Slate News

Slate Money - Money Talks: Psychopathy and Success

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by psychologist Dr. Leanne ten Brinke whose new book, Poisonous People, explores the impact that people with psychopathic and related personality traits have on our everyday lives. Leanne explains her research on “dark personality traits” and success in the business world, how to spot a true psychopath, and what to do if you find yourself working with one.

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 page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - What If the US and Iran Are Both Losing?

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The U.S. and Iran began (and ended) negotiations under a shaky ceasefire, and are now at the stage where America is threatening to also blockade the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon have begun negotiating over Hezbollah, with conspicuously no ceasefire in place.

Guest: Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for The Economist.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - They Came For Ibram X Kendi. He’s Still Here.

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Lurking behind—and sometimes explicitly out in front of — the Trump administration’s ire for DEI, its crackdowns on immigration, and its rhetoric about what kind of country America is, is “the Great Replacement theory.” But it’s not an exclusively American problem.

Guest: Ibram X Kendi, author of “How To Be An Antiracist,” “Stamped From The Beginning” and his latest, “Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Who is Sam Altman Anyway?

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

If you had as much trouble getting along with other humans as Sam Altman does, you too might be eager to issue in the artificial intelligence revolution.

Guest: Andrew Marantz, staff writer for the New Yorker.

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 production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Slate Money - Memestocks are Spreading

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Retail investors usually stick to the stock market, but many are rushing to make bets on oil futures. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss Emily’s piece about “dumb money” moving into more sophisticated trading markets—thanks to new crypto-driven platforms—and what’s motivating the trend.

Then, the hosts examine Bill Ackman’s grand plan to take over Universal Music Group, and explain the difference in how his SPARC differs from a SPAC.

Finally, the hosts delve into the New York Times’ quest to uncover the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, and argue over the investigation’s conclusion.

In the Slate Plus episode: Do men suck at grocery shopping?

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 page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Time to Impeach Trump Again?

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The events of the past week have revealed a terrifying disconnect between the constitutional remedies available to us and the gravity of the threats posed by an utterly unfit President with his finger on the nuclear button. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick turns to two experts on impeachment and the 25th Amendment: Rep. Jamie Raskin, and Professor Michael Gerhardt. Each has been at the very epicenter of democratic attempts to access the constitutional tools demanded by this moment. Rep. Raskin explains the urgent update needed to bolster the 25th amendment, and Professor Gerhardt explains the value of impeachment, even in lieu of conviction and removal, and why right now is high time to try Trump for high crimes.

Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next - SchadenFriday: Washington Gets TMZ’d

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

With Congress again out for recess—instead of, say, working to end the partial government shutdown or doing something, anything, when the president threatens war crimes—one media organization had the savvy, gall, and, okay, shamelessness to deputize us all as honorary paparazzi.

Guest: Harvey Levin, founder of TMZ.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your 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 Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why OpenAI Bought a Talk Show

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

As OpenAI prepares for its IPO, the company decided to…pay millions of dollars for a tech talk show? Is this just what rich tech guys like Sam Altman are like now?

Guest: Mike Isaac, tech reporter for the New York Times.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - TACO Tuesday

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the state of the U.S. war with Iran including what Tuesday night's abject ceasefire means, a deeply unsettling profile of the internet fringe group "Groypers" that shows how they are affecting Republican politics with guest Antonia Hitchens, and legal and moral arguments over mandatory school reading lists being considered in Texas which contain Bible passages.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the ins and outs of a strange story in which a FEMA official claims to have miraculously teleported to a Waffle House in Georgia, including the media treatment of the story and what it means that some U.S. officials are reporting such experiences.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David Plotz talks with journalist Gabriel Sherman about his new book Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty Broke a Family—and the World. Sherman, who also wrote the bestselling biography of Fox News chief Roger Ailes, spent 15 years reporting on the Murdoch empire. In this book he turns his lens on the family itself — the rivalries, the wounds, and the secret Nevada courtroom battle that finally forced Rupert’s hand.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Want more Political Gabfest? 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 Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

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What Next - He Made 2026's "Most Controversial Film"

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

An Israeli filmmaker, who returned home from abroad after October 7, attempts to capture the feeling of mourning becoming a thirst for revenge among his compatriots, in a film he describes as a “bomb.”

Guest: Nadav Lapid, Israeli screenwriter and film director of Yes!

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - What Can a Senator Do to Stop Trump?

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Where was Congress while the president threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight”?

Guest: Senator Mark Warner, U.S. Senator from Virginia, top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Trump’s Threatening War Crimes. Will Anyone Stop Him?

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Last week, the Army’s Chief of Staff, General Randy George, joined a long and growing list of high-level military officers who have been fired, forced out, or otherwise induced to leave their positions during the second Trump administration. What does that mean for the war in Iran?

Guest: Idrees Ali, national security correspondent at Reuters.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Trump Vs The Pope

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

American Catholicism finds itself at a crossroads—split between its prominent conservative representatives in the Trump administration and in the priesthood, and the more inclusive, social justice-oriented messaging of the American pope.

Guest: Colleen Dulle, Vatican correspondent for America Media, co-host of “Inside the Vatican” podcast, and author of “Struck Down, Not Destroyed.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - TBD Tries... Vibe Coding

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

One of artificial intelligence’s most hyped “abilities” is how it writes computer code. So much so that seemingly anyone can do it. So we figured… why not us?

Guests:

Greg Lavalee, Slate’s Chief Technology Officer.

Clive Thompson, contributing writer for the New York Times

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Spice World

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

This week: OpenAI completed a $122 billion investment round. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss what this deal says about the private and public markets and try to wrap their heads around the astronomical valuations of OpenAI and SpaceX.

Then, Maryland-based spice company, McCormick, announced it will merge with Unilever’s food division to create a new spice and sauce mega-company. The hosts discuss the unusual case of a smaller company absorbing a larger one, and why Unilever's stock is currently plummeting.

Finally, the hosts break down the WNBA's landmark collective bargaining agreement and why Nobel laureate Claudia Goldin was the MVP of the negotiation.

In the Slate Plus episode: The largest single home sale on record.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Slate Money—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Was it Worth it, Pam?

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

It was a rough week for two of the top lawyers in the Trump administration, and it couldn’t happen to a nicer pair ... Ever since Donald Trump’s return to office and the installation of his (second choice) Attorney General, we’ve been tracking the toxic combination of incompetence and cruelty at the Department of Justice. Pam Bondi, Trump’s hand-picked attack dog for Attorney General, finally reached the point of no return. She’s out, and Todd Blanche is in … for now. Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discuss AG Bondi’s legacy, and why she may still be dragged before congress to answer for the DOJ’s mishandling of the Epstein Files. Meanwhile, over at One, First Street, Mr. Trump became the first sitting president to show up live and in person to oral arguments, in a woefully misguided possible attempt to intimidate “his” justices into buying his nonsensical theory about birthright citizenship. John Sauer, his Solicitor General, flopped and flailed, and revealed a fundamental flaw at the heart of the second Trump presidency: if loyalty is the only test, you might fail a bunch of other, more significant, tests. Finally, Dahlia and Mark unpack the thorny and confusing 8-1 decision from the High Court in Chiles v. Salazar, taking a huge bite out of conversion therapy bans, and what that means for LGBTQ youth and the First Amendment.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Everyone Is Freaking Out About Private Credit

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, private credit or “shadow banking” grew as an alternative to the regulations and shared risk that institutional banks operate within. What happens if a crisis hits the trillions of dollars that are outside of those guardrails? We may be about to find out.

Guest: Tracy Alloway, co-host of Bloomberg's Odd Lots podcast.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - "Subject to the Jurisdiction Thereof"

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss yesterday's oral arguments in the monumentally important birthright citizenship case at the Supreme Court, Trump's primetime attempt to convince Americans that both their wallets and the Iran war are just fine, and strategy versus vibes in key Senate races in Maine and Texas.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the launch of NASA's Artemis II mission to the Moon. They muse poetically about space exploration, ask what NASA has been doing all this time, and discuss the benefits to humanity of such expensive missions.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump Went to Court—But Left Early

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Even with Trump in attendance, it didn’t look like the Supreme Court was buying his administration’s attack on the 14th amendment and birthright citizenship. But how the justices decide the case could leave the door open for another, savvier attempt to overturn birthright citizenship in the future.

Guest: Jamelle Bouie, opinion columnist at The New York Times.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Preview: A Blowout for Birthright Citizenship at SCOTUS

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 21:23:03 GMT

This bonus episode of Amicus, with full access exclusive for Slate Plus members, is a comprehensive exploration of Wednesday’s arguments in the Trump v. Barbara case on birthright citizenship. This landmark case challenges the executive order aimed at denying citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants and temporary visa holders, potentially affecting millions of individuals born in the U.S.

Mark Joseph Stern talks to legal scholar Evan Bernick –– who co-authored a key amicus brief in this case –– about the Supreme Court’s reaction to Trump’s order to gut the 14th amendment of the constitution and remake the legal landscape surrounding citizenship. The stakes are high, and the implications reach far beyond the courtroom.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next - We're in an Oil Crisis. Will Renewables Save Us?

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The Iran war’s disruption to global oil supplies demonstrates another upside to switching to renewable energy sources. Instead, Europe is considering rolling back carbon regulations.

Guest: Catherine Rampell, economics editor at The Bulwark and anchor at MS NOW.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - The Illusion of ‘America’s Next Top Model’

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Journalist Bridget Armstrong joins Emily Peck to discuss this moment of reckoning for the iconic reality show America’s Next Top Model and what she learned in reporting for her podcast Curse of: America’s Next Top Model. They explore how Top Model’s central promise—a fast track to a career in the fashion industry—was ultimately an illusion used to make great television at the expense of the contestants.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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What Next - Where Insider Trading Becomes Treason

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

A flurry of activity in the oil-futures market, minutes before Donald Trump made a big announcement about not striking at Iranian infrastructure, has all the appearance of someone using classified national security information to turn a profit.

Guest: Paul Krugman, Nobel-Prize winning economist and author of paulkrugman.substack.com.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Hollywood vs. A.I. Slop

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT

OpenAI is shutting down its video generator Sora less than six months after it launched, and just three months since it signed a deal with Disney. Is this an A.I. company fine tuning its offerings, or the long-awaited popping of the A.I. bubble?

Guest: Jason Koebler, cofounder of 404 Media.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How to Rein in ICE and A.I.

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Artificial intelligence is working its way into every aspect of our lives, including law and immigration enforcement, and the industry is spending millions of dollars to ensure it can continue to do so unregulated. But as evidence of bias appears in this nascent tech, this congresswoman wants to ensure we’re not just recreating our historical biases and problems all over again—which is to say, she wants guardrails.

Guest: Summer Lee, U.S. representative for Pennsylvania’s 12th district.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Trade or Treason?

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Just minutes before Trump posted about talks with Iran, oil markets saw a flurry of activity. Conspiracy theories followed. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck dissect the suspicious timing of those trades and the possibility of insider trading within the Trump administration. Then, the hosts react to the surprising ruling on Meta and social media addiction. And: OpenAI’s sudden decision to shut down its consumer-facing video generation platform, Sora.

In the Slate Plus episode: The treasury market rom-com

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trump Has a Plan for the Midterms, SCOTUS May Help

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick checks in with Protect Democracy co-founder Ian Bassin about the United States’ speedy retreat from democracy, and how lawyers seeking to protect the constitution are adapting their strategies for Trump 2.0. While Trump’s second term is following an authoritarian playbook, some courts are acting as speed bumps, while others (we’re looking at you, SCOTUS), are increasingly pickled in right-wing brine. The velocity of America’s descent into illiberalism is startling and dangerous, but Bassin argues it is also potentially self-defeating, thanks to Trump’s historic unpopularity that is growing faster than his ability to consolidate power. The two discuss Protect Democracy’s shift from a litigation-heavy strategy to combining court fights with coalition-building, and Ian outlines threats to the 2026 elections—“deceive, disrupt, deny”—including efforts like the SAVE Act and why the President’s decision to deploy ICE to stand around in airports around the country is a clear effort to normalize their presence at polling places in November. But he also stresses that overwhelming participation and public organizing are the ultimate backstops if election results are contested.

Suggested reading: protectdemocracy.org/executive-override/

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Social Media’s Big Tobacco Moment

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

What YouTube and Meta’s loss in the “social media addiction trial” could mean for your feed.

Guest: Ryan Mac, business and technology reporter for the New York Times.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money On Film: Spirited Away

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Welcome to a very special Money On Film miniseries!

Over three episodes, Slate Money’s Felix Salmon and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe revisit three films at the intersection of culture and finance. On this episode, Nadira and Felix take a trip to a bathhouse for spirits in 2001’s Spirited Away.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the film follows a girl named Chihiro, who becomes trapped in the spirit world and must save her parents, encountering soot sprites, river spirits, a giant baby, and many more wonderful and terrifying beings along the way.

The film is a masterpiece of storytelling and technical animation, but as Felix explains, it also works as a highly developed metaphor for capital and the Japanese economy at the close of the millennium: the bathhouse stands in for a stable but exploitative economic system, beset by outside capital forces, with workers stripped of their names and identities.

This is the final episode of the Money On Film miniseries. Thanks for listening!

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Political Gabfest - Airplane Travel is a Nightmare

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why politicians keep failing to solve the escalating crisis of American air travel as massive lines and ICE agents disrupt airport operations, what could happen to the 2026 elections when the Supreme Court decides the fate of a state law on mail-in ballot deadlines, and how two jury verdicts provide new legal hooks to hold social media companies liable for harms to children.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the new book This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History with author and historian Beverly Gage. They talk about the value of exploring U.S. historical sites in all their complexity as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence approaches this summer.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next - The Iran War Hits Your Pocket

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Trump’s unpredictability injects uncertainty into the economy, foreign policy, and everything else he touches. Even as his war messaging varies wildly moment to moment, the world economy is certain of one thing: it’s bad for the Strait of Hormuz to close.

Guest: Justin Wolfers, professor of economics at the University of Michigan.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Meanwhile in Cuba with Hasan Piker

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Leftist political commentator Hasan Piker feels the Democrats have missed an opportunity to articulate their opposition to Trump’s foreign policy—in Venezuela, Iran, and, from the sound of it, soon enough in Cuba, where Piker just visited.

Guest: Hasan Piker, political commentator on Twitch who recently joined the Nuestra América convoy to Havana, Cuba.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money On Film: Materialists

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Welcome to a very special Money On Film miniseries!

Over three episodes, Slate Money’s Felix Salmon and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe revisit three films at the intersection of culture and finance. On this episode, Felix and Nadira discuss dating and money in Celine Song’s 2025 romantic comedy Materialists, which centers on a love triangle between a millionaire matchmaker (Dakota Johnson), a hunky financier (Pedro Pascal), and an old flame and out-of-work actor (Chris Evans). While not particularly romantic or comedic, the film raises questions about the role money plays in modern dating, how we select partners based on financial viability, and whether romance itself might be a bit overrated.

Next time on Money On Film: Spirited Away. See you then!

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What Next - How ICE Landed At Your Airport

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Kristi Noem is out, and Senator Markwayne Mullin is in (in theory) as the new DHS secretary. Mullin tried to strike a softer tone during his confirmation hearing, nodding towards rolling back controversial policies like entering homes without a judicial warrant—but his reputation as a Senate-floor brawler raises questions about whether that’s just rhetoric. Meanwhile, the partial government shutdown, ongoing since February 14, continues to affect the department, including causing disruptions to airport services.

What do all these developments signal about the direction that DHS is heading?

Guest: Nick Miroff, staff writer for The Atlantic covering immigration.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - You Mailed in Your Ballot. Will It Count?

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The argument against counting mail-in ballots that arrive after election day is going to involve Supreme Court-pleasing “originalist” language, but is the case really just another way to say that Trump should have beaten Joe Biden in 2020?

Guest: Jay Willis, editor-in-chief of Balls & Strikes.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - War Dot Com

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Why Palantir cofounder and CEO Alex Karp views working with Western militaries not just as a business opportunity, but as a higher calling.

Guest: Jacob Silverman, journalist and author of “Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley.”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Are the Billionaires Smothering HBO?

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The war in Iran has caused a dramatic spike in global oil prices. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss the international repercussions of the oil shortage and how central banks are responding. And: With the dust settling on the Paramount-Warner Brothers deal (including a $700 million payout to David Zaslav for some reason), the biggest loser in the megamerger might be HBO. The hosts discuss how billionaire dealmaking and rebrand fatigue is hurting the network's reputation for edgy, prestige TV. And later: Reuters published a very long story “revealing” Banksy’s real name—which, Felix will tell you, has been public knowledge since 2008. So what was the point?

In the Slate Plus episode: Claude is not an accountant.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | The Real Succession

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

David Plotz talks with journalist Gabriel Sherman about his new book Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty Broke a Family—and the World. Sherman, who also wrote the bestselling biography of Fox News chief Roger Ailes, spent 15 years reporting on the Murdoch empire. In this book he turns his lens on the family itself — the rivalries, the wounds, and the secret Nevada courtroom battle that finally forced Rupert's hand.

Sherman sketches each of the three main Murdoch children: the shrewd and overlooked Elisabeth, the conservative golden child Lachlan, and the restless, brittle James. He explains how Rupert pitted each of his children against each other to consolidate his own power. He and Plotz explore the parallels between the Murdoch and Trump dynasties, debate whether a James-led Fox News could ever have been tethered to reality, and ask what happens to the empire once Rupert is gone. Sherman's prediction: Lachlan sells.

