on Abortion, some of the photos the Willkes used, and the brochure “Life or Death,” go to slate.com/handbook
Season 7 of S
The Waves: The Hidden Cost of Breast Implants
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate science editor and writer Shannon Palus is joined by freelance science journalist Eleanor Cummins to talk about plastics. Surgery that is. And all the physical and mental concerns that come with altering your body. They start out by talking about Eleanor’s recent piece on the health concerns of breast implants. Then they talk about VIP Syndrome, and how it’s coming for all of us.
In Slate Plus, is breast reduction surgery feminist?
Recommendations:
S
A Word: Black Crypto Boom
The market for cryptocurrency crashed in May, losing billions of investor dollars. That’s a special concern for African Americans, who are twice as likely as white people to invest in crypto. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by economist Darrick Hamilton to discuss the unique appeal of cryptocurrency among Black Americans, and whether the potential rewards outweigh the risks.
Guest: Darrick Hamilton, the founding director of the Institute for the Study of Race, Power and Po
What Next: What The Jan. 6 Hearings Are Really About
The House hearings to examine the events of Jan. 6, 2021, begin this week and the party lines are drawn. Republicans are calling the hearings a distraction from issues that voters care about—inflation, rising prices of gas and food. Democrats are trying to remind voters which party tried to override American democracy. Will it be enough to stem the “red tide” projected for fall midterms?
Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for
What Next: Can 20 Years of Oversight Reform a Police Department?
In the early 2000s, following a civil lawsuit with over 100 plaintiffs against a group of Oakland police officers known as “the Riders,” the Oakland PD was put under federal oversight. Now after nearly two decades of reforms, backslides into scandals, and close watch from activists and the feds, Oakland can enter a probationary period. But has the culture of the department really changed?
Guest: Darwin BondGraham, News Editor of the Oaklandside and co-author of a forthcoming book about the Oak
What Next: The Right’s Poll-Watcher Army
Republicans who still haven’t accepted that Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in 2020 are recruiting “a volunteer army” of poll watchers and poll workers for upcoming elections. For those who want transparent and fair elections, an influx of enthusiasm is theoretically a good thing. But if new poll workers and poll watchers have an agenda— chasing after fraud that didn’t happen—can they hurt more than they help?
Guest: Alexandra Berzon, investigative reporter for the New York Times.
Guest hosted
What Next: Does Proof Matter at the Supreme Court?
The Sixth Amendment is supposed to guarantee the right to a fair trial—including a lawyer, even if the defendant can’t afford one. But Indigent Defense is woefully underfunded and, sometimes, State-appointed lawyers are nowhere near as competent as Federal attorneys. A new Supreme Court ruling makes it more difficult to use exonerating evidence discovered on a federal level to prove innocence, even if state counsel didn’t look for it.
Guest: Leah Litman, law professor at University of Michigan,
A Word: Black to the Future Online
Like so much of pop culture, online culture is largely rooted in the work of Black and other marginalized people. Writer and activist Bridget Todd celebrates their stories on her podcast There Are No Girls on the Internet. On today’s episode of A Word, she joins Jason Johnson to talk about the challenge of preserving that history, and building communities for women, LGBTQ people, and Black folks in an increasingly hostile online world.
Guest: Bridget Todd, host of the “There Are No Girls on the
Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade, Episode 1
In 1970, 22-year-old Shirley Wheeler got an illegal abortion in Florida. When she refused to tell the police who performed the procedure, she was arrested and charged with manslaughter. In the months that followed, she’d be prosecuted and publicly condemned. She’d also become the unlikely face of the fight for reproductive rights.
Season 7 of Slow Burn is produced by Susan Matthews, Samira Tazari, Sophie Summergrad, and Sol Werthan.
Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts.
E
The Waves: Abortion on the Ballot
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern to talk about Michigan’s ballot initiative to save abortion rights in the state. They dig into the positives and negatives of going to the ballot, what we can learn from Ireland, and why, at the end of the day, you really need the courts. Mark also explains the one big thing that citizens can and should be doing to help secure abortion access.
In Slate Plus, is Ginny Thomas
What Next: How Gun-Makers Are Arming the Culture War
After a mass shooting, gun manufacturers follow a set playbook—they offer “thoughts and prayers,” go quiet, and wait for the bump in sales driven by fear of new gun restrictions. The company Daniel Defense’s products were used in Uvalde and in the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Do they have a responsibility for how they market their rifles—or how their weapons are used?
Guest: Todd C. Frankel is an enterprise reporter on the Washington Post's Financial desk, covering people and policy.
If you
What Next: How Soccer's Best Women Finally Got Paid
If you want to understand the way inequality is baked into the systems and structures all around us, examining the pay equity issue in U.S. soccer is a pretty good place to start. But after a six-year battle, the U.S. Women’s National Team struck an agreement with U.S. Soccer, ensuring equal pay for equal work for the men’s and women’s teams — another victory for a team that doesn’t take no for an answer.
Guest: Christina Cauterucci, senior writer at Slate and a former middle school soccer sta
What Next: Reporting on Guns from Texas
Following the shooting in Uvalde, we talked to a Texas reporter who has covered mass shootings for five years. The Lone Star state remains a GOP strong-hold, which means Texas Republicans tailor their messaging and legislation to avoid being primaried from the right. This impacts how gun laws are written and how mental health is instead elevated, leaving both underserved.
Guest: Lauren McGaughy, investigative reporter, the Dallas Morning News.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up
Amicus: When a Shooter Comes to Your School
In light of the Uvalde school shooting, we’re rebroadcasting a special audio presentation from Amicus that originally aired in 2018. Dahlia Lithwick spoke to three educators who survived gun violence at their schools. Heather Martin was a student at Columbine during the 1999 mass shooting; Mary Ann Jacob was library clerk at Sandy Hook at the time of the 2012 shooting; and Ken Yuers was a teacher at Rancho Tehama Elementary School when it suffered a school shooting in 2017. They discussed what t
A Word: Debtor Nation Strikes Back
With Americans owing more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt, Black and other marginalized students are bearing a disproportionate share of the burden. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Braxton Brewington, the spokesperson for The Debt Collective. That organization, dedicated to ending what it considers unjust debt, closed out more than a million dollars owed by students at Bennett College. They talk about what went into making this happen, and the myths about student
The Waves: Protecting Abortion Is Vital For The Economy
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor for Jurisprudence Nicole Lewis is joined by Slate Money co-host, and correspondent for Axios, Emily Peck to talk about the economic implications of overturning Roe v. Wade. A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion shows the court has the votes to abolish the constitutional right to abortion, which Roe established in 1973. Our hosts dig into all the ways ending abortion will undermine women’s economic gains and participation in the workforce, i
What Next: A Sandy Hook Parent Speaks
The school shooting in Uvalde, Texas was the deadliest since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut nearly a decade ago. Today, we’re re-airing an interview with a parent who lost her child at Sandy Hook and went on to channel her grief into activism. In February, she and a group of other Sandy Hook families announced a $73 million settlement with Remington Arms, forcing the gunmaker to accept responsibility for marketing its weapons to disaffected young men.
Guest
What Next: The End of Ending the Pandemic
More than a million people have died of COVID in America, and infection rates across the country are climbing again. But public officials seem reluctant to enact mask mandates or lockdowns this time around.
Doctors and scientists who work in public health are hoping that “harm reduction” techniques, which were developed to treat addiction and chronic illnesses, can tamp down this latest wave.
Guest: Dr. Deepika Slawek, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Division of General Internal Medicine
What Next: New York State’s Redistricting Mess
An effort to counterweight GOP-friendly maps in Ohio and Florida in New York state has backfired on the Democrats.
How did Democratic state politicians bungle their redistricting process? Will the error cost the party nationally?
Guest: Dave Wasserman, U.S. House editor of the nonpartisan @CookPolitical Report.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear
What Next: Biden’s Student Loan Ambivalence
President Biden ran on a promise to forgive $10,000 in student loans back in 2020—but so far, there hasn’t been much movement on that front. Between the pros, the cons, and the politics, one thing is clear: fixing higher education will take more than an executive order.
Guest: Jordan Weissmann, writer and editor focused on economics, public policy, and politics at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slat
A Word: Reparations for Racist Violence?
The recent massacre targeting the Black community in Buffalo has led to strong words from President Biden and other leaders, denouncing white supremacist violence. But for the remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and their descendants, those words ring hollow. On this week’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Damario Solomon-Simmons, a civil rights lawyer who is leading an effort to win reparations for Tulsa Race Massacre survivors. He won a historic legal victory this
What Next TBD: North Korea's Hacking Army
They’ve stolen billions of dollars. Is the U.S. ready to crack down?
Guest: Jason Bartlett, research associate in the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: What Reality TV Says About Us
On this week’s episode of The Waves, historian and original Waves host, Marcia Chatelain is joined by sociologist Danielle Lindemann to talk all things reality TV. They discuss Danielle’s new book, True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us and why we don’t take reality television as seriously as we should. Later in the show they talk about why women are more successful at monetizing their reality TV brand and how the genre takes us on a tour of the class system.
In Slate Plus: Is The Bachelor
What Next TBD: How Buffalo Could Transform Social Media
The shooting in Buffalo raises questions about the effectiveness of content moderation. Is the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism the answer to how social media can moderate extremist content?
Guest: Emma Llansó, director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology
Host: Ray Suarez
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: China’s Zero-COVID Policy
When China first instituted its zero-COVID policy, it was a success: as other countries struggled with soaring infection rates and overburdened hospitals, life for many Chinese citizens began to look normal again within months—so long as they weren’t infected. But the omicron variant changed the game. Now, people are speaking out against draconian lockdown measures they say are inappropriate to face the current level of threat.
How did zero-COVID evolve from being the most effective virus preve
What Next: No Lone Wolves
A shooting Saturday at a supermarket in a predominantly-Black neighborhood in Buffalo left at least 10 people dead and three more injured. The suspected shooter left a manifesto riddled with racist ideology, laying out plans to specifically target Black people and citing the so-called “great replacement theory” as his motivation.
How much will white supremacist violence be a part of the everyday lives of Americans — and what’s being done to stop it?
Guest: Wesley Lowery, Pulitzer Prize-winnin
What Next: How Corporations Are Taking Advantage of Inflation
Consumers are paying higher prices almost everywhere as inflation continues to rise. But corporate earnings calls have revealed that many companies are using inflation as a cover to jack up prices and increase profits — all on the backs of customers.
Guest: Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Bur
What Next: The Evolution of Pro-Choice Messaging
The likely end of Roe v. Wade marks a bitter setback for the pro-choice movement. But the success of abortion legalization campaigns in Ireland and Argentina may be models for a way forward.
What are the ingredients for effective public messaging? What can American activists learn from the examples of international movements?
Guest: Anat Shenker-Osorio, communications researcher and campaign advisor, host of the podcast “Words To Win By.”
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up fo
What Next TBD: Inside Trump’s Twitter Clone
Trump's Truth Social network was supposed to be the right's answer to Twitter. What happens to the company if Elon takes over?
Guest: Drew Harwell, reporter for the Washington Post
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Is Big Tech Pro-Choice?
In light of the threat to Roe v. Wade, abortion rights advocates are asking many companies –including in the tech industry– to take a stand. But many industry leaders are silent, and could be poised to profit from data that tracks abortion providers, advocates, and patients. On this week’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Bärí Williams, an expert on diversity in tech and artificial intelligence. They talk about the political, financial, and social priorities that may be keeping tech
The Waves: How the Fall of Bitch Media is a Sign of Disastrous Things to Come.
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re reflecting on the impact of Bitch Media, which started as a zine in the 90s, and grew into a print publication and website . Slate staff writer Heather Schwedel is joined by Bitch co-founder Andi Zeisler to talk about the history of Bitch. Then, they explore why feminist media is struggling, despite maybe being more necessary than ever.
In Slate Plus: Is asking if things are feminist, feminist?
Recommendations:
Heather: Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
Andi
What Next TBD: Can A.I. Know What You're Feeling?
Companies are developing and selling A.I. products intended to tell your boss or your teacher how you're feeling.
Guest: Kate Kaye, reporter for Protocol
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Future of IVF Post-Roe
As the country awaits a final decision on whether the Supreme Court will overturn Roe. v Wade, fertility doctors are sounding the alarm about what that could mean for the future procedures like IVF.
Guests: Dr. Natalie Crawford, OBGYN and reproductive endocrinologist at Fora Fertility in Austin, Texas.
Emily, an IVF patient in West Virginia. Emily asked Slate to withhold her last name so she could speak freely about her fertility treatments.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing
What Next: Russia’s Next Target?
Curious explosions in a Russian stronghold of Moldova have the world wondering if Putin is making his next play. Why is a tiny country on Ukraine’s western border of such strategic importance?
Guest: Monika Pronczuk, Brussels-based reporter for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do her
What Next: Ukrainian War, American Intelligence
It’s not unusual for the U.S. to lend intelligence to another country. It’s a little more unusual for the U.S. to talk about it.
Why is the American military confirming reports that it’s helping Ukraine vanquish Russian targets? Could that candidness lead to an expansion of the war? Or will it be the deciding factor in finishing the conflict?
Guest: Shane Harris, reporter covering intelligence and national security for the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up
What Next: How Connecticut Became An Abortion Safe Haven
In the wake of a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicating that Roe v. Wade will soon be a thing of the past, some states are rushing to fortify the right to an abortion within their borders. Nowhere has gone as far as Connecticut, though, which has expanded the field of people permitted to perform abortions and created legal protections for anyone who aids in the procedure. But will it make a difference when abortion will likely soon be outlawed in half the country?
Guest: Matt Blumenthal
A Word: Joy and Pain: Navigating Grief
With one million dead from COVID, many Americans are suffering through profound grief. And for Black Americans, the pandemic combined with the racial reckoning has made the mourning feel endless. On this week’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson talks with writer Marisa Renee Lee about her new book Grief Is Love: Living With Loss, and about making space for joy in the midst of grief.
Guest: Marisa Renee Lee, a writer, speaker, and entrepreneur. Her new book is Grief Is Love: Living With Loss.
Pod
What Next TBD: Is Free Speech Online Just a Myth?
A conversation with one of the smartest First Amendment lawyers in the country.
Guest: Jameel Jaffer
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Thanks Avast.com!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: What Amber Heard’s Make-up Palette Says About the Legal System. (Plus: Roe v Wade)
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we start with a conversation with upcoming Slow Burn: Roe v Wade host, Susan Matthews and Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth about the implications of the recently leaked Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe.
In the main show, we shift focus to gender violence as the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial continues. Cheyna sits down with Dr. Nicole Bedera about what happens when fans try to play detective and how we should actually be talking to victims of violen
What Next TBD: Can the Internet Rescue Abortion Access?
The pandemic changed the way abortion care could be provided online. So what happens now?
Guest: Dr. Mai Fleming, family medicine physician and Fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health.
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Depp v. Heard
Johnny Depp’s defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard is making headlines—not just for the spectacle taking place within the courtroom, but for its implications for victims of domestic violence.
In a case of domestic ugliness, is it possible to know the truth? And does trying to uncover it through legal action serve anyone’s best interests?
Guest: John Culhane, professor at the Delaware Law School.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get
What Next: The Supreme Court Tips Its Hand
This week, Politico published a shocking leak from within the Supreme Court, indicating that a majority of the judges have voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Beyond who leaked the draft opinion, questions remain about what the rollback of the landmark constitutional law will mean for abortion rights in America.
Guest: Dahlia Lithwick, Slate courts and law writer and host of the podcast Amicus.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like
What Next: The Michigan Democrat Who Said “Enough”
Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow went viral in April for striking back at an extreme characterization made by a Republican colleague. The video of McMorrow’s speech—viewed over 14 million times—tells a bigger story about how national political rhetoric is affecting local political debates. But is the senator really demonstrating how to reset the terms of debate? Or is she just one more person who went viral for speaking to her echo chamber?
Guest: Mallory McMorrow, Michigan state senator
What Next: Mexico’s Disappearing Women
The body of 18-year-old Debanhi Escobar was discovered in late April, inside a water tank in a motel on the outskirts of Monterrey, Mexico—weeks after she went missing. The identity of her killer is still unknown.
The case has prompted a national outcry over the Mexican government’s consistent failure to deliver justice for missing women. But femicide in Mexico isn’t new, and past protests haven’t yielded meaningful change. Will this time be any different?
Guest: Oscar Lopez, reporter for the
A Word: Could Musk Kill Black Twitter?
Black Twitter has grown into a community where jokes, memes, and activism flourish. But with Elon Musk taking over, many users fear the most vital conversations will be silenced. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Omar Wasow, a pioneer in online culture, and the co-founder of the BlackPlanet social network. They discuss what Musk’s definition of free speech and his record on race could mean for the future of Black Twitter, and whether it’s time to leave the platform.
Guest:
What Next TBD: The Fantasy of Internet for All
Today on the show: Can Starlink ever fulfill its promise of connecting the world, especially places left behind by traditional internet? Or will it be just another toy for the rich?
Guest: Meaghan Tobin, reporter at Rest of World
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Edible Arrangements Is Getting Into the Wellness Industry
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior writer, Christina Cauterucci and Slate science editor Shannon Palus, talk pineapples on sticks. Christina’s new piece, “What’s Eating Edible Arrangements” on the changes at Edible Arrangements sparked a conversation about gender roles that likely led do the creation of the company that now goes by Edible. Then they unpack the company’s pivot to CBD and what its attempt at “wellness culture” really means.
In Slate Plus, are workout selfies femin
What Next TBD: What Elon Wants With Twitter
Twitter is the platform of choice for politicians, journalists, academics, and many other agenda-setters. Twitter influences conversations that take place in newsrooms and statehouses. What happens if the company’s placed in the hands of a pugnacious, provocative plutocrat like Elon Musk?
Guest: Will Oremus, tech reporter for the Washington Post
Host: Seth Stevenson
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: L.A.’s Alarming Latino Mortality Rate
People may want to throw their masks in the trash, but in communities with the highest COVID-19 mortality rates, the pandemic is not over.
Guest: Dr. Don Garcia, medical director at Clínica Romero in Los Angeles.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnext
What Next: The Crisis in Special Education
Federal law guarantees that students with disabilities have access to special educators. But widespread teacher shortages mean that these students are often being taught by people without the mandated qualifications – or by no one at all.
Guest: Dylan Peers McCoy is an investigative reporter on WFYI’s education team.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and De
What Next: Florida’s Most Powerful Flak
How one spokesperson with an itchy Twitter-finger is sparking a moral panic.
Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilley, a senior writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc
What Next: The Librarians Fighting Book Bans
Carolyn Foote was furious when Republican lawmakers in Texas singled out hundreds of books about race or sexuality for removal from school libraries. So she and a group of other librarians stepped into the fray to push back against what they see as harmful censorship.
Guest: Carolyn Foote, former librarian for schools outside Austin, Texas.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sh
What Next TBD: A New High-Tech Weapon in Ukraine
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia is uncovering new wartime applications for facial recognition technology.
Guest: Aric Toler, director of research and training at Bellingcat
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Black Lives Matter: More Money, More Problems?
The Black Lives Matter movement has emerged as a major political force. Now, questionable spending by the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has sparked questions about whether key movement leaders have lost their way. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Sean Campbell, an investigative journalist whose report on the foundation was published in New York Magazine. He addresses what he uncovered about the foundation’s finances, including the purchase of a $6 million d
The Waves: Ecofeminism Isn’t Just For Hippies
On this week’s episode of The Waves, senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by freelance science writer Eleanor Cummins to talk about the possible resurgence of Ecofeminism. Eleanor recently published “Is Ecofeminism Due for a Comeback?” in The New Republic. They discuss how the term came to be “passe,” what places are embracing the concept of combining feminism and the environment (and trying to save the Amazon in the process), and why the time is right for feminists to embrace the planet.
In
What Next TBD: The COVID Data Disaster
Are we facing down yet another COVID wave right now? Does it matter?
Guest: Katherine Wu, staff writer for The Atlantic
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Putin’s Hunger for Money
Bill Browder has been sounding the alarm about Vladimir Putin for decades. Formerly one of Russia’s largest foreign investors, Browder has made it his life's work to expose corruption in the country. Unsurprisingly, he’s one of Putin's personal targets. Browder believes that money is what's really driving the war in Ukraine.
Guest: Bill Browder, founder and CEO of Hermitage Capital Management. Browder ran the largest foreign investment firm in Russia until 2005, when he was kicked out of the co
What Next: Biden's Immigration Mess
Pro-immigration advocates had high hopes when the Biden administration came to office that some of the harsher policies imposed by Trump would ease. Instead, immigration policy has been a mess inside the White House. The move to rescind Title 42 – a health policy that the Trump administration used to restrict migration at the U.S.-Mexico border is now further dividing Democrats.
Guest: Tyler Moran, former deputy assistant to President Biden and senior advisor for migration. Moran co-founded the
What Next: A Caseworker Quits Over Texas’ Trans Kids Policy
Morgan Davis saw his job as an investigator in the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services as a calling. As a transgender man, he joined the child welfare agency to be the advocate he never had while growing up. But Davis eventually quit, following Governor Greg Abbott’s order to investigate the families of transgender children. While Abbott’s order is currently paused due to an injunction, many families are still left in limbo due to open cases – and other child welfare workers are h
What Next: Cracking Down on Ghost Guns
The Biden Administration recently announced a new policy aimed at cracking down on ghost guns—homemade weapons without serial numbers, making them harder to trace. But with gun violence on the rise, will this particular move make a meaningful difference?
Guest: David Chipman, senior policy advisor at Giffords, a gun violence prevention organization.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus epis
What Next TBD: How TurboTax Tricks Taxpayers
How did Intuit build its TurboTax empire?
Guest: Justin Elliott, reporter for ProPublica
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Holy Roller Racism?
Although church and state are supposed to be separate, white evangelical power is a potent force in American politics. And it has historically been used to battle against racial equity. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Anthea Butler, the author of White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America. They discuss the resurgence of white evangelical influence in politics, and why so much of that movement has been focused on thwarting civil rights for Afr
One Year 1977 Rewind: Anita Bryant's War on Gay Rights
This is a reprise of the first episode of our season on 1977.
Miami, 1977: Pop singer and orange juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant takes a stand against a local ordinance—and becomes the leader of a national anti-gay movement. Her campaign against gay rights, and the gay community's fight against her, would change America.
One Year is produced by Josh Levin, Evan Chung, and Madeline Ducharme. Mixing by Merritt Jacob.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: The Vagina Et. Al.
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus is joined by science journalist, Rachel E. Gross to talk all about female anatomy. They discuss Rachel’s new book, Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage and how much science has to learn when it comes to diagnosing female maladies. Then they get into ovaries and all the misconceptions about these “egg baskets.”