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 Nina Porzucki.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Roberts Court’s Internal Reckoning

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

This Supreme Court term has seen threats against the Justices – from the President, a slew of game-changing shadow docket opinions, justices sparring in public, and some of the most consequential cases of our lifetimes. If you’re feeling a little disoriented by it all, join Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern on this week’s show for a clearer understanding of what’s going on at One, First Street. They discuss the big immigration case the court took up just this week that will be crammed into the last week of arguments, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s courage at a public event, and what it means when a justice steps out of the four corners of her opinions to voice urgent concerns about the shadow docket in public, and why, when it comes to threats to judges, the Chief Justice is meekly asking Trump knock it off, while taking no responsibility for his court’s role in it all.

Supplemental reading:

The Constitutional Accountability Center on the history of mail-in ballots

This week’s Executive Dysfunction newsletter from Slate’s jurisprudence team is a must-read: slate.com/dysfunction

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Hank Green Still Believes

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Hank Green recently pulled a “reverse OpenAI” - he took his education platform Complexly and made it a nonprofit. In a world where outrage, A.I. slop and “brain rot” are all heavily incentivized by platforms, Hank explains why he’d rather make content that leans into the complexity of our world.

Guest: Hank Green, YouTuber, half of Vlogbrothers, host of Crash Course and SciShow and founder of VidCon and Complexly.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Slate Money - Money On Film: Margin Call

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Welcome to a very special Money On Film miniseries!

Over three episodes, Slate Money’s Felix Salmon and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe revisit three films at the intersection of culture and finance. On this episode, we’re headed to Wall Street to watch a Felix Salmon favorite: Margin Call, the 2011 thriller-drama starring a long list of famous people, including Jeremy Irons, Paul Bettany, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, and yes, Kevin Spacey.

Directed by J. C. Chandor, the film takes place at an investment bank on the brink of the Great Financial Crisis, as financiers struggle to maintain their balance sheets against the greatest villain of the aughts: mortgage-backed securities.

Coming up on Money On Film: the 2025 rom-com Materialists, followed by the animated masterpiece Spirited Away from 2001. See you next time!

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Political Gabfest - Degenerate Gambler

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how policies of anger and dominance structure President Trump’s approach to adversaries, allies, and the independent press alike, how the dangers of the online sports-betting industry are outrunning limited guardrails with guest McKay Coppins, and how a federal judge just handed RFK Jr.’s war on vaccines its biggest setback yet.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss what the conventional postmortems of USAID are missing and where global development might go from here with guest Tim Hirschel-Burns.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John Dickerson talks with Father James Martin about his new book, Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest. They discuss the spiritual lessons learned through eight different jobs, Martin’s controversial LGBTQ ministry that made him a target of criticism within the Catholic Church, and what the Gospels demand about welcoming strangers and caring for the marginalized.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

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What Next - Trump Says We Won. This Former Rep Says We’re Trapped.

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT

The war in Iran is either already over, or almost over, or going to continue until Trump feels it is over in his bones? If you’re Congress, what are you supposed to do with that?

Guest: Adam Kinzinger, former Republican Congressman for Illinois’s 11th and 16th districts, Jan 6 Committee member, former lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Thousands Are Fleeing War in Lebanon. She Flew There.

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Israel and America’s war with Iran has spread, leading to the displacement of nearly 20 percent of people in Lebanon. What does that look like on the ground—and how will the conflict end?

Guests:

Basma Alloush, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Rescue Committee.

Joshua Keating, senior correspondent at Vox.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Boilerplate Land Mines

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: UVA law professor Mitu Gulati joins Felix Salmon and Emily Peck to explain how an over-reliance on boilerplate language in contracts—that apparently never gets updated or even read—is leaving all of us vulnerable to legal traps.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - The GOP Plan to Kill Your Vote

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The Republican-led Senate prepares this week to tackle an issue that’s very important to the president, his diehards, and hardly anyone else: passing the SAVE Act in order to force people to prove citizenship before voting.

Guest: Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Bombing Iran...for Jesus?

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:00:56 GMT

If no other explanations for the Iran War seem satisfying, have you considered that the point is to bring about the end of the world and the return of Jesus Christ? The people in power have.

Guest: Tim Dickinson, senior writer and editor at The Contrarian.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why He Sued Roblox

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

A half dozen state attorneys general have sued the online gaming platform Roblox after multiple investigations found child predators on the site and more than 20 people were arrested for abducting or abusing children they had met via Roblox.

Guest: Mike Hilgers, Nebraska Attorney General.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Immigration Myths and Birthright Citizenship

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Next month, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the birthright citizenship case, Trump v. Barbara. It’s still somewhat unbelievable that the high court will entertain arguments in favor of gutting an utterly clear constitutional commitment. Nonetheless, our motto on Amicus is “legal knowledge is power,” and in this case, historical understanding of legal knowledge … is power. On this week’s show, Dahlia Lithwick interviews constitutional and immigration scholar Anna O. Law about her forthcoming book, Migration and the Origins of American Citizenship.

In preparation for a lot of very bad originalist takes, Lithwick and Law discuss how immigration actually worked in the colonial and pre-Civil War eras and why the framers of the Reconstruction Amendments (including the birthright citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment) meant exactly what they said and said exactly what they meant. Law also explains how and why Wong Kim Ark affirmed birthright citizenship for children of Chinese immigrants, and emphasizes that the words “subject to the jurisdiction” had narrow historical exceptions. Finally, a reminder that the framers of the 14th Amendment chose to constitutionalize citizenship rather than establish it in statute—in anticipation of exactly the situation America finds itself in today.

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Slate Money - A.I. Is a Hyperobject

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

This week: We summoned technologist and journalist Paul Ford to answer all our questions about A.I. As he explains to Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, A.I. is a hyperobject that touches everything in unknowable ways. They get into “vibe coding,” how it could change the game for small businesses and large corporations alike, and other concerns—like A.I.-powered wars.

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What Next - SchadenFriday: A Timothée Chalamet Ballet Melee

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:00:00 GMT

On this week’s Slate Plus exclusive, Timothée Chalamet enters the pas de deux between an Oscar-nominated actor and a public itching for a villain. But as one Gen Z star’s public approval goes down, another’s rises, on the strength of a “bixie.”

Guest: Nadira Goffe, Slate culture writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Are We Ready for A.I. Warfare?

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Drone warfare has evolved immensely since Ukraine. The use of artificial intelligence in combat has evolved just since Venezuela.

Guest: Steven Feldstein, political scientist and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - Will Gas Hit $5 a Gallon?

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss whether Trump will be willing to endure the political pain if his capricious Iran war causes gas to hit $5 a gallon, the system of ICE mega-prisons DHS is starting to build, and new fronts in Trump’s efforts to control the 2026 elections and beyond.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss last weekend’s attempted bomb attack in front of Gracie Mansion in NYC, and how it somehow managed to be a terrorism story, a protest story, and a media story all in one.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

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What Next - No, Really, Why Are We At War?

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Is the Strait of Hormuz safe? Is the U.S. going to put boots on the ground? Did we obliterate Iran’s nuclear facilities? And why are we at war with Iran… at all?

Guest: Tommy Vietor, political commentator on Pod Save America and Pod Save the World, spokesman for Obama and the National Security Council in 2011 and 2012.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Iran’s New Nepo Ayatollah

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Who is the new supreme leader of Iran, and how does he differ from his predecessor father?

Guest: Graeme Wood, staff writer at The Atlantic and a lecturer in political science at Yale.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Her Film Is an Oscar Nominee. It Almost Didn’t Make it to the U.S.

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Nominated for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Academy Awards, The Voice of Hind Rajab uses audio from the actual emergency call with a five-year-old girl in Gaza who was killed by Israeli forces in January 2024.

Guest: Kaouther Ben Hania, director of the Oscar-nominated film, The Voice of Hind Rajab.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The DOJ Is Trying Protesters As Terrorists. Will They Win?

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

A July ICE protest ended with a police lieutenant shot, 19 people arrested and nine people now on trial. For Trump’s Department of Justice, it’s a chance to see how calling groups “domestic terrorist organizations” performs in a courtroom.

Guest: Leeja Miller, lawyer and YouTuber based in Minneapolis.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Hollywood Is Afraid of the Paramount-WBD Deal

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT

How does Paramount, an old-guard studio and media institution, buying Warner Bros., another of the same, change the landscape in Hollywood, on cable, and in news?

Guest: Julia Alexander, media correspondent for Puck News.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Slate Money - The Burger CEOs Are Beefing

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week: The U.S. started a war in Iran. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck break down why the war is bumping the US dollar and threatening the UAE’s image as a safe haven, with a notable lack of “oil-shock.” Then, the hosts get into why Pete Hegseth’s Department of War is clashing with Anthropic, as modern warfare becomes increasingly reliant on AI. And finally, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski went viral for taking a very small bite of a very big burger. So, Emily dares to eat a Big Arch—the whole thing—and the hosts talk about how this kind of PR cannot be bought.

In the Slate Plus episode: Daylight Saving Forever.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Justin Wright.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Church and State are Being Reunited, Thanks to SCOTUS

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT

On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick explores the rise of Christian nationalism in America, its influence on the Supreme Court , and the implications for democracy and civil rights. Featuring Rachel Laser, CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, their discussion delves into the historical roots, recent legal cases, and the ongoing fight to uphold the separation of church and state in a country that survived two centuries as an open, pluralist refuge for all religions, and then became a Christian nation, seemingly overnight.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - War in Iran, Shockwaves in Markets

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT

When you’re sending troops to war, it seems like there are more important things to consider than how it will impact the stock market. However, it doesn’t seem coincidental that this administration waited until the markets closed on a Friday to launch its attacks on Iran.

Guest: Justin Wolfers, professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - What’s the Point of the Iran War?

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the possible political outcomes of the war in Iran given the complexities of Iranian society with guest Karim Sadjadpour, whether the primary election results could mean that Texas will finally turn blue, and the amazing legal back-and-forth between the embarrassed Trump DOJ and the victorious Big Law firms who fought back against its clear abuse of executive power.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss this week’s Supreme Court arguments over whether the federal government can bar marijuana users from owning a gun.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

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What Next - Can Iranians Rise Up? He Already Tried

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:00:55 GMT

As recent demonstrations showed, a sizable segment of the Iranian people already opposes the regime. But when President Trump told them to “take over your government,” it seems unlikely he considered how the regime responded to those protests, or other movements for a more open Iranian society.

Guest: Kian Tajbakhsh, visiting assistant professor at New York University, lecturer at Columbia University, who works on the Committee on Global Thought and in the School of International and Public Affairs.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Nancy Guthrie Is Missing. The Internet Isn't Helping.

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT

How the attention economy, distrust of all authority, and an actual crime turned a suburban Arizona street into the place to be for certain content creators.

Guest: Luke Winkie, Slate staff writer, author of the piece “The Haunting American Scene Unfolding Outside Nancy Guthrie’s House.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: ‘Industry’ Insanity

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Emily Peck is joined by Slate’s Editor in Chief Hillary Frey and former Slate Money host Anna Szymanski of Reuters to break down this season of the HBO financial drama ‘Industry’. They'll get into the psychodrama of Kit Harrington’s Henry Muck, the thrilling parallels to real world stories, the tragic downfall of Eric Tao, and more.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Can Democrats Mess With Texas?

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT

After a Democrat flipped a state senate seat for a district that Trump had won by a large margin, both parties are closely watching today’s Texas primaries. What are they looking for, and what can the results tell us about the midterm elections this fall?

Guest: Bayliss Wagner, Texas politics reporter.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Preview: This War is Obscenely Illegal

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:23:55 GMT

Trump’s actions in Iran have massive global impacts, but they also have serious legal implications. On this extra episode of Amicus, exclusive to our Plus members, Mark Joseph Stern is joined by military law expert Eugene Fidell, a visiting lecturer and senior research scholar at Yale Law School. Their conversation focuses on constitutional constraints, the role of Congress, and the principles of international law, and emphasizes the need for Congress to reclaim its war powers. While it seems like real consequences are unlikely for those responsible for flouting these laws, there are serious implications for American democracy. Fidell explains why he’s calling for impeachment as a response to these unconstitutional actions––even if such a move is very unlikely to succeed.

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What Next - The “Peace President” Goes to War

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Over the weekend, in the middle of the night, the Trump administration brought the United States into yet another Middle East war.

Guest: Shane Harris, staff writer at The Atlantic covering national security and intelligence

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - TBD Tries… Wearables

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT

How much would it change your life and approach to health if you had instant access to your quantified biometrics? RFK Jr. and the Department of Health and Human Services have bet the difference would be huge, and loosened regulation on them—leaving TBD no choice but to strap in and give ‘em a try.

Guests:

Nadira Goffe, Slate staff writer.

Mario Aguliar, health tech correspondent for Stat News

Dr. Sandeep Kishore, associate professor at the University of California San Francisco

Dr. Jordana Cohen, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at University of Pennsylvania.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Yes, Supreme Court Decisions Really Matter

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

“Not on the level” is how Donald Verrilli Jr. describes the Trump administration’s general, current Supreme Court practices. The former United States Solicitor General joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss the ways this radical new posture is forcing judges to confront arguments and asserted powers previously seen as far beyond presidential authority, while still trying not to shift excessive power to courts by routinely declaring everything a pretext. They discuss whether Chief Justice John Roberts is at last signalling skepticism about Trump’s chaotic policymaking, whether the DOJ’s fluid relationship with facts is taking a toll on its credibility, and they debate the costs of delayed, splintered opinions in the major confrontation over executive power evident in the tariffs case. Don Verrilli also reflects on his deep and broad experience over decades of Supreme Court litigation, beginning with a clerkship for Justice Brennan in the 1980s, through his service in government under President Obama, to recent wins arguing before SCOTUS, to provide a truly clarifying perspective on the scale of the challenges facing the rule of law, and the “hard-nosed faith” required to overcome them.

And… introducing… Executive Dysfunction. A brand new newsletter from Slate’s jurisprudence team that surfaces under-the-radar stories about what Trump is doing to the law –– and how the law is pushing back. There’s always some story buried in court filings, hidden in regulatory fine print, happening in some courthouse you may not have heard of that actually matters. Every week, Executive Dysfunction will feature one story that cuts through it all, plus updates from the Slate Jurisprudence team. Go to slate.com/dysfunction to sign up.

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Slate Money - Permanent Temporary Tariff Regime

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week: We saw the fallout from the Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump’s tariffs were indeed unconstitutional. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, weigh in on the decision and the ensuing confusion around what tariff refunds would actually look like. Then, in a surprise twist, Netflix has backed off the Warner Brothers deal, allowing Paramount to swoop in. The hosts explain what set the multi-billion dollar merger off course. And finally, they’ll get into what Blue Owl Capital did to spark a private credit panic.

In the Slate Plus episode: A Retirement Solution for Everyone?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - SchadenFriday: The Olympic Curler Who Called Out Trump

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Training for the Olympics is a Sisyphean task, but if you’re a curler, pushing a rock is kind of your thing. And who knows? Your big break might come in your 50s.

Guest: Rich Ruohonen, Minnesota curler (and lawyer) who represented the US in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Anthropic vs. the Pentagon

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Pentagon wants Anthropic to hand over its A.I. with no strings attached. Anthropic doesn’t want its products used to surveil Americans or create autonomous machines of war.

Naturally, the Pentagon is mad - so mad, they’re threatening to invoke the Defense Production Act against them. But who has more leverage here?

Guest: Sheera Frenkel, reporter for the New York Times

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - The State of the Union is Endless

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss whether Trump’s State of the Union address effectively convinced voters to ignore the pain in their wallets because he says he’s “winning” the economy, how the Supreme Court finally stood up to the president on something he really cares about, and the Pentagon’s ominous ultimatum against AI company Anthropic.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss James Talarico, Jasmine Crockett, and what might happen in next week’s consequential Texas Senate primary races.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

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What Next - How Hockey Got Drafted into the Culture Wars

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The gay romance show Heated Rivalry brought an influx of attention to hockey, and gold-medal winning performances from both the women’s and men’s American teams seemed to be priming the NHL for a fresh, diverse group of fans. Then Kash Patel showed up in the men’s locker room.

Guest: Frankie de la Cretaz, writer at the intersection of sports, gender, culture, and queerness, author of Hail Mary: the Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League and Out of Your League newsletter.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Mexico’s Cartel War

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

With President Trump’s urging and support from CIA drones, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s more confrontational approach to the drug cartels culminated in the death of “El Mencho,” the most wanted man in both Mexico and the United States.

Guest: León Krauze, Mexican journalist and author covering politics and the cartels.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - She's Skipping the State of the Union

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Why a number of Congressional Democrats are skipping tonight’s State of the Union address—and why some are still going.

Guest: Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, representing Texas's 16th Congressional District in El Paso.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Does Legal Immigration Still Exist?

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Counter to claims that immigrants just need to come to America “the right way,” DHS has begun using the department that administers legal immigration to arrest, detain, and deport people—including those who are following the law.

Guest: Jonathan Blitzer, staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Future of Retail is A.I.

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

You might not think you need artificial intelligence added to your shopping experience. Store employees might not see the point either. So why is it there anyway?

Guest: Mia Sato, reporter at The Verge who covers tech companies, platforms, and users.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trump’s Tariffs Overturned

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Friday, ruling 6–3 that they vastly exceed anything federal law allows a President to do. It was a massive loss for a signature component of Trump’s economic agenda, and a coalition of liberals and conservatives on the court agreed that the statute invoked to impose these tariffs was never intended to be wielded in this fashion. The 6 disagreed emphatically as to the reasoning. The dissenters were Big Mad. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern unpack the rationale behind the decision, and the implications for those seeking a remedy. And they ask what to make of this massive loss from a court that has yet to truly tell this President “no.”

Then, the press clause of the First Amendment, a once-cherished constitutional right, has fallen victim to neglect and sabotage in recent years, taking a back seat to the more vaunted love affair with individual “free speech.” But, as recent developments—including the arrest of journalist Don Lemon and the heavy-handed interview-spiking “guidance” of late night host Stephen Colbert—illustrate, the freedom of the press is no slam-dunk when it comes to saving democracy in Trump’s America. Dahlia speaks with First Amendment scholars Sonja West (University of Georgia) and RonNell Andersen Jones (University of Utah) about the health of the press clause and the themes in their book, The Future of Press Freedom: Democracy, Law, and the News in Changing Times. They trace the ways in which the framers viewed press freedom as a core, structural “bulwark of liberty,” and why the Supreme Court has increasingly treated it as a neglected companion to free speech rights; leaving weakened and fragile protections for news gathering. The conversation contrasts Trump’s first-term rhetorical delegitimization of the media with a second-term shift toward tangible actions: access restrictions, funding cuts, agency leverage, and selective regulatory pressure.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | From Busboy to Corporate Tool to Priest

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

John Dickerson talks with Father James Martin about his new book, Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest. They discuss the spiritual lessons learned through eight different jobs, Martin's controversial LGBTQ ministry that made him a target of criticism within the Catholic Church, and what the Gospels demand about welcoming strangers and caring for the marginalized.

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 Nina Porzucki.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Planet Money In Book Form!

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Beloved NPR podcast Planet Money is now a book too! Author and Planet Money contributor Alex Mayyasi joins Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck to give us a peek into the upcoming Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life. Pulling from their favorite chapters of the book, the hosts get into how Argentina’s attempt to foster manufacturing mirrors Trump’s recent efforts, why the Argentinian Blackberry just didn’t cut it, the hidden forces of market design, the reverse-robin hood effect of high credit card fees and more.

In the Slate Plus episode: Childcare and Baumol's Cost Disease

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The A.I. Disruption Is Here

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Tech companies proudly touting that the imminent artificial intelligence revolution are pushing the stock market to ever higher heights, even as workers wonder what their role will be in this brave new world. But outside of the big A.I. players, the rest of the market seems to be wondering the same thing.

Guest: Emily Peck, co-host of Slate Money and national correspondent at Axios.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Prince-No-More Andrew Pays His Epstein Price

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:45:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the public figures being shamed and punished for their associations with Jeffrey Epstein while others remain unscathed, the insights and lessons revealed by a new oral history archive and interview with former President Obama, and the meaning of the Trump administration’s efforts to whitewash history.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss this week’s dust-up between Stephen Colbert and CBS amid FCC threats over an interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily Bazelon talks with author Curtis Sittenfeld about her short story collection, “Show Don’t Tell.” They discuss the recurring themes of the book from troubled marriages and middle age to the passage of time, and characters who are navigating moments of racial privilege and prejudice.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next - Preview: Epstein, the Ex-Prince, and Consequences

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 20:20:07 GMT

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was arrested after a release of Epstein files revealed he had allegedly shared confidential trade reports with the financier.

Guest: Imogen West-Knights, Slate contributing writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Stephen Colbert Vs. CBS

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

From the hundreds of Washington Post staffers fired, to Anderson Cooper leaving 60 Minutes, to Stephen Colbert and his own network fighting in public, Trump’s return to the White House is transforming legacy media into something less antagonistic to power—but also less capable of fulfilling its own self-described mission.

Guest: Oliver Darcy, journalist behind the Status substack.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - What Even Is Trump’s “Board of Peace”?

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Trump’s “Board of Peace” emerged from last year’s ceasefire negotiations to govern Gaza after the war. But since then, the board has evolved into a motley group of countries that are willing to pay a billion dollars to join a body that has Donald Trump as its chairman for life. They also have mostly stopped talking about Gaza.

Guest: Gregg Carlstom, Middle East Correspondent at The Economist.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: The Business of Black Markets

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by journalist Mariana van Zeller, who has spent years reporting on black and gray markets around the world and has a new podcast, The Hidden Third, that delves into these powerful underground economies. They’ll get into what Mariana has seen embedded with criminal operators, from the surprisingly mundane to the darker side of working outside the system.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Is She New Jersey’s AOC?

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

An activist and former political director for Bernie Sander’s presidential campaign shocked the field by winning a primary for a special congressional election. Now the favorite to win the solidly blue district, she’s actually excited to work with congressional moderates—and to keep pushing them.

Guest: Analilia Mejía, Democratic nominee for New Jersey's 11th congressional district special election

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Kids Sports Are Now Adult Driven—And Incredibly Expensive

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:00:29 GMT

Youth sports have grown into a $40-billion dollar per year industry, where eager parents shell out for private coaches, off-season practice, and travel leagues, in the hopes of giving their child a competitive edge.

Guest: Anna North, senior correspondent at Vox. She writes Kids Today, a newsletter about kids.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump Can’t Ruin These Olympics

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Olympics are touted as a moment for the world to come together and celebrate sport and achievement and check their politics at the door—yeah right.

Guest: Justin Peters, Slate correspondent currently covering the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics and author of The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of Free Culture on the Internet.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Concentration Camp Next Door

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The machinery to enable Stephen Miller’s darkest deportation dreams is both tangible and legal. In this week’s show, Dahlia Lithwick explores the statutory and regulatory foundations of the Trump administration’s expanding network of detention camps, plus the historical background of the vast warehouse system they are using to imprison tens of thousands of migrants. First, she speaks with Linus Chan, who represents Minnesotans detained by ICE, he teaches law at the University of Minnesota School of Law. Chan describes how the most basic right of habeas corpus has been whittled away by the courts to a filament when it comes to immigration law, allowing the federal government to weaponize brutal detention against ordinary Americans.

Next, Dahlia is in conversation with Andrea Pitzer, about her chilling and urgent new piece, Building the camps: The warehouseification of detention and initial thoughts on stopping it. It is essential reading (and listening!) in light of the billion dollar detention camp system being built in warehouses near you in cities around the nation.

If you want to check if your town is on the list, Andrea recommends checking out Project Salt Box.

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Slate Money - 100 More Years of Google

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Alphabet announced a rare 100-year bond issuance. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, explain the calculation the tech giant is making here and how the market responded to the move. Then, an analysis from the NY Fed has concluded that most of the burden of Trump’s tariff hikes is on US households and the hosts debate the possible pros – and obvious cons – of this sneaky tax hike. And then, Felix goes deep on one of his favorite topics: why knockoffs aren’t so bad.

In the Slate Plus episode: What’s up with the new Ferrari design?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - SchadenFriday: The Week MAGA Turned Cringe

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT

There was a moment, when the tech CEOs and media moguls were lining up to kiss Trump’s ring, when it looked like almost all the demographic arrows were pointing right, where it looked like Trumpism was, if not widely embraced, at least too big to be written off. After a year of Trump back in office, the culture cries out for Woke 2.0.

Guest: Brian Beutler, founder of Off-Message.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Senator Going After Data Centers

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Data centers are a hot issue - tech companies say they need them, but communities don’t want to be anywhere near them. Senator Van Hollen stops by the show to share his plan to address the rising costs of energy for consumers that data centers create, as well as his thoughts on ICE and the future of the Democratic Party.

Guest: Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - LIVE from Washington, DC!

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 19:30:00 GMT

This week, live from Sixth & I in Washington DC to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing with AG Pam Bondi and the Trump administration’s violations of constitutional rights with guest Rep. Jamie Raskin, how Trump’s assaults on DC have radically transformed the city, and patriotism at the Olympics.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David answer questions from the live audience at Sixth & I in Washington, DC to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next - No Really, Abolish ICE

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Democrats have a list of demands and reforms they want implemented before continuing to fund the Department of Homeland Security. But DHS doesn’t really need their approval to keep going.

Guest: Garrett Graff, journalist, historian, author of Doomsday Scenario.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - She Led the Trial Against Uber - and Won

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Although sexual assault and rape by rideshare drivers has been widely reported, Uber itself largely avoided legal liability until last week, when a jury decided the company had to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was raped by her Uber driver.

Guest: Sarah London, co-Lead and liaison counsel in the multidistrict litigation against Uber.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Markiplier Goes to Hollywood

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Markiplier has been entertaining millions of fans on YouTube for over a decade. But his new movie Iron Lung - which he self-financed, directed, wrote and acted in - was a smash at the box office, not on his YouTube channel. Is it proof that he’s more than a YouTuber? Or is it proof that Hollywood is thinking about the platform and its creators all wrong?

Guest: Mark Fischbach aka Markiplier, YouTuber, filmmaker and director of “Iron Lung.”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump Starts the Steal

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Trump has called for elections to be “nationalized,” something neither the president, nor the federal government, has the authority to do. But as he’s already sent the FBI to raid Fulton County, Georgia’s election offices with director of intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and with the midterms on their way, it’s time to ask how much damage a vindictive president could do.

Guest: Ari Berman, voting rights reporter at Mother Jones.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Escape from a Scam Compound

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Scamming attempts might seem to just come out of nowhere to suddenly appear in your WhatsApp, but a special economic zone in Laos has emerged as a hotbed of cryptocurrency schemes—where victims of human trafficking are trapped and forced to attempt more crime.

Guest: Andy Greenberg, senior writer for WIRED.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Di-SaaS-ter Market

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Anthropic released an update that seems to have tipped the scales against Software as a Service companies, erasing billions in market value. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, unpack why there was such a massive market response to such a small AI plugin, and what it says about the future of tech investment. Then, Disney has finally named a new CEO in Josh D’Amaro. The hosts get what it says about the future of the company that they chose the head Disney Experiences, including their super-profitable theme parks, instead of its Hollywood division. And then, a report has claimed users lose money on prediction markets faster than on traditional gambling apps which Kalshi claimed was an extortion tactic before walking back its statement. The hosts get into the differences between how users interact with the two kinds of apps and what the data says about losses on each.

In the Slate Plus episode: Epstein and the business of luxury gifting.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trump Has a New “Big Lie” for the Midterms

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

According to Marc Elias, Dahlia Lithwick’s guest on Amicus, “This week will be looked back on as a pivot point in terms of how the midterms play out.” Elias is a nationally recognized authority on voting rights, redistricting and campaign finance law. He is Chair of Elias Law Group and founder of Democracy Docket.

In the past few weeks, Donald Trump’s election denialism has kicked into high gear, just as his poll numbers hit new lows. Elias tells us the FBI/DNI raid to seize ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, and Steve Bannon’s new threats to surround polling places with ICE officers in November, show an administration that is prototyping new mechanisms for election subversion and voter suppression. But the public has power in this scenario, especially if they start paying attention to elections and voting rights now, rather than the day before November 3rd, 2026.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Elon 3.0

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

He’s discontinuing Tesla’s signature models, taking SpaceX public, and putting more chips on A.I. and robotics. As Elon Musk prepares for his next phase, will he rein in any of his excesses?

And in this week’s Plus segment: Elon in Epstein files.

Guest: Faiz Siddiqui, technology reporter for the Washington Post’s Business Desk, author of “Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk.”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Is the Melania Movie a Bribe?

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the juxtaposition between the devastating layoffs at The Washington Post and the exorbitant price owner Jeff Bezos and Amazon paid for the Melania movie, this week’s ominous foreshadowing of the Trump administration’s real threats to the 2026 elections with election law expert Nate Persily, and why the Clintons are facing deposition in House Epstein investigations.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, David, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss a fascinating profile of anti-government militia leader Ammon Bundy, the contrast between Bundy’s and his former allies’ views on ICE tactics, and how messages about individual liberty and government intervention might be affecting the Trump administration’s narratives about immigration enforcement.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next - Bad Bunny Has Already Won The Super Bowl

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

What Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show means for Puerto Rico, Latin Americans in the U.S., and his haters.

Guest: Dr. Vanessa Díaz, associate professor of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies at Loyola Marymount University and co-author of P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - He Reads the Epstein Files So You Don't Have To

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Another 3 million pages of the Epstein files were released last Friday, with more big names named, more redactions, and more information that should have been redacted left unredacted.

Guest: David Enrich, deputy investigations editor at the New York Times.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Meh-lania

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Melania, the documentary about the First Lady, is a lot like its subject: extremely expensive and fundamentally inscrutable.

Guest: Heather Schwedel, staff writer at Slate, author of “Unfortunately, I Have to Recommend You See Melania”.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: What Retirement Crisis?

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 08:05:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Emily Peck is joined by Andrew Biggs, author of The Real Retirement Crisis, to talk about how the data contradicts the so-called "retirement crisis” in the US, what we misunderstand about the system, and what we should be thinking about when it comes to retirement savings.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - What ICE Doesn’t Want You to See

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:05:00 GMT

Congress is supposed to have a legal right to tour ICE detention centers and provide oversight on these facilities, where 32 people died in 2025. But this representative’s attempt to tour a facility in her New Jersey district led to her being charged with assaulting a federal officer and facing a 17-year prison sentence.

Guest: LaMonica McIver is the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 10th congressional district.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Dictators Take Out the Internet

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Iranian government cut off nearly all internet access on January 8 as part of a crackdown on protestors, an example of why authoritarians attempt internet blackouts—and why they don’t always work the way authoritarians want them to.

Guest: Steve Feldstein, political scientist and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Global Carry Trade Chaos

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Volatility in the Japanese bond market is threatening the global trade house of cards. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, unpack the changes in Japan’s economy and why they have such a big worldwide impact. Then, they discuss the weakening US dollar and what Trump's fed chair nominee says about his administration. And finally, corporate messaging around social issues has all but gone away, but the recent horrors in Minnesota have somewhat turned that tide. The hosts get into what factors pushed CEOs to speak out against actions of ICE, if somewhat mildly, and what it might mean in terms of Big Tech’s support of Trump.

In the Slate Plus episode: Can we defend…Elon Musk?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Legal Blinkers, Moral Hazards

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Lawyers love legal reasoning. It promises a clean, clear path through sticky, tricky territory. But legal reasoning can enable grotesque real-world outcomes, like torture, or arresting journalists, or masked government agents detaining and disappearing people. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is in conversation with Joseph Margulies, Professor of Practice of Government at Cornell University. Margulies litigated some of the biggest cases of egregious human rights violations of the post-9/11 “War on Terror”, an experience that informed his recent piece in the Boston Review: The Moral Stupefaction of America. Margulies explains how, when we allow obscure legal language to overshadow moral imperatives, we can end up in very dark places. The line from waterboarding at black sites to executing American citizens in the streets is a straight one. And there will be a lawyer willing to write a memo for all of it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - SchadenFriday: Greg Bovino, You’re Fired…from Minnesota

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:00:00 GMT

In the wake of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during Trump’s immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, the closest thing to “accountability” we’ve seen is Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino being sent back to California. It’s not enough but it’s something.

Guest: Rob Gunther, What Next senior producer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Can Cell Phones Stop ICE?

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

In the immediate aftermath of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, federal authorities presented very different accounts of what happened from what videos from witnesses showed. Did having footage from multiple angles of each shooting make the truth clear?

Guests:

Jake Godin, researcher for Bellingcat.

Julia Angwin, investigative journalist, founder of Proof News and contributing opinion writer for New York Times.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - De-ICEing

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how the shocking killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents could represent a real turning point for Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, the cognitive dissonance about constitutional rights and conservative principles displayed by political leaders in the wake of Pretti’s killing, and a new book by guest Jason Zengerle: Hated by All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss a landmark trial starting in California that aims to adjudicate between children and families who say that social media caused them immense harm because companies intentionally engineered addicting platforms, and social media giants like Meta who argue they’re not responsible for content protected by the First Amendment.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Sure Looks Like Another Government Shutdown

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 01:57:56 GMT

Just as public sentiment is turning on ICE and Border Patrol’s action in Minnesota, another spending bill is due in the U.S. Senate. Can the Democrats use the opportunity to put some restraints on Trump’s DHS?

Guest: David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Are We Ready for the World Cup?

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

When the US won a bid to co-host the World Cup, Trump was midway through his first term. Eight years later, he’s back in office, and giving soccer fans eager to watch the tournament this summer good reasons to squirm.

Guest: Jon Arnold, sports journalist and author of the Getting CONCACAFed substack.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How Immigration Enforcement Became So Violent

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

How ICE and Border Patrol’s mission became harassing the president’s personal enemies.

Guest: Radley Balko, journalist and the author of Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces and a Substack called The Watch.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Everyone Saw CBP Kill Alex Pretti

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Once again, federal agents have shot and killed a legal observer in Minneapolis. Once again, the shooting is on video. And once again, the Trump Administration has closed ranks around the officers. But could the fallout from Alex Pretti’s death be different? And Minnesotans want to know – when will the feds finally leave?