In Slate Plus, is the term “pussy” feminist?
Articles discussed in this episode:
The Word for Anatomy That Should
What Next TBD: Elonnnnnnnnnnnnn!
Is Musk's bid to take Twitter private a genuine attempt to mold the social network in his image? Or is he just going to have some fun, make some money, and walk away?
Guest: Felix Salmon, host of Slate Money and chief financial correspondent for Axios
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TBD - Enter promo code TBD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Is France About to Elect a Far-Right President?
In the French presidential election five years ago, Marine Le Pen lost badly to Emmanuel Macron. Now, Le Pen is back for a rematch—and this time, polls are pretty tight.
Guest: Henry Grabar, staff writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnext
What Next: Disney vs. DeSantis
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company are at odds over a controversial Florida law dubbed “don’t say gay,” which would limit instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. While DeSantis is a big supporter of the legislation, Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek eventually came out against it, vowing to work to repeal the law and setting up a showdown between the governor and the entertainment giant.
Guest: Mary Ellen Klas, Capitol bureau chief for the Miami Her
What Next: Pennsylvania’s Nutty Senate Race
Pennsylvania’s got a U.S. Senate seat up for grabs, and the primary is shaping up to be a showdown between moderate, establishment candidates and those on the fringes of each party.
Guest: Jonathan Tamari, national political writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do her
What Next: From Homeless to Housing Reporter
How the experience of living in his car years ago helped reporter Ethan Ward focus his coverage of homelessness and housing in Los Angeles.
Guest: Ethan Ward, unhoused communities reporter for KPCC and LAist.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus t
A Word: Taxes, Death, and Trouble
It’s tax season, a stressful time for millions of Americans. But for many Black Americans, financial issues are complicated year-round by the “Black Tax;” that’s the complex web of structural bias in finance, banking, and housing policy that can make it harder for African Americans to build wealth. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by financial advice author Lynnette Khalfani-Cox to discuss the biggest tax and financial hurdles for African Americans, and how to overcome them.
What Next TBD: Uber Makes Nice With Cabs
The rideshare company's founder once called taxis “evil.” Now, Uber might need them to survive.
Guest: Preetika Rana
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Prepping for Doomsday, Feminist Edition.
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate staff writers Rebecca Onion and Lili Loofbourow are talking about the prepper community. Is it all toxic masculinity? Is there already a space for women in the community, or do they have to carve their own space? They dig into Lili’s piece on the schism in the prepper reddit community and explore the gender dynamics of a culture that ranges from coupon clipping to hoarding guns. They also discuss Rebecca Onion’s 2016 piece on what prepper fiction reveal
What Next TBD: Elon Trolls the SEC
With 9.1% ownership of Twitter—and a board seat—Elon Musk is the new master of Twitter's future. Why did the wealthiest man in the world just take over the world's most influential platform?
Guest: Ranjan Roy, writer of the Margins newsletter
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Who Can Hold Russia Accountable?
In a speech before the United Nations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of the worst war crimes since World War II. But whether there will be accountability on the international stage is a separate question—especially with Russia sitting permanently on the UN Security Council.
How difficult would it be to prove war crimes have in fact been committed in Ukraine? And even if they were, would Putin ever actually be punished?
Guest: Stephen Rapp, former United States Ambassa
What Next: Amazon Gets Its First Union
Few were betting that a group of workers on Staten Island could win union recognition at their Amazon warehouse. Now that they’ve done it, can they replicate this win at other shops across the country? And what will the nation’s largest unions do to help Amazon workers join the labor movement?
Guest: Steven Greenhouse, senior fellow at the Century Foundation and author of Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up
What Next: The Fight Over Free Lunch
At the beginning of the pandemic, Congress loosened the rules around school lunch programs, and approved additional funding to help schools provide more meals to more kids. But those allowances are set to expire on June 30th, leaving schools desperate for help as they anticipate a future of less funding and less flexibility.
Guest: Helena Bottemiller Evich, senior food and agriculture reporter at POLITICO.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get
What Next: Marjorie Taylor Greene vs. Everyone
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has become an avatar of the Republican far-right. But that has its downsides. It makes you a target. But Greene isn’t running scared.
Guest: Charles Bethea, staff writer at the New Yorker.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate
A Word: It Hits Different
Chris Rock is back on tour, days after Will Smith struck him and won his first Oscar in the same night. While the Academy strongly condemned Smith, several Black stars and writers have publicly defended him, or even applauded him for standing up for his wife. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson talks with entertainment journalist Chris Witherspoon about how race is playing out in the debate over what happened, and what should happen next.
Guest: Chris Witherspoon, entertainment journalis
What Next TBD: A Conversation With Europe's Top Tech Cop
For nearly a decade, Margrethe Vestager has led Europe's efforts to rein in big tech. One newspaper article described Vestager as putting the fear of God into Silicon Valley. How is she thinking about fairness in tech in 2022?
Guest: Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Europe fit for the Digital Age
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next TBD: The White House's Favorite Tech Billionaire
Why did Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt spend over a decade building relationships with the most powerful Democrats in America?
Guest: Alex Thompson, reporter at Politico
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: NATO, Back From the Brink
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is having a moment. The alliance dates back to the early years of the Cold War, and ever since, it has seesawed in and out of favor with Western leaders. But now, as Russia continues to wage its attack on Ukraine, NATO has assumed some of its old relevance.
Guest: Mary Elise Sarotte, professor of Historical Studies at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins University. She’s also a research associate at Harvard University's Center
The Waves: Romance Novels Are For Everyone
On this week’s episode of The Waves, the co-host of Slate’s internet culture podcast ICYMI, Rachelle Hampton sits down with Slate associate editor and romance author, Marissa Martinelli to talk about romance novels and, of course, the television show Bridgerton. In the first half, they dig into the longstanding race and gender politics at play within the romance writing community and gatekeeping, why we need more Short Kings and Fat Women in romance, and of course…Fabio. Then they get into the N
What Next: Ginni Thomas Wanted a Revolution
Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is a fervent right-wing activist. She was also a supporter of the attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, as evidenced by a batch of texts shared with the congressional committee investigating January 6th.
The Ginni Thomas texts create a conflict of interest for Justice Clarence Thomas as he hears cases pertaining to the insurrection. But the Supreme Court is not expected to do much to dispel notion
What Next: Dua Lipa’s Copyright Problem
After more than 70 weeks on the Billboard U.S. Hot 100, Dua Lipa and her song “Levitating” have run into trouble: two separate copyright complaints claiming the pop star ripped off other artists in writing her hit. These aren’t the first lawsuits to test the boundaries of what counts as plagiarism in the musical realm; and if either suit succeeds, it will have far-reaching consequences for creativity in the industry.
Guest: Jeremy Orosz, associate professor of music theory at the University of
What Next: Where is Brittney Griner?
In February, WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested at an airport near Moscow for allegedly possessing hash oil in her carry-on luggage. She’s been held in a Russian prison ever since — and a court recently extended her detention until May 19.
Why is Russia pursuing charges so vigorously against an American basketball player with a large Russian fanbase? And how long could it be until Griner gets to go home?
Guest: Meredith Cash, sports reporter for Insider.
If you enjoy this show, please co
What Next TBD: The Cost of Going Off-Grid
Going off-grid can seem appealing in lots of ways. But are there consequences if everyone unplugs from the system? Are there costs we haven’t considered?
Guest: Ivan Penn, renewable energy correspondent for the New York Times
Host: Seth Stevenson
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Heroes, Victims, or Threats: Race and Refugees
White Ukrainians have been praised for defending their homeland, and embraced when they’re forced to leave. It’s a sharp contrast to what has faced Black Ukrainians, Syrians, Afghans, and others who have fled war zones. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Patrick Gaspard, who served in the Obama administration, and currently leads the Center for American Progress. He addresses how race and ethnicity play out in the Ukrainian crisis, the U.S. response, and what’s at stake.
G
The Waves: Power of the Dog's Sneaky Feminism
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re saddling up and taking the reins to talk Westerns. Film critic and host of the podcast Watch With Jen, Jen Johans is joined by Washington Post TV critic and host of the All About Almodóvar & All About Campion podcasts, Inkoo Kang.
First they dive into the history of the genre: What makes something a Western, and how the genre has challenged stereotypes when it comes to the sexes. Then they explore Jane Campion’s Oscar-nominated film, and the latest big
What Next TBD: Why the Zelensky Deepfake Failed
The FBI warned that Russia would use deepfakes to support its invasion of Ukraine. Are they missing the real threat?
Guest: Noah Giansiracusa, professor of math and data science at Bentley University.
Host: Seth Stevenson
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Syria Was Putin’s Testing Ground
Russia’s indiscriminate shelling of civilian targets in Ukraine is eerily reminiscent of its involvement in the war in Syria, where the goal was to crush civilian morale amid an uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. How did top global powers allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to be successful in Syria? Are there signs that he’ll enjoy similar success now, in Ukraine?
Guest: William Wechsler, senior director of the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Cou
What Next: Congress Is In Denial About COVID
The White House and Senate Republicans are at an impasse when it comes to passing a $15 billion pandemic relief package. And there are growing concerns about money running out for COVID-19 response essentials like tests, therapeutic treatments and vaccines.
This week, some of those pandemic relief federal funds will start drying up. What does that mean for America's state of pandemic readiness – especially if another wave is on the horizon?
Guest: Dan Diamond, national health and policy report
What Next: A Stalemate in Ukraine
It’s been more than three weeks since Russia declared war on Ukraine. Here’s how each country is preparing for the next brutal stage of this conflict.
Guest: Fred Kaplan covers national security for Slate and is the author of The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’
What Next: What the Sackler Family Won
A very strange bankruptcy case is coming to a close. Its settlement hinges not on payments rendered or bills neglected, but on the pain of millions of American families who slid into the jaws of the opioid crisis. Now, the people who set off the crisis are about to settle their debts.
Guest: Brian Mann, reporter on addiction for NPR.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like
A Word: Are Oscars STILL So White?
This year, several Black artists have been nominated for Oscars, including Ariana DeBose, Aunjanue Ellis, Will Smith, and Denzel Washington. But there’s concern that diversity –in front of and behind the camera– hasn’t been fully embraced in Hollywood. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by April Reign, whose 2015 hashtag #OscarsSoWhite sparked a vigorous debate over inclusion in the film business. She addresses the state of her effort, and the work that still needs to be done
What Next TBD: The Startup Delivering Adderall
In just two years, the mental-health startup Cerebral has grown to operate in 50 states, registered more than 200,000 patients, and reached a $4.8 billion valuation. Has it prioritized growth over patient care?
Guest: Caleb Melby
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: Negotiate Like a Woman
On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about getting paid. Slate Money co-host Emily Peck is joined by Phoebe Gavin, a career coach and executive director of talent and development for Vox.com. In the first part of the show they unpack Emily’s New York Times article, “What Do You Think You Should Be Paid” and the trap of that question. In the second half, Phoebe gives her advice on how to make sure you are paid what you’re worth.
You can find Phoebe’s career coaching information here.
What Next TBD: Hong Kong’s Covid Crisis
Hong Kong's zero-COVID policy got enviable results, but inadvertently set the stage for disaster. What will it take to change course?
Guest: Dr. Karen Grépin, Associate Professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: What It Takes to Get an Abortion in Texas
Last week, the Texas Supreme Court handed down a decision: Abortion providers can no longer sue state medical licensing offiicials to challenge Texas’ six-week abortion ban. Senate Bill 8, as it’s known, went into effect six months ago with ongoing legal battles in local, state and federal courtrooms. As abortion access is further restricted in the state, abortion rights advocates are doing everything they can to continue their work – including flying women out of state to get care – while navig
What Next: The Russian Media Crackdown
Russian state propaganda has kicked into overdrive as its war on Ukraine continues. State news depicts Ukrainians as the aggressors and the Kremlin’s military as a heroic force. In times like these, how can Russians get accurate information?
Guest: Kevin Rothrock, managing editor of the English side of Meduza and host of the podcast “The Russia Guy.”
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus epis
What Next: What Banning Russian Oil Really Means
While the U.S. ban on Russian oil correlates with rising prices in the U.S., it’s still subject to a global market that was on the upswing anyway. In the long run, could the rising prices, whether the result of the ban or not, actually help accelerate decarbonization efforts and move the U.S. to more sustainable forms of energy?
Guest: Robinson Meyer, staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of the newsletter The Weekly Planet, and a co-founder of the COVID Tracking Project at The Atlanti
What Next: The Persistence of Anti-Asian Violence
In early 2020, reports of violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders began to go up. More alarming is that two years later, the attacks don’t seem to be going anywhere. Why, after so much time passed, hasn’t the story changed?
Guest: Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director of the Asian American Federation.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Pru
What Next TBD: How Minnesota Spied On Protesters
When Minnesota's Operation Safety Net, a coordinated effort among nine Minnesota law enforcement agencies, was announced in February 2021, its mission was to ensure the trial of Derek Chauvin would proceed peacefully. It also promised to protect people's right to gather and demonstrate peacefully.
Did Operation Safety Net keep its promise?
Guest: Tate Ryan-Mosley, reporter for MIT Tech review
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Lynching’s Legacy - Emmett Till to George Floyd
This week, Congress passed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act to make lynching a federal crime. It’s named for Emmett Till, a Chicago teenager who was brutally killed in Mississippi in 1955. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by historian Lopez Matthews, Jr. to discuss the harmful myths about lynching, and how its specter haunts African Americans to this day.
Guest: Lopez Matthews, Jr. is an executive council member for the Association for the Study of African American Life and
The Waves: What I Wish I Knew Before I Started IVF
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking about infertility treatments–and what happens when they don’t work. The Waves producer Cheyna Roth shares her personal struggles and talks about going through IVF with Slate’s Dear Prudence columnist, Jenée Desmond Harris. They talk about what they wished they had known before starting IVF, how to be a good friend of someone experiencing infertility, and Jenée offers advice on how to cope with IVF. Later in the show, Cheyna talks to author Pamel
What Next TBD: Putin's Internet Crackdown
Vladimir Putin has always regarded the internet with suspicion. Now, with western tech companies pulling out of Russia and control of the war narrative slipping, he sees an opening. Will Putin wall off Russia from the rest of the digital world?
Guests:
Yana Pashaeva, Moscow-based journalist
Justin Sherman, fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: On the Ground With a Ukrainian Journalist
What it’s been like for one Ukrainian-American journalist to cover the Russian attack on his homeland: “The first couple of days of the war, I threw myself into work, and then after that, I couldn't function for a day or two. And I quickly figured out that if I keep working, then I have to abstract it on some level.”
Guest: Romeo Kokriatski, managing editor of The New Voice of Ukraine and co-host of the podcast Ukraine Without Hype.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Pl
What Next: The January 6th Case Against Trump
The congressional committee investigating January 6th has outlined potential criminal charges against former President Trump. Why did the Department of Justice let someone else beat them to it?
Guest: Ankush Khardori is a DC-based lawyer and a former federal prosecutor who specialized in financial fraud and white-collar crime. He’s a contributing writer for Intelligencer and a contributing editor at Politico.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: How Zelensky Met the Moment
How Volodymyr Zelensky went from being one of Ukraine’s most successful entertainment moguls to its much-heralded wartime president.
Guest: Franklin Foer, staff writer at the Atlantic.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The *New* New Phase of the Pandemic
The Biden administration’s new pandemic rules and countermeasures intend to bring us into a “new phase of the pandemic.” The CDC also released new guidelines for masking, and now about 70% of Americans can go mask free. What do these new guidelines actually say about what stage of the pandemic we’re in?
Guest: Megan Ranney, emergency room doctor at Brown Emergency Medicine.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any
What Next TBD: When Your Retina Needs a Software Update
Second Sight restored partial vision to hundreds of patients around the world through retinal implants. Then, on the verge of bankruptcy, they abandoned the project. Now, over 300 patients with Second Sight technology in their bodies are asking: what will happen to us?
Guest: Eliza Strickland, senior editor at IEEE Spectrum
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Supreme Court Showdown
President Joe Biden’s nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court made history. But according to MSNBC legal analyst Elie Mystal, it will take a lot more than her confirmation to break the conservative hold on the nation’s judiciary. On today’s episode of A Word, he talks with Jason Johnson about the confirmation battle ahead, and about his new book Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution.
Guest: Elie Mystal, MSNBC political analyst and the justice correspondent
The Waves: The GOP’s All-Out Assault on Trans People
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking Texas. Slate community manager Evan Urquhart and author and co-host of Slate’s Outward podcast Jules Gill-Peterson dig into the Texas governor’s directive to treat gender-affirming health care for transgender youth as child abuse. In the first half of the show, they explore what’s going on in Texas and the harm it’s already causing. Later they talk about how the problem in Texas is symptomatic of a much bigger trans obsession by the GOP.
In Sl
What Next TBD: Ukraine’s Information War
Up against one of the world's most effective propaganda operations, Ukraine has taken control of the online narrative. With Russian troops closing in, how important is winning the information war?
Guest: Casey Newton, writer at Platformer
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Europe’s Refugee Hypocrisy
As hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee to safety in neighboring countries and beyond, the UN says this may become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century. But it’s hard not to notice the stark difference between how the EU is welcoming Ukrainian refugees versus the non-European refugees who came before them.
Guest: Serena Parekh, professor at Northeastern University in Boston and the director of its politics, philosophy and economics program.
If you enjoy this show, please consider s
What Next: Putin Alone
No one knows what’s going on in Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s head – and while that’s a worrisome idea during the best of times, it’s an especially grim one during a war of his own creation. Putin is increasingly isolated, away from his inner circle and the oligarchs who once had some influence with him.
Guest: Ben Judah is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and the author of This Is London and Fragile Empire: How Russia Fell In and Out of Love With Vladimir Putin.
If you enjoy this sh
What Next: Texas’s Attack on Trans Kids
Texas’s Republican governor and attorney general are pursuing a new crackdown on trans kids and their families. Their directive compelling Child Protective Services to treat gender-affirming care as child abuse is raising alarms among trans rights advocates, who say the order, if enforced, will prove dangerous for a vulnerable population.
Why did Republican leaders pick this moment to trumpet an anti-trans effort? How does it fit into a wider culture war—or perhaps a larger effort to drive tran
What Next: President Biden’s First Supreme Court Pick
President Biden has nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill Justice Breyer’s seat on the Supreme Court. If confirmed, she would be the first Black woman to hold a seat on the court. What does her backstory say about her as a jurist?
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer for Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be
What Next: The Long View on Russia’s Invasion
Russia went all in last week, sending troops across the border with Ukraine and raining shells on the country. Experts are saying Putin’s brash invasion of his neighbor is shifting the world order in significant ways. In the face of this aggression, how should NATO respond? Can history serve as a guide?
Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s War Stories correspondent.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bon
What Next TBD: Peter Thiel, Patron of the Populist Right
Peter Thiel spent the better part of two decades molding the tech industry in his image. Now, he's leaving Facebook behind and turning his attention to politics. Is Thiel the next kingmaker for the populist right?
Max Chafkin, writer for Bloomberg and is the author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: “Black City. White Paper.”
Philadelphia may be the cradle of American democracy. But the city has a difficult history with race. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s new project, “A More Perfect Union,” is seeking to shed light on the city’s historic racism. It started with itself, acknowledging a history of its role in perpetuating racism in the opening story “Black City. White Paper.” On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by veteran political journalist Errin Haines. She’s leading the Inquirer’s year-long project
The Waves: Why You Need to Downsize Your Skin-Care Routine
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus is joined by freelance beauty reporter, and author of The Unpublishable, Jessica DeFino to talk about why you probably don’t need all the lotions and potions in your cupboards. They start out by discussing Jessica’s recent Slate piece, “Why Your Skin Doesn’t Need Skin Care” and why other outlets turned the piece down. They then go behind the scenes of the beauty industry and talk about the toxicity of celebrity skin-care bran
Amicus: And the Nominee Is … Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
As President Joe Biden announces his pick to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Olivia Warren, a former clerk of nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern to discuss Judge Jackson’s character, her qualifications, and the qualities she’ll bring to the highest court in the land if confirmed.
In our Slate Plus segment, members will hear more from Mark and Dahlia on the other big news of the week: the Supreme Court’s decis
Gabfest Special: Justice Jackson
Stanford Law professor Nathaniel Persily joins David and Emily to discuss President Biden’s nomination for associate justice of the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson.
You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless th
What Next TBD: Russia's Other Battlefront
For seven years, Ukraine has served as a virtual testing ground for a generation of cyber weaponry capable of taking down power grids, networks, and supply chains. With an invasion of Ukraine underway, will these weapons come into play?
Guest: Andy Greenberg, senior writer at WIRED and the author of the book Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Anti-Government Blueprint in California
Earlier this month in Northern California, a militia-backed anti-government group won a recall vote that will effectively give it control over a county’s local government. The recall ousted a Republican politician from his supervisor seat and was preceded by two years of threats and contentious county meetings stemming from pandemic precautions. Could this style of government takeover become a blueprint for other far-right groups nationwide?
Guest: Doni Chamberlain is a former newspaper reporte
What Next: Putin’s Obsession With Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin has begun sending Russian soldiers into Ukraine after spending months massing troops on the country’s borders. Why is Putin risking so much to take the Donbas region? And does this latest incursion signal a failure of the west’s foreign policy approach to Russia?
Guest: Josh Keating, global security reporter at Grid.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sh
What Next: The Path to the Sandy Hook Settlement
Last week, the Remington Arms Company reached a $73 million dollar settlement with the families of nine victims killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre—the largest payout by a gun manufacturer in a mass shooting case.
Federal law protects manufacturers from a broad swath of liability in civilian shootings, so the families’ legal team took an interesting tack: they sued under Connecticut’s consumer protection laws and exposed the reckless way Remington marketed their weapons.
Guest: @NicoleHoc
Gabfest Reads: Heartbreak
Gabfest reads is a new monthly series from the hosts of the Political Gabfest. This month David Plotz talks with author Florence Williams about divorce, affection, good friendships, and her new book Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey.
Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next TBD: The COVAX Fantasy
Over two years into the pandemic, much of the world remains either unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or lacking access to mRNA vaccines entirely. How did the leading effort to vaccinate the world go so wrong?
Guest: Achal Prabhala, coordinator of the AccessIBSA project and a fellow of the Shuttleworth Foundation, in Bangalore.