Guest: Will Stancil, lawyer and observer in Minneapolis

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - David Ellison, Eldest Boy

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Having already taken over Paramount, David Ellison was vying to add Warner Bros. Discovery to his portfolio. Are his dad’s politics behind his drive to run Hollywood or is there something else going on?

Guest: Reeves Widemann, features writer at New York Magazine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Davos is So Back

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week: World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos is all over the news. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, explain the moments that made headlines and why Davos feels so much more relevant this year. Then, Trump promised to address the affordability crisis at Davos but failed to say much. The hosts discuss what he did say, and how the ongoing crisis is being addressed overall. And finally, a new lawsuit claims that the AI screening tools that have taken over the job hunting landscape should be subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The hosts get into what these tools do now and why this change could be beneficial.

In the Slate Plus episode: Celebrities interviewing celebrities. It’s an epidemic.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Who Gave ICE Permission to Trample the Constitution?

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The evidence is mounting that ICE is not only unbothered by moral boundaries, but immigration and customs enforcement agents acting on behalf of President Trump believe they are not constrained by constitutional red lines, either. According to a super-secret internal memo flagged in a whistleblower complaint this week, the Fourth Amendment simply doesn’t apply to ICE. That sense of impunity is also clear in a growing chamber of horrors from their enforcement operations; from masked agents taking a child in a blue bunny hat, to the shooting of Renee Good. Worryingly, this sweeping concept of immunity is kind of true—though maybe not for the reason you think. This week on Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick talks with Alex Reinert, the Max Freund Professor of Litigation & Advocacy at Cardozo School of Law. He is also the director of the Center for Rights and Justice and Co-Director of the Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy. Alex explains the origins of qualified immunity—a legal theory that allows law enforcement officers to be free from consequences for their actions—why ICE’s lawlessness is not a new phenomenon (even if it is a phenomenon in hyperdrive under Trump), and what we can do about the obvious problem of maximal impunity for the people who have the most power to inflict harm.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Right’s Minneapolis Outrage Machine

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The administration’s justification for their actions in Minneapolis owe a lot to the right-wing influencers—and they seem happy to keep this vicious cycle rolling onto California next.

Guest: Will Sommer, journalist for the Bulwark.

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Political Gabfest - Greenland War Averted

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss whether Trump’s lust for Greenland will break the world (or indeed, whether it already has), what this week’s arguments at the Supreme Court suggest about the future of Fed independence, and how FBI sources say the Bureau is being turned into a weapon of the president.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss a new memoir from Pennsylvania governor and likely presidential candidate Josh Shapiro, and what it tells us about his views on the presidency, his relationship with former VP Kamala Harris, and how he might approach a campaign.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily Bazelon talks with author Curtis Sittenfeld about her short story collection, “Show Don't Tell.” They discuss the recurring themes of the book from troubled marriages and middle age to the passage of time, and characters who are navigating moments of racial privilege and prejudice.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next - President TACO’s Greenland Gambit

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump isn’t one for clear policy objectives, but one of his top priorities, apparently, is making Greenland part of the United States–even at the expense of alienating our allies.

Guest: Joshua Keating, senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Preview: Fed Up

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 22:42:51 GMT

In this member-exclusive episode, co-hosts Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discuss the Supreme Court’s fact-free foray into Trump v. Cook, a case that economists warn could crater the economy. President Donald Trump spent the first weeks of his second stint in the White House firing a lot of people from government agencies. For the most part, the High Court’s conservative justices let it slide, in line with their general “he’s the President, let him do it” posture. But Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook was different. In August, Trump fired off a post on Truth Social, then sacked Cook a few days later, leaving a huge question mark hanging over the independence of the Fed. Turns out, that’s a very big deal for anyone who wants to avoid hyperinflation and economic disaster. During Wednesday’s arguments, it was clear that even Trump’s hand-picked justices felt as though they would like to avoid such catastrophes. What ensued was more about feelings, fear, and frustration than law, but that may be the best we can hope for.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - SCOTUS Might Actually Let Trans Kids on the Field

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Supreme Court heard arguments over state-level bans on trans athletes competing in public schools last week. Though it’s hard to imagine the conservative-majority court calling the bans “discriminatory,” trans athletes and allies have reason to hope for a narrow ruling, rather than an expansion of the existing laws.

Guest: Kate Sosin, LGBTQ+ reporter for The 19th.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Modern Money Laundering

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Joe Salama, Chief Compliance Officer at Coinbase and anti-money laundering expert, joins Felix Salmon to give us a rundown on the current state of money laundering around the world. They’ll get into the ongoing battle between criminals and AML to stay one step ahead of the other, why money laundry is thriving in China right now, and how the rise of cryptocurrency factors into the whole thing.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Care and Feeding | The World Is On Fire. How Do We Tell the Kids?

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

While the What Next team takes the holiday, enjoy this episode from our colleagues at Care and Feeding, featuring a familiar voice. What Next will be back with a new episode tomorrow.

On this episode: Lucy Lopez, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Zak Rosen have been trying to stay on top of the news…but they’re getting bogged down and worried about it impacting their kids. Luckily What Next host Mary Harris’s literal job is keeping up on the news, and she’s got kids of her own. So, they all sit down to talk about how much to share with the kids, how to stay informed but still show up for the kids, ways to moderate your own anxiety, and so much more.

But first, they share their latest triumphs and fails. Mary comes in with a win during the college admission process; Lucy almost crashes a birthday party (but she DOESN’T…so it’s a win); Zak takes his daughter to roller derby; and Elizabeth says yes to a choral concert.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Video production by Micah Phillips.

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 call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

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What Next - Minnesota’s AG Will See ICE in Court

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Attorney General Keith Ellison is one of the few top Minnesota officials not being investigated by the DOJ… yet. We ask him why, talk about charges for Jonathan Ross, and ask what it’ll take to get ICE out of Minneapolis.

Guest: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - ChatGPT, MD

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Doctors are already using artificial intelligence to take notes while with patients—but are large language models ready to consult?

Guest: Brittany Trang, health tech reporter for Stat News.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Gambling on the Globes & Geopolitics

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Polymarket teamed up with the Golden Globes, displaying a live ticker for betters on the broadcast. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, discuss the rising popularity of prediction markets and the potential consequences of having real world events–from award shows to geopolitical actions–be the basis for gambling payouts. Then, the Trump administration began an investigation into Fed chair Jerome Powell and the renovation of the central bank. The hosts cover Trump’s fraught history with the Fed and the backlash from Trump's own party. And finally, a new international ranking shows that Harvard has lost its top spot as a scientific institution following a recent pattern of Chinese dominance in the field. The hosts examine the long-term consequences of America’s divestment in scientific research and higher education.

In the Slate Plus episode: Would ICE accept your job application?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | When Marriage Goes Stale and Middle Age Hits Hard

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Emily Bazelon talks with author Curtis Sittenfeld about her short story collection, “Show Don't Tell.” They discuss the recurring themes of the book from troubled marriages and middle age to the passage of time, and characters who are navigating moments of racial privilege and prejudice.

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 Nina Porzucki.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Invoking the Insurrection Act

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

President Trump REALLY wants to invoke the Insurrection Act. He’s fallen hard for this 200-year-old law that would allow him to deploy active duty military to enforce civilian law on American streets. On this week’s Amicus podcast, co-host Mark Joseph Stern is joined by Professor Steve Vladeck, a nationally recognized expert on the Supreme Court, federal courts, national security law, and military justice. They discuss what’s been stopping Trump from invoking the act so far, why he has no legal authority to do so right now, and what happens if he does it anyway.

Next, Mark talks to Julia Gegenheimer, former special litigation counsel in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section, and now a special litigation counsel at Georgetown Law’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection. Julia and Mark discuss the remaining paths to justice after the killing of Renee Good and examine what happens when the DOJ abandons its duty to seek accountability and vindicate civil rights.

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What Next - Bonus SchadenFriday: How a Lefty Journalist Stumbled Into an ICE Job

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 18:00:00 GMT

She just wanted to report on an ICE recruiting session. She didn’t expect to get a job offer.

Guest: Laura Jedeed, journalist who wrote “You’ve Heard About Who ICE Is Recruiting. The Truth Is Far Worse. I’m the Proof” for Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How and Why to Vaccinate Now

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Where do you turn for vaccination advice for your kids—or yourself—when the government’s own recommendations can’t be trusted anymore?

Guest: Dr. Lauren Hughes, board-certified pediatrician, science communicator, and author of “The Public Hughesletter.”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Can Trump Cow Powell?

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why Trump is stepping up his attacks on Fed Chair Powell and how it could backfire, the increasingly inflammatory actions of ICE and the slim likelihood of justice for Renee Good in Minneapolis, and the Trump administration’s unsettling efforts to sow doubt about election integrity ahead of the midterms.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss this week’s arguments at the Supreme Court in two cases about state bans on the participation of transgender kids in sports.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David Plotz talks with Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales about his new book The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things That Last. They discuss how Wikipedia’s culture of assuming good faith and shared purpose became a model for building trustworthy digital communities — and what lessons that holds for companies, social media, and politics today.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next - Would You Die To Stop ICE?

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire went viral for telling clergy to have their affairs in order as they prepare to defend the most vulnerable, at a prayer vigil for Renee Good. He says, “I’ve said nothing new that I have not said in 35 years of ordained ministry.”

Guest: Bishop A. Robert Hirschfeld,10th Bishop in the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire serving since August 2012.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Should Congress Defund ICE?

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 08:10:00 GMT

Rep. Adam Smith is the ranking member of the House committee that’s supposed to have oversight on the Department of Defense—yes, that’s what he still calls it. But from strikes on Venezuela to ICE surges in Minneapolis, “oversight” isn’t a key function of Congress these days.

Guest: Rep. Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, representative from Washington’s Ninth District.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Case for a Blue Wave

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Midterm elections are typically bad for the president’s party. Given how Trump’s second term is going, do the Democrats have a chance to do something historic?

Guest: David Faris, politics professor at Roosevelt University and a contributing writer for Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Emperor Trump Wants Greenland

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Is Trump genuinely interested in expanding America’s borders or is this all just to further their mission of “looking tough online”? For the people surprised to suddenly find themselves on America’s bad side, does it matter?

Guest: Jonathan M. Katz, journalist and the author of Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America’s Empire and author of theracket.news newsletter.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How Grok Filled X With Deepfake Porn

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

To kick off the new year, users on X have been asking Grok to nudify people - and kids - at an astonishing rate. And X leadership is egging them on.

Guest: Jason Koebler, founder of 404 Media and host of the 404 Media Podcast

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Trump Is Stuck in the '80s

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week: The Trump administration kidnapped the president of Venezuela. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, Emily Peck, and guest Lizzie O'Leary, host of What Next: TBD, discuss Trump's rationale for the attack and the complex economics around Venezuelan oil that come with it. Then, Lizzie breaks down the unsettling trend of AI-generated nudes of real people, including many children, being created by X’s chatbot Grok and Elon Musk’s lackadaisical response to it. Finally, Emily fills us in on Trump’s $10 billion funding freeze for childcare and social services in five blue states and how the fear of "waste, fraud, and abuse” is weaponized politically.

In the Slate Plus episode: Greece is the word!

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Renee Good and Trump’s Age of Immunity

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

You saw it. We all saw it. We all saw what happened in Minneapolis when an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good for the crime of being in her car. This week on Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern attempt to digest this week’s horrific events and wonder if there is even a possibility of justice. Dahlia recommends “They Didn’t Even Need A Deepfake” by Slate’s Molly Olmstead.

Later in the show, Mark speaks with Brian Finucane, a senior advisor to the International Crisis Group. He spent a decade in the U.S. State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser. Brian and Mark discuss the lawlessness of Trump’s foreign policy (cough cough, Venezuela), and how the administration’s approach embraces some of the worst aspects of tough-guy masculinity.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Betting on Venezuela

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

While the U.S. was busy capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, someone online was busy placing bets on prediction markets on the ouster. And these well-timed bets may have netted a still-anonymous someone more than $400,000. Was this a case of kind-of-legal insider trading? Or is America going all-out on its efforts to make everything a casino?

We’re going to be talking to pediatrician Dr. Lauren Hughes about the major changes to the CDC vaccine schedule. We want your questions! Hit us up via email at whatnextTBD@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-582-0091.

Guest: Alex Kirshner, Slate contributing writer

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Seize and Sell

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what the so-called “Donroe Doctrine” means for international order after the US military extracted Maduro from Venezuela amid rumblings over Greenland and Cuba, the background and evolving situation in Minnesota after an ICE agent killed a woman during a raid, and how changes to the federal recommended childhood vaccine schedule dangerously denormalize routine vaccines with guest Dr. Josh Sharfstein, Professor of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss reports that X chatbot Grok is making nonconsensual sexualized photos of women and children at user prompts, Elon Musk’s reaction, and how to stop it.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfestSlate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next - Everyone Saw ICE Kill Renee Good

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

After the Trump administration launched a massive Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operation in Minnesota, protesters gathered to defend immigrant neighbors. Renee Nicole Good, a mother of a six year old, showed up with her wife and dog to film altercations between officers and community members. What happened next changed everything.

Guest: Jon Collins, senior reporter on the Minnesota Public Radio News race, class and communities team.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Scandal That Took Down Tim Walz

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

How a mixture of real investigations, wild allegations, evidence of actual fraud, and the right-wing echo chamber ended Tim Walz’s governor campaign in Minnesota.

Guest: Deena Winter, Minneapolis City Hall reporter for the Star Tribune.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Barbie’s Dirty Laundry

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Journalist and author Tarpley Hitt joins Emily Peck to discuss her new book Barbieland: The Unauthorized History which reveals the shady history behind the super-star doll. They’ll get into inventor Ruth Handler’s so-called "inspiration" by a popular German doll, Mattel’s industry spies and many, many lawsuits, and how Handler single-handedly prevented Nixon-era maternity leave policies.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Jan 6ers: Where Are They Now?

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The investigation into the 2021 attack on the Capitol was the largest in FBI history. Then Trump came back into office—and started undoing it.

Guest: Ryan Reilly, reporter covering the Justice Department and federal law enforcement for NBC News, author of Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Don’t Call It a Regime Change

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Trump administration has a handful of answers to the question “Why did the United States pluck Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela?”—it was for narcoterrorism, or payback, or just oil. They’re even less clear about what’s going to happen with the country now.

Guest: Shane Harris, staff writer covering national security and intelligence for the Atlantic.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Are We Over the Moon?

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Trump administration wants NASA to land astronauts on the moon by 2027. They also want them to do it with their budget slashed, a leadership carousel and competing views that Mars is more important.

Guest: Joel Achenbach, freelance journalist and author of Moondoggle

If you want to support more of this reporting, in 2026 and beyond, consider signing up for Slate Plus. You’ll enjoy ad-free listening across the Slate network, early access to tickets for live events, and you’ll never hit the paywall on the site. Visit Slate.com/whatnextplus to sign up.

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Slate Money - Schrödinger’s Equities

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week: 2025 ended on high for the US stock market but no one seems too pleased with its performance. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, unpack the story of the US markets in 2025, why it was outperformed internationally, and the role AI has played. Then, the hosts discuss how, amid the uncertainty and chaos of Trump’s trade war, Mexico has found a way to come out on top. And finally, 2025 saw a boom for dealmaking with $2.4 trillion in global mergers and acquisitions. Meanwhile, old fashioned conglomerate Berkshire-Hathaway is changing hands with Warren Buffett stepping down at the age of 95. Will the new CEO keep with Buffett’s conservative investment strategy?

In the Slate Plus episode: Food52 & Saks Run Out of Cash

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Fast Track To Autocracy

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

In a special new year retrospective, Amicus host Dahlia Lithwick revisits an important episode from early 2025. Back at the beginning of February, Kim Lane Scheppele, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International affairs at Princeton University, pointed to the speed and viciousness of the very opening legal gambits in Trump 2.0 as evidence that America had already switched over to the fast track for autocracy on January 20th, 2025. An expert in the law of autocracy, Scheppele has seen firsthand what happened to constitutional courts, the media, the academy and the democratic norms that protected them in Russia and Hungary. In this interview, Scheppelle explains how Trump’s executive orders on everything from government funding to transgender people in the military reveal a familiar global playbook that has chillingly familiar endpoints.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Bonus: What It’s Going to Take

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Host Mary Harris appeared on stage a few weeks back to speak in response to a night of “Resistance Theater,” considering how she, as a journalist, is preparing to meet this political moment.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - 2025: Dystopian Tech of the Year

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Artificial intelligence boosters spent the year wedging the tech into our lives – whether we wanted it or not. But one new product brought A.I. from every app and website into the meatspace, forcing you to face it eye-to-eye.

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, staff writer at Slate covering business and technology

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/tbdplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next - 2025: The Music of the Year

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:05:00 GMT

2025 might not have been a great year —but the music sure was stellar.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Greatest Hits

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz revisit several favorite segments from Gabfests past to celebrate their 20th anniversary: the consequential and eye-opening “don’t call the police” debate, the segment in which John shows Bill Clinton how to apologize with his characteristic eloquence and grace, and that time a data scientist definitively answered the important question: which host interrupts the others the most?

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David revisit one more favorite segment from 20 years of the Political Gabfest: that time in 2008 they fought about the John Edwards love affair scandal.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfestSlate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - 2025: The Advice of the Year

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

With rising authoritarianism, terrifying speech crackdowns, and violence in the streets, this year we found ourselves turning to our friends over at How To for advice on finding peace and excitement in our lives.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - 2025: The Movie(s) of the Year

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

If you were to sum up 2025 in a film, which would you pick? The question that nearly wrecked the brain of Slate’s chief movie critic.