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Word: Porn and Prejudice
Pornography is more than a dirty secret. It’s a profitable one, making billions from American consumers each year. And like much of entertainment, it trafficks in damaging racial stereotypes. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Dr. Carolyn West. She’s a psychology professor at the University of Washington who produced the documentary “Let Me Tell Ya’ll Bout Black Chicks: Images of Black Women in Pornography.” They discuss the often violent racism within the porn industry, an
The Waves: Hockey Mom Charm Couldn’t Save Sarah Palin
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior writer and host of the Outward podcast Christina Cauterucci is joined by Slate senior writer Seth Stevenson to talk about Sarah Palin and her recent trial against the New York Times. In the first half of the show, they unpack what happened at Palin’s trial and dig into why Palin’s clothes are a major part of her personality. Later on, Seth and Christina discuss how Palin’s time in court mirrored her 2008 run for vice president.
In Slate Plus,
What Next TBD: "Rampant Racism" at Tesla
Last week, California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued Tesla. It accuses the electric vehicle maker of fostering a workplace rife with racism and discrimination.
What's happening inside Tesla's Fremont plant?
Guest: Dana Hull, reporter for Bloomberg
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Olympics’ Latest Doping Scandal
Olympic athletes and commentators were stunned this week to learn that 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will be allowed to compete in Beijing’s Winter Games, despite testing positive in December for a banned substance. The controversy has kicked up raw feelings about Russia’s history of doping and the fecklessness of Olympics officials to apply rules evenly across countries.
Guest: Justin Peters, Slate correspondent and the author of The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of
What Next: A Trump Protege Auditions for 2024
Florida governor, Ron DeSantis has been on a tear promoting hyper-conservative policies – from his “Stop Woke Act” to gerrymandering, he’s shocking even fellow Republicans. Is this his way of preparing for a 2024 presidential run?
Guest: Mary Ellen Klas is the Miami Herald Capitol Bureau Chief.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll
What Next: Sarah Palin v. the New York Times
For decades, the press has enjoyed a wide latitude when writing about public figures. But the high legal standard for defamation may be coming in for some scrutiny in the libel suit of Sarah Palin versus the New York Times.
Guest: Slate contributor Seth Stevenson. Read his latest coverage of the trial of Sarah Palin v. New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows li
What Next: Where Does Minneapolis Go Now?
Old wounds are open again in Minneapolis. The city is struggling to investigate a police shooting from earlier this month, when officers carried out a “no-knock” search warrant and fatally shot a 22-year-old Black man in bed. The victim, Amir Locke, was not a suspect in the crime police were investigating. The shooting comes months after city voters rejected a plan to defund the police, and some city officials are struggling to figure out a path forward with a police force that’s been difficult
A Word: Black Balled in the NFL?
The NFL claims that Black coaches are treated fairly in the league. But former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores is suing, saying he can’t get a job because of racial bias. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Joel Anderson, co-host of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, to talk about the controversy, and the limits of the “Rooney Rule” in ending racism in hiring for NFL coaches.
Guest: Joel Anderson, co-host of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, and host of
What Next TBD: The Rise of a Fast Fashion Juggernaut
In just a few short years, the Chinese fast fashion company Shein upended the way countless young women shop online. It’s approach could soon shape the way everyone else shops, too.
Guest: Louise Matsakis, freelance technology reporter
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Waves: All The Layers of Mess at the Winter Olympics
On this week’s episode of The Waves, co-host of Slate’s podcast, Working, June Thomas is joined by Amira Rose Davis, history professor and co-host of the feminist sports podcast Burn It All Down. They dig into the “bog standard” sexism we keep seeing in the Games, the lack of diversity in the Winter Games (despite the International Olympic Committee constantly saying the Games are more diverse than ever), and why they still can’t stop watching the Olympics. (Spoiler: One reason is insomnia.)
I
What Next TBD: How Safe is the Metaverse?
Facebook’s first crack at the metaverse has a problem: kids. Underage users seem to be flooding Horizon Worlds, potentially putting themselves at risk.
Is Meta doomed to repeat Facebook’s mistakes?
Guest: Will Oremus, technology news analysis writer for the Washington Post.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: What You Don’t See At The Olympics
As the Winter Olympics unfold in Beijing, a darker reality remains: China’s abuses against the Uyghurs, an ethnic minority in the country’s Xinjiang region. While much of the world remains glued to the sports coverage, Uyghurs in the diaspora are calling on people to pay attention to China's treatment of their family members back home.
Guest: Gulchehra Hoja, a Uyghur journalist with Radio Free Asia.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get bene
What Next: The Canadian Trucker Revolt
The Ottawa truckers protest is neither exclusive to Ottawa nor strictly composed of truckers. And its supporters are hoping to head to a city near you.
Guest: Jesse Brown, editor-in-chief of Canadaland.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to he
What Next: When Planned Parenthood Burns Down
With Roe v. Wade on the chopping block, abortion access is under fire in states around the country. At Planned Parenthood’s Knoxville location, the clinic faced that literally when an arson attack burned the building to the ground. How will providers rebuild when the things they stand for are so threatened?
Guest: Tory Mills, director of community engagement for Planned Parenthood’s Knoxville Health Center.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members g
What Next: The NFL’s Race Problem
Until last month, Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and one of only three Black head coaches among the NFL’s 32 teams. That number has since dropped to one.
On Tuesday, Flores announced he was suing the NFL, alleging that the league's hiring practices are racist. His suit comes almost 20 years after the creation of the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for senior positions, and eight years after Colin Kaepernick was black-balled from
A Word: Homegrown Black History
Searching for truthful versions of Black history can be tough, especially as honest lessons about racism are caught up in the controversy over Critical Race Theory. In his new book Who Are Your People?, political commentator Bakari Sellers delivers Black history to a generation of kids, something inspired by his own experience as a father. Bakari Sellers joined Jason Johnson on today’s episode of A Word to talk about the importance of being truthful about Black history with kids in a way that th
What Next TBD: The Code That Runs Your Life
Banks, healthcare providers, and retailers around the world still rely on COBOL, a programming language originally developed in the 1960s. By all accounts the code is powerful, practical, and very rarely problematic. But the small group of people who still know the language are aging out of the workforce.
What happens when there are no more COBOL coders left?
Guest: Clive Thompson, journalist and author of "Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World."
Host: Lizzie O’Lear
The Waves: Romantic Comedies Are Making a Comeback. Will They Be Better This Time?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate culture writer LIli Loofbourow is joined by Nichole Perkins, pop culture writer, author, and co-host of This Is Good for You. They talk about the history of the romantic comedy—and what makes it such an enjoyable, but sometimes insidious, genre. Then they unpack the return of the rom-com, why bromantic comedies are sometimes good for you, and shout to the heavens for more sex in rom-coms.
In Slate Plus, are the cartoon makeovers of M&M’s and Minnie Mo
What Next TBD: Spotify’s Joe Rogan Mess
For Spotify, the last month has seen a cascade of controversies around its exclusive podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. Is it time for the streaming service to rethink its role as a podcast publisher? And is it even possible to moderate podcast misinformation?
Guest: Evelyn Douek, lecturer at Harvard Law School, and Affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: A New Kind of Gun Control
A popular, outgoing liberal mayor in Silicon Valley is taking on gun rights groups with a splashy municipal ordinance fashioned to curb gun violence—and be the first of its kind. Gun rights groups are foretelling doom for the new law, and the NRA called it a “ridiculous publicity stunt.”
Does this city’s initiative have the hallmarks of a breakthrough on gun violence prevention? Will lawsuits tank it before anyone has the chance to find out?
Guest: Sam Liccardo, mayor of San Jose, California.
What Next: The Mineral The Future Is Built On
Cobalt is the most important mineral of the future. It’s a key part of lithium-ion batteries, which power cell phones and laptops, not to mention electric cars. That demand is giving rise to a mining industry in Idaho, which sits atop a giant cobalt deposit. But the environmental costs of extraction raise questions about what “clean energy” really means.
Guest: Michael Holtz, freelance journalist and author of “Idaho Is Sitting on One of the Most Important Elements on Earth.”
If you enjoy this
What Next: The Life and Death of the Expanded Child Tax Credit
The expanded Child Tax Credit slashed childhood poverty in the U.S. by an estimated 30%. Why won’t congress revive it?
Guest: Jordan Weissmann, writer and editor at Slate focused on economics, politics, and public policy.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/
What Next: How China Is Spinning the Olympics
No one is happy with the way this year’s Winter Olympics are unfolding. Athletes are frustrated with China’s excessive pandemic precautions. Diplomatic tensions are rising. Are the second COVID games on thin ice?
Guest: Henry Bushnell, features writer for Yahoo Sports.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work w
A Word: Black Horror is Killing It
For decades, it has a running joke that Black characters were the first to die in horror movies. But movies like Nia DaCosta’s Candyman and Jordan Peele’s Get Out are rewriting the script, and creating horror villains and heroes who represent the real Black experience. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Tananarive Due, an award-winning author and producer who teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA, to discuss the past and future of Black horror.
Guest: Tananarive D
The Waves: Can Women Exercise Without the Patriarchy Getting in Our Heads?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate podcast producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author Danielle Friedman. Friedman’s new book Let’s Get Physical explores the history of women’s exercise, and how some old attitudes still linger. They talk about the double bind women have faced when it comes to exercising, the “uterus myth,” and where we’re at with anti-fatness and inclusivity in exercise.
In the Slate Plus segment: Are yoga pants feminist?
Recommendations:
Cheyna: YouTube yogi Yoga With
What Next TBD: The Downfall of One of the World's Biggest Brains
Ten years ago, IBM made a gamble. Through a monumental advertising and PR campaign, it promised that its AI technology–Watson–would transform the health care industry as we know it. A decade and billions of dollars later, Watson Health is being sold for parts.
What went wrong with IBM’s “moonshot?” And what does Watson’s failure tell us about the promise of AI for health care?
Guest: Casey Ross, national technology correspondent for STAT
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices.
What Next: Bye Bye, Breyer
This week, Justice Stephen G. Breyer is expected to announce his plan to retire from the Supreme Court at the end of its term this summer. Breyer’s signal comes after a year-long pressure campaign from the political left and others anxious to ensure that Democrats control who replaces the court’s most senior liberal justice.
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, who covers courts and the law for Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like
What Next: Putin’s Plan
The odds of a Russian invasion of Ukraine are increasing, with thousands of Russian troops stationed near the two countries' border. Vladimir Putin is set on ensuring Ukraine gives up its ambitions to join NATO and the European Union, and it’s unclear how much he’s willing to risk to meet that objective.
How far will the Russian leader go to get what he wants? Is there any way to end the standoff without violence?
Guest: Amy Mackinnon, national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Po
What Next: Policing-for-Profit
Over the last few years, a sleepy southern town has seen its arrest rate grow more than 1100%. It’s not because of a spike in crime in Brookside, Alabama; instead, the town’s law enforcement has adopted a policing-for-profit model that treats citizens as revenue generators and cracks down on them accordingly. In turn, some residents enter debt spirals as the town’s police force rakes in more cash, with no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Guest: John Archibald, columnist for AL.com and the Birmin
What Next: How the Texas Synagogue Survived
Stuart Frisch gave security training to the members of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, less than six months before they found themselves under siege and held hostage—a training the rabbi cited when explaining how they managed to escape.
How does Frisch approach protecting spaces that aren’t meant to be fortresses? Can faith and security coexist?
Guest: Stuart Frisch, advisor for the Secure Community Network.
`
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus.
A Word: Home Robbery
In theory, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 outlawed all forms of real estate discrimination. In reality, Black home sellers often see their homes valued much lower than similar homes owned by whites. Andre Perry of the Brookings Instititution joins the show today to talk about the how real estate discrimination has robbed Black Americans billions of dollars in generational wealth, and what can be done to change it.
Guest: Andre Perry, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of Know
The Waves: Was the Women’s March Successful?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci looks back to the first Women’s March that took place on Jan. 21, 2017. She talks to New York Magazine’s Rebecca Traister about what the march accomplished for progressive organizing and the role protests can have going forward. Then she sits down with Angela Peoples, an activist and organizer who went to the march with a sign saying “White Women Voted for Trump”—and went viral.
In Slate Plus, Christina and Angela co
What Next TBD: Why Does Matt Damon Want Me to Buy Crypto?
A recent advertisement for crypto.com, featuring Matt Damon, was met with widespread mockery online. But Damon’s ad is only the most visible example of a much broader—and more insidious—trend of celebrity cryptocurrency endorsements. Is the partnership between crypto and Hollywood really dangerous? And what separates the trend from run-of-the-mill salesmanship?
Guests: Jacob Silverman, staff writer for the New Republic and Ben McKenzie, actor, writer, and director.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn m
What Next: Is Biden Flunking COVID?
President Biden, unlike his predecessor, was able to spend some time planning his COVID-19 response. One year in, is the plan working?
Guest: Dan Diamond, national health reporter for the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to he
What Next: The Supreme Court, Unmasked
The Supreme Court heard two challenges to the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccination mandates this month. It blocked one mandate and upheld another, giving some observers whiplash.
How did the court come to such different rulings on similar workplace mandates, and what do the rulings say about how the court views the federal government as a whole?
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, staff writer covering courts and the law for Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate P
What Next: The New King of Conservative Media
Conservative talk radio host Dan Bongino sits atop a media ecosystem that is fueling the fervor behind Trump and his big lie.
Guest: Evan Osnos is staff writer at The New Yorker and a fellow at the Brookings Institute. He’s also the author of Wildland: The Making of America’s Fury.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporti
A Word: Biden: Fighting or Failing on Voting Rights?
President Biden and Vice President Harris made impassioned speeches in Georgia this week, calling voting rights a top political priority. But the grassroots organizers who helped turn Georgia in 2020 want more than words, and many refused to attend the president’s event. One of those people is Nsé Ufot, the CEO of the New Georgia Project voting rights group. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson talks with Ufot about dangers to voting rights, frustrations with Biden, and the dire consequen
The Waves: What's Different About Women's Brains?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus is joined by author Emily Willingham. Emily’s new book The Tailored Brain: Feeling Better and Thinking Smarter is all about how our brains work and whether gender plays a role in brain enhancement. They talk about how to be more empathetic and the ways empathy can boost your brain, the importance of using a feminist lens in brain science, and the old theory that brains are made of sperm.
In the Slate Plus segment, Emily and
What Next: Should Democrats Compromise on Election Reform?
For the past year, Democrats have been touting the importance of passing two huge federal voting protections bills. If those plans can’t pass, should the party tackle straight-up election subversion?
Guest: Rick Hasen, professor of law and political science at the University of California–Irvine School of Law and author of Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get ben
What Next: Greg Abbott’s PR Play at the Border
Back in March, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent a couple hundred members of the Texas National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border to counteract what he called President Biden’s “open border policies.” Almost a year later, around 10,000 troops are stationed there at Abbott’s command. Many guardsmen have had to upend their lives for a mission that seems to have little purpose.
Guest: Davis Winkie, staff reporter for Army Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slat
What Next: Chicago’s Public School Meltdown
Chicago Public Schools canceled classes for three consecutive days this year, following a vote by the teachers union to defy in-person teaching orders amid a rise in COVID-19 cases. The union wants additional safety measures in place as teachers and students return to school. Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the union’s actions are “illegal,” and the public schools system said the refusal to teach in-person amounted to a strike.
How will the showdown end? And when will students get
What Next: J.D. Vance’s Long Game
J.D. Vance became a sought-after cultural translator when he published Hillbilly Elegy. Now, he’s a rhetorical bomb-thrower running for the Republican nomination for Senate in Ohio. But underneath Vance’s transformation is a relatively consistent appreciation for a new strain of conservatism still in the process of defining itself. Could Vance’s candidacy advance this intellectual movement on the political right?
Guest: Simon van Zuylen-Wood, who wrote about J.D. Vance for the Washington Post Ma
One Year: Ann Arbor's DNA Dragnet
This week, we’re bringing you an episode from another show we think you’ll like.
Slate's history podcast One Year introduces you to people and ideas that changed American history, one year at a time. The new season of One Year covers 1995, a year when homegrown terrorists attacked Oklahoma City, America went online, and the Macarena took over nightclubs.
When a serial rapist struck Ann Arbor, Michigan, the police turned to drastic measures, based on the promise and power of DNA. For law enforce
The Waves: Middle-Aged Women Are Getting Their Due on TV
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate managing producer Asha Saluja and Slate senior editor Shannon Palus discuss women and aging on television. Through two seemingly unrelated shows—HBO Max’s And Just Like That and Showtime’s Yellowjackets—they dig into how these shows portray their protagonists for better and worse, and what makes the relationships between women compelling in both shows.
In Slate Plus: Was it feminist that Carrie was an anti-hero in the original series of Sex and the C
What Next: Rapid Test Blues
Back in March of 2020, a scientist working at MIT developed a rapid test for the novel coronavirus. It wasn’t quite as accurate as a PCR, but would have gone a long way in detecting infectious cases during the emerging pandemic. But her test was never approved—and today, the U.S. is still behind other developed countries in our mass testing scheme.
Guest: Lydia Depillis, reporter for ProPublica.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits
What Next: Is the Pandemic Getting Better... Or Worse?
It's easy to look at the latest pandemic-related disruptions and assume we're careening into another full-blown COVID crisis. But in many ways, we’re getting better at combating this coronavirus.
Guest: Dan Diamond, national health reporter for the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do
What Next: The Coup Next Time
Months before the attack on the Capitol, Bart Gellman predicted that the 2020 election would usher in a make-or-break year for American democracy. He was correct. Now, he’s trying to sound the alarm again. This time he says American democratic institutions and systems are being broken before our eyes, and the people in power aren’t doing enough to stop it.
Guest: Barton Gellman, staff writer at The Atlantic.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members
What Next: The Capitol Rioters, A Year Later
The Justice Department’s criminal investigation into the January 6th insurrection is unprecedented. More than 700 rioters face charges, and federal prosecutors are still adding names to the pile. As cases work their way through the courts, judges are sparring over the proper approach to sentencing rioters. How do you hold an individual responsible for a collective event?
Guest: Zoe Tillman, senior legal reporter with BuzzFeed News.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate P
A Word: Get Facts, Get Free: The Emancipator
Should journalists work to end American racism, not just report on it? That’s what the Boston Globe’s new project, The Emancipator, is making its mission. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by its co-editor-in-chief, Amber Payne. They discuss The Emancipator’s history, and its vision for an anti-racist American future.
Guest: Amber Payne, co-editor in chief of The Emancipator at the Boston Globe
Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis
You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining
The Waves: “It Was and Is Horrible”
On this week’s episode of The Waves, former hosts Christina Cauterucci, Nichole Perkins and Marcia Chatelain return for a special reunion. They haven't been on the microphones together since the pandemic started, and they have a lot to discuss. They cover the nighttime doula Twitter fight, thoughts on the generational battles that are raging, how race plays a role in nostalgia, and the horrors of dating during the pandemic.
In Slate Plus: Is gift giving sexist?
Recommendations:
Christina: She
What Next: Best of 2021 | When Your Town Burns Down
We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in August 2021.
Last week, the northern California mountain town of Greenville was wiped out by the Dixie Fire, which lasted for two months and is now the second largest wildfire in California history. As Greenville residents assess the damage to their homes and businesses, is it safe to rebuild? Is it even ethical, when wildfires are expected to only get worse?
Guest: Margaret Garcia, also known
What Next: Best of 2021 | Will the NFL Finally Support Gay Players?
We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in June 2021.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive end, Carl Nassib, came out in an Instagram post back in June, making him the first openly gay active player in NFL histroy. The league immediately posted in celebration of Nassib’s announcement. But given the NFL’s sorry history of standing by players on the vanguard, will the league really put its money where its mouth is this time?
Guest: LZ Grander
What Next: Best of 2021 | How Should We Remember Colin Powell?
We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in October 2021.
Colin Powell, known as a “trailblazer” and “pathbreaker” in his military career, leaves behind a complicated legacy. The four-star general became a household name during the first Gulf War as the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and later the first Black secretary of state.
Thirty years after his rise to national prominence, Powell’s death has prompted reflections
What Next: Best of 2021 | God Doesn’t Want Me Vaccinated
We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in September 2021.
Who are the people seeking a religious exemption to the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate? What are their religious claims? And how do workplaces decide who has a real claim to belief versus a convenient letter from a pastor-for-hire?
Guest: Ruth Graham, reporter for The New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members
The Waves: A Very Waves Reunion
On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s a very special reunion episode. Original hosts of The Waves, June Thomas, Noreen Malone, and Hanna Rosin gather together to catch up on everything that’s happened since their last episode in July 2019. They talk about topics they wish they could have covered, how the workforce has changed for women, bits of culture they’ve loved over the last couple of years, and how hosting The Waves made them more interesting people.
In Slate Plus: Are the holidays s
A Word: Black Christmas Movie Bonanza
It’s the holiday season, which means it’s time to press play on your favorite Christmas movies. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by essayist and pop culture critic Rebecca Theodore-Vachon to talk about what really makes a Black Christmas movie, and which classics they recommend.
Guest: Rebecca Theodore-Vachon, essayist, pop culture critic, and host of The Spectrum Lounge podcast.
Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis
You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus.
What Next: Best of 2021 | When the Culture War Comes For Your Job
We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in July 2021.
Brittany Hogan worked in diversity and inclusion for the Rockwood School District for eight years. As public debate intensified over the way race is discussed in schools and threats were made against her, Hogan eventually was pushed to resign.
Guest: Brittany Hogan, former director of educational equity and diversity for the Rockwood School District in St. Louis County.
If you enjoy
What Next: Best of 2021 | One Woman’s Year Protecting George Floyd Square
We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in May 2021.
A year after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, residents near the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue—now dubbed George Floyd Square—continue to keep the area closed off. The city wants to reopen the intersection, but activists say they aren’t giving in until the community’s demands for justice are met.
Guest: Marcia Howard, security volunteer and organizer in Georg
What Next: Best of 2021 | The Plight of the Delivery Worker
In the last few years, New York City’s delivery workers have become a key part of the food industry’s infrastructure, allowing restaurants to do business with customers who are too stressed to leave their desks, or too cautious to leave their homes. But a spate of violent attacks and bike thefts has shown that the people delivering your Grubhub and Seamless orders are deeply vulnerable. Why are these essential workers being exploited by apps and abandoned by the police, forced to band together j
What Next: Joe Biden's Putin Problem
What does a massing of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border mean? And could this conflict be defused yet by diplomacy?
Guest: Slate’s Fred Kaplan, author of The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at sla
A Word: Black and Missing: Finding Our Own
It’s already a devastating situation when a loved one goes missing. And if you’re Black, you’ll likely have fewer resources and help to find your family member. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Derrica Wilson. She’s the co-founder and CEO of the Black and Missing Foundation, the group that inspired the HBO documentary Black and Missing. They talk about the disparities in the way the media and police treat missing people of color, how that impacts the chances that people a
The Waves: The Case Against Ghislaine Maxwell
On this week’s episode of The Waves, senior managing producer of Slate podcasts June Thomas is joined by Slate senior writer Seth Stevenson to talk about the ongoing trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, which Seth has been covering since it started at the end of November. Maxwell is accused of helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse minors by recruiting and grooming underage girls. First, Seth and June catch up on what has been happening in the courtroom now that the prosecution has rested its case. In th
What Next TBD: The Carbon Capture Fantasy
Using experimental technology to pull gigatons of carbon out of the air and bury it deep beneath the Earth sounds like a bad sci-fi plot point. If things don’t change soon, it also might be one of our only options.
Guest: Clive Thompson, journalist and author of Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: What Mark Meadows Knew
After initially cooperating with the select committee investigating the events of January 6, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reversed course, deciding instead to assert executive privilege. But Meadows had already handed over documents and text messages relating to that day—painting a picture of how Trump’s inner circle reacted as the Capitol was under siege.
What happens to Meadows now that he’s been held in contempt of Congress? And could possible criminal charges for defying
What Next: Why Didn’t Maryland Democrats Go For the Jugular?
Maryland Democrats had a shot at an 8-0 gerrymander this redistricting cycle. To the frustration of the national Democratic party, they stopped just shy of that number. Should Maryland Democrats have just taken the total low road on partisan gerrymandering?
Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics reporter for Slate. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, The Surge.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Abrams vs. Kemp vs. Perdue
When Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced his intent to run for reelection, he knew he was facing down a rematch with voting rights activist and former state lawmaker Stacey Abrams. What he likely didn’t expect was a challenge from the right in the form of David Perdue, a local businessman, former senator, and good friend who was encouraged to run against him by Donald Trump. Now, the question is whether Trumpism can be a winning argument in Georgia—or whether Democrats might be able to exploit
What Next: When Your Book Gets Banned By the School Board
Banning books in schools is on the rise. Around the country, parents are lobbying to banish from libraries and curriculums any work they deem to be “graphic” or “offensive,” often sweeping up books centered on queer or POC experiences in the process. Some authors say that’s no coincidence - nor is it surprising that this is happening just as the publishing industry is remaking itself to tell more diverse stories. The question is, what’s the best way to respond to the outrage?
Guest: Ashley Hope
A Word: Abbott Elementary’s Top Teacher
How do you make a struggling public school --with outdated textbooks, a shady principal, and broken everything-- funny? Ask comedian Quinta Brunson, star and creator of the new ABC show Abbott Elementary. Brunson joins Jason Johnson on today’s episode of A Word to discuss the sitcom, her work on HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, and her unconventional path to comedy stardom.
Guest: Quinta Brunson, writer, producer, comedian, and actress. She’s the author of the memoir “She Memes Well.” Brunson’s
The Waves: The Fight Over Abortion Is About to Get Extremely Local
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate’s news director Susan Matthews interviews the Nation’s abortion-access correspondent, Amy Littlefield about her reporting for her recent New York Times piece, “Where the Pro-Choice Movement Went Wrong.” They start by talking about how America got to the precipice of overturning Roe v. Wade, and whether reproductive rights advocates are prepared for the fight to come. Later in the show, they discuss how women will continue to access abortion without Roe,
What Next TBD: Who Online Justice Leaves Behind
The U.S. civil court system doesn’t get as much attention as the criminal courts, but it would be hard to overstate its importance. In 2018, for example, 47 percent of respondents to a Pew survey said they had dealt with the system in one way or another; from eviction proceedings, to debt collection, to child-support modifications.
What happened when the pandemic upended such an important pillar of the justice system? Did new technologies fix existing problems—or just create new ones?
Guest:
What Next: The School Shooting Down the Street
Michigan state Senator Rosemary Bayer has been fighting for years to get safe storage laws on the books in her home state. In the wake of the shooting at Oxford High School, a school that sits in her district, her mission has become that much more urgent.
Guest: Rosemary Bayer is a state senator in Michigan. She represents the northern suburbs of Detroit.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonu
What Next: What Peng Shuai Started
When Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai accused a former Chinese Vice Premier of rape, what came next was darkly predictable: the athlete disappeared from public view while the government scrubbed all mentions of her allegations and censored searches for her name. But few expected the Women’s Tennis Association to strike back, suspending all future tournaments in China and Hong Kong.
As the WTA stands up to China - leaving millions of dollars on the table - will other sports organizations follow
What Next: House Democrats’ Long-Shot Plan to Dodge Disaster
All signs point to rough congressional elections next year. What are House Democrats doing to hold their majority?
Guest: Rep. Sean Maloney (D-N.Y.), chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to
What Next: The 30-Year Plan to End Roe
After oral arguments last week, the Supreme Court looks ready to overturn Roe v. Wade. How did conservatives get to this moment when the majority of Americans favor legalized abortion? And do liberals have the patience to keep the fight alive?
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, staff writer at Slate covering the Supreme Court.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and
A Word: Planes, Trains and Pandemic Travel Plans
With a growing number of Americans vaccinated, many are contemplating traveling for the holidays, despite concerns about a new COVID variant. For Black travelers, navigating an unfamiliar society’s ideas about race adds another complication. On this episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by veteran lifestyle journalist and travel expert Dayvee Sutton to talk about her experience while traveling as a Black woman during the pandemic.
Guest: Dayvee Sutton, veteran lifestyle journalist and trav
The Waves: Can Kamala Harris Turn Things Around? A Skeptic and an Optimist Debate
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate editor-at-large Noreen Malone and executive producer of Slate podcasts Alicia Montgomery talk about Vice President Kamala Harris. They unpack what she’s done (and hasn’t done) and how the White House may be using her as a shield for unpopular policies. Then they dig into whether it’s possible to turn Harris’ abysmal approval ratings around.
In the Slate Plus “Is This Feminist?” segment, Noreen and Alicia discuss whether the move toward more casual clo
What Next TBD: Did @jack Ruin Twitter?
On Monday, Jack Dorsey stepped down as CEO of Twitter. It’s not the first time he’s left the job.
Is this really the end for the man who guided Twitter through the Trump era? And how will the platform change without him at the helm?
Guest: Nick Bilton, special correspondent at Vanity Fair
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Why No One Told Chris Cuomo No
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo was recently placed on indefinite leave by the network for his involvement in the damage control operations of his brother, former NY governor Andrew Cuomo, over the last year. A trove of documents revealed that Chris had overstepped ethical lines to help protect Andrew while he was under fire for allegations of sexual harassment.
Why did the younger Cuomo wade into the political muck, putting his job at risk? And will CNN hold him accountable?
Guest: Erik Wemple, media
What Next: Everything We (Don’t) Know About Omicron
In November, South Africa alerted the world to Omicron, a new strain of COVID-19. Then, as cases began to pop up worldwide, the World Health Organization labeled it a “variant of concern.” What do we know about Omicron, and just how worried should we be?
Guest: Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, assistant professor with the School of Public Health at UTHealth and author of Your Local Epidemiologist on Substack.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefi
What Next: Are the Democrats Making Child Care Even Worse?
Child care has long been a “textbook example of a broken market,” as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said this fall. How have government efforts so thoroughly failed to fix this industry? And does Biden’s infrastructure bill threaten to hamper child care businesses even more?
Guest: Claire Suddath, writer for Bloomberg Businessweek.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like
What Next: RIP to the SAT
If you had to take the SAT for your college admissions process, you largely have the University of California System to thank for that. When the university adopted the test in 1968, hundreds of other colleges followed suit. But now, U.C. has decided not to use standardized tests in admissions anymore. Could the decision spur a retooling of the college admissions process more broadly?
Guest: Teresa Watanabe, education reporter for the Los Angeles Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider si
A Word: Cooking for the Culture
The holidays bring out the chef in many of us. For Vallery Lomas, stress-baking through her final year of law school laid the foundation for a career as a chef, and a victory in the Great American Baking Show. This week, she joins host Jason Johnson this week to talk about her unlikely path to celebrity chef status, and her new book Life is What You Bake It.
Guest: Vallery Lomas, cookbook author, recipe developer, and creator at @foodieinnewyork on Instagram
Podcast production by Ahyiana Ange
The Waves: Why Women Are in Charge of Leftovers
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate staff writer Rebecca Onion is joined by leftovers expert and cookbook author Tamar Adler, author of An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace, to talk about what to do with all your excess food. They start out by discussing why dealing with leftovers has historically fallen on women and the division of labor in their own homes. Then they shift gears and give ideas for new dishes to transform your leftovers into—from the gravy to the cranberry
What Next: Whose Second Amendment Is It?
The Supreme Court is considering a case that may strike down New York state’s strict restrictions on carrying a gun in public. Some public defenders think that might be a win for criminal justice reform.
Guest: Sharone Mitchell Jr., Chief Defender for the Cook County Public Defenders.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supp
What Next: Inflategate
How many times a day do you hear the word “inflation” now? Many items are getting more expensive, but what’s actually driving those price increases? And are we heading towards a repeat of the 1970s wage-price spiral, or is this a temporary blip?
Guest: Jordan Weissmann, senior editor at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll
A Word: Colorism, Cluelessness, and Carefree Black Girls
Zeba Blay popularized the hashtag #carefreeblackgirls, a celebration of positive online representation of Black women and girls. In her book Carefree Black Girls, she reckons with why––even in a pop culture led by people of color––so many critics are white men. Blay joins the show this week to discuss The Harder They Fall, Passing, Dave Chappelle, and where today’s artists are, and aren’t, hitting the mark on race.
Guest: Zeba Blay, culture and film critic and author of the book Carefree Black
The Waves: Taylor Swift and Adele Take Different Approaches to Aging and Pop Stardom
On this week’s episode of The Waves, managing producer of Slate Podcasts Asha Saluja and senior editor Shannon Palus dive into new releases from superstars Adele and Taylor Swift. In the first half, they talk about how Taylor Swift shaped their views of romance and being 22, and whether her move to take back her song catalogue is actually feminist. Then, Asha and Shannon explore the conversation around Adele’s weight loss and the patriarchal expectations put on female pop stars.
In our Slate P
What Next TBD: Space Junk! (And Space Wars?)
Over the weekend, Russia tested a new weapon—a type of missile that can fly into space and destroy a satellite in orbit.
The test created thousands of pieces of debris, which will hurtle around the Earth’s orbit for years to come. What’s the real risk of the rapid increase in space junk? And is there anything to be done about it?
Guest:
Laura Grego, Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at MIT
Host: Seth Stevenson
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Can Beto O’Rourke Fail Up?
Beto O’Rourke is running to replace Greg Abbott as governor of Texas. Though it’s his first time in this particular race, you’d be forgiven for thinking, “again?”
Where does this habitually-losing smooth-talking Irish-guy-with-a-bordertown-nickname fit into a state with changing demographics and an incumbent governor under assault from both the right and left? Is Beto building a coalition, or heading for a third and final defeat?
Guest: Patrick Svitek, political correspondent for the Texas Tr
What Next: The Battle Over San Francisco’s Schools
After dragging its feet on reopening schools this winter, the San Francisco Unified School District school board is under fire. Their every decision is being scrutinized by angry parents and three of its members are facing recall elections. What happens when the school board debate comes to the Bay?
Guest: Jill Tucker, education writer for the San Francisco Chronicle.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate
What Next: Is the FBI’s Surveillance of Muslims Really a State Secret?
Members of an Orange County mosque noticed a new convert was asking some strange questions. He turned out to be an FBI informant. Will the Supreme Court allow the bureau to be held accountable?
Guest: Rowaida Abdelaziz, national reporter covering Islamophobia & immigration for HuffPost.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be suppo
What Next: “I Quit My Job Today”
You’ve likely heard about the great resignation -- this moment when millions of workers across the country have handed in their notice. Sometimes, people left because they were overworked. Sometimes, it’s because they wanted to change paths, or make more money elsewhere. But for every employee quitting, there’s an employer being quit on. These are stories from the great resignation: Who’s quitting, who’s hiring, and how long this moment is likely to last.
Guests:
Betsey Stevenson, professor of
A Word: Lights, Camera, Revolution
Decades before Moonlight, Black Panther, or anything from Spike Lee, Black film artists worked through and around the studio system to bring their visions to the big screen. Now the Black Film Archive has brought together classics from 1915 to 1979. Its creator Maya Cade joins Jason Johnson on A Word to talk about the importance of African Americans connecting with movies from the past.
Guest: Maya Cade, creator of Black Film Archive and audience development specialist for the Criterion Collecti
The Waves: What the Debate Over ‘Pregnant People’ Is Really About
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate’s news director Susan Matthews talks with Slate writer and community manager Evan Urquhart about the phrase, “pregnant person.” What started as an effort to be inclusive of transgender men has devolved into an argument that at times has become transphobic. Susan and Evan unpack what’s going on with this “debate,” and, later in the show, get into more productive ways to be a trans ally, the perils of the health care system, and how to better include tran
What Next TBD: The Kid-Vaccine Holdouts
A recent poll showed that about a third of parents of younger children would get their kids vaccinated, a third would not, and the final third said they wanted to wait and see how the vaccines worked.
Public health officials are asking: what will it take to convince that third group that now is the time to vaccinate?
Guests:
Julie Hamill
Dr. Aaron Carroll, pediatrician and professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices.
What Next: The Astroworld Tragedy
Last Friday, a surging crowd killed at least eight people and left hundreds injured at Travis Scott’s music festival Astroworld in Houston. Public uproar over the needless deaths has placed responsibility at the rapper’s feet - and at those of police officers who failed to intervene and shut the show down.
How did Scott’s signature “raging” spill over into a mass casualty event? And how do we tease out blame between Scott himself, and the way music festivals are run?
Guest: Tom Breihan, senio
What Next: A Controversial New Plan to Fight Homelessness
The Los Angeles City Council has passed a new policy giving Council members the power to target specific encampments for cleanup. While the effort might eventually result in less visible homelessness in some parts of the city, critics say it might be more in service of political gain than anything else.
Guest: Benjamin Oreskes, Metro reporter at the LA Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, b
What Next: Has Minneapolis Given Up on Police Reform?
Minneapolis voters have rejected a referendum to dissolve and replace their police department by a dramatic 12-point margin. The election result reflects a different mood from what the city saw a year ago, when protesters booed the mayor for resisting the movement to defund the police.
Why were the planned police reforms so unpopular in the city where George Floyd’s murder sparked an international movement for justice? And what lessons should activists for and against the measure take from this
What Next: Has Minneapolis Given Up on Police Reform?
Minneapolis voters have rejected a referendum to dissolve and replace their police department by a dramatic 12-point margin. The election result reflects a different mood from what the city saw a year ago, when protesters booed the mayor for resisting the movement to defund the police.
Why were the planned police reforms so unpopular in the city where George Floyd’s murder sparked an international movement for justice? And what lessons should activists for and against the measure take from this
What Next: Do Vaccine Mandates Work?
In mid-October, Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced that New York City municipal workers would have just nine days to get the COVID vaccine or risk being put on unpaid leave. Thousands of workers showed up the next week to protest the mandate. A week after the hammer came down, did Mayor DeBlasio correctly call their bluff?
Guest: Eric Lach, staff writer for The New Yorker.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate
What Next: Do Vaccine Mandates Work?
In mid-October, Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced that New York City municipal workers would have just nine days to get the COVID vaccine or risk being put on unpaid leave. Thousands of workers showed up the next week to protest the mandate. A week after the hammer came down, did Mayor DeBlasio correctly call their bluff?
Guest: Eric Lach, staff writer for The New Yorker.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate
A Word: Legacy of Fire: The L.A. Riots
It’s been almost 30 years since the Los Angeles riots rocked the nation. Even now, many Americans remember where they were when they heard that four L.A.P.D. officers were acquitted for beating Rodney King. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Joel Anderson, host of Slate’s Slow Burn Season 6: The L.A. Riots. They talk about the roots of the 1992 crisis, and whether it’s better understood as a riot or an uprising.
Guest: Joel Anderson, Slate writer and host of Slow Burn: The
The Waves: Daddy Love Me! Breaking Down the Men and Women of Succession
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate Money Succession podcast host Emily Peck and Slate staff writer Lili Loofbourow talk about the men versus the women of HBO’s Succession. They start out by talking about the power struggles and anxieties facing the female characters, and debate whether Shiv Roy just sucks. Then they talk about men in this bro-y show, including all that toxic masculinity and the relationship between Greg and Tom.
In Slate Plus, this week’s “Is This Feminist” discussion
What Next TBD: How Schools Surveil Your Kids
In schools across the country, tighter digital controls were put in place to keep kids on task during the pandemic. Are they here to stay?
Guests: Priya Anand, reporter at Bloomberg
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Is It Time for Democrats to Panic?
Democrats suffered major losses in local and state elections this week. Are the results a harbinger for the party’s fate heading into the 2022 midterms?
Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to hel
What Next: White Supremacy on Trial in Charlottesville
It’s been over four years since white supremacists gathered in a violent and deadly demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia. Now, nine people are suing the organizers and groups involved with the Unite the Right rally as they try to prove the protest was a conspiracy to commit racially-motivated violence. This isn’t the first time white supremacists have been taken to court -- but could this trial spell real consequences?
Guest: Kathleen Belew, a historian at the University of Chicago, and t
What Next: A Rust-Belt City Might Elect a Socialist
India Walton won the Democratic primary for Mayor of Buffalo, New York, in June. Her victory put her on track to become the first socialist mayor in the city’s history, and the first nationwide in more than half a century. The only problem is, her opponent - current mayor Byron Brown - refuses to bow out, and is waging a well-funded write-in campaign in the hopes of keeping his post.
How has a self-styled socialist gotten so close to running Buffalo? And why are some Democrats standing in her w
What Next: How Long Can Mark Zuckerberg Be King?
The public scrutiny applied to Facebook has been building for years, as the company grows its user base faster than its ability to regulate its content. But distrust among Facebook employees is also building, as evidenced by the remarkable disclosure of internal Facebook documents by whistleblower Frances Haugen. A crisis of trust could be what undoes Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to dominate the internet of the future.
Guest: Steven Levy is editor-at-large at WIRED and author of numerous books, inclu
A Word: From Schoolyards to Prisonyards
School is supposed to be a safe environment for students to thrive. But too many school policies put non-white and disabled students on the path to prison. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with professor and author Lori Martin, about fighting the school-to-prison pipeline, and how parents can protect their children from falling into the criminal justice system.
Guest: Lori Martin, sociology professor at Louisiana State University and author of Big Box Schools: Race, Education,
The Waves: Does Your Favorite Scary Movie Have a Lady Problem?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Allegra Frank and Waves producer Cheyna Roth embrace the Halloween season and talk about horror movies. They get into the mainstays of horror and slasher movies that continue to haunt the genre to this day, ask whether the “final girl” trope is feminist, and question whether it’s possible to remake a classic without all its original (often sexist) baggage.
In Slate Plus, Allegra and Cheyna keep the Halloween theme going and discuss wheth
What Next TBD: Why Are Bots Buying Sneakers?
The bots aren’t just buying cool sneakers. They’re buying concert tickets. Tickets to basketball games and Broadway shows. At the beginning of the pandemic, they were buying hand sanitizer and face masks. And later, they were booking vaccine reservation spots.
Why are bots taking over certain markets? And is there anything we can do to slow them down?
Guests:
Derreck Johnson, designer at Slate
Eric Budish, economics professor at the University of Chicago
Host: Seth Stevenson
Learn more about
What Next: Why I Quit Advising Kyrsten Sinema
Last week, five members of Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Veterans Advisory Council publicly stepped down. In their resignation letter, they claimed that they were just “window dressing for her image” and called her “one of the principal obstacles to progress.” One of those veterans explains why she finally said enough.
Guest: Sylvia González Andersh, former member of Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Veterans Advisory Council.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus m
What Next: Is Bill Gates to Blame for Lagging Vaccinations?
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds many, if not most, of the world’s global health initiatives, so much so that the Foundation has become one of the most influential deciders of global health policy. With the distribution of vaccines to developing countries all but completely failing, how do we assess the Gates’ culpability? And is it time to imagine another model for global health cooperation?
Guest: Tim Schwab, investigative reporter.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing
What Next: The Afghans Who Got Out
Sharifa Abbasi knows exactly what it’s like to board a plane to a new country. She immigrated from Afghanistan to the U.S. with her family in 1993. Now, she’s helping other Afghans navigate the complicated red tape of American immigration law after the Taliban takeover. For these immigrants, coming to America wasn’t easy -- being able to stay here might prove even harder.
Guest: Sharifa Abbasi, immigration lawyer at The HMA Law Firm.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slat
What Next: A Brazen Kidnapping in Haiti
Last weekend, 17 foreign missionaries living in Haiti were taken hostage by a criminal gang demanding million-dollar ransom payments. Kidnappings have become routine in Haiti over the past two years, as the national government has weakened in the wake of years of foreign influence, corruption, persistent poverty, natural disasters, and political upheaval. But the latest mass abduction of so many Americans is a provocation that could prompt an international intervention, in spite of the long hist
A Word: Uneven Playing Field
Whether the issue is Covid policy or police violence, Black athletes can’t run, jump, or score their way out of the racial power dynamics of major sports. On today’s episode of A Word, veteran sportswriter and author Howard Bryant joins Jason Johnson to talk about the intersection of sports and race. They discuss the controversy over basketball star Kyrie Irving’s vaccine resistance, former NFL coach Jon Gruden’s offensive emails, and Colin Kaepernick’s endless campaign to return to the football
The Waves: Why Being the Chef on a Yacht Could Drive Anyone to Yell “Eat My Cooter!”
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate news director Susan Matthews and Waves producer Cheyna Roth talk about one of the most popular reality TV shows: Below Deck. First, they share why they love it even though it is...a bit problematic, and then they bring on Rachel Hargrove, the chef from Seasons 8 and 9. Hargrove dishes on what it’s really like to be behind the camera, the backlash she received after her first season, working in the male-dominated yachting industry, and how yachts and the
What Next TBD: Honey, I Sold the House to Zillow
Between April and June of this year, Zillow bought nearly 4,000 homes. And they had no intention of holding onto them. The plan was to flip houses, often and at scale, joining the ranks of companies like Opendoor and Offerpad, also known as iBuyers.
So, why did Zillow put their plans on pause last weekend? Can online middlemen really change the way we buy and sell houses?
Guests:
Tony Santos, homeowner
Patrick Clark, reporter at Bloomberg
Host: Henry Grabar
Learn more about your ad choices.
What Next: How Immunity for Cops Ends
Once an obscure legal doctrine, the practice of qualified immunity for police has drawn widespread public scrutiny in the past year. But as mainstream support for ending qualified immunity grows, police unions are amping up their opposition.