Guest: Dana Stevens, Slate’s movie critic.

Dana’s ten best movies of 2025.

Her review of Sinners.

And her review of One Battle After Another.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - 2025: The Game of the Year

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Canada and the United States usually have a pretty good-natured sports rivalry—but from hockey to baseball, that was not the case in 2025.

Guest: Alex Kirshner, contributing writer at Slate, co-host of Hang Up and Listen and the Split Zone Duo podcasts.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - 2025: The Meme of the Year

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

With so much online content, it can be hard for a meme to stay in the collective consciousness for more than a few days. But one meme this year managed to capture seemingly everyone’s attention - and challenge the definition of a meme altogether.

Guest: Kate Lindsay, host of Slate’s ICYMI podcast.

We’re on a mission to get 100 people to join Slate Plus before the new year—and we’re even offering a 50-percent-off deal to folks who join us right now. Visit Slate.com/whatnextplus and use the code TBD50 to get a year of Slate Plus for $59.

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Slate Money - 2025 Hot Takes

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week: We’re celebrating a year full of hot takes! Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, debate and rate the hottest takes they’ve heard this year — like Elon Musk’s claim that there will be no poverty in the future, the idea that Trump’s tariffs didn’t matter – and the collection of fire takes Felix gathered from around the Bloomberg news room.

In the Slate Plus episode: The hot take that started it all: the $140,000 poverty line.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - What We Got Wrong About SCOTUS in 2025

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Over the past calendar year, the Supreme Court’s center has shifted to the right and then more to the right, and the justices’ decisions have time and again facilitated Trump’s agenda. But the Roberts majority is not simply focused on what the current president wants; it has its sights set on a larger project: voting. Suppressing and constraining and problematizing the core function of democratic rule. In this episode, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern reflect on the significant developments at the Supreme Court over the past year with an eye toward the implications of the court's decisions on democracy, voting rights, and the erosion of checks and balances. Looking back at the past year at One First Street, Dahlia and Mark trace the cases that reveal the court’s long game, with elections coming quickly, and discuss the forces for and against democracy being exerted within and without the high court. Then, they turn to the urgent matter of what you and I can do about it.

If you want to access that special 50% discount for Slate Plus membership, go to slate.com/amicusplus and enter promo code AMICUS 50. This offer expires on Dec 31st 2025.

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Political Gabfest - 2025 Conundrums!

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, David Plotz, and special guest Stephen Colbert answer listeners’ conundrums of all kinds: the meaningful, the trivial, and the delightfully absurd.

Thanks to all Conundrums contributors: Karl, Elodie, Mitchell, Brian, Phil, Eric, Christian, Kyle, Matthew, Katie, Jesse, John, Bjorn, David, Colin, Alan, Emily, Marie, and Liam!

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki with live show support from Katie Rayford and the team at the New York Society for Ethical Culture

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfestSlate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is the A.I. Bubble Bursting? | 2025 in Review

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

All this week, What Next and What Next: TBD are re-airing some of our favorite conversations from throughout the year and checking back with the people in those conversations to see how things have – or haven’t – changed. This episode originally aired in September.

We’ve been told that artificial intelligence can write, code, generate images—it can do everything…except feasibly turn a profit. But investing in A.I. has nevertheless become a pillar of the U.S. economy. Where is this leading us?

Guest: Ed Zitron, author of the newsletter Where’s Your Ed At and host of the podcast Better Offline.

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What Next - A Rabbi’s Plea for Peace | 2025 in Review

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

More than a thousand rabbis and Jewish leaders have signed a letter calling for Israel to end “the use and threat of starvation as a weapon of war.” This New York rabbi, who has felt a connection to Israel her whole life, explains why she signed.

Guest: Sarah Reines, rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Gutting Our National Parks | 2025 in Review

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

From the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate Bridge, and places in between like Yellowstone and the site of the Battle of Gettysburg, the National Park Service has been a point of American pride since its inception. And with a small budget and actually generating revenue, even fiscal hawks had no reason to complain.

So why is the Trump administration cutting their budget?

Guests:

Jon B. Jarvis,18th director of the National Parks.

Kevin Heatley, former superintendent of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Altruism After USAID

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Planet Money’s Mary Childs joins Felix Salmon to share what she learned reporting on how private philanthropy is trying to cope with the influx of need now that USAID is gone. They’ll get into the headaches and heartbreaks charitable organizations Givewell and ALIMA are experiencing after the loss of billions of dollars of humanitarian aid, the practical costs of saving lives, and what you can do to give effectively this holiday season.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - He Wrote About Anti-Fascism—Then Fled the Country | 2025 in Review

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In an executive order, Donald Trump declared “Antifa” a terrorist organization. As it isn’t an organization, there aren’t leaders to target, so zealous conservatives took aim at Mark Bray, a Rutgers professor who wrote a book about fighting fascism eight years ago. The clumsy attempts to get him fired didn’t bother him—but the doxxing and death threats were enough to convince him he needed to leave America.

Guest: Mark Bray, assistant teaching professor at Rutgers, author of Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Flight Attendant Who Wants You to Go on Strike | 2025 in Review

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The Trump administration’s actions on immigration and firing the federal workforce have drawn condemnation from all sorts of unions—from building trades to graduate students. What happens when labor speaks as one?

Guest: Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL–CIO.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - We Made a Memecoin | 2025 in Review

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Memecoins are a niche type of cryptocurrency with no intrinsic value. But they remain a popular form of crypto, as seen earlier this year with President Trump’s own memecoin. And if it worked for him, then why not our little podcast?

Guests:

Azeem Khan, advisor to UNICEF’s crypto fund and cocreator of the blockchain Morph.

Nitish Pahwa, Slate staff writer covering business and tech.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | The Seven Rules of Trust

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

David Plotz talks with Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales about his new book The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things That Last. They discuss how Wikipedia’s culture of assuming good faith and shared purpose became a model for building trustworthy digital communities — and what lessons that holds for companies, social media, and politics today.

Wales reflects on how to maintain trust in polarized times, the challenges of AI-generated information, and why genuine civility still matters online.

Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki.

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Slate Money - Christmas Adjacent Inciting Incident

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week: The European Commission pushed back its timeline for all EV Europe. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck are joined by Bloomberg’s Global Automotive Editor Craig Trudell who helps understand how and why the global electronic vehicle transition is unraveling. Then, in a twist move, Truth Social parent company, Trump Media & Technology Group, merged with TAE Technologies, a fusion power company. The hosts and Craig unpack the motivations behind the deal for these strange bedfellows. And finally, don’t you just love a familiar, non-threatening protagonist who falls in love with a someone who embodies local virtue thanks to a Christmas adjacent inciting incident? You’re not alone! The hosts and Craig discuss the booming business of Hallmark movie tours in CT and the key factors that go into these wildly popular made-for-tv movies.

In the Slate Plus episode: What’s your dream gift?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Forgotten Lawsuits Targeting Trump’s Worst Abuses

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In mid-March of 2025, ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt and his colleagues started hearing that the Trump administration might attempt a flagrantly lawless publicity stunt, involving migrant men, secret flights to El Salvador, a notorious gulag, and a total disregard for due process. Despite getting word that something was about to happen, and rushing into a Saturday night hearing, and then securing a TRO from DC judge James Boasberg, Lee and his colleagues were unable to prevent more than 250 men from being renditioned from Texas to the CECOT torture prison in El Salvador. The legal cases spawned by the dramatic events of March 15th 2025 haven’t gone away, indeed they are reaching crucial milestones in the courts, raising foundational questions about the abuse of statutes and what it means to defy court orders. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by the ACLU’s Lee Gelernt who is litigating these cases, to discuss the very high stakes of a set of cases that may have fallen off your radar in the shuffle.

How these cases play out will dictate much of what happens for the rest of Trump’s term in office by answering democracy-defining questions such as whether the antiquated and radical wartime powers of the Alien Enemies Act can be unleashed on people the government deems enemies domestically, whether court orders are actually directives the Trump DoJ is bound to follow, whether the district courts can require Pam Bondi’s justice department to assist in the finding of fact, and whether the ancient legal concepts protecting liberty of due process and habeas corpus have the force of law in Trump’s America.

If you want to access that special 50% promotion for Slate Plus membership, go to slate.com/amicusplus and enter promo code AMICUS 50. This offer expires on Dec 31st 2025.

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What Next - Bonus: SchadenFriday: Spewing Bile and Susie Wiles

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Is the president falling into the very trap that launched him back into office by telling people the economy is actually great when they say it isn’t? Is this partially ballroom’d White House as chaotic as its detractors—and Trump’s chief of staff—say it is?

Guest: Ben Jacobs, political reporter based in Washingon.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Data Center Space Race

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

While the A.I. boom has created a data center boom, rich guys are turning their computing dreams to the skies. With its impending IPO, SpaceX stands to lead the extraterrestrial data center boom. Will it work out for Elon and company?

Guest: Eric Berger, space reporter at Ars Technica

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - Susie Wiles is a Sane Enabler

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the vivid and impulsive portrait Susie Wiles paints of Trump’s White House in a revealing interview with Vanity Fair, what the new unemployment numbers say about the economy and how Americans are feeling about it, and why some studies show that young Americans are increasingly antisemitic.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, David, and special guest Stephen Colbert answer listeners’ conundrums of all kinds: the meaningful, the trivial, and the delightfully absurd.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with journalist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin about his new book, 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation — the story of speculation, debt, and the human drives that fueled the Wall Street crash that changed everything.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfestSlate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next - Why Antisemitism Is Everywhere

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

It’s not that antisemitism ever went away, but it’s still jarring to watch people spread its oldest and most vile tropes on social media in a way that would’ve been unthinkable ten years ago.

Guest: Isaac Saul, politics reporter in Bucks County, Penn., author of the Tangle newsletter

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Unaffordable Economy

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Even though the economy looks to be slowing down, prices are still rising. And while presidents don’t have a ton of control over the economy, there is something in Donald Trump’s power that could help reverse these trends.

Guest: Catherine Rampell, economics editor at The Bulwark and anchor at MS NOW.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Candace Owens at a Turning Point

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, the right-wing commentator Candace Owens didn’t simply blame liberals. Her antisemetic conspiracy theories have become so toxic that Kirk’s widow has called for a private summit this week.

Guest: Will Sommer, senior reporter for The Bulwark.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Boot Camps Treating Kids’ Pain

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Are “boot camp” clinics that treat kids and teenagers with chronic pain symptoms helping or inflicting more damage on patients who have trouble advocating for themselves?

Guest: Isobel Whitcomb, science journalist based in Portland, Oregon.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Whole Shopping List

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Whole Foods based its brand on a certain standard of quality—but there are some things that shoppers nevertheless want. Amazon believes it has found a way to keep the shelves looking like Whole Foods, while getting you the Tide PODS and Cheez-Its you deeply desire.

Guest: Peyton Bigora, staff reporter for Grocery Dive

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Slate Money - Disney Gets Ahead of the Darth Vader Porn

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Disney has agreed to make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI along with a licensing deal setting limitations on the use of it’s IP on Sora. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss this is a precedent-setting deal and how well OpenAI will actually be able to enforce the terms of the licensing agreement. Then, the hosts examine the likelihood of rumored tech IPOs that could be more than $1 trillion each, including Elon Musk' s SpaceX. And finally, Instacart’s variable prices signal a growing trend toward dynamic pricing for everything from eggs to soccer tickets. The hosts dive into the threat of companies using our personal data to set individual prices and what’s being done to prevent it.

In the Slate Plus episode: Musk and Bezos’s data centers head to space?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - One Amendment Explains It All

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Trump decided this past week that there was no downside to fully embracing the racist “shithole countries” rhetoric he denied seven years ago; but this mask coming fully off is just the latest chapter in a decades-long campaign to gut a very specific part of the constitution: the reconstruction amendments. On this week’s Amicus episode, Dahlia Lithwick talks to civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill about the critical role the 14th Amendment has played in shaping American democracy, and why this full frontal assault on its protections should have everyone on high alert. In a week in which we found ourselves toggling between “the tide is turning!” and “all is lost!” Sherrilyn expertly guides us to an understanding of what winning looks like in this moment, and how the courts can still play a role in renewing America’s commitment to equal justice under the law, even when the Supreme Court is openly hostile to that proposition.

Sherrilyn Ifill’s substack newsletter: Is It Too Late?

If you want to access that special 50% promotion for Slate Plus membership, go to slate.com/amicusplus and enter promo code AMICUS 50. This offer expires on Dec 31st 2025.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Ready for Chatbot Canvassers?

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The good news is voters are more persuaded by factual claims than emotional appeals or appeals to fear. But the bad news is that A.I. chatbots, trying to convince you, will keep making factual claims long after it runs out of actual facts.

Guest: David Rand, professor of information science, marketing and psychology at Cornell University

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Political Gabfest - Civilizational Erasure

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what will happen as the Supreme Court considers whether a president can remove leaders of independent agencies without cause, how the overt signals about immigration and “erasure” in the new National Security Strategy are meant to stir up cultural anxiety in Europe, and the high-stakes merger drama between Netflix, Paramount, and Warner Bros. with guest Tim Wu, professor at Columbia Law School and author of the new book The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss a Consumer Reports and Groundwork Collective investigation that found Instacart quoting massive price differences for the same products, which they claim result from AI-enabled pricing experiments.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Follow

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfestSlate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next - His Mom Got Deported. Then He Went Viral.

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Today’s TikTok influencers share every aspect of their lives: from their morning routines, to getting ready to go out, to their parents being detained and eventually deported by ICE.

Guest: Tony Vara, TikTok creator @itonyvara

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Fight Over The Future of Movies

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Last Friday, Netflix announced that they would be acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, a massive megamerger that would let the number one streaming service acquire the third biggest streamer (HBO Max), the entire Warner Bros. film catalog, its cable channels, and the Discovery+ streaming service. But before any shareholders could celebrate, Paramount Skydance, the megaconglomerate led by the Trump-favored Ellison family, launched a hostile takeover. Which company will emerge victorious here…will the biggest loser be the cinephile consumer?

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, Slate staff writer covering business and tech.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Healthcare Is Expensive. It’s About To Get Worse.

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:01:00 GMT

This week, Senate Democrats will hold a vote on extending expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits to try to prevent health insurance premiums from skyrocketing for millions of Americans. That vote is basically guaranteed to fail.

Where did these credits come from, and what’s likely to happen when they (almost) inevitably lapse?

Guest: Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News and host of the podcast “What the Health?”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Don't Be Evil-ish

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by Tim Wu to discuss his new book, The Age of Extraction, which breaks down how we ended up with an economy dominated by Big Tech and its purely profit-seeking mindset. They’ll get into the slow erosion of optimism around the internet as a democratizing force, the state of antitrust enforcement in America, and what it might look like if we stop allowing big companies to nickel and dime the public unchecked.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - It’s the Alt-Right’s GOP Now

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 20:05:00 GMT

Ten years ago, the alt-right’s talking points about immigration used to be too toxic to even post on the internet under your own name. So how did they turn into something President Trump regularly fires off on social media?

Guest: Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent for Vox.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - ChatGOP?

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump—or at least the tech guys who have his ear—is ready to clear the regulatory runway for A.I. but other Republicans aren’t too sure. Can he bring them around? Or will the bubble burst first?

Guest: Gerrit De Vynck, tech reporter for the Washington Post.

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Slate Money - Netflix Wants To Have It All

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Netflix has agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck are joined by the New York Times’ Nicholas Kulish to discuss the ricochet effect of such a massive media merger on the film and television industries. Then, Michael and Susan Dell have announced a $6.25 billion donation to the so-called “Trump accounts” for children. Nick, who has been covering the story, helps the host unpack the motive behind this unusually massive donation and what these accounts represent to various parties. And finally, The Guardian has revealed wide-spread and insidious consumer-fraud at Dollar General and Family Dollar. The hosts and Nick dive into how the massive dollar store chains are ripping off their already financially stretched customers.

In the Slate Plus episode: Is Zootopia the future of cinema?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - SCOTUS Greenlights Trump, Gaslights America

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

While the Secretary of Defense pursues lawless boat strikes with a laser focus on maximum trolling, the Supreme Court is working to undermine voting rights with a laser focus on maximum support for Republicans.

In this week’s episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and co-host Mark Joseph Stern discuss the news that Trump’s extra-constitutional attempt to restrict birthright citizenship is heading back to the Supreme Court. They also discuss Thursday’s shadow docket decision supercharging racial gerrymandering as well as next week’s campaign finance case that promises to unleash even more dark money in the midterms. Next, Dahlia’s joined by Malcolm Nance, former naval intelligence officer, author and host of the Black Man Spy podcast to talk through the current administration’s riding roughshod over established military law, and the very nasty history of bombing shipwrecks.

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What Next - SchadenFriday Plus: Feelin’ Nuzzi

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Olivia Nuzzi’s book, American Canto, is out. Somehow it discloses almost nothing and also way, way too much.

Guest: Scaachi Koul, Slate senior writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The AI & Crypto Czar’s Conflicts

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

A tech mogul who made bank from Paypal with his Stanford buddies and has endeared himself to right-wing politicians and enriched himself the same way? No not him; this one’s South African..no, not him either.