Guest: Kimberly Kindy, national investigative reporter for The Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and
What Next: Is Trump Still On Virginia’s Ballot?
Virginia’s gubernatorial election is just weeks away, with former Virginia governor, Democrat Terry McAuliffe, vying against newcomer Republican Glenn Youngkin. Many polls show a slim margin between the two candidates, as they spar over issues like critical race theory and Trump’s legacy in an election seen as a bellwether for the upcoming midterm elections.
Guest: Ben Paviour, state politics reporter at VPM.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus member
What Next: How Should We Remember Colin Powell?
Colin Powell, known as a “trailblazer” and “pathbreaker” in his military career, leaves behind a complicated legacy. The four-star general became a household name during the first Gulf War as the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and later the first Black secretary of state. Thirty years after his rise to national prominence, Powell’s death has prompted reflections on the Iraq War and his role in using false intelligence to justify the U.S. invasion.
Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s
What Next: No One's Got Mail
Democrats spent months fretting last year about the Postal Service and the fate of democracy. Now the Democrats are in charge. So why is the mail slowing down? And could planned changes fix what ails the Postal Service?
Guest: Jacob Bogage, business reporter for the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supportin
A Word: Black to the Land
California’s Governor Newsom recently signed legislation to return Bruce’s Beach, beachfront property that had been seized from a Black family after a campaign of racist violence and intimidation. But it’s only one of thousands of cases where African American families lost property to everything from extra legal land seizures, to systematic lending discrimination. Professor Thomas Mitchell, a law professor at Texas A&M University and MacArthur Genius Grant winner, joins the show this week to tal
The Waves: Finding Hope for Women in the Climate Crisis
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate staff writer Rebecca Onion is joined by Grace Lynch, host of As She Rises, a podcast that centers the poems of artists around the world to explore the climate crisis. The pair talk about the dangerous impact climate change has on the lives of women—emotionally, physically, and, in some cases, as mothers. Is there hope? Depends on how you look at it.
In our Slate Plus “Is This Feminist” segment, Rebecca and Grace debate if “Bond girls” are feminist.
Re
What Next TBD: The Return of Hacktivism
Over the last month, the domain company Epik and the streaming service Twitch have fallen prey to massive-scale hacks. The hackers revealed not just email addresses, but detailed personal information too. For Twitch, it was the entire source code for their site.
But the attackers aren’t holding this data for ransom. In fact, they don’t seem to want much of anything. What’s motivating this new wave of activist hacks? And who suffers?
Guest: Drew Harwell, tech reporter at the Washington Post
H
What Next: The Strike That Could Paralyze Hollywood
For as glamorous as Hollywood often seems, the workers behind the scenes rarely experience the star treatment. They do everything from sound design and makeup to cinematography and lighting, and they’ve had enough with the industry’s dizzying production pace and long hours that stretch into the early morning. Motivated by shifts in the industry due to the pandemic, workers from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union are gearing up for a strike that could halt movie and sh
What Next: Is Someone Brain-Zapping American Operatives?
The Havana Syndrome sounds like something straight out of a spy novel: microwaves are being directed towards U.S. embassies, causing hearing loss, headaches, and in some cases, permanent brain damage. The Biden administration is taking these “anomalous health incidents” very seriously. Should we?
Guest: Micahel Wilner, a Senior National Security and White House Correspondent for McClatchy.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like
What Next: When Airbnb Takes Over Your Neighborhood
Galveston is a small island off the south east coast of Texas. It’s become a hot spot for short term rentals through start-ups like Airbnb. But what the city has gained in tourism dollars, they’ve lost in actual residents.
Guest: Peter Holley is a senior editor at Texas Monthly.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting
A Word: Supreme Injustice
The Supreme Court is back in session and its public support is in free fall. But the unpopular court seems poised to radically alter the lives of millions of Americans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by political analyst Elie Mystal to discuss what’s on the docket, and why so many Americans are braced for the Court to shred their rights.
Guest: Elie Mystal, MSNBC political analyst and the justice correspondent for The Nation
Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmin
The Waves: Can You Really Have a Feminist Wedding?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate’s news director, Susan Matthews sits down with former colleague and host of the Why Oh Why relationship podcast, Andrea Silenzi to talk about all things weddings. They get into the weirdness of weddings, the sexist nature of some of the traditions, and how to reckon with all that while still having a good time on the dance floor.
In Slate Plus: Is The New York Times Vows column feminist?
Recommendations:
Susan: The new album, An Overview on Phenomen
What Next TBD: Will the Facebook Whistleblower Make a Difference?
The last month has seen a steady drip of leaked documents from inside Facebook, each seemingly more damning than the next. This week, the whistleblower behind the leaks revealed her identity.
What motivates Frances Haugen? And can she do real damage to the social media giant?
Guest: Jeff Horwitz, tech reporter at the Wall Street Journal.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Congress Plays Chicken
Congressional Republicans are forcing Democrats into a game of chicken over the debt ceiling where the stakes are the well-being of the global economy. It’s a showdown that has played out time and again since 2011, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Guest: Jordan Weissmann, senior editor for Slate
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and y
What Next: Are We Ready for the Next Pandemic?
You might think that the wreckage caused by COVID-19 would be enough to make the U.S. take pandemic planning seriously. But a close look at current pandemic preparedness efforts reveals that’s far from the truth. It’s not too late, though, to get ready for the next Big One - if we’re willing to make serious investments beyond fighting germs.
Guest: Ed Yong, a staff writer at The Atlantic covering science.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get
What Next: Democrats’ Gerrymandering Dilemma
With the results of the 2020 census in hand, all 50 states have begun the process of redistricting. Extremely thin margins in the House of Representatives mean that this hyper-local process has big implications on the balance of power at a national scale.
After aggressive Republican gerrymandering in the 2011 redistricting cycle, many Democrats came out in favor of creating non-partisan commissions to draw new voting maps. But how much of a moderating force are they really? And what happens if
What Next: The Supreme Court Confronts Its Critics
As the U.S. Supreme Court begins a new session, several justices are trying to reassure the public of the court’s nonpartisanship. But, as Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick argues, when you dig into the recent decisions of the court, you’ll see it becoming steadily more political.
Guest: Dahlia Lithwick writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate po
A Word: Las Vidas Negras Importan
The 2020 Census revealed that a growing number of Latino Americans are acknowledging their Black heritage. But that choice has never been simple. Professor Tanya Hernández of Fordham University School of Law joins Jason Johnson to talk about the bias Afro-Latinos have faced across the Americas, from their governments and even their own families. They also explore how Afro-Latinos pressing for greater representation in entertainment, media, and politics.
You can skip all the ads in A Word by join
The Waves: Does the New Clinton Impeachment Show Do Monica Lewinsky Justice?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate executive producer of podcasts Alicia Montgomery and The Waves producer, Cheyna Roth talk about the Clinton impeachment and the why, decades later, we can’t seem to let go of this story. They start out by unpacking Ryan Murphy’s new show, American Crime Story: Impeachment and how feminist thinking has evolved since the mid-90s. After the break they talk about the characters surrounding Monica Lewinsky, and whether the show treats them fairly.
In Slate
What Next TBD: What Instagram Does to Teens
Since 2018, internal research teams at Facebook have been studying the effect on Instagram on mental health. Their results couldn’t be more clear: Instagram is causing problems, especially for teen girls.
Why has it taken so long for their research to surface? And what can be done to improve the relationship between kids and the platform?
Guest: Georgia Wells, tech reporter at the Wall Street Journal.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Vaccine Holdouts in the NBA
The 2021-2022 NBA season will be underway in less than a month. The league has set strict testing and distancing rules for unvaccinated players. Largely, that strategy has worked but there are some vocal holdouts.
Guest: Bomani Jones is an ESPN commentator and the host of the Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear
What Next: The Vaccine Holdouts in the NBA
The 2021-2022 NBA season will be underway in less than a month. The league has set strict testing and distancing rules for unvaccinated players. Largely, that strategy has worked but there are some vocal holdouts.
Guest: Bomani Jones is an ESPN commentator and the host of the Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear
What Next: Why a Hollywood #MeToo Organization Imploded
Time’s Up was founded in 2018 in the wake of the #MeToo movement to fight sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace. How, then, was the organization felled by accusations of a toxic work environment and close associations with abusers?
Guest: Lili Loofbourow, staff writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and y
What Next: A Doctor’s Hardest Call
It’s hard to imagine, but many states had a plan for how they would make tough calls about the distribution of scarce medical resources during a pandemic. As our present crisis has dragged on, and hospitals have become overwhelmed, those plans are beginning to go into effect -- with some interesting caveats.
Guest: Sheri Fink, correspondent at The New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcas
What Next: Death and Desperation at Rikers Island
In the past year, twelve inmates on Rikers Island have died and it’s corrections staff has started refusing to come to work. The jail is slated for closure in 2027, but what can be done now to alleviate its problems?
Guest: Jan Ransom is a metro investigative reporter focused on criminal justice for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and
The Waves: Is Overthrowing Capitalism the Best Path to More Consensual Sex?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate staff writer and co-host of the podcast Outward, Christina Cauterucci sits down with author Amia Srinivasan to discuss her new book The Right to Sex. They talk about why false rape accusations are like plane crashes—greatly feared, but not as prevelant as we think. Then they dig into what could help us all start having a better kind of sex, and why just giving women money could go a long way in preventing domestic violence.
In Slate Plus, we debut our
A Word: Texas Political Power Twins
Recorded as part of the Texas Tribune Festival, this week’s episode is a conversation with brothers US Representative Joaquin Castro and 2020 presidential candidate Julián Castro. The brothers join Jason to discuss how the Biden administration is measuring up on the issues that were important to their own campaigns, the potential ripple effects of Texas’ new extreme abortion legislation, and the importance of Latino representation in the media.
Guests: Joaquin Castro, US Representative for Tex
What Next TBD: Are We Getting COVID Testing All Wrong?
In the U.S., the PCR test is the gold standard for COVID testing. Common knowledge would have it that the test is more accurate—and therefore more effective at containing the spread of the dease—than the rapid antigen test.
What if that isn’t quite true?
Guest: Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
TRAILER: This Is Critical
Introducing a new podcast from Trumpcast host Virginia Heffernan! Fearless, sophisticated culture criticism for all generations. Nothing is off-limits, nothing dumbed down. With American culture on the rocks, we're split into fake "wars" about everything from avocados to bicycles to medical masks. It's time we took a critical lens to every facet of our shared experience. And that's what Virginia Heffernan is prepared to do.
To hear more, be sure to subscribe to This Is Critical wherever you get
What Next: How Biden’s Agenda Could Fall Apart
Congressional Democrats are struggling to bring together their moderate and progressive factions to pass an infrastructure bill and its gigantic sidecar, a budget plan filled with tax hikes, climate-related legislation, and social spending. With the party divided, is Biden’s agenda about to hit the skids?
Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer and author of the weekly newsletter, The Surge.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get bene
What Next: The Haitian Refugees Blocked at the Border
By last weekend, nearly 14,000 migrants primarily from Haiti had amassed along the border in Texas. Then the Biden administration began a massive deportation effort.
Now, Haitians facing violence and instability at home are caught at the intersection of multiple disasters and an American president whose immigration goals remain murky, with many migrants saying they were never given the chance to make an asylum claim in the first place.
Guest: Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean correspondent for the
What Next: Did Gen. Milley Go Too Far?
General Mark Milley, the nation’s top military officer, is making sure the press knows about the role he played in safeguarding democracy under President Trump. How singular were his efforts? And what do they reveal about our governmental institutions?
Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s War Stories correspondent and author of the book, The Bomb.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows
What Next: God Doesn’t Want Me Vaccinated
Who are the people seeking a religious exemption to the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate? What are their religious claims? And how do workplaces decide who has a real claim to belief versus a convenient letter from a pastor-for-hire?
Guest: Ruth Graham, reporter for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll b
A Word: Cancelling the “Black Friend” Excuse
Your barista, your golf buddy, your ex-college roommate...just because you are friendly with a Black person doesn’t mean you’re friends. And even if you are, you can still be a racist. Scholar Khalil Gibran Muhammad explores the “Black buddy” myth of racial healing this through his podcast “Some of My Best Friends Are…”, which he co-hosts with his white best friend, Ben Austen. On today’s episode of A Word, Muhammad joins Jason Johnson to talk about interracial friendships, and evolving views ab
The Waves: Where Have All The Teen Magazines Gone?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate staff writers Rebecca Onion and Heather Schwedel dive into girls’ and women’s magazines. Many outlets like Sassy and CosmoGirl have been shuttered or moved to online-only editions. With the recent resurrection of teen magazine icon Atoosa Rubenstein in the media, Rebecca and Heather talk about what made these types of magazines pop and how problematic they were for their audience—especially the young girls. Then they dig into the lasting impact these
What Next TBD: China vs. Video Games
Recently, China restricted video game playing to just three hours a week for its young people: 8pm to 9pm, Friday through Sunday.
And that’s not the only change. Over the last few months, private tutors, diehard celebrity fans, and tech giants have all faced fresh restrictions from Beijing. What’s behind this new wave of crackdowns?
Guest: Brenda Goh, technology correspondent for Reuters
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Plight of the Delivery Worker
In the last few years and particularly during the pandemic, New York City’s delivery workers have become a key part of the food industry’s infrastructure, allowing restaurants to do business with customers too stressed to leave their desks or too afraid of catching a dangerous virus to show up themselves. But a growing incidence of violent attacks and bike thefts has laid bare just how vulnerable the people who bring you your takeout are. Why is it that such essential workers have been exploited
What Next: The Plight of the Delivery Worker
In the last few years and particularly during the pandemic, New York City’s delivery workers have become a key part of the food industry’s infrastructure, allowing restaurants to do business with customers too stressed to leave their desks or too afraid of catching a dangerous virus to show up themselves. But a growing incidence of violent attacks and bike thefts has laid bare just how vulnerable the people who bring you your takeout are. Why is it that such essential workers have been exploited
What Next: Steve Bannon’s “War Room” is Mobilizing
Listeners of Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast have mobilized to take over the GOP from the ground up. Convinced the 2020 election was stolen, many far-right Republicans are moving to run elections themselves as precinct officers.
Guest: Isaac Arnsdorf, national politics reporter for ProPublica.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll
What Next: Why College Professors Have Had It
As the fall semester begins at U.S. universities, faculty and staff and institutions of higher education are at a breaking point. Widespread feelings of burnout were laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic, but the conditions leading to them were present long before.
Guest: Lindsay Ellis, senior reporter at The Chronicle of Higher Education.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of sho
What Next: Empty Shelves Everywhere
The coronavirus pandemic has left no part of the world untouched, including global manufacturing supply chains. The complex system that keeps goods moving throughout the world has struggled to catch up ever since it was disrupted in early 2020. Now, 18 months later, product delays aren’t going anywhere.
Guest: Austen Hufford, U.S. manufacturing reporter for The Wall Street Journal.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads
A Word: Is Larry Elder the Best of Black Republicans?
Black Republican Larry Elder is leading the race to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom. For decades, the GOP was the default choice of millions of Black voters. But that changed during the civil rights era, as that party emerged as the home of segregationists, white supremacists, and their sympathizers. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Michael Steele, Maryland’s former lieutenant governor, and ex-chair of the RNC to talk about Black Republican leadership and the fut
The Waves: Did Elizabeth Holmes Kill the Concept of the Girlboss?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate Money co-host Emily Peck and Slate senior editor Shannon Palus talk all things #girlboss. They explore how the concept went from being a sought-after status to a ridiculed slogan. Then they dive into the upcoming trial of possible former (and current?) girlboss Elizabeth Holmes and talk about whether potential trial strategies and defenses are sexist.
Recommendations:
Shannon: Jessica Knoll’s 2015 novel, The Luckiest Girl Alive.
Emily: The Cathy comi
What Next TBD: Can This River Be Saved?
The Colorado River Basin is experiencing its 22nd year of drought. Its reservoirs are at their lowest-ever levels. The water stored in the system is at just 40 percent of its capacity. How did the situation on the Colorado become so dire? And what does the shortage mean for the 40 million people who rely on its waters?
Guest: Abrahm Lustgarten, senior investigative reporter at ProPublica
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: What 9/11 Did to My Life
For Muslim Americans, the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks marks a full generation of routine Islamophobia. In the years that followed, the war on terror wounded the nation’s Muslim communities in ways that still feel fresh today.
Guest: Aymann Ismail, staff writer at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and yo
What Next: Dying of COVID to Own The Libs
Four conservative talk radio hosts have died of COVID-19 this summer, further revealing the consequences of a politicized pandemic. Why aren’t prominent right-wing figures doing more to embrace the coronavirus vaccine?
Guest: Brian Rosenwald, fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Talk Radio’s America.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and D
What Next: The Texans Fighting for Abortion Access
Texas has passed a new law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, enforced by citizens launching lawsuits against anyone suspected of “aiding and abetting” the procedures. And the Supreme Court has declined to stop it - effectively ending the precedent set by Roe v. Wade. How are Texas organizations supporting reproductive rights adapting?
Guest: Anna Rupani, Co-Executive Director of Fund Texas Choice.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus memb
A Word: Haiti’s DIY Recovery
Haiti was already reeling from a presidential assassination when a massive earthquake struck in August. And organizations that have “helped” Haiti in the past have exploited its people, filled their own pockets, and left the country off worse than before. On A Word, Jason Johnson talks about the Haitian crisis with Professor Marlene Daut, a professor of African-American and African Studies at the University of Virginia. She’s also the author of Tropics of Haiti: Race and the Literary History of
The Waves: What’s Next for TV’s White Guys?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate TV critic Willa Paskin and Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk talk about the precarious position of white men on TV this summer. Their conversation, inspired by Kathryn’s recent piece in Vulture, TV's White Guys Are in Crisis, surveys the history of white men on TV, from the good-guy dad to the complex antihero, through to our current moment, where shows like Rutherford Falls and Kevin Can F**k Himself position their white guys as obstacles, and T
What Next TBD: The Rush for Ivermectin
A medicine meant to treat parasites is the latest unproven COVID treatment craze. With warnings from the FDA, and prescribers clamping down, some are going to extreme lengths to get their hands on the drug. What’s behind Ivermectin’s sudden rise?
Guest: Brandy Zadrozny, senior reporter for NBC News
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Last-Ditch Effort to Get Afghans Out
U.S. officials announced the end of the American military presence in Afghanistan this week, but thousands of people desperate to leave — American citizens and Afghans alike — remain in the country. A loose collection of volunteers is working to get them out.
Guest: Matt Pelak, soldier in the Army National Guard and veteran of the war in Iraq.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Why Paid Family Leave Might Finally Happen
The United States is the only rich industrialized nation without a universal paid family leave policy. But as child and home care costs balloon, and the pandemic continues to leave families in precarious work situations, many caretakers have hit a wall. Congress might finally be ready to do something about it.
Guest: Chabeli Carrazana, economy reporter for the 19th.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate pod
What Next: Afghanistan’s Power Vacuum
On Friday, in the midst of the effort to evacuate thousands of people from Kabul, two suicide bombers attacked the Kabul airport, killing about 160 people. A jihadi group ISIS Khorasan, or ISIS-K, claimed responsibility. Who are these extremists? And how do they impact the Taliban’s plans to govern after the U.S. completely pulls out of Afghanistan?
Guest: Colin Clarke, a Senior Research Fellow at the Soufan Center and the author of After the Caliphate: The Islamic State & the Future Terrorist
A Word: The Color of Climate Change
As natural disasters like wildfires and floods ravage the country, a growing chorus of Americans is calling for action now to fight climate change. And Black environmentalists who’ve seen their communities suffer from environmental abuse and neglect for generations are pushing the issue to the top of the civil rights agenda. On today’s episode of A Word, Professor Robert Bullard, known as the “father of environmental justice,” speaks about the cost of environmental racism, and how a new generati
The Waves: What We Learned From the Andrew Cuomo Scandal
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate news director Susan Matthews is joined by Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci to talk about the saga of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. They delve into the risks vs benefits of an investigation into sexual harassment complaints, and why it seemed so unlikely that Cuomo would go until suddenly he did. In the second half of the show, Susan and Christina look at the women behind the men in these scandals, and the impact this particular scandal
What Next TBD: Elizabeth Holmes on Trial
Elizabeth Holmes convinced countless people that her company would change the world. Can she convince 12 jurors that she didn’t intend to deceive her company’s patients and investors?
Guest: Rebecca Jarvis, host of “The Dropout” podcast and ABC News Chief Business, Technology & Economics Correspondent
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The OnlyFans Debacle
OnlyFans, a website famous for empowering sex workers, decided to ban -- and then unban-- sexual content. According to Charlotte Shane, sex workers find this story all too familiar.
Guest: Charlotte Shane, co-founder of the TigerBee Press. Author of the memoir, Prostitute Laundry.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: What Does Haiti Actually Need?
The compounding crises in Haiti aren’t a product of bad luck. They are the result of hundreds of years of international interference and poorly-designed aid programs.
Guest: Jonathan M. Katz, author of the forthcoming book, Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America’s Empire. Check out his Substack newsletter, The Long Version.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Will R. Kelly Survivors Finally Get Justice?
Celebrated R&B star R. Kelly is accused of using his music empire to sexually exploit women and minors for decades. Currently on trial in New York, the singer also faces federal charges in Illinois, and state charges in both Illinois and Minnesota. But will Kelly finally be brought to justice? And if he is, what took so long?
Guest: Jim DeRogatis, co-host of Sound Opinions and the author of Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus.
What Next: California's Recall Nightmare
With just a month left, the California recall election is looking a little too close for comfort for Democrats. Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval rating is doing alright at the moment, but because of the way California conducts its recalls, if more than 50% of voters vote to oust Newsom, he loses his office, and whichever candidate garners even a small plurality of votes becomes his replacement.
How likely is it that California swears in a new executive next month? And how would the state fare u
A Word: Black to School, At Home
At the start of the pandemic, parents across the country became first-time homeschool teachers. Now, as millions of kids head back to classrooms, many Black parents are keeping their children at home to learn. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with Khadijah Ali-Coleman, the co-founder of the Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars group. She explains why more and more Black families are homeschooling their kids, and the benefits and challenges these families face.
Guest:
The Waves: Can We Love True Crime When We’re the Victims?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, show producer and true crime author Cheyna Roth sits down with Rebecca Lavoie, co-host of the Crime Writers On podcast and fellow true crime author. The pair start by talking about the current state of true crime and beg Hollywood to stop making sexy serial killer movies. After the break, Rebecca and Cheyna dissect how the genre treats victims and whether criticisms of true crime are sexist.