Guest: Ryan Mac, reporter for the New York Times.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - Kill Them All

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why the killing of survivors in a US military strike on an alleged drug boat is so dangerous for Pete Hegseth and the Trump administration, what the results of this week’s special election in Tennessee could portend for the upcoming midterms, and the adoption of self-driving cars as a public health measure.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the complexities of free speech, academic freedom, and consequences in the controversial case of a University of Oklahoma instructor who was put on leave after complaints from a student who flunked a gender essay.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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What Next - The Year of Vaccine Backsliding

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Today, the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee will be meeting to vote on recommendations for childhood vaccinations. But under RFK Jr.’s leadership, this committee looks much different now than it did a year ago.How is the impact from the HHS secretary being seen across America today?

Guest: Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Pardon Me, Mr. President

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Some presidents use their pardons for large groups of people. Some presidents use them for personal reasons. If you were to sum up Donald Trump’s use of the power of the pardon, the only word for it is “brazen.”

Guest: Benjamin Wallace-Wells is a staff writer at The New Yorker.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - A Textbook Example of an Unlawful Order

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Just after the Trump administration threw a fit over a video reminding the military that they have an obligation to refuse unlawful orders, the Washington Post published reporting alleging the orders to blow up a boat in the Caribbean on Sept. 2 were in fact patently unlawful.

Guest: Steven J. Lepper, retired Air Force major general and former deputy legal counsel to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - What Kids Aren't Learning About US History

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Conservatives have long complained that teaching American history with slavery and genocide and systemic oppression is just too negative, and the Trump administration has gone as far as attacking the Smithsonian for focusing too much on “how horrible our country is.” But omitting the shameful aspects of America’s past doesn’t just distort history—it impairs our ability to understand the present.

Guest: Clint Smith, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America and the new poetry collection Above Ground.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - If You Give A.I. a Nuke

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

As the U.S. upgrades and updates its defense and military systems, the question isn’t whether A.I. will be integrated, but where, how much, and how much decision-making are we ceding to the machine?

Guest: Josh Keating, senior correspondent at Vox and a fellow at the Outrider Foundation where he’s reporting on nuclear weapons and AI.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Three Faces Of Trumpism

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

By design – and also by dint of unbridled, undisciplined extremist exuberance – Donald Trump’s second stint in the White House is thus far a tricky thing to characterize. While many of the administration’s moves seem copy/pasted from a manual for authoritarian takeover, they’re also deeply rooted in longstanding structural democratic deficits in America. For their part, The administration’s boosters argue this whiplash-inducing dismantling of institutions, norms and precedents are simply the right’s answer to similarly seismic constitutional shifts in the New Deal and Civil Rights eras. In a recent piece in the Boston Review, What Are We Living Through?, law professors Jedediah Britton-Purdy and David Pozen try to puzzle through these conflicting narratives of change. They join Dahlia Lithwick on this week’s Amicus to map this moment and to plot paths through it.

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Slate Money - The Coolest Thing in the World for an Econ Nerd

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee joins Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck for an in-depth discussion on what exactly the Fed does. They’ll get into how voting and deliberation works at the FOMC, the different eras of the Fed’s communication strategy, his response to the Fed haters, and Data Dogs vs Data Cats.

In the Slate Plus episode: Austan Goolsbee Interview Post-Mortem.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Rebroadcast: Dupes!

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Note: This episode was originally published on July 27, 2025.

There’s an entire economy devoted to seeing what products are trending—clothing, skin care, even Greek Islands—and delivering you a cheaper knock-off to buy.

Guest: Mia Sato, reporter for The Verge

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Is This the End of the Trump Era?

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what happens when the government is untrustworthy as a strong pattern of DOJ lying under oath emerges, why the NYC mayor-elect and the president were so cordial with each other in the Oval Office, and how MAGA world continues to fracture as Marjorie Taylor Greene announces her resignation and the Fuentes/Carlson controversy continues.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the new campaign from the Department of Transportation to bring “civility” back to air travel by asking Thanksgiving travelers to dress up to fly.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Decoder Ring | Cozy Autumn Mysteries

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

While the What Next team works their way from preparingfood to sleeping it off, enjoy this episode on fall’s flavorful favorites fromour friends at Decoder Ring. We’ll be back to regular programming on Sunday.

Autumn may have more cozy signifiers than any otherseason—though we all have our own favorites. Maybe for you it’s sweaterweather, football games, spooky season, apple picking, leaf peeping, ormainlining candy corn. Whatever it is, in today’s episode we’re looking closely at three of these autumnal staples.

First, we get to the bottom of a recurring complaint about the taste of the pumpkin spice latte. Then we gaze deep inside the enigma hiding inside colorful fall leaves. Finally we ask some hard-hitting questions about the seasonal availability of an elusive cookie. Snuggle up and enjoy!

In this episode, you’ll hear from author and podcaster Don Martin who has a new audiobook out about loneliness called Where Did Everybody Go?. We also speak with Simcha Lev-Yadun, professor of botany andarcheology; Susanne Renner, botanist and honorary professor ofbiology at Washington University in St. Louis; and Prospect Park Alliance arborist Malcolm Gore. And you’ll also hear from Lauren Tarr, who runs the blog Midlife Moxie and Muscle, and her mother Grace Dewey, along with Caroline Suppiger, brand manager at Mondelēz.

We’d also like to thank Brian Gallagher, Tom Arnold, SylvieRusso, and Laura Robinson.

This episode was produced by Katie Shepherd. Decoder Ringis also produced by Willa Paskin, Max Freedman, and Evan Chung, our supervising producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.

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What Next - Why You Can't Avoid Wicked

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

With the release of Wicked: For Good, spectacle is back in theaters and back on the press circuit: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are again “holding space” along with each other’s individual fingers and other quirks they picked up along the way. This is, apparently, how movies are promoted now.

Guest: Michael Schulman, staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Chicken and a Cold Drink

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: The Wall Street Journal’s Heather Haddon joins Emily Peck to unpack her recent reporting on the fast food industry, including the reason we’re seeing the “Value Wars” play out at places like McDonalds and Chili’s, Starbuck’s strategies to revive sales, and the intense drive-thru operations research being done by Chik-fil-A.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Could We Get Peace In Ukraine?

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The Trump administration has announced a 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine that involves ceding territory, giving up on joining NATO and reducing its military—in essence an extremely, even suspiciously, friendly deal for Russia and Russian demands.

How does Ukraine play this without losing a powerful ally or the war?

Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s War Stories correspondent.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How Planned Parenthood Got Defunded

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Between the drastic budget cuts and provisions in the Big Beautiful Bill, the Trump administration has found a way to drain Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health centers and cut off access to abortion services—as well as any other health care those clinics provided.

Guests: Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter at The 19th, author of Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America.

George Hill, President and CEO of Maine Family Planning.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Surveillance Interstate

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Tracking a license plate across the country has never been easier, which is good news if your car has been stolen, but in an era of ICE and Border Patrol raids, these warrantless searches feel increasingly invasive—and unconstitutional.

Guest: Joseph Cox, co-founder of 404 Media and host of the 404 Media podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Good Riddance to Larry Summers

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Larry Summers has stepped down from his public positions following the release of unsavory emails he exchanged with Jeffrey Epstein. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss Summers’ correspondence with the infamous sex trafficker, the veracity of his “genius” reputation, and his beef with Felix. Then, Meta has won its anti-trust case, highlighting the current struggle to regulate Big Tech. The hosts examine the landscape of anti-trust efforts in the US and whether it is the correct tool for regulating tech behemoths. Then, everyone is talking about the “AI bubble” right now, but what does that actually mean? The hosts break down the state of the AI market and whether or not calling it a “bubble” is the right way to think about it.

In the Slate Plus episode: Thanksgiving Hot Takes!

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The DOJ's Prosecutorial Malpractice Keeps Spilling Out in Court

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by former federal prosecutor Mimi Rocah, who brings her extensive experience trying and supervising federal criminal cases to a discussion of what the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse can teach us about justice. She suggests that the Trump administration’s eleventh-hour switchback tactic of calling for investigations of only Democrats speaks volumes about how the Justice Department is functioning these days, proving that vindictive prosecutions are the only game in town, bonus if they also have the effect of power-washing the president’s shadow from the scandal. Next, they turn to the extraordinary scenes in a Virginia courtroom this week, as the DOJ’s case against former FBI director and Trump foe James Comey seemed ready to fall apart at the seams. As this administration’s practice of political interference in legal proceedings is supercharged by dear leader’s “Dear Pam” posts to “his” AG Pam Bondi, this conversation highlights why judicial integrity and the ever-expanding ranks of judges refusing to accept lies, are among the last best hopes for equal justice under the law in America.

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What Next - Bonus: SchadenFriday: Are You Fitter Than an ICE Applicant?

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 18:00:00 GMT

You can have enough ICE recruits or you can have standards for the shape that they’re in, but you can’t have both—this was just one lesson Donald Trump could have learned this week, in between hosting a summit of McDonald’s franchise owners and calling a reporter “piggie.”

Guest: Rebecca Onion, Slate senior staff writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Crypto Keeps Criming

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Trump promised to stop the “persecution” of the cryptocurrency industry. He did call off the SEC investigations that began under Biden, and pardoned Binance cofounder and ex-CEO Changpeng Zhao. But is the crypto industry ultimately better off because of that?

Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany, tech reporter for the New York Times.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - DOJ is DOA

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss a new oral history of President Trump’s Department of Justice, the complex transactional nationalism of this week’s visit from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with guest Jake Sullivan, former National Security Advisor and co-host of the new podcast The Long Game, and what is likely to happen now that Trump has signed the bill to release the Justice Department’s Epstein files.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the sordid scandal around the tangled relationships of political reporter Olivia Nuzzi and the complex questions it raises about relationships between journalists and their sources.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Who Killed the Penny? She Did.

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

People have been talking about how the penny is more trouble than it’s worth for 50 years—so why drop it now? And—other than having nothing to put in our loafers—will it be missed?

Guest: Caity Weaver, writer at The Atlantic.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Sudan on the Brink

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Ongoing civil war in Sudan has left tens of thousands dead, with millions displaced. A country of great natural resources, regional foreign governments have chosen sides—but foreign aid from the US that had mitigated some of the war’s damage is gone.

Guest: David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, former UK foreign secretary 2007-2010.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Have the Epstein Files Broken MAGA?

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

You can’t really blame Donald Trump for thinking he could just handwave away the Epstein Files. But for the first time in what feels like forever, his base, the GOP, and his own desires don’t quite align.

Guest: Will Sommer, senior reporter at the Bulwark.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The National Guard Is Asking Questions

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Trump can’t seem to decide if the National Guard is needed in American cities to stop violent crime, or to assist ICE deportations, or something else entirely. And the lack of a clear and present crisis is starting to make some Guard members uncomfortable.

Guest: Kat Lonsdorf, news reporter for National Public Radio.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How Meta Profits Off Fraud

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta, doesn’t (just) have a scam problem—with 10 percent of its revenue coming from scam ads, and a third of all successful scams in America using a Meta platform at some point, it’s more an interdependence with scammers.

Guest: Jeff Horwitz, tech reporter for Reuters.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - The Correct Opinion on 50-Year Mortgages

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week: FHFA director Bill Pulte convinced Trump to back 50-year mortgages with some posterboard and a photo of FDR. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, discuss why Trump’s post about 50-year mortgages angered conservatives – officials and voters alike – and why they’re more of a hindrance than a solution to the housing crisis. Then, the White House is considering limiting the power of proxy advisers and index-fund managers on shareholder voting. The hosts explain what this would mean for shareholders and how billionaires like Elon Musk and Jamie Dimon, vocal opponents of these firms, stand to gain even more power if they do. Then finally, Robinhood has announced a new service that delivers cash to your door and the hosts ponder the use cases and mechanics of such a thing.

In the Slate Plus episode: Can You Do That With a Comma?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE⁠

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

John Dickerson talks with journalist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin about his new book 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation. Recorded live at the 92nd Street Y in NYC, their conversation explores how a decade of optimism, leverage, and moral hazard culminated in the financial collapse that defined modern capitalism.

Sorkin details how figures like banker Charles “Sunshine Charlie” Mitchell, Senator Carter Glass, and investor Jesse Livermore shaped the boom and bust of the era and how their decisions echo in today’s bubbles around A.I., crypto, and debt-fueled speculation.

Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - He Quit the Bench to Raise the Alarm

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Dahlia Lithwick welcomes retired federal judge Mark Wolf for his first ever podcast interview. The Reagan-appointed jurist made headlines last week with his searing indictment of the threat posed to the rule of law and democracy by the current administration. Judge Wolf opens up about his decision to leave the bench after decades of public service and the challenges faced by judges in the face of a president and a Justice Department showing scant regard for the rules.

Next, Dahlia is joined by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who tells her, “If Trump breaks the law and hurts our state, we sue him.” Together, they discuss the urgency of justice in response to the tactics employed by the Trump administration. As Democratic AGs band together to sue against unlawful executive actions, Bonta explains their strategies in securing injunctions against the administration.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Data Centers on the Ballot

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

They don’t cut cleanly along party lines, but data centers, and where they get built, became an election issue in Virginia. With so many more data centers to build, are we looking at a new trend?

Guest: Margaret Barthel, reporter covering northern Virginia for WAMU.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Who Really Won the Shutdown?

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why Democrats caved to end the government shutdown and what comes next, the affordability crisis with guest and editorial director for New York Times Opinion David Leonhardt, and the importance of this week’s spectacle of competing Epstein document drops.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the consequential career and historic legacy of Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who announced her retirement from Congress.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Yale law professor John Witt about his new book, The Radical Fund: How a Band of Visionaries and a Million Dollars Upended America. They explore the remarkable story of the Garland Fund—a small 1920s foundation that bankrolled early work by A. Philip Randolph, and others who would go on to shape the civil rights and labor movements.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Wikipedia Enters the Culture Wars

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Why would Elon Musk attempt to replace Wikipedia—which is already quite futuristic, utopian and accurate—with a faulty, hallucinatory A.I.-powered “Grokipedia”? Well, see, he called it “Wokepedia…”

Guest: Stephen Harrison, writer, tech lawyer, author of “Why Editing Wikipedia Is Becoming More Dangerous” for Slate and The Editors, a novel about Wikipedia.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money on the Mind: Can You Save for Retirement ... and Save Your Parents?

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In a new, very special, Death, Sex and Money and Slate Money crossover, Felix Salmon and Anna Sale are once again joined by Felix’s financial advisor Adrianna Adams from Domain Money to talk about…parents. They dig into the emotions of trying to take care of your aging parents while also growing your own wealth, the importance of setting goals, and to do with aging children AND aging parents at the same time, and so much more. Plus! Rent or buy?

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Video production by Micah Phillips.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - No, Women Didn't Ruin the Workplace

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

It didn’t take long to go from Beyoncé holding for applause in front of the word “FEMINISM” to a headline in the New York Times asking “Did Women Ruin the Workplace?” How long is this backlash going to last?

Guest: Danielle Kurtzleben, political correspondent at NPR.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Beyond The Pink Tax

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, to discuss her book The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid. They discuss Anna’s extensive research into how racism and sexism create real economic barriers in the US, why it’s not just women of color who should be worried about this disturbing trend, and what can actually be done about it.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How To Lose a Government Shutdown

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

It has been the longest government shutdown on record. Why did the Democrats choose this moment—right after elections proved how unpopular Donald Trump and his policies truly are—to cave in and end it?

Guest: Jamelle Bouie, New York Times opinion columnist.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Is Special Ed Getting Left Behind?

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Children with disabilities' place in public schools—though legally mandated—has often been tenuous at best. Now the Trump Administration is targeting the department that oversees special ed. What does that mean for kids and their parents?

Guest: Pepper Stetler, author of A Measure of Intelligence: One Mother’s Reckoning with the IQ Test and professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Tesla Is Paying Elon a Trillion Bucks

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Tesla shareholders just approved a trillion dollar (with a t!) pay package for Elon Musk. Is it enough incentive to keep him around the company and away from verbal spats with government officials? Because the whole Musk empire is still reeling from that dalliance.

Guest: Faiz Siddiqui, tech reporter at The Washington Post and author of Hubris Maximus: the Shattering of Elon Musk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Meta’s Instascam Ads

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Trump’s team has argued to the Supreme Court that his tariffs weren’t about raising revenue, despite his many previous claims to the contrary. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, Emily Peck, and guest Jeff Horwitz of Reuters, discuss whether this argument will hold against the law that says only Congress has the right to raise revenue via tariffs and taxes, or if the Supreme Court will agree with the many lower courts that have deemed these tariffs illegal. Then, Jeff breaks down his deep dive into the documents that not only reveal that Meta platforms are rife with fraudulent ads they have failed to block, but also how the company is ultimately profiting from the proliferation of these scams. And finally, the ultimate ode to billionaire whimsy looks to be over before it can begin. The hosts and Jeff discuss the many reasons Mohammed bin Salman’s outlandish plans for a megacity in the desert have failed to be realized.

In the Slate Plus episode: Happy Ham Season to all!

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - When Tariffs Crashed Into SCOTUS

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices have been treating the Trump administration with such extreme deference that we were honestly a little flummoxed listening to this week’s arguments over his “Liberation Day” tariffs. Shockingly, during Wednesday’s arguments in Learning Resources v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, it seemed like the justices were in fact, concerned with presidential overreach. But was this a true bridge-too-far-moment, or were they more concerned about their own pocketbooks? This week, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discussed the arguments with Marc Busch, the Karl F. Landegger Professor of International Business Diplomacy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Busch is an expert on international trade policy and law, and signed onto an amicus brief on behalf of trade scholars explaining the history and context of IEEPA.

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What Next - Bonus: SchadenFriday | Muslim, Millennial, Mr. Mayor Mamdani

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Well well well. Looks like being a truculent, aging sex pest who clearly hates the constituency he aspires to rule only works in national elections. In New York City, Zohran Mamdani overcame the longshot odds that came from being charismatic, energetic, and actually interested in government.

Guest: Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer and author of “Mamdani’s Win Is a Reminder of What’s Possible.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Nick Fuentes Problem

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Nick Fuentes—an openly antisemitic, openly racist, openly sexist type who once was persona non grata in all but the unseemliest of online spaces—sat down with former Fox News star Tucker Carlson this week, setting off a debate between the “whoa whoa whoa, we’re not Nazis over here” branch of conservatives and the “well now, hold on a minute” wing.

Guest: Ali Breland, staff writer for The Atlantic and author of “The Firewall Against Nick Fuentes Is Crumbling.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Spectacular Night for Democrats

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 23:30:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how Tuesday’s decisive election results give a legitimate boost to Democrats’ prospects as they work toward the midterms, whether the Supreme Court justices will finally draw a line on presidential power and protect Congress’s power of the purse in the consequential tariffs case, and how the Trump administration is using SNAP recipients as pawns in a cruel political game.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the life and legacy of former Vice President Dick Cheney, including his expansive views of presidential power, his role in the War on Terror, and the irony of his stance against Donald Trump during the 2024 election.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money on the Mind: Prepping for Retirement Without Losing Your Mind

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In a new, very special, Death, Sex and Money and Slate Money crossover, Felix Salmon and Anna Sale dig into the stressful world of financial advice and planning for retirement. How do you know if you’re set up financially to retire? Is it possible to think about retirement without having a panic attack? How much should you track your 401k? What apps should I delete? They’re joined by Felix’s financial advisor Adrianna Adams from Domain Money, to dig into these questions and so much more.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Video production by Micah Phillips.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump’s Tariffs Have a Constitution Problem

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Trump’s tariffs went before the Supreme Court this week and even the extremely accommodating Roberts court was having trouble seeing how the president’s vast and capricious application of tariffs is constitutional. But that doesn’t mean they’re going away.

Guest: Justin Wolfers, economist and professor at the University of Michigan.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Andrew Formerly Known as a Prince

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

How Virginia Giuffre’s accusations of a decade ago finally brought His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Duke of York, down to simply Andrew.

Guest: Imogen West-Knights, Slate contributing writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - She Won the Election. The GOP Won’t Swear Her In.

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

She won a special election on Sept. 23 but still hasn’t been sworn into the House of Representatives—even though new members have been sworn in during government shutdowns in the past. What explains Speaker Mike Johnson’s now record-long delay?

Guest: Adelita Grijalva, representative-elect for Arizona’s 7th congressional district.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Redistricting Arms Race Is On

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Fearing a Democratic-led House of Representatives, Donald Trump set off a state-redistricting arms race when he asked Texas to find him five more safe GOP seats. This triggered California to go hunting for five more Democratic seats, and states like North Carolina and Missouri to search for other seats in the margins. But in some states, Trump’s demands are running into rare Republican resistance.

Guest: Ari Berman, voting rights reporter at Mother Jones.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Trump Keeps Pardoning Crypto Criminals

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMT

President Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the former CEO of Binance who had been convicted for violating anti-money laundering laws, after months of Zhao boosting Trump’s own crypto company. The crypto industry has really nailed the path to Trump’s heart: it was something Joe Biden didn’t like, and it feeds directly to the president’s bottom line.

Guest: Alex Kirshner, contributing writer at Slate.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Slate Money - A Second Gold Toilet!?

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: OpenAI has moved away from being run as a non-profit. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss the stated reasons behind the move and what it actually means to be a not-for-profit company. Then, the rates for next year's Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance have come out, and the prices have skyrocketed, reflecting an increase in healthcare costs across the board in the US. The hosts examine the reasons for this depressing trend. And finally, lovers of Maurizio Cattelan’s “America”, rejoice. Though his original piece was stolen, it turned out there was a spare 14k gold toilet all along and it will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s amid record high gold prices.

In the Slate Plus episode: AI Job Apocalypse…Now?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Federal Judiciary Is Trapped

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 07:00:00 GMT

“The Chief Justice… is presiding over the end of the rule of law in America”. That quote did not come from host Dahlia Lithwick, but this week’s guest, former Federal Circuit Court Judge and George H. W. Bush appointee, J Michael Luttig. On this week’s show, Judge Luttig explains the unprecedented split we’re seeing between the federal courts and the highest court in the land in response to Trump’s lawlessness on everything from tariffs, to due process, to deploying the National Guard, and what it all means for the future of American democracy.

Next, Dahlia talks to the CEO of the small family business at the center of the tariffs case that will be argued at SCOTUS on Wednesday. Rick Woldenberg of Learning Resources explains why he’s standing up to Trump’s monarchic power grab, and why he sees himself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with James Madison.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Inside the Goonerverse

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

One legacy of the internet is the millions of subcultures that it helps flourish. Another is pornography—and lots of it. At a “gooner meet-up,” the two collide.

Guest: Daniel Kolitz, author of “The Goon Squad” for Harper’s Magazine.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - Live from Chicago!

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, live from Chicago to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump vs. Chicago showdown and the dynamics between progressive and centrist Democrats with former Chicago Mayor and Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, what threat President Trump poses to the future of American elections and how to push back, and memorable moments from Gabfest history.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, live from Chicago to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest, Emily, John, and David take audience questions and discuss whether the damages caused by the Trump administration can ever be reversed, the most controversial topics from the show’s history, and more.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki and Jake Sorgen

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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What Next - How Will We Feed Our Neighbors?

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Why SNAP benefits potentially won’t be replenished Nov. 1, and what happens to the people who depend on them to eat.

Guest: Dr. Lindsay Allen, health economist and policy researcher at Northwestern University.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money on the Mind: To Have Kids or Not to Have Kids

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In a new, very special, Death, Sex and Money and Slate Money crossover, Felix Salmon and Anna Sale dig into the difficult decision of whether or not to have kids.

Child care? School? New vehicle? All the baby gadgets? Kids are expensive! Felix is famously childless, Anna has a couple kids on the older side. Between the two of them they dig into their decisions to have and not have kids (including Anna’s family’s decision to have TWO kids), the budgeting and balancing of all the emotional and financial costs of kids, how kids can be a benefit later in life, and more.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Video production by Micah Phillips.

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What Next - The Volunteers Taking on ICE

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Having successfully gotten their photo ops, the National Guard receded from the streets of Los Angeles, but an aggressive border patrol, with an eye on raising arrest numbers, has taken their place. In the South Bay, an activist group has formed to monitor where raids are happening, who’s conducting them, and try to help residents keep themselves safe.

Guest: Alexander Sammon, politics writer for Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: How Our Tax Code Makes the Rich Richer

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Emily Peck and Felix Salmon are joined by legal scholar Ray D. Madoff to discuss her new book The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy. Ray lays out how the US tax code favors the wealthy to an unbelievable degree, helping them to essentially opt out of the system altogether.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Where Sports Betting Got Us

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Last week, the FBI indicted more than 30 people in a series of NBA gambling scandals. The sports leagues are promising drastic action – but with everyone from the states to the owners getting rich off legal sports gambling, is the game rigged?

Guest: Jay Willis, editor-in-chief of Balls and Strikes.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Shutting Down and Finding Out

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Isn’t a government shutdown supposed to be a crisis? The Republicans, in control of the White House, Congress and Supreme Court haven’t taken steps to end it on their own, and the ship may have already sailed on the only real ask from the Democrats. So what now?

Guest: Jonathan V. Last, editor at The Bulwark.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Did The Trump Administration Censor Speech?

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

For years, conservatives claimed that the Biden administration was pressuring tech companies to censor conservative speech with no solid evidence.

In Trump 2.0, the administration is explicitly bragging about doing the very same thing they accused democrats of. What gives?

Guest: Renée DiResta, Associate Research Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown and author of “Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality”

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Slate Money - The Louvre Heist Affair

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: A spectacular heist unfolded at the Louvre, with thieves stealing priceless jewels within 7 minutes in broad daylight. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck unpack what happened, why the world was so delighted by this particular crime, and the reasons the thieves might not get that big of a big score in the end. Then, ADP has decided to refrain from giving the Fed special data access, exacerbating the data shortage amid the government shutdown. The hosts discuss why this is happening along with the other effects of this drawn out Federal standstill. And finally, some Silicon Valley companies are adopting a controversial work schedule that originated in China known as 996 wherein employees work from 9am-9pm 6 days a week. The hosts delve into this concerning trend and how the AI arms race is changing things in Silicon Valley.

In the Slate Plus episode: The hosts share their favorite heist movies.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE⁠

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Demolition Man

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Bulldozers and bulwarks are the twin themes of this week’s show, as Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Joyce White Vance, a longtime federal prosecutor and clarion voice in defense of the rule of law, despite its flaws. As Pam Bondi’s Justice department chases down the President’s opponents, Congress walks away from its constitutional duties, and the highest court in the land struggles to find a presidential demand too outrageous to rubber stamp, it’s no wonder many Americans are exhausted by the attempt to toggle between hope and despair. Lithwick and Vance discuss the many challenges to the integrity of the justice system and ponder what ordinary people can do to bolster vital democratic institutions under siege. Vance's new book, 'Giving Up is Unforgivable,' serves as a manual for citizens who understand that surviving this moment (and thriving after it) is a massive team project. It’s okay to huff a little hopium sometimes, but only if it’s the good stuff.

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What Next - Bonus: The Scariest Halloween Costume

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 17:00:00 GMT

The streets are full of ghouls, masked horrors, and terrifying make-up—also it will be Halloween soon.

Guest: Luke Winkie, Slate staff writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The AWS Outage is Only the Beginning

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week’s AWS outage illustrates just how fragile and vulnerable our interconnected world really is—and how far we’ve fallen from the vision of a decentralized internet.

Guest: Samanth Subramanian, author of “The Web Beneath the Waves: The Fragile Cables That Connect Our World.”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Trump Literally Knocks Down the White House

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how President Trump reacted to the No Kings protests by embracing his own “cult of the ruler” in particularly dramatic fashion, whether the shutdown will eventually break enough government functions to force more urgency in negotiations, and why Young Republicans are fawning over Hitler in group chats.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David talk to Rabbi Angela Buchdahl about what it means to be a rabbi these days, the importance of empathy as a first principle for all of us, and her new memoir, Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Is the Peanut Allergy Dead?

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Thousands of children may be avoiding peanut allergies thanks to research indicating that early exposure to—rather than avoidance of—the legume is key. Now there’s reason to believe this is true for tons of allergens – and that the great “pandemic” of kid food allergies never needed to happen.

Guest: Dr. David Hill, attending physician with the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and The Hill Lab.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Why So Many Racist Group Chats?

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Right after JD Vance was done dismissing concerns about racism in a group chat of GOP staffers and Young Republicans, POLITICO released messages from Trump nominee Paul Ingrassia that were so explicitly racist it may cost him the support of what has been an extremely compliant congressional GOP. And lest any vice presidents tell you otherwise, racism is as evident in policy proposals as it is in the chats.

Guest: David A. Graham, staff writer for The Atlantic.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Trump Doctrine in Latin America

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The whole spectrum of Trump’s foreign policy is on display when it comes to South America: The US Navy is gathering off the coast of Venezuela, while the Treasury Department prepares to send tens of billions of dollars to Argentina.

Guest: Brian Winter, editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Are Democrats Already Fumbling a Win?

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Off-cycle elections generally favor the party that isn’t in the White House. And with a large voting bloc of federal employees, Virginia Democrats were feeling good about the upcoming elections for governor and attorney general. Then texts from their AG candidate hit the news.

Guest: Eva McKend, correspondent covering national politics for CNN.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Bands Are Leaving Spotify

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Paying a fraction of a penny per stream and diminishing the value of music were bad enough for Xiu Xiu, but when Spotify owner Daniel Ek announced an investment in a German defense contractor, they decided it was time to take the music back.

Guest: Jamie Stewart, musician in the band Xiu Xiu.

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Slate Money - Credit Cockroaches

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The downfall of First Brands and Tricolor has led to finger-pointing between banks and private credit firms. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss whether these fraud-related bankruptcies are a sign of major issues to come within the credit market. Then, car prices and sales are up across the board. The hosts cover the state of the auto industry, the spike in EV sales caused by expiring incentives, and what it’s like to own a Crybertruck these days. And finally, QQQ is probably the only ETF you’ve heard of thanks to its aggressive advertising. The hosts explain the unusual structure of the wildly successful ETF that led to a Super Bowl ad level marketing budget but very little profit for its own trustee Invesco.

In the Slate Plus episode: What the heck is going on with matcha prices??

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | The Radical Fund That Rewired American Progress

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Emily Bazelon talks with Yale law professor John Witt about his new book The Radical Fund: How a Band of Visionaries and a Million Dollars Upended America. They explore the remarkable story of the Garland Fund—a small 1920s foundation that bankrolled early work by A. Philip Randolph, and others who would go on to shape the civil rights and labor movements.

Witt traces how the fund connected race and class politics, supported the intellectual groundwork for Brown v. Board of Education, and anticipated today’s challenges around misinformation, inequality, and political disconnection. He and Bazelon also discuss what lessons progressives might take from this forgotten story of organizing during political exile.

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 Nina Porzucki.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Voting Rights, But Mainly for White People

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund argued in defense of the Voting Rights Act in the pivotal Supreme Court case, Louisiana v Callais this week. Nelson joins Dahlia Lithwick on this episode of Amicus to probe the implications of the case for voting rights around the country, and the role of the Supreme Court in a democratic system. Nelson warns that while the consequences of losing Section 2 would be catastrophic, t many Americans are unaware how much of their democracy is undergirded by the rights accorded in the 14th and 15th amendments, and effectuated by the Voting Rights Act. Their conversation delves into the historical context of voting rights, the importance of precedent, and the unfinished, but essential, struggle for racial justice in America.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Inside the MAGA Content Mill

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

As Trump throws out journalists and outlets that report anything negative about him, he’s limiting access to a group of right-wing influencers who work to further his agenda.

Guest: Makena Kelly, tech and politics writer for WIRED.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Trump Ends the Gaza War

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Gaza ceasefire and prospects for long-term peace with Rob Malley, Middle East policy expert and co-author (with Hussein Agha) of the new book Tomorrow is Yesterday: Life, Death, and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel/Palestine, which side is likely to fold first in the ongoing government shutdown, and who benefits as the Supreme Court hears arguments about whether the 14th Amendment clashes with the Voting Rights Act.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the new Paul Thomas Anderson movie “One Battle After Another” and its political and social themes. Is it a love letter to the revolutionary left and community connection, “apologia for radical left-wing terrorism,” or something else entirely?

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author and Yale professor Judith Resnik about her new book, Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy. They discuss the history of the prison system’s use of punishments like whipping, how the practice came to an end, and more.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - He Wrote About Anti-Fascism—Then Fled the Country

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Guest: Mark Bray, assistant teaching professor at Rutgers, author of Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Time for a Blue-State “Soft Secession”?

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The government shutdown isn’t hitting everywhere equally—infrastructure projects that rely on federal funding have been halted exclusively in states that voted for Kamala Harris. Do blue states have any recourse against a federal government that only functions to punish them?

Guest: David Faris, associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of It’s Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Don’t Forget The 1929 Crash

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin to discuss his new book 1929, a detailed account of what led to Wall Street’s most devastating crash. They’ll discuss the lessons we should keep from the systemic failure that resulted in the Great Depression and why the knowledge feels as relevant as ever today.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Everything’s Coming Up Bari

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Bari Weiss has had a successful media career by any metric, save perhaps for broad appeal. But as she takes over as the head of CBS News, the “mass” part of mass media doesn’t matter as much, and the new order of the day—pleasing a few angry old billionaires—is absolutely her sweet spot.

Guest: David Klion, columnist for The Nation and contributing editor to Jewish Currents; author of a forthcoming book on neoconservatism.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Amicus | Dear Justice Kavanaugh, “I’m American, Bro”

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

While the What Next team celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day, please enjoy this episode from our colleagues at Amicus, Slate’s legal podcast. Mary will be back with a new episode of What Next tomorrow.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - A.I. for Cops

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

At this very moment, police departments can gather more data than they have time to actually go through — audio and video from crime scenes, cell phone and search data, vast digital dragnets. This is where artificial intelligence comes in…as well as the civil rights questions.

Guest: Gerrit De Vynck, tech reporter for the Washington Post.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - What Even Is Money?

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The price of gold has skyrocketed to over $4k an ounce. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck speculate why this might be happening right now – or if there even is a “why”. Then, Intercontinental Exchange has announced an investment of $2 billion in Polymarket, upping the valuation from $1 billion to $8 billion. The hosts discuss what makes prediction markets so big right now and the increasingly murky distinction between "betting” and “investing”. And finally, several Bob Ross paintings are being auctioned for charity prompting a Slate Money listener to ask what the market is for his work. Felix breaks down the oddity that is the Bob Ross painting market and explains how charity auctions can skew the value of a piece of art.