Recommendations:
Cheyna: The pyramid scheme podcast series The Drea
What Next TBD: Will Booster Shots Make a Difference?
The Biden administration says a third dose of vaccines for all American adults will end the pandemic faster. And experts say there is evidence of waning vaccine effectiveness against mild-to-moderate disease. But globally, what’s the best use of the next available dose?
Guest: Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute for Global Health.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
This episode was produced by Alyssa Edes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: The Afghans Who Couldn’t Get Out
The rapid collapse of the Afghan government has left tens of thousands of people struggling to leave their country. Afghans who helped U.S. forces were promised a life in the states, but many of them have been mired in paperwork as they try to obtain their visas. What hope do they have now that they’ll be able to leave before an expected Taliban crackdown?
Guest: Ahmadullah Sediqi of No One Left Behind, a group trying to secure visas for Afghan and Iraqi interpreters who worked for the U.S.
If
What Next: A Texas Standoff
The Texas state legislature is at a standstill. A month ago, House Democrats fled to DC to prevent the passage of a restrictive voting law but as time ticks by it’s becoming clear that they might have to go back to the drawing board -- and back to Texas.
Guest: Ashley Lopez, Senior Reporter at KUT
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: How Afghanistan Ended Like This
American forces are leaving Afghanistan after 20 years of fighting the country’s longest war. Following a hasty withdrawal of U.S. forces, the Taliban now controls most of the country, including the capital of Kabul. The U.S.-backed government has fled, leaving many civilians desperate to find a way out. How did things get so bad so quickly?
Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s War Stories columnist. Kaplan is the author of The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War.
If you
What Next: Mask Wars and the Start of School in the South
Masks were uncontroversial for many state leaders at the onset of the pandemic last year. But now, masks have become politicized, and in Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves has reversed his previous stance, refusing to order a mask mandate and leaving local school districts to fend for themselves during a massive surge in COVID cases.
Guest: Nick Judin, reporter for the Mississippi Free Press.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like
A Word: Tuskegee’s Ghosts Haunt COVID Fight
As the Delta variant continues to spread, African American doctors worry that the pandemic will claim thousands more Black lives. Veteran physician Dr. Reed Tuckson, cofounder of the Black Coalition Against COVID, speaks on today’s episode of A Word about increasing access to vaccines in Black communities, and debunking misinformation surrounding the virus and vaccines.
Guest: Dr. Reed Tuckson, public health expert, and the cofounder of the Black Coalition Against Covid
Podcast production by Ahy
The Waves: COVID Exhaustion
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor and science writer Shannon Palus is joined by staff writer Rebecca Onion to talk parenting and family life during the Delta wave. They start by talking about how they get through the days when all the news feels apocalyptic and Rebecca’s fears for her unvaccinated child. Then they get real about their varying levels of optimism and tolerance for those who refuse to get vaccinated.
Recommendations:
Rebecca: The Paramount+ show Evil.
Shann
What Next TBD: What's Taking the FDA So Long?
Experts say that a “fully approved” designation for the vaccines could have sweeping effects. Broader vaccination mandates, inclusion for new age groups, and reassurance for those hesitant to take a vaccine without the designation. As calls for approval grow louder and more urgent, the Food and Drug Administration is yet to give its blessing. What’s happening inside the FDA as they work toward this milestone?
Guest: Sarah Owermohle, health care reporter at Politico
Host:
Lizzie O’Leary
Learn
What Next: When Your Town Burns Down
Last week, the northern California mountain town of Greenville was wiped out by the Dixie Fire, which has lasted for nearly a month and is now the largest wildfire in California history. Greenville residents have just begun to assess the damage to their homes and businesses. Is it safe to rebuild? Is it even ethical, when wildfires are only expected to get worse?
Guest: Margaret Garcia, also known as Meg Upton, reporter at Plumas News.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Sla
What Next: A DOJ Lawyer’s Attempt to Overthrow the Election
We’re still learning the details about how Donald Trump and his supporters tried to get the 2020 presidential election results overturned. One scheme involved attorneys general across several states, and lawyers deep in the Department of Justice. This is the story of one of those lawyers, Jeffrey Bossert Clark, and his desperate attempts to keep Trump in power.
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, staff writer for Slate on the courts and law.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate P
What Next: The Latest Blow to American Workers
For decades, Richard Trumka was the head of the country’s largest labor federation. Widely considered to be the face of the American labor movement while workers faced a surge in union busting campaigns, Trumka presided over an organization that was diverse and fractious. Last week, he passed away.
What is the state of the labor movement without its longtime leader? And how can his successor steer workers to safer waters?
Guest: Erik Loomis, a labor historian at the University of Rhode Island
What Next: A Doctor in the Middle of the Florida Surge
The delta variant is making its way through the country, becoming the leading strain of the coronavirus and increasing case counts as it goes. In few places is the crisis more severe than in Florida, where new daily case counts are hitting all-time highs and vaccination rates have leveled out around 50%. Gov. Ron DeSantis has refused to instate a mask mandate and insists that the spike is just a “seasonal wave” -- even as healthcare workers are pushed to the brink trying to care for ill patients
A Word: Eviction Restriction Showdown
Millions of Americans have faced eviction during the economic crunch sparked by the COVID crisis. After a high pressure campaign by progressives including former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, the Biden administration extended the eviction moratorium this week. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson talks with Castro about the eviction crisis, and why progressives are demanding stronger presidential action on issues like housing and voting rights.
Guest: Julian Castro is a former San Antonio
The Waves: Can Feminists Visit FBoy Island?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Waves producer Cheyna Roth and Slate senior culture editor Allegra Frank take a trip to FBoy Island. They discuss the ups and sexisms of HBO Max’s newest dating show and question why the narrative of women saving men persists. Later in the show, Allegra and Cheyna talk about the deception inherent in these shows and ask why everyone is the same type of beautiful.
Recommendations:
Allegra: Keeping your hands busy during the final days of summer with Pokémon
What Next TBD: Can America Fix Its Trains?
America used to be at the vanguard of railroad technology. What went wrong? And can the new infrastructure bill fix our broken system?
Guests: Alon Levy and Eric Goldwyn of the Marron Institute at NYU
Host
Henry Grabar
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Washington’s Most Broken Institution?
The Federal Election Commission can barely get anything done. With its commissioners stuck in partisan gridlock, one is finding new ways to make sure election law is upheld.
Guest: Ellen Weintraub, commissioner at the FEC.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/
What Next: Cuomo vs. Everyone
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is back on his heels again, following the release of the state attorney general’s extensive report on his pattern of sexually harassing women working around him. Now, even former allies of the governor are calling for him to resign or face impeachment. How long can Cuomo hang onto his office?
Guest: Brigid Bergin, political reporter for WNYC.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Sla
What Next: Why Republicans Compromised
After months of negotiation, an infrastructure bill is finally on its way to the Senate floor. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are touting their one big successful bipartisan move, but what’s actually in the legislation? And why are Republicans willing to sign off on a win for Joe Biden?
Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Slate’s senior business and economics correspondent.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate p
What Next: Take This Job, Please!
Why aren’t people returning to jobs they lost during the pandemic? The answer is more complicated than generous unemployment checks.
Guest: Bram Sable-Smith, investigative reporter at Wisconsin Watch.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help
A Word: Black Man With a Gun
Gun violence kills thousands of Americans every year, and that pain is especially sharp in the nation’s Black communities. And during the last year of the Trump Administration, Black gun purchases surged. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Kenn Blanchard, a minister and gun rights activist who has branded himself as a “Black Man with a Gun.” Blanchard shares how he reconciles his gun advocacy with his faith, and how he thinks Black gun owners can make themselves safer from
The Waves: The Olympics Are Still Sexist. Can We Enjoy Them Anyway?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about the Olympics. Amira Rose Davis, assistant professor of history and African American studies at Penn State University and co-host of the feminist sports podcast Burn it All Down, is joined by Slate’s gymnastics reporter Rebecca Schuman. The pair start with a discussion of the racial and gender inequalities that have permeated the Games, past and present. Then they get into whether it’s time for us all, like Simone Biles, to “nope” out of this co
What Next TBD: I Bought It. Why Can't I Fix It?
Whether it’s a phone screen or a coffee machine, why is it so hard to fix our own stuff? And what can we do to make it a bit easier?
Guest: Jason Koebler, editor-in-chief of Motherboard and contributor to the CYBER podcast
Host
Lizzie O’Leary
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Next: Will the Jan. 6 Hearings Accomplish Anything?
This week, four officers from the U.S. Capitol Police and D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department testified in front of a bipartisan House select committee investigating the events of January 6. They each gave powerful and emotional statements, describing the harrowing moments the Capitol was attacked. But what can the committee actually do about it?
Guest: Jeremy Stahl, senior editor at Slate.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits li
What Next: What Happened to Simone Biles?
On Tuesday morning, Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, withdrew from the team all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics citing mental health concerns. Biles’ move shocked most watchers but may reveal a deeper cultural shift happening within USA Gymnastics.
Guest: Rebecca Schuman, former gymnast and the author of Schadenfreude, A Love Story.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcas
What Next: So... What Is COVID Now?
The delta variant is now the most-prevalent strain of COVID-19, causing a handful of so-called “breakthrough” infections in fully-vaccinated people. Unvaccinated people account for 97% of severe cases of the virus. How worried should you be about infections as the delta variant continues to dominate? And is it time to mask up again?
Guest: Susan Matthews, Slate’s news director.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on
What Next: On the Front Lines of California’s Wildfires
The fires raging across the American West are like the climate crisis itself: Too big and too extreme to understand all at once. So today, we’re zooming in on some of the people fighting those fires: crews of incarcerated women. In California, they risk their lives for abysmal pay, and officials are just starting to realize how essential they are to the state’s fire response.
Guest: Jaime Lowe, author of Breathing Fire.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate P
A Word: Running on a Prayer
Minister and scientist Chris Jones has launched a long-shot campaign to be governor in Arkansas. But does the Democratic candidate have what it takes to change the political landscape in his home state? On today’s episode of A Word, Chris Jones talks with host Jason Johnson about his unlikely path to politics, and his hopes for the race.
Guest: Chris Jones, Democratic candidate for governor in Arkansas, religious leader, and physicist
Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis
You can
The Waves: What Does Bill Cosby’s Release Mean for the #MeToo Movement?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, author and professor of history at Georgetown University Marcia Chatelain and Slate staff writer Lili Loofbourow dissect Bill Cosby’s release from prison, and what that could mean for the #MeToo movement. First they unpack exactly what happened in the Cosby case. Then they get into the potential ripple effects it could have on victims seeking justice more broadly.
Recommendations
Lili: The Netflix show Money Heist.
Marcia: As much Real Housewives on Bravo
What Next TBD: How Spyware Mercenaries Hack Your Phone
This week, Amnesty International and a French journalism nonprofit named Forbidden Stories revealed that technology from a spyware firm called NSO Group is being deployed on a massive scale. The spyware, called Pegasus, gives the user access to every part of a victim’s smartphone -- notes, messages, photos, and recordings.
What’s it like for security researchers to see their worst fears about digital spying play out? And what are they worried about next?
Guests:
John Scott Railton, Senior Rese
What Next: The Rise of Kristi Noem
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has a problem. She’s ready to get beamed up to national political stardom, but she’s polling near the bottom among 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls. What issues can she use to raise her political profile? The answer came swiftly this year: anything and everything.
Guest: Joe Sneve, political reporter for the Argus Leader in South Dakota.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate
What Next: Punishing the Capitol Rioters
Six months after the Capitol riot, plea deals from cases against the rioters have begun to trickle in. Will the courts be able to do what Congress couldn’t, and insist on a shared version of events on January 6th?
Guest: Zoe Tillman, senior legal reporter at BuzzFeed News.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the wo
What Next: The Right Wing War on Vaccines
It’s becoming harder to get all Americans vaccinated. While millions of people still get the shots each week, some conservatives are becoming more difficult to convince, and some politicians are increasingly hostile towards the public health departments tasked with helping fight COVID-19.
Guests: Michelle Fiscus, former medical director for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programs at the Tennessee Department of Health, and Dan Diamond, health policy and politics reporter at The Wa
What Next: The Unhoused Don’t Want to “Go Back to Normal”
At the height of the pandemic, New York city put up some of its homeless population in the city’s empty hotels. Now, as the city comes back to life, the program is ending -- but the city’s unhoused population doesn’t want to go “back to normal”
Guest: Jacquelyn Simone, Senior Policy Analyst for the Coalition for the Homeless.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow B
A Word: Cuba’s Color Revolution
Many Cuban Americans have long called for new leadership in that nation, including Afro-Cubans who --from social media to the streets-- are challenging the historic American narrative about Cuba’s government. For Afro-Cuban professor, Amalia Dache, the fight is personal. She’s the author of the book Rise Up! Activism as Education. On today’s episode of A Word, Professor Dache joins host Jason Johnson to talk about the uprising, and the myths and realities of racial equity in Cuba.
Guest: Amalia
The Waves: Did Gossip Girl Lose Its Bite?
On this week’s episode of The Waves, June Thomas, senior managing producer of Slate podcasts and a host of Working, talks with Willa Paskin, Slate TV critic and host of Decoder Ring, about the reboot of Gossip Girl. They discuss how the show messed up by making its characters too nice, why the teachers may be the most interesting part of the reboot, and whether Gossip Girl has finally figured out its class politics.
Recommendations
June: Reality competition show about ball culture, Legendary on
What Next TBD: It's Hot. It's Flooding. Is This the New Normal?
Welcome to the Slate News feed! We’ll be sharing daily episodes from Slate’s podcasts What Next, What Next: TBD, The Waves, and A Word. Listen for everything you need to know about the news this week.
Over the last month, North Americans have seen record-breaking heat, droughts, wildfires, and floods. The science is clear: we are living through the effects of climate change. Now scientists are trying to answer: is this the new normal?
Guest: Daniel Swain, climate scientist at UCLA
Host
Lizz
What Next: When the Culture War Comes for Your Job
Brittany Hogan worked in diversity and inclusion for the Rockwood School District for eight years. As public debate intensified over the way race is discussed in schools, and threats were made against her, Hogan eventually was pushed to resign.
Guest: Brittany Hogan, former director of educational equity and diversity for the Rockwood School District in St. Louis County.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slat
What Next: Texas Democrats' Last Stand?
Texas Dems are on the lam. After walking out of their regularly scheduled legislative session to block an extremely restrictive election security bill, they’ve decided to go bigger. At the start of the special session called by Governor Greg Abbott to get that bill passed, 51 of 67 House Democrats broke quorum and fled to DC in a last-ditch effort to thwart the bill and spur national Democrats into action. Will it make any difference?
Guest: Jessica Huseman, Editorial Director of Vote Beat.
If
What Next: How Exxon Gets Its Way
Oil-giant Exxon says publicly that it supports initiatives to fight climate change. But a new undercover investigation reveals the company’s quiet lobbying effort to stymie environmental protection legislation.
Guest: Lawrence Carter, Senior Reporter & Special Projects Editor at Unearthed, a journalism project from Greenpeace U.K.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like S
What Next: Drugs and the Olympics
Welcome to the Slate News feed! We’ll be sharing daily episodes from Slate’s podcasts What Next, What Next: TBD, The Waves, and A Word. Listen for everything you need to know about the news this week.
Olympics officials have created an anti-doping system to crack down on cheaters. We have no idea if it’s working. And it’s ensnaring athletes for seemingly bizarre infractions.
Guest: Lindsay Crouse, writer and producer for the New York Times Opinion section.
If you enjoy this show, please consi
A Word: The Cruelty Was the Point. Is It Still?
Welcome to the Slate News feed! We’ll be sharing daily episodes from Slate’s podcasts What Next, What Next: TBD, The Waves, and A Word. Listen for everything you need to know about the news this week.
Donald Trump’s combination of bigotry, lies, and meanness led to a victory that stunned political pundits in 2016. Atlantic writer Adam Serwer would go on to coin the phrase that summed up Trump’s appeal: the cruelty is the point. Serwer has collected his essays chronicling the Trump era in the ne
The Waves: Amy Coney Barrett Is Following in the Footsteps of John Roberts
Welcome to the Slate News feed! We’ll be sharing daily episodes from Slate’podcasts What Next, What Next: TBD, The Waves, and A Word. Listen for everything you need to know about the news this week.
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate Supreme Court reporters Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern join forces to dissect Amy Coney Barrett’s first term on the bench. They talk about how her confirmation hearings were shaped by Democrats’ desire to paint her as an enemy of health care, and how
The Waves: Kyrsten Sinema Doesn't Care What You Think of Her
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior writer and host of Outward Christina Cauterucci and Julia Craven, Slate staff writer covering race, politics, and health disparities, talk about one woman: Kyrsten Sinema. From her wardrobe to her position on the filibuster, Sinema has been in the news a lot recently. The hosts talk about the Arizona senator’s political evolution—she moved from the Green Party to run as a progressive Democrat, but when she got to the U.S. Senate, she tacked towar
A Word: Is Critical Race Theory Getting Canceled?
Kendi joins the show this week to explain critical race theory, and why it has become such a political lightning rod. He also talks about how the backlash against critical race theory is threatening academic freedom, and specifically how it kept Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones from tenure at the University of North Carolina.
Dr. Kendi is the host of a new podcast, Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi. You can listen here: https://www.pushkin.fm/show/be-antiracist-ibram-kendi
A Word: No Whites Allowed?
Hey Trumpcast listeners, here's another show from Slate: A Word, with Jason Johnson.
You’ve heard Jason on Trumpcast several times. Now, every Friday he brings his sharp analysis to discussions with policy-makers, journalists, entertainers, and other experts about America’s challenges around race, and ideas on the way forward. If you like the episode, subscribe to A Word right here in your podcast app.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, marking her second anniversary in office, would only grant o
After Trump Episode Six: Getting It Done
We’ve taken you on a Dantean journey in this series, revisiting the damage done to the Republic by the presidency of Donald Trump. Other the last five episodes, we’ve chronicled how norms were shattered; loopholes exploited; and the constitution’s ambiguities laid bare. But Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer, whose book “After Trump” gives the series its name, have not just catalogued damage. They’ve laid down practical plans for reconstructing the presidency.
So the question now is, Can it be done?
What Next: The Palestinian Perspective
This week’s violence across Israel and the occupied territories points to a new era in Israeli-Palestinian relations. Palestinian observers find themselves wondering: Is it a changing diplomatic paradigm, thanks to a growing movement to acknowledge the human rights of Palestinians and find lasting peace? Or is it something more frightening, more deafening -- is it the beginning of unbridled war?
Guests: Yousef Munayyer, a fellow at the Arab Center Washington, and Mariam Barghouti, a writer based
After Trump Episode Five: Prosecuting a President
It’s a cliché now that the Justice Department should be independent of the president. Everyone says it—constantly. There’s just one problem. As a legal and constitutional matter, this “independent” Justice Department is a lot of nonsense.
For more of this show, go to AfterTrumpPod.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After Trump Episode Four: Prosecuting a President
In one sense maybe we should be thankful we’ve never had to grapple with these perplexing issues because a President has never run as wild as Trump did. But there’s a real precedent being set in the government’s approach to presidential criming. It’s not just about Mueller or Trump or Biden or Merrick Garland. It’s about renovating the whole system to make plain when and how a president is held to account.
If you like this episode, listen to more at AfterTrumpPod.com.
Learn more about your ad c
What Next: Inside India’s COVID Wards
Hey Trumpcast listeners! Your host Virginia has some big news. Her next podcast—After Trump—is a guidebook alongside legal scholars Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer—both former Trumpcast guests—to reforming our laws, norms, and ethical codes so we never get in that fix again. It's coming out in this feed, and you can subscribe and learn more at AfterTrumpPod.com. While you're at it, we want you to check out What Next, a daily news podcast from Slate.
India started 2021 with government officials repe
Amicus: The Verdict, the Video, and the Unreasonable Burden of Proof
Hey Trumpcast listeners! Your host Virginia has some big news. Her next podcast—After Trump—is a guidebook alongside legal scholars Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer—both former Trumpcast guests—to reforming our laws, norms, and ethical codes so we never get in that fix again. To learn more, go to AfterTrumpPod.com. But first, there's another show we hope you'll check out: Amicus, Slate's podcast about the courts and the law.
In the wake of the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin in the
After Trump Episode Three: Obstruction & Pardons
The pardon power was designed to be a tool for correcting wrongs. Any system of justice applied to a whole nation is going to have failures. A pardon is there to correct miscarriages of justice—and injustice. It was always believed that if a president abused his pardon authority, it would be so appalling to so many, at such a gut level, that the checks on the President would instantly kick in: He'd be impeached, forced to resign, voted out. Trump pushed this theory. And the results were worrisom
After Trump Episode Two: Enemy of the People
In this episode, we consider the problem of foreign interventions in American political campaigns—and what to do about it. And we’re also going to look at how Trump blocked and tackled the free press, especially when it reported on Trump’s foreign ties.
If you like this episode, subscribe here or go to AfterTrumpPod.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Introducing: After Trump
Virginia Heffernan is here to introduce the first episode of her new podcast. After Trump is a guidebook alongside legal scholars Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer—both former Trumpcast guests—to reforming our laws, norms, and ethical codes so we never get in that fix again. In this first episode, they explore some of President Trump’s most brazen transgressions—the conflicts of interest, the self-dealing, and those elusive tax returns.
Subscribe to After Trump wherever you listen to podcasts, or go
What Next: The Bizarre Origin Story of the Gaetz Scandal
Hey Trumpcast listeners! Your host Virginia has some big news. Her next podcast—After Trump—is a guidebook alongside legal scholars Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer—both former Trumpcast guests—to reforming our laws, norms, and ethical codes so we never get in that fix again. After Trump is coming soon to a podcast app near you. To learn more, go to AfterTrumpPod.com. But first, Virginia is here to introduce an episode of a show she hopes you'll check out: What Next, a daily news podcast from Slate.
A Word: Battling Georgia’s Backlash Against Black Voters
Hey Trumpcast listeners! Your host Virginia has some big news. Her next podcast—After Trump—is a guidebook alongside legal scholars Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer—both former Trumpcast guests—to reforming our laws, norms, and ethical codes so we never get in that fix again. After Trump is coming soon to a podcast app near you. To learn more, go to AfterTrumpPod.com.
But first, Virginia is here to introduce an episode of a new show from Slate: A Word, with Jason Johnson.
You’ve heard Jason on
What Next: One Colorado Man’s Crusade Against Gun Violence
Hey Trumpcast listeners! Your host Virginia has some big news. Her next podcast—After Trump—is a guidebook alongside legal scholars Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer—both former Trumpcast guests—to reforming our laws, norms, and ethical codes so we never get in that fix again. After Trump is coming soon to a podcast app near you. To learn more, go to AfterTrumpPod.com.