In the Slate Plus episode: Emily goes on a reporting journey to figure out what the new phrase ‘6-7’ is all about.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trump’s Insurrection Claims Could Lead American Democracy Off a Cliff

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Troops on America's streets, threats of “plenary powers”, and extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean have prompted members of the military past and present to say that we are in the biggest civil/military crisis since the Civil War. On this week's Amicus, how SCOTUS' immunity decision in Trump v. United States helped deliver us to this scary moment. Dahlia Lithwick speaks to Yale Law School military justice expert Eugene Fidell and former JAG Maj. General Steven J. Lepper about the impossible position the military's been put in by Trump and SCOTUS and how bad that is for all of us. The Crisis in Uniform: The Danger of Presidential Immunity for the U.S. Military.

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What Next - Bonus: SchadenFriday: Portland Puts A Frog On It

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:00:00 GMT

As troops continue to roll in, unwelcome, to American cities, you can be forgiven for calling the national picture “pretty bleak.” But even now, the news will occasionally let you get off a chuckle or guffaw, even if it isn’t always from your better nature. It’s SchadenFriday; go ahead and indulge.

Guest: Alex Sammon, Slate feature writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The People Suing ICE

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Though ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services denied their Freedom of Information Act requests, these journalists aren’t giving up without a fight—not until they get their hands on a document that outlines how much information Medicaid is sharing with ICE.

Guest: Joseph Cox, cofounder of 404 Media.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Portland is Not Actually Burning

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 21:01:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the extremely consequential new Supreme Court term beginning this week, the facts on the ground and the legal questions at play behind Trump’s escalating deployments of troops to US cities, and the likely legal defeat of state bans on conversion therapy.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the Treasury Department’s unironic plans to release a $1 coin featuring the current president to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence from monarchy.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The People Joining ICE

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

ICE needs more agents to meet Trump’s promised deportation numbers. But is loosening standards and shortening training time to get more agents on the street a good idea, when ICE’s work is becoming more controversial, confrontational, and dangerous?

Guest: Robert Klemko, Washington Post reporter covering policing and criminal justice reform.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Inside the Portland “War Zone”

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

It’s clear President Trump wants to send troops to Portland, Oregon. But it’s not clear why—especially to people who live there.

Guests:

Isaac Stanley-Becker, staff writer for The Atlantic.

Elizabeth Lopatto, senior reporter at The Verge.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Is the Gaza Deal Real?

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

It’s been two years since Hamas attacked Israel and set off a devastating war. Since then, talks have fallen apart over and over again. Trump says – this time is different. But should anyone believe him?

Guest: Yair Rosenberg, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Deep Shtetl, a newsletter about the intersection of politics, culture, and religion.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - When You’re A Justice They Let You Do It

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The Supreme Court is back in session, and conservative controlled body again has a docket full of cases that look like 6-3 wins for the Trump agenda.

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, co-host of Amicus, and senior writer covering courts and the law for Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Saudi Arabia Gets into EA’s Games

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

How one of the largest video game companies was bought for $55 billion by a group that includes Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and Jared Kushner.

Guest: Jason Schreier, Bloomberg reporter

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Argentina First?

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Felix Salmon finally gets to nerd out on Argentina's economy as Trump goes against the GOP playbook by bailing the country out to the tune of $20 billion. Felix, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck break down why this is such an unusual move, how it shows Trump’s favoritism, and what it means for America’s soy farmers. Then, the US government has officially shut down but stocks are soaring. The hosts talk about who, if not Wall Street, is economically impacted by the shutdown. And finally, Jared Kushner helped broker a record-breaking $55 billion private equity deal for Electronic Arts that includes Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Do we care if the Saudis own a controlling stake of the gaming giant?

In the Slate Plus episode: What number is Felix thinking of?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli,

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - This Will Be Trump’s Best Term at the Supreme Court Yet

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern are joined by Vox’s Ian Millhiser to discuss the upcoming Supreme Court term, which officially starts on Monday. The term begins with a slew of wildly significant cases that feel all but decided in the Trump administration’s favor already. That feeling of inevitability could perhaps be ascribed to the ongoing assault on democracy coming from the high court’s shadow docket, which will now spill over into cases argued on the merits. Dahlia, Mark, and Ian examine the effect of all this sloppy law on the public's perception of the court, and look ahead to upcoming cases on voting rights, campaign finance, conversion therapy, transgender rights, tariffs, and presidential power. They explore how the court's decisions reflect a shift towards a more partisan and less transparent judicial process, and ask whether there’s any hope of restoring the rule of law and healthy constitutional democracy in the future.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Who Owns TikTok Now?

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

TikTok exploded to popularity not by giving users what they asked for—but by figuring out what users really were interested in, and serving that.

What happens to this algorithm if Bytedance cedes control of it to the U.S.?

Guest: Emily Baker White, senior writer at Forbes and the author of Every Screen on the Planet: The War Over TikTok

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Political Gabfest - Fat Generals

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 23:00:00 GMT

This week, John Dickerson, David Plotz, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the disturbing spectacle of military fealty staged by Hegseth and Trump at Quantico, the possible outcomes of the dramatic government shutdown, and the hybrid war Russia appears to be waging with drones over distressed European cities.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, John, David, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the ugly spectacle of US golf fan behavior at this week’s Ryder Cup and what it says about the state of American public discourse.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Actually the Government Shut Down Months Ago

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump’s theory of a government shutdown was that it would give him more power to fire federal employees, and cut benefits and healthcare. Of course, if you claim to be an all-powerful executive, aren’t people going to conclude that the shutdown is your fault?

Guest: David Dayen, executive editor of the American Prospect.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Department of War…From Within

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoned the military’s top brass from all over the world for a meeting to announce…they need to shave and get in shape? And then Trump followed with a speech about how he wants to deploy them in American cities and also Joe Biden sucks. Good talk, everybody.

Guest: Idrees Ali, national security correspondent for Reuters.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: How Basquiat's Art Became a Good Investment

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by Doug Woodham, author of the upcoming biography Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Making of an Icon, to discuss Basquiat’s path to becoming a darling of the art market. They discuss the idiosyncrasies of the art market and why Basquiat – the “Jimi Hendrix” of the art world – was initially undervalued but later became part of the modern day art canon.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Trump’s Revenge Tour Is Here

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The president’s case against James Comey doesn’t look very strong to outside legal observers. But even the most spurious accusation against the former head of the FBI would matter when it comes from the sitting president.

Guest: Ankush Khardori, senior writer for POLITICO Magazine and former federal prosecutor in the US Justice Department.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Gaza Flotilla That’s Under Attack

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

With Gaza cut off from food and aid, activists have taken matters into their own hands, and are attempting to circumvent Israel’s blockade themselves via the Mediterranean.

Guest: Zue Jernstedt, member of About Face: Veterans Against the War and participant on the Veterans Boat of the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Trapped in a Tesla

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

When you’re getting out of an Uber, Tesla’s unintuitive door handle can embarrass you. In an emergency, getting out of the car quickly can be the difference between life and death.

Guest: Dana Hull, Bloomberg News reporter covering Tesla and Elon Musk

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Slate Money - Three-Headed AI Unicorn

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: NVIDIA has announced a $100 billion investment in OpenAI to help build out data centers equipped with NVIDIA chips. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, joined by Bloomberg’s Max Chafkin, examine the complexities of this massive deal and why it might feed the argument that the AI boom is a bubble. Then,Trump has announced a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas.They discuss how the clunky rollout of this plan has caused chaos and what it signals about the administration's immigration goals. And finally, Max explains how a parody of Enron that turned into a memecoin fiasco.

In the Slate Plus episode: Digging into the 0.01% rule

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - “Color-Blind” Admissions Continue to Hurt Us

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The week ended with a Grand Jury Indictment of former FBI Director James Comey for what looks to be a pair of unprovable crimes. Indeed the US Attorney overseeing the case declined to bring the indictment for that very reason. He’s gone and Donald Trump’s personal insurance lawyer brought the case. Mark Joseph Stern and Dahlia Lithwick discuss what that means for the Justice Department.

Then Yale Law School’s professor Justin Driver reminds us that Supreme Court cases don’t just turn into vapors after they come down in June. The Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision from 2023 has fundamentally changed what college campuses look like and has opened the door to Trump Administration attacks on anything that even looks like racial justice efforts on elite campuses and throughout the country. Any one decision causes legal cascades that can and will be used against us.

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What Next - Bonus: The Senator Calling Trump’s Bluff

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 17:00:00 GMT

The government runs out of money next Tuesday. Trump’s threatened “mass firings” if it shuts down. Earlier this year, Democrats played ball. But now, one Democratic Senator explains why he’s approaching things differently.

Guest: Chris Van Hollen, Democratic Senator from Maryland.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How Trump Got Obsessed with Autism

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Why would Donald Trump rush to announce that Tylenol is a potential cause of autism, a claim unsupported by the research?

Guest: Dan Diamond, White House reporter for the Washington Post.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - Tough It Out, Pregnant Ladies!

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 20:30:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how Trump is using the powerful machine of government prosecution to reverse-engineer crimes supposedly committed by enemies, his diatribe against Tylenol at the disastrous press conference on autism, and the echoes of past Red Scares in today’s free speech climate with historian Beverly Gage, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the debate around Trump’s new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa workers: will it score points or be an own goal for US jobs?

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

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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What Next - Jimmy Kimmel Got His Job Back. She Didn’t.

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The First Amendment prohibits Congress from making laws that abridge freedom of speech or of the press, but in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, it’s clear that it doesn’t take a law to attack those rights.

Guest: Karen Attiah, former columnist for the Washington Post and former editor of the Post’s Global Opinions section.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - A Surgeon in Gaza’s “End Game”

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Over three different trips during the war, this doctor saw the chaos of blast injuries in northern Gaza give way to gunshot wounds suffered at aid-distribution sites in the south.

Guest: Dr. Mohammed "Adeel" Khaleel, minimally invasive and complex spinal surgeon with Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Trump’s Attack on Visas

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

American agriculture relies on foreign workers, and they rely on the H-2A visa program to work legally in the United States. Despite a growing number of people applying for visa spots, the Trump administration has proposed cutting the division of the Department of Labor that enforces H-2A rules, leaving workers to choose between being vulnerable to ICE or to exploitation.

Guest: Max Blau, ProPublica reporter covering health care, the environment, agriculture and immigration.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - How Big Media Obeys in Advance

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Media giants like Paramount and Disney have been swift to capitulate to the Trump administration and the tenacious head of the FCC, Brendan Carr. Why new ownership from the likes of the Ellisons is likely to make things worse.

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, staff writer for business and tech at Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is A.I. Taking Your Job?

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

If you’re hunting for a job, the odds are increasingly likely you’ll have an interview with an artificial intelligence “recruiter.” And why not? It’s also increasingly likely you’ll be working with A.I. anyway.

Guest: Danielle Abril, technology-in-the-workplace reporter for the Washington Post.

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Slate Money - The Nerds' Last Stand at the Fed

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The Fed announced an expected rate cut with an unexpected dissent. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck are joined by Axios’ Neil Irwin who breaks down why the Fed meeting was so unusual – thanks to the very recent Trump appointee Stephen Miran– and what it means for the future of the central bank. Then, AMEX announced an increase that brings their Platinum fee to $895. Neil and the hosts reflect on the trend of making credit cards more and more premium and explain why you should think again before signing up. And finally, Publishers Clearing House filed for bankruptcy and its new owner ARB Interactive has said it won’t be honoring the “lifetime” winners from before July 15 of this year. What will happen to the people who have built their lives around those payouts?

In the Slate Plus episode: Labubus, the Avatar of 2025?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE⁠

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | The Recent Past of Prison Punishment

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Emily Bazelon talks with author and Yale professor Judith Resnik about her new book, Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy. They discuss the history of the prison system’s use of punishments like whipping, how the practice came to an end, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Free Speech Is The Enemy of Free Speech, Apparently

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Dahlia Lithwick talks to First Amendment law professor Mary Anne Franks to explore the inversion of free speech in America this past week, and to trace the ways our assumptions about the First Amendment helped to tip us into this upside-down. Dr. Franks, author of Fearless Speech: Breaking Free from the First Amendment, explains the contradictions inherent in free-speech absolutism, the role of government in suppressing dissent, and the impact of media and entertainment on public discourse. What are we to make of a movement that screamed “jawboning” and “censorship” for a decade, but when handed power enthusiastically enacts actual governmental speech suppression and censorship? And what does the First Amendment mean if the powerful are consistently afforded maximum power in the “marketplace of ideas”?

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Discourse | TikTok Ban: The Final Loop?

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 07:30:00 GMT

TikTok—which was supposed to be banned again on Wednesday but, again, isn’t—may be legal once more. The Trump administration says it’s meeting with Xi Jinping Friday to finalize the agreement, which may involve—get this—a wealthy Trump-supporting tech mogul.

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, staff writer for business and tech at Slate.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next TBD—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your 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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - A Very Online Shooter

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

As the Charlie Kirk murder demonstrated, law enforcement, the government, and media all need more internet fluency. But their reactions in the wake of the murder don’t seem to be moving towards a better understanding.

Guest: Ryan Broderick, reporter on online culture, author of the newsletter Garbage Day.

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Political Gabfest - The Domestic Terrorist

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the government’s intimidation tactics aimed at chilling free speech after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, why Trump seems intent to provoke armed conflict with Venezuela, and how the president and his Republican allies are upending DC self-governance with guest Michael Schaffer (City Cast DC, Politico).

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the extraordinary corruption revealed by a new investigation into two major deals between Trump’s team and the United Arab Emirates.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Jonathan Mahler about his new book, The Gods of New York. They discuss the unraveling of Mayor Ed Koch’s New York City; how the city’s current mayoral race is mirroring the past; and more.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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What Next - Trump’s Getting His Economy. Yikes.

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump has been calling for the Fed to cut rates to bolster the economy, and yesterday, they announced they would. The bad news is that’s because the economy is going to need a lot more bolstering.

Guest: Justin Wolfers, economist and professor at the University of Michigan

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Can Kash Patel Survive This?

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

What happens to an organization when it purges much of its leadership and ranks irrespective of ability, and hires for sycophantic loyalty instead? The FBI is finding out.

Guests:

Michael Feinberg, former assistant special agent in charge at the FBI’s field office in Norfolk, VA, now a fellow at Lawfare.

Quinta Jurecic, staff writer at The Atlantic.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Battle of the AI Bots

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Rivlin to discuss his book AI Valley, a deep dive into the Silicon Valley companies that are competing to create the best–and most profitable–AI model. Gary has been covering the tech world for decades and has seen the major players in this arms race evolve over that time. He discusses the perspectives of the companies competing for AI superiority, what we should and shouldn’t be worried about when it comes to this technology, and how he sees the AI boom playing out.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Who’s Winning the War on Higher Education?

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Conservatives have decried higher education as a center of liberal indoctrination for decades, and under the second Trump administration, colleges and universities are watching their federal funding be withheld or frozen, their presidents step down, and professors lose their jobs.

What can be done to wrest back academic freedom and independence from a vindictive administration?

Guest: Sarah Brown, senior editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Hasan Piker Knew Charlie Kirk

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Hasan Piker was scheduled to debate Charlie Kirk at Dartmouth College later this month, a left-vs-right, Vidal-vs-Buckley for the streaming age. In the wake of Kirk’s shocking death, Piker wants to continue to be clear about who Kirk was, what he stood for, and the reactionary political project he was working to advance.

Guest: Hasan Piker, Twitch streamer and left-wing political commentator.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Her Daughter Killed Herself. Then She Saw the ChatGPT logs.

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

After their daughter committed suicide, they found her ChatGPT log—and where artificial intelligence helped her write her suicide note.

Guest: Laura Reiley, writer for the Cornell Chronicle.

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Slate Money - The Hyundai ICE Raid

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: ICE raided a Hyundai plant in Georgia. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss the somewhat hamfisted raid that detained hundreds of South Korean workers–disrupting both Hyundai’s operations and the local economy–and the potential fallout if foreign companies see this as a reason to avoid investing in the US. Then, Oracle’s stock surged this week thanks to its AI deals, bringing it close to a trillion dollar valuation and briefly making Larry Ellison the richest man in the world. They dive into Oracle actually does and whether it’s really worth the rarified distinction of being a trillion dollar company. And finally, JP Morgan is about to open its incredibly fancy new headquarters at 270 Park Avenue and Felix hates it. The hosts discuss the landscape of massive bank buildings in New York City and the extremely plush amenities 270 Park will be offering to keep workers on site.

In the Slate Plus episode: Zuckerberg (Mark E.) v. Zuckerberg (Mark S.)

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Dear Justice Kavanaugh, “I’m American, Bro”

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this week’s episode of Amicus, we delve into the recent Supreme Court shadow docket order in Noem v. Vasquez-Perdomo, which in essence legalized racial profiling by roving ICE patrols, and in practice may have ushered in America’s “show your papers” era for Americans with brown skin, who speak Spanish, and/or go to Home Depot in work clothes. Join Dahlia Lithwick and Ahilan Arulanantham, a longstanding human rights lawyer and law professor, as they unpack what this unargued, unreasoned, unsigned and (in Kavanaugh’s case) uncited decision means for both immigrants and U.S. citizens, for 4th amendment doctrine, and for the lower