But first, Virginia is here to introduce an episode of a show she hopes you'll check out: What Next, a daily news podcast from Slat
What Next: Why Cuomo Won’t Resign
Hey Trumpcast listeners! Your host Virginia has some big news. Her next podcast—After Trump—is a guidebook alongside legal scholars Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer—both former Trumpcast guests—to reforming our laws, norms, and ethical codes so we never get in that fix again. After Trump is coming soon to a podcast app near you. To learn more, go to AfterTrumpPod.com.
But first, Virginia is here to introduce an episode of a show she hopes you'll check out: What Next, a daily news podcast from Slat
Introducing: A Word … with Jason Johnson
Hey Trumpcast listeners! Your host Virginia has some big news. Her next podcast—After Trump—is a guidebook alongside legal scholars Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer—both former Trumpcast guests—to reforming our laws, norms, and ethical codes so we never get in that fix again. After Trump is coming soon to a podcast app near you. To learn more, go to AfterTrumpPod.com.
But first, Virginia is here to introduce an episode of a new show from Slate: A Word, with Jason Johnson.
You’ve heard Jason on
The Trumpcast Finale
For our series finale, Virginia Heffernan kicks off the show with Jay Rosen, a professor of journalism at NYU, who talks about why and how journalists came to normalize the extreme wrongs of the Trump presidency. Trumpcast producer Melissa Kaplan then joins Virginia for a series wrap, or Trumpcast cast, remembering some of our best shows and lessons learned.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Arc of History: An Update
For the penultimate episode of Trumpcast, Virginia Heffernan welcomes back Dr. Ibram Kendi, director of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, to talk about his anti-racist work, the Biden era ahead, and a question that’s been on Virginia’s mind since Dr. Kendi came on the show four years ago.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Former MAGA Soldier Who Skipped the War
Virginia Heffernan talks to former Trump troll David Weissman about his experiences overcoming trauma as a war veteran, his relationship with white supremacist personality Baked Alaska, the right-wing calls for civil war, the different factions of MAGA, and what’s going on in the minds of the insurgents.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 1/6 Insurgency
For this emergency episode reviewing today’s violence against Congress, we reached out to historian Joanne Freeman, author of The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress & the Road to Civil War. Dr. Freeman and Virginia Heffernan review the history of political violence in Congress and why these events had a different implication.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Don’t Listen to the Lizard People
Virginia Heffernan talks to cyberwarfare expert Molly McKew, author of the Great Power newsletter, about the Russian SolarWinds attacks, digital spies, 5G, lizard people, and other conspiracy theories.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Kathy Griffin Survived Trump
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to comedian Kathy Griffin about the beheading performance art piece seen round the world, which spiraled into a nightmare scenario of harassment, the cancellation of her comedy tour, subsequent Hollywood blacklisting, and frequent check-ins with the FBI.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rep. Adam Schiff on the Culture of Cheating
Virginia Heffernan welcomes back Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) to talk about how Trump champions cheating and has a sour response to empathy, and why Schiff’s colleagues are so afraid to speak out against Trump’s misdeeds and behavior.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Trump’s Foreign Policy Abuse Cost Us
As his presidential term draws to a close, Virginia Heffernan does an overview of Donald Trump’s impact on U.S. foreign policy with Mieke Eoyang, senior vice president for Third Way’s National Security Program.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why Trump Won't Get Away With It
Virginia Heffernan talks to former FBI special agent and CNN analyst Asha Rangappa about the case for Federalism and why even with pardons, Trump won’t get off completely scot-free.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will Trumpism Survive Trump?
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to Princeton University professor Eddie Glaude Jr. about why she thinks Trumpism will fizzle out after Trump leaves office—and why he thinks he won’t, and why it’s also dangerous to call it “Trumpism.”
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Biden, Hope, and Vaccines
Virginia Heffernan talks to Andy Slavitt, former Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, about public health and the second wave of the pandemic, reviewing New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s handling of COVID, and how Joe Biden will handle the pandemic once he’s in office.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Should Biden Prosecute Trump?
Virginia Heffernan talks to Jonathan Mahler, staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, about the possibilities for prosecuting Trump and the concept of “moving on” or healing from his crimes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Will Become of Ivanka?
Virginia Heffernan talks to Emily Jane Fox, National Correspondent at Vanity Fair and co-host of Inside the Hive, about what will happen to Ivanka after her father’s presidency ends, her art collection and tackiness, who will stay in her social circle and who will snub her, and insights from covering her over the last five years.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Trump Hacked the Presidency
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to Jack Goldsmith, Harvard Law School professor and co-author of After Trump, about why Donald Trump’s violation of norms come with more social or political penalties than legal ones, where his norm-crushing has potentially endangered us, and what reforms we can adopt to reduce those projected dangers.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Clownish Attempt at a Coup
Virginia Heffernan welcomes back Jacob Weisberg, founder of Trumpcast and CEO of Pushkin Industries, and talks about the outrageousness of Trump’s coup attempt and why we’re still going to be OK, sorting out our feelings after election week, and a bookend to that fateful election night four years ago.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This Is a Soft Revolution
Virginia Heffernan talks to Ekow Yankah, professor of law at Cardozo School of Law, about those wacky Trump election lawsuits, the Republican attempts at voter suppression in the wake of close counts, and about how learning someone else’s language in order to sell them something leads you to become more like them.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Those Election Day 2020 Vibes
Virginia Heffernan talks to Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux, senior writer at FiveThirtyEight, about why we’re heading for a record gender gap in our presidential voting, issues for women voters and gender as a political frame, how differently individual voters interpret questions about issues like health care and the economy, and the drop in Trump support among white Christians.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Overall System Failure That Kept Trump In Office
Virginia Heffernan talks to Benjamin Wittes, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and editor-in-chief of Lawfare Blog, about how Trump was able to fulfill a full term in office despite everything, and the concept of majoritarianism.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How to Avoid the Neo-Nazi Pothole
Virginia Heffernan talks to Christian Picciolini, a former neo-Nazi skinhead and musician who now works to disengage others from virulent bigotry and hate cults. He talks about his indoctrination into—and exodus from—the racist movement, neo-Nazi strategies of the 80s and 90s, the history of anti-racist skinheads in the U.S., and the psychology and needs of cult hoppers.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Reading All Those Trump Books
Virginia Heffernan talks to Carlos Lozada, Washington Post nonfiction book critic and author of What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era. They discuss a few of the 150+ Trump books Lozada has read; books from Trump sycophants and intellectual supporters; and thoughts on the books by Omarosa, Michael Cohen, and James Comey.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Democrats Still Get Wrong About Trump Voters
Virginia Heffernan talks to Kathleen Kingsbury and Farah Stockman of the New York Times editorial board about the publication’s weekend op-ed package making a verdict against Trump; Stockman’s experiences embedded with the Trump-voting working class for four years and how Democrats fail to reach them; and the importance of seniority on the job.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Disestablish SCOTUS, or the Senate?
Virginia Heffernan talks to Trumpcast favorite, Fordham Law professor Jed Shugerman, about the big picture behind Amy Coney Barrett, ways we can disestablish the Senate, and the concept of originalism when interpreting the U.S. Constitution.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
No Saviors, Just Us
Virginia Heffernan talks to Sarah Jones, staff writer at New York Magazine’s Intelligencer, about the problem with putting Claudia Conway and other teenage girls on a pedestal, why Trump’s contracting of COVID doesn’t mean justice, and what she wants to see from Joe Biden.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Secret Code of the Proud Boys
Virginia Heffernan talks to historian Nicole Hemmer about the Proud Boys—breaking down their hazing and hyper-masculinity, how to be initiated, conservative cults, and how Trump incites them.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Here Comes The Slow-Rolling Coup
Virginia Heffernan welcomes back Dahlia Lithwick, Slate staff writer and host of Amicus, about the loss of RBG, Rep. Adam Schiff’s call to the GOP’s conscience, not being “ladylike” in the face of disaster, and the strength of our system of checks and balances in the face of coup threats.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Taxes, Trump, and Torment of GOP Donors
Virginia Heffernan talks to producer Sally Herships and reporter Sarah Kleiner of The Heist, a new investigative podcast from the Center for Public Integrity covering a tax-centric political swindle and how power works in Trump’s presidency. Herships and Kleiner talk in-depth about the series, the benefits specific Republican donors have received, and what it’s like to try to track down Steve Mnuchin—or find out anything about him.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Trump Led Me to the Dharma
Virginia Heffernan talks to Tony Schwartz, the author infamous for penning Trump: The Art of the Deal, about his latest book, Dealing With the Devil: My Mother, Trump and Me, how Trump has impacted his life, how we grapple with our inner lawyers, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Violence, the Police, and Black Joy
Virginia Heffernan talks to Georgetown law professor Paul Butler, former trial attorney with the US Department of Justice and author of Chokehold: Policing Black Men, about the events in Kenosha and the Black Lives Matter movement, criminal justice, and what it means to celebrate black joy.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Political Economy Mugged Us
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to prolific author Kurt Andersen about Evil Geniuses, his latest New York Times bestseller.
Only Slate Plus members get to listen to every Trumpcast episode in full. Sign up now to access every Trumpcast episode and support the show.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Four Years of Trump on Foreign Policy
Virginia Heffernan talks to Ben Rhodes, former Deputy National Security Advisor under President Barack Obama and host of the new podcast Missing America, about Trump on foreign policy over the last four years, the U.S. fixation on Iran, Vladimir Putin, and what’s next.
This episode comes with a bonus segment at the end for Slate Plus members. Sign up now to listen, get every Trumpcast episode in full, and support the show.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Weird White Supremacist World of Stephen Miller
Virginia Heffernan talks to investigative journalist Jean Guerrero, author of Hatemonger, about Stephen Miller's childhood and education, nurturing fringe white supremacist ideals, his relationship with anti-immigration activist David Horowitz, and how he's managed to survive so long and hold his power in Trump's ever-changing administrative line-up.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following Kushner’s Receipts to Democide
Virginia Heffernan talks to Katherine Eban, contributing editor for Vanity Fair and author of Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom, about her recent piece on Jared Kushner’s botched COVID-19 response, and what happened when she followed a suspicious trail of his receipts.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Black Uncles, White Uncles
Virginia Heffernan talks to law professor Ekow Yankah about the different secrets in white and Black families, the archetypal uncles surfacing the disturbing truths about white supremacy from either side of it, Herman Cain, having opinions on scientific facts and living in a state of conspiracy-mindedness.
Only Slate Plus members get to listen to every Trumpcast episode in full. Sign up now to access every Trumpcast episode and support the show.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone
Our Interview with Mary Trump
Virginia Heffernan talks to Mary L. Trump, niece of Donald Trump and author of "Too Much and Never Enough," going further into family stories from the book and insights into the Trump family; Donald Trump's enablers and inability to laugh; his weird sexuality; and iceberg lettuce.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Collaborators and the Dissidents
Virginia Heffernan talks to Anne Applebaum, staff writer for the Atlantic and author of The Twilight of Democracy, about how collaborators and dissidents emerge during a regime like Trump’s — or East Germany’s, how anti-communists like herself moved away from the Republican party, and Laura Ingraham.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kremlin Bounties and Cancel Culture
Virginia Heffernan talks to writer Molly McKew, who covers Russian influence and info warfare, about the story of a Russian military intelligence unit offering Taliban-connected militants cash bounties to kill American service members in Afghanistan; denial of the story by the Trump administration; the concept of being at war Russia; and cancel culture.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Search for Melania's Intelligence
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to Mary Jordan, Pulitzer Prize-winning national correspondent for the Washington Post and author of The Art of Her Deal, about Melania Trump—getting to the mystery of who she was before she met Donald Trump, her education, the way she manufactures her image, where she fails as a FLOTUS, and the supportive role she plays in propping up her husband.
Only Slate Plus members get to listen to every Trumpcast episode in full. Sign up now to acce
Worst AG, Barr None
Virginia Heffernan welcomes back Fordham law professor Jed Shugerman to get into the weeds about AG Bill Barr, Michael Flynn’s story up until this point, Geoffrey Berman of the Southern District of New York, and the Unitary Executive Theory.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
White Supremacy, Tulsa, and the Mythology of America
Virginia Heffernan talks to author Jared Yates Sexton about evangelical mythology, Bill Barr, rural understandings of globalism, the Confederacy, the coming Trump rally in Tulsa, how some Christian Trumpists may view COVID, and the “cult of the shining city.”
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Getting On The Same Page About Racism
Virginia Heffernan talks to CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams about Cooper vs. Cooper, how white people apologize for and are now confronting systemic racism, the legality around questioning the actions of police officers, and the “Yanny versus Laurel” disconnect some white viewers will have watching viral police brutality videos.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Zuckerberg and Barr Are Trying to Stop the Protests
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to Wired columnist Siva Viadhyanathan about his piece on Mark Zuckerberg; and, later in the show, she speaks with New York Times Magazine writer Matthatias Schwartz about his profile of William Barr.
Only Slate Plus members get to listen to every Trumpcast episode in full. Sign up now to access every Trumpcast episode and support the show.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s Gonna Be A Rough Summer for Racial Tension
Virginia Heffernan talks to MSNBC and theGrio contributor Dr. Jason Johnson about Christian Cooper, George Floyd, who in society is allowed to scold in public, COVID’s impact on black lives, why the protests are rebellions and not riots, and deeper implications behind names like "Karen" and "Becky."
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Klobuchar? How About Stacey Abrams?
Virginia Heffernan talks to analyst and Fordham professor Dr. Christina Greer about white supremacy, the case for Stacey Abrams as Joe Biden’s running mate, whether black voters care less about policy than representation on the presidential ticket, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Didier Raoult Became Hydroxychloroquine's Hype Man
Virginia Heffernan talks to writer Scott Sayare about Didier Raoult, the man behind Trump’s favorite unproven treatment for COVID-19, exploring his successes as a French microbiologist, his big personality, and how we got to this point where hydroxychloroquine made headlines during the coronavirus pandemic.
Only Slate Plus members get to listen to every Trumpcast episode in full. Sign up now to access every Trumpcast episode and support the show. (edited)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Kushner Mess-Ups Thrive Under D.C.’s Collective Amnesia
Virginia Heffernan talks to Rolling Stone D.C. Bureau Chief Andy Kroll about the specifics around Jared Kushner’s mishandling of the coronavirus crisis, the role of Oscar Health, the group of Bush-era doctors and epidemiologists calling themselves “Red Dawn,” and the collective amnesia in Washington, D.C. that prevents us from tackling sizable problems.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Opening Up” is a Meaningless Term
Virginia Heffernan talks to CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem about what it really means—and what it takes— to safely re-open the country and heal from the coronavirus pandemic, the Waffle House Index, and how this crisis may affect our values.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Myriad Misdeeds of Moscow Mitch McConnell
How did Mitch McConnell become Trump’s enabler-in-chief? Virginia Heffernan talks to Jane Mayer, staff writer at The New Yorker, about McConnell’s mishandling of the coronavirus crisis, his connections to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and Rusal’s Kentucky investment, the business endeavors of wife Elaine Chao, and his feelings about the nickname Moscow Mitch.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Holy Trinity of Cuomo, Coronavirus, and Commerce
Virginia Heffernan talks to Mike Pesca, host of Slate podcast The Gist, about all things coronavirus, the leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo, and what it might take to approach something that looks like normal.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coronavirus and the Struggle with Empirical Reality
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to Laurie Garrett, a Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist covering pandemics, about the typical multi-tiered responses of politicians to viruses, epidemics and the climate crisis, covering Ebola, and how religion still ties into the way some epidemics are managed.
To hear the full episode now, sign up for Slate Plus. Go to Slate.com/TrumpcastPlus.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coronavirus Won’t Stop GOP Voter Suppression
Virginia Heffernan talks to Mother Jones senior reporter Ari Berman about the 2020 presidential primary vote in Wisconsin, disenfranchised voters and a glance back at Jim Crow laws, why there’s ever any argument against mail-in votes, risks of the coronavirus negatively impacting the process of voting in the presidential election, and ways this could impact the process for the better.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Narcissism Makes Trump The Worst Coronavirus President
Virginia Heffernan talks to New York Times op-ed writer Jennifer Senior about her latest piece exploring the effect of Trump’s narcissism on the coronavirus crisis, a profile of narcissists’ weaknesses, and the strategy of using “yes, and” on the president in order to sneak actual facts in.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Surviving Abusers During Coronavirus Quarantine
Virginia Heffernan talks to Tablet Magazine writer Carly Pildis about the tools some have used to cope while stuck in abusive situations at home during the coronavirus pandemic—also acknowledging a known abuser in the White House.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Drs. Fauci and Birx Negotiate with Trump
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to former FBI Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi about how Drs. Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci are using hostage-negotiating tactics to buy time and help all of us survive during the coronavirus crisis.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coronavirus Reveals Trump’s Disaster Fault Lines
Virginia Heffernan talks to history professor and disaster expert Dr. Scott Knowles about how care is rationed in U.S. society, how the elite respond to panic, meditations on Albert Camus’s The Plague and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Civil Liberties Still Matter In The Coronavirus Crisis
Virginia Heffernan talks to Elie Mystal of The Nation about continuing to commit to political issues even in the wake of biological troubles, freeing prisoners and caged children during the health crisis, patriarchy problems, the upcoming presidential election, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Conservative Media Got Serious About Coronavirus
Virginia Heffernan talks to Washington Post reporter Sarah Ellison about Fox News’ evolving thinking on the coronavirus crisis, some of the more dangerous pundit downplays of the virus, their view that Trump is doing well handling it, and the need to bring back local news.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The President Without A Psychology
In this Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to psychology professor Dan McAdams about how Trump builds his internal narrative identity, and McAdams’ book The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Bank That Backed Trump
Virginia Heffernan welcomes David Enrich, a reporter for the New York Times and author of the book Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and an Epic Trail of Destruction.
Only Slate Plus members get to listen to every Trumpcast episode in full. Sign up now to get access to every Trumpcast episode and support the show.
Podcast production by Phil Surkis and Melissa Kaplan.
Engineering help from Merritt Jacob.
Follow @realTrumpcast on Twitter / https://www.twitter.com/realTrumpcast
Learn more a
Trump’s Mind Control Madness
Virginia Heffernan welcomes back author and leading cult expert, Steven Hassan, to talk about his latest book, The Cult of Trump, and about his own experience being lured into and then recovering from a cult.
Only Slate Plus members get to listen to every Trumpcast episode in full. Sign up now to get access to every Trumpcast episode and support the show.
Follow @realTrumpcast on Twitter.
Podcast production by Phil Surkis and Melissa Kaplan.
Engineering help from Merritt Jacob.
Learn more about
Coronavirus and the Democratic Primary
Virginia Heffernan talks to Dr. Greg Dworkin, a Daily Kos contributing editor and the Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology and Medical Director of the Pediatric Inpatient Unit at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, CT. They discuss pandemic preparedness, where to find facts, and how the eerily similar the Coronavirus and the Democratic primary election are reported.
Only Slate Plus members get to listen to every Trumpcast episode in full. Sign up now to get access to every Trumpcast episode and support the
Trump Revisits This Whole ‘Intelligence’ Thing
Virginia Heffernan talks to Natasha Bertrand, national security correspondent at Politico, about Trump’s move to temporarily hire loyalist Richard Grenell—who has no intelligence experience—as the top U.S. intelligence official, replacing acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fear is Our Common Political Enemy
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to Mormon writer and activist Sharlee Mullins Glenn about the use of fear to manipulate politics, mistaken conflations of Mormons and Evangelicals when talking about conservative Christians, wedge issues that put Republicans in a hard position, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Meditation on Conservatives Who Change Their Minds
Virginia Heffernan talks to Windsor Mann (USA Today, The Week) about his penchant for epigrams, Neo-conservatism, more on the relationship between Republicans and Russia, Mitt Romney, Lindsey Graham, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bill Kristol's Long Strange Trip with Republicans
Virginia Heffernan talks to Bill Kristol about Trump's impact on liberal democracy, the unexamined reward structure of becoming a Trumpist, American conservatism in decades past versus today and conservatives' relationship to Russia, isolationist language creeping into politics, and much more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dave Eggers and the Red Hats
In this Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to renowned author Dave Eggers about his new book, The Captain and The Glory, connecting with people at Trump rallies and the arch of Trump’s stump speeches, challenges to the “Trump followers are in a cult” theory, and whether Trumpites' minds can be changed.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A New Election Forecasting Model for 2020
Virginia Heffernan talks to political analyst Rachel Bitecofer about her new electoral theory sweeping the forecasting world, the outlook for 2020, swing voters, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joe Walsh's Mission is to Stop Trump
On the day he dropped his campaign to be the Republican presidential nominee, Virginia Heffernan talks to former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh about facing Trumpites, the pressure to please conservative advertisers, when the Tea Party became populist, his now-infamous "grabbing my musket" tweet, and his pledge to support the 2020 Democratic nominee for president.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Elitists Versus Trump and the Populists
Virginia Heffernan talks to Joel Stein, author of the book In Defense of Elitism, about the different kinds of elites and the people who both love and hate them, connections between crafting and populism, and how to avoid taking the low road in politics.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump’s Contributions to the Fixer Economy
Virginia Heffernan talks to Michael Rothfeld, New York Times reporter and co-author of The Fixers, about the special cadre of supporters and enablers that allowed Trump to rise to power.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Losing the Fear of Evangelical Hell
Virginia Heffernan talks to ex-evangelical writer Chrissy Stroop, co-editor of “Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church,” about being raised in—and leaving—a fundamentalist discipline, what she learned in her religious school, Christian apologetics, where fundamentalism and authoritarianism intersect, and how she lost her visceral fear of Hell.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Creepiness Factor of Dershowitz and Starr
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to writer Karen Schwartz about her recent piece in NBC News about Ken Starr and Alan Dershowitz, then dives deeper into Dershowitz’s former clients and the overall creepiness factor of it all.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
These Rhetorical Devices Help Trump Maintain Power
Virginia Heffernan talks to Dr. Jennifer Mercieca, professor of rhetoric and author of Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump, breaking down how he uses language to control his audience, philosophical explorations of Hobbes and Descartes, the unexamined rhetorical life of Hillary Clinton, and rhetorical devices to watch in the 2020 presidential campaigns.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Does The Presidency Even Mean After Trump
Virginia Heffernan talks to Susan Hennessey and Ben Wittes of Lawfare about their new book, Unmaking the Presidency, which explores Trump’s impact on the presidency and asks how his successor might be able to revive the role.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Hinky Feeling From The Trump GOP
Virginia Heffernan talks to longtime GOP strategist Rick Wilson about evangelical political issues, media pundits, and stirring the ire of Rush Limbaugh.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why People Fall For Trump’s Political Cult
Virginia Heffernan talks to Steven Hassan, author of The Cult of Trump, about why we fall for cults, Trump’s brainwashing, and stories of his own deprogramming from a political cult in the 1970s.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Depth of the Pentagon’s Legal Concerns
Virginia Heffernan talks to Kate Brannen, editorial director of Just Security, about her story uncovering the unredacted version of emails, mostly between Michael Duffey, associate director of national security programs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Elaine McCusker, the acting Pentagon comptroller.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Big Themes of Bit Trump Players
Virginia Heffernan talks to Daily Beast White House reporter Asawin Suebsaeng about Jenna Ellis, Vanilla Ice, and reporting in the age of distraction and misinformation.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Writing About Political Characters From New York
Virginia Heffernan talks to Olivia Nuzzi of New York magazine about her coverage of Trump, Rudolph Giuliani, and reporting on presidential candidates and New York characters.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The World Through the Eyes of a Trump Impersonator
Virginia Heffernan catches up with John Di Domenico, the peerless voice behind our Trump tweets, and goes deep into his experiences working different gigs as a full-time professional Trump impersonator and what he does when engaging with Trump’s fans.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Very Special Holiday Trumpcast
Kick back and lighten your political load with never-before heard interpretations of Trump’s most infamous missives by John Di Domenico, and a new sketch from Kate James and Ben Rameaka of the Trumpcast Impeachers.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Historical Lens on Trump’s Authoritarianism
Virginia Heffernan talks to renowned historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat about seeing Trump through an authoritarian lens, a deeper look at mafia culture, and how Trumpism will one day fall.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Backup Plan For Political Apocalypse
Virginia Heffernan talks to Eric Columbus, lawyer and Obama-appointed former member of the Senate Judiciary Counsel, about impeachment, Trump voters, Mike Pence, Bill Barr, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wrangling Over the Articles of Impeachment
Virginia Heffernan talks to Third Way’s Mieke Eoyang about the House Judiciary mark-up conversation on impeachment.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Impeachment
Virginia Heffernan talks to writer David J. Roth about his latest post on impeachment in New York Intelligencer and connections between the Hallmark Channel and Trumpland.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
They Do Talk About Impeachment in Trump Country
Virginia Heffernan talks to The Root’s Jason Johnson about middle America and impeachment, Matt Gaetz, and everything we project onto Nancy Pelosi.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
That ‘Trump is Anti-Corruption’ Defense
Virginia Heffernan talks to Washington Post opiner and Talking Feds host Harry Litman about the latest defense of Trump over Ukraine.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
All The President’s Misogyny
Virginia Heffernan talks to Christina Cauterucci, Slate staff writer and Waves / Outward co-host, about the book All The President’s Women, misogyny in show business and reality TV, The Apprentice, and the case of E. Jean Carroll.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last Roundup of Impeachment Thoughts Before Thanksgiving
Virginia Heffernan talks to Crooked Media’s Brian Beutler about everything related to the impeachment hearings up to this point, how polling on support for impeachment has worked, the influence of Representative Adam Schiff, attacks on Joe Biden, Fiona Hill, and much more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Slate Live: Women of Slate
Virginia Heffernan joins the women of Slate for a political panel on the night of the Democratic debates. Recorded live at the Bell House in Brooklyn on Weds. Nov 20, 2019.
First segment: What Next host Mary Harris moderates Amicus host Dahlia Lithwick and Slate staff writers Ashley Feinberg and Julia Craven.
Second segment: Trumpcast host Virginia Heffernan moderates Thirst Aid Kit host Nichole Perkins and Slate staff writer Christina Cauterucci.
Live show produced by Faith Smith. Engineering
Taylor and Kent Won’t Dance with the Stars
Virginia Heffernan talks to CNN legal analyst Elie Honig about yesterday’s impeachment hearings, including our addiction to hyper-arousal, the work of Dan Goldman, the attempts to discredit William Taylor and George Kent, John Bolton not wanting to get caught up in a “drug deal,” and a grading of the Democrats’ in-court strategy.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Irony, Solidarity, and the Internet
Virginia Heffernan talks to Andrew Marantz, a staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Anti-Social, about Facebook and the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton’s “tuberculosis” and other memes, the difference between word and lived experience, the philosophy of Richard Rorty,the line between speech and violence, and so much more.
This is a preview of a Slate Plus episode. To hear this episode in full, sign up here for Slate Plus.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcripts Whispering Quid Pro No
Virginia Heffernan has a conversation with CNN commentator and lawyer Ross Garber about the Ukraine call, the transcripts coming out of the White House, Rudy Guiliani and Trump’s advisers, Rep. Adam Schiff’s strengths and weaknesses, and much more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Dangers of Trump’s Lower Court Judges
Leon Krauze talks to Slate staff writer Mark Joseph Stern about the dangers of the judges Trump appoints, and not just the SCOTUS—nearly one in four appeals court judges in the federal judiciary was appointed by Trump. These are lifetime appointments.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Now Approaching the Trump Impeachment Endgame
Virginia Heffernan talks to Fordham Law’s Jed Shugerman about how we’re approaching the “end game” of impeachment, what might happen to Trump in the courts post-impeachment, clarifying statements from Trump private lawyer William Consovoy, Tish James, the Washington Nationals’ booing of Trump at the World Series, and much, much more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How National Defense Issues Play Out in U.S. Culture
Virginia Heffernan talks to Katherine Voyles about the way national defense issues play out in culture, and the culture of national defense issues. They also discuss Jim Mattis and Steve Bannon.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Say Yes to Rebuilding Post-Trump
Virginia Heffernan talks with law professor and MSNBC contributor Joyce Vance about Trump’s bloodlust, Turkey, building nonpartisan offices, that now-iconic Twitter image of Rep. Nancy Pelosi disciplining Trump, Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s pushback, and rebuilding after 2020.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Real Activism in the Face of Trump Rot
Virginia Heffernan talks with activist lan Madrigal, known for their “cause play” work as the Monopoly Man, about the most potent times to be an activist, reckoning with the feelings that come up in our repressive politics, acknowledging trauma and being honest with your family, and the myths versus the realities of revolution.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump Skewers the Pax Americana
Virginia Heffernan talks to Kate Brannen, editorial director of Just Security, about Gordon Sondland’s opening statement, a glance at Russian interference, Trump’s bizarre letter to Turkish President Recep Erdogan, that bizarre Trump-Pelosi Twitter photo exchange, and the future for U.S. diplomacy.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There’s No Law in that White House Counsel Letter
Virginia Heffernan talks to Above the Law’s Elie Mystal, who breaks down the White House counsel’s letter attempting to invalidate the Trump impeachment inquiry.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Trump-Zelensky Call and the Language of Corruption
Virginia Heffernan talks to info warfare expert Molly McKew about the how the Trump-Zelensky call benefits Vladimir Putin, the Ukraine, javelins, disarmament, Hunter Biden, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump Voters and the Power of Twelve Angry Men
Virginia Heffernan talks to blogger Aneela Mirchandani about what the classic movie Twelve Angry Men can teach us about Trump supporters, the psychic permission Trump gives to his voters, and the archetypes of people that keep a con going.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Brett Kavanaugh Epistemological Crisis
Virginia Heffernan talks to Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, New York Times reporters and co-authors of The Education of Brett Kavanaugh, about the process of reporting for the book, Kavanaugh’s middle-of-the-road college performance and tendency to stay by the keg, his unease around women during his college years, religion on the court, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Dance Around Quid Pro Quo
Virginia Heffernan talks to Dahlia Lithwick, friend of the pod and host of Slate podcast Amicus, about everything happening with the Ukraine whistleblower debacle, quid pro quo, and abusing power in the workplace.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Trump Impeachment Story Is Unfolding
Virginia Heffernan talks to Jacob Weisberg, founder of Trumpcast, about how Pelosi threw down the gauntlet, the Senate spoke in unison, and the nation is now facing the impeachment of Donald Trump.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Urgent Concern: This Unambiguously Constitutes an Impeachable Offense
Virginia Heffernan talks to Susan Hennessey of Lawfare blog and the Brookings Institution about why President Donald Trump’s reported pleas to Ukraine to help him rough up Joe Biden constitute an impeachable offense.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Trump Tried to Move to Hollywood
Virginia Heffernan talks to Allen Salkin, co-author of “The Method to the Madness,” about Trump’s struggles to fit in with the Hollywood in crowd, developing his reality TV life, and his visit to California.
This is a preview of a Slate Plus episode. To hear this episode in full, sign up here for Slate Plus.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bolton and Mattis Are Not White Horses
Virginia Heffernan talks to information and political analyst Molly McKew about why we’re not getting more vital information from those leaving the Trump administration, institutional erosion, the lack of honorable men, lessons from Russia, and what she’s doing at the Oslo Freedom Forum in Taiwan.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Decoding the Mystery of Jim Mattis
Virginia Heffernan talks to the New Yorker’s Susan Glasser about dropping in on Jim Mattis’ book tour, the worldviews of figures like Mattis and Rod Rosenstein, and not taking the reality stars of the Trump administration seriously. Finally, what Trump did in August.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Backstage on the Scaramucci Redemption Tour
Anthony Scaramucci, the infamous 11-day communications director for President Donald Trump in 2017, talks to Virginia Heffernan about his conversion from Trumpism; his politics and his relationship to power; growing up working class; his wife, Diedre; fact-checking the Trump throwing a “dead-spiral through a tire” story; and the real story behind missing the birth of his son.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Humor, Trump, and the Patriarchy
Virginia Heffernan talks to comedian John Fugelsang about men and problematic humor in the MeToo movement, the excuse of “political correctness,” mansplaining, Trump, atheism, and his new Off-Broadway show “Laughing Liberally.”
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mr. Trump Goes to Biarritz
In this Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to Eli Stokols, White House reporter for the LA Times–- who is fresh from reporting on Trump from the G-7 press pool–about how world leaders managed Trump now this time around, his G-7 specific “parade of lies,” and facing his usual lack of anything substantial to say.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Hacked Manafort Texts and #MeToo
Virginia Heffernan talks to Maya Gurantz, co-host of culture and politics podcast The Sauce, about the hacked Manafort texts, journalists’ efforts to confirm allegations, E Jean Carroll, “do me” feminism, #MeToo’s ability to free men from the Patriarchy.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Populist Messaging Obscures Conservative Policy
Virginia Heffernan talks to Paul Waldman about how the Trump administration reconciles a fiscal policy that favors the rich with a populist message aimed at the working class.
Podcast production by Melissa Kaplan and Ethan Brooks, with help from Danielle Hewitt.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Hidden Evangelical Power in Washington
Virginia Heffernan talks to journalist Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power. Netflix recently released a documentary series based on his reporting.
Podcast production by Melissa Kaplan and Ethan Brooks, with help from Danielle Hewitt.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ivanka and the Reckoning of New York Society
Virginia Heffernan talks to Vanessa Grigoriadis, host of the Ivanka podcast Tabloid, about her lifestyle changes since her father came to office, life with Jared Kushner, her intelligence and bookishness, her relationship with New York high society, run-ins with Ivanka in real life, and how the rest of society relates to her.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Language Around Guns in America
Virginia Heffernan talks to AC Valdez, editor of GunsAndAmerica.org and former Trumpcast producer, about the way we talk about guns in the US, how mass shootings are defined in media, strategies for de-escalating gun violence in gang situations vs. terrorism, united toxic male weirdness, and more.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Facing and Erasing White Terrorism
In an episode that originally aired as a Slate Plus exclusive on March 27, shortly after the horrendous attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, León Krauze talks to Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs and geopolitical reporter for the Washington Post, about white nationalism and white supremacy on social media, and what it might look like for President Donald Trump to handle these problems more responsibly.
Also featuring fresh Aug.t 8 Trump tweets from John Di Domenico.
Slate Plus members get bonus s
False Coherence and White Terrorism
Virginia Heffernan talks to Jane Coaston, senior politics reporter at Vox, about our current bout of white terrorism, knowing versus understanding, why some groups lean on conspiracies and myths of the elite, the conservative argument of political correctness, and much more.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Dangers Could Loom Under Ratcliffe?
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to Mieke Eoyang, VP of Third Way’s National Security Program, about the realities of Dan Coats’ work while he was on the job, what could be in the future if Ratcliffe becomes Director of National Intelligence, and whether Mieke is a Mueller Report volume one or volume two person per our ongoing poll.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Barr and the Overman Class
Virginia Heffernan talks to Washington Post columnist and constitutional law professor Harry Litman about the thickness of Trump administration lies and his experience working with Bill Barr.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Which Volume of the Mueller Report are you?
For a big think on former special counsel Robert Mueller's Wednesday testimony, Virginia Heffernan welcomes back Fordham Law professor Jed Shugerman.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Robert Mueller's Testimony Before the House Judiciary Committee
Robert Mueller's Testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Robert Mueller's Testimony Before the House Intelligence Committee
This is the first half of the Robert Mueller's Testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bottle-Blond Clowns Take the Anglosphere
Virginia Heffernan talks to Washington Post columnist Brian Klaas about Boris Johnson, UK voters and Brexiteers, and conservative nostalgia.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tendencies of the Nuclear-Prone
Virginia Heffernan talks to Scott Sagan, political science professor at Stanford University known for his research on nuclear weapons policy and nuclear disarmament, about the results of his recently co-authored poll gauging Americans’ desire to go to war with North Korea.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump the Criminal Co-Conspirator
Virginia Heffernan welcomes back Garrett Graff, director at the Aspen Institute and Mueller specialist, for a look-ahead of Mueller's testimony next week, his first response to the Mueller Report, and where it's particularly damning.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Jeffrey Epstein Complicity Machine
Vicky Ward returns to Trumpcast to chat with Virginia Heffernan about Jeffrey Epstein.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is Trump A Disease? A Medical Perspective
Virginia Heffernan talks to Dr. Bandy Lee, psychiatrist at Yale University, for a deep, compelling new take on the long debate about Trump’s mental fitness.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is The GOP Finished? History Weighs In
Virginia Heffernan talks to Kevin Kruse, professor of history at Princeton University, on battling revisions of Republican history on Twitter, racism as America’s original sin (and its other sins), the influence of Mike Pence and the religious right, and the narratives justifying their stances around the issues.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
An Interview With E. Jean Carroll
Host Virginia Heffernan and special guest co-host Dahlia Lithwick of Amicus share an intimate conversation with journalist E Jean Carroll, author of "What Do We Need Men For," about details of the sexual assault she experienced from President Donald Trump, how she has responded, and as an advise columnist, what advice she would give to someone who faced her situation.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What We Want From Mueller’s Testimony
Virginia Heffernan talks to legal analyst Ross Garber about Mueller’s upcoming testimony, impeachment, and more.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Understanding Mexico In The Migration Crisis
León Krauze talks to Stephanie Leutert, Director of the Mexico Security Initiative at the University of Texas at Austin, about how the migration crisis at the border is being handled, understanding the Northern Triangle, the role Mexico is playing in the crisis, and where in particular we should shift our current focus in the region.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Trump Show Tales Of Siege
Virginia Heffernan chats with author Michael Wolf about Siege, the sequel to Fire and Fury, covering Steve Bannon, Trumpian doublethink, how Wolff gets sources to open up, and much more.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Democrats Dithering About Impeachment
Virginia Heffernan talks to MSNBC’s Dr. Christina Greer on why Democrats are slow on impeachment, Trump and U.S. racism, the logic of reality TV, and more.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump’s Relationship With Jews
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trumpcast Live: Vicky Ward And Aparna Nancherla
From our full day of live shows at Slate Day comes Trumpcast Live! Virginia Heffernan welcomes to the stage Kushner Inc author Vicky Ward and comedian Aparna Nancherla to talk about the Kushners, the anxiety olympics, Trump’s penchant for cheating and the casino roots of the term “collusion,” and much more. Plus incredible live improv by Kate James, Ben Rameaka, and Marla Caceres, the “Trumpcast Colluders.”
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Brexit, Media, And The UK In Trump Times
Virginia Heffernan talks to Guardian reporter Carole Cadwalladr, bypassing Trump’s UK visit to talk conservatism and Facebook, Nigel Farage, Julian Assange, Brexit, and much more.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Interpreting Power Means Abuse
Yascha Mounk talks to Protect Democracy counsel and colleague Kristy Parker about the way Trump abuses power with regard to national emergencies and the border wall, specific ways he criticizes the press, and lawsuits against the president.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trumpcast Sketch: What Mueller Meant To Say
Comedian Steve Waltien gives his interpretation of Robert Mueller's statement this week.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Oracle Mueller Hath Spoken
Virginia Heffernan welcomes back MSNBC’s Matt Miller to talk about Mueller’s statement this week, Barr’s ideology, what Trump has accidentally revealed in doublespeak during the aftermath, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Former Federal Prosecutors Agree On Trump
Virginia Heffernan welcomes back Mimi Rocah, former federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York and MSNBC legal analyst, to talk about the letter about the Mueller Report she’s spearheaded signed by former federal prosecutors, Barr’s ongoing damage to rule of law, defiance of subpoenas, speaking in mobster code, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Of FOIAs And Buzzfeed Investigative Fights
Virginia Heffernan talks to Buzzfeed senior investigative reporter Jason Leopold -- who with partner Anthony Cormier has broken several Trump stories -- about FOIAs, cultivating specific sources, media mistrust, insights into a checkered past, and of course, those Buzzfeed stories.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Brainstorming Ways To Rekindle Democracy
Yascha Mounk talks to the Berggruen Institute’s Nicholas Berggruen and Nathan Gardels, co-authors of “Renovating Democracy: Governing in the Age of Globalization and Digital Capitalism,” about how money influences government, Trump’s impact on democracy and capitalism, populism, owning robots, and ideas for what can be done.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Case Of Candidate Joe Biden
León Krauze talks to Slate political writer about the Democrats’ struggle with Joe Biden, his double-digit lead in the polls, and why they hate him despite this significant advantage.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Trump Trolls Give Up The War
Virginia Heffernan talks to David Weissman, once a hardcore self-described Trump troll, about his story -- how he first came into conservative writing and became involved in “Trump train” social media and group DMs, his interventions with media figures like Sarah Silverman, changing his viewpoints, and strategies to make yourself safe from Internet trolls.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Republican’s Journey Away From Trump
Virginia Heffernan talks to Max Boot, columnist for the Washington Post and author of “Corrosion of Conservatism: Why I Left The Right,” about his journey since Donald Trump took office.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump’s Finances Are Taxing
Virginia Heffernan dissects this week’s New York Times news on Trump’s tax losses with Richard Rubin, who writes about tax policy for the Wall Street Journal. Also discussed: Trump’s different mindset on taxes, his sources of income, and the cognitive dissonance between wealth and debt.
Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The View Of Putin From Moscow
Virginia Heffernan talks to Russian journalist Alexey Kovalev about why Russians taking over the White House is a far-fetched idea, Putin’s main selling points, the American right-wing influence on Russian politics, fake Cyrillic, kettle logic, Russian penpals, and leaving Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Surviving A Post-Mueller Report World
Virginia Heffernan talks to Elliot Williams, former deputy assistant attorney general and current principal at public affairs firm the Raben Group, about the Mueller Report, Barr, Rosenstein, obstructions of justice, and several meaningful pop culture references to Game of Thrones and beyond.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Understanding Conspiracy In Trump Times
Yascha Mounk talks to Nancy Rosenblum and Russ Muirhead, co-authors of “A Lot Of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy,” about how and why conspiracies form, what makes a “theory,” and what conspiracies give to people.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump Dangers After the Mueller Report
Yascha Mounk talks to political activist and chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov about their responses to the Mueller report, Trumpism, what the Democratic Party gets hung up on, Russia, and learning from Kasparov’s efforts to oppose Vladimir Putin.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Mueller Report Next-Day Debrief
On this first day after the release of the Mueller Report, Virginia Heffernan talks revelations and redactions with Jed Shugerman, Fordham Law professor and author of “The People’s Courts.”
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Mueller Report: the Executive Summaries
Don’t have time to read the whole Mueller report? Now there’s a podcast for that. Listen to Slate’s Gabriel Roth and June Thomas read the special counsel’s executive summaries in our free mini-audiobook.
Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch and Merritt Jacob.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Finding Your Guts When The Spire Falls
Virginia Heffernan welcomes back Dahlia Lithwick, host of Slate podcast Amicus, to talk Barr, Avenatti, Christine Blasey-Ford’s honor in TIME Magazine, and the strategies by which corrupt actors in the administration slip through our fingers.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Special: Has Mexico's President Turned His Back on His Own People?
To understand what’s happening on the border, you have to look at the policies and leaders on both sides of it. So, how has Mexico, under its new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, changed its approach to refugees and migrants fleeing north? And how has the Mexican president changed, himself?
León Krauze, co-host of Trumpcast, joins What Next, Slate's daily news podcast, to explain. Subscribe to What Next via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, Overcast, Google Play, or iHeart.
Podca
Climate Change Meets The U.S. Border Crisis
León Krauze talks to the New Yorker’s Jonathan Blitzer about how climate change deepens the U.S. border crisis, stories of Central American migration, and the tremendous spiraling debt that is taken on to embark on this dangerous journey.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Collusion Effect On Our Norms
Virginia Heffernan talks to Washington Post national correspondent Philip Bump about Kristjen Nielsen, interpreting news headlines, Alpha Bank and the dossier, the non-disputable points of Adam Schiff, the Mueller Report to come, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Behind Closed Doors At Kushner Inc.
Virginia Heffernan talks to Vicky Ward, author of “Kushner Inc.,” about Jared and Ivanka’s rise to power; the influence and history of family patriarch Charlie Kushner; and the Trump and Kushner worlds of real estate and crime.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Trip To Barr-A-Lago
Virginia Heffernan talks to Rick Wilson, author of “Everything Trump Touches Dies,” and journalist Molly Jong-Fast about the Barr letters, Trumpism, who is at risk after being touched by Trump, and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Facing And Erasing White Terrorism
León Krauze talks to Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs and geopolitical reporter for The Washington Post, on the recent white terrorist attack in New Zealand, white nationalism and white supremacy on social media, and what it might look like for Trump to handle these problems more responsibly.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Barr Letter Is Not The Mueller Report
Virginia Heffernan breaks down the weekend’s bombshell Mueller news with Jed Shugerman, Fordham Law professor, author of “The People’s Courts,” and co-author on an amicus brief in CREW v. Trump.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why Did Deutsche Bank Support Trump?
Virginia Heffernan talks to David Enrich, finance editor for the New York Times, about Deutsche Bank's relationship with Donald Trump, how they began working together, and the bank’s funding of Nazi activities during World War II.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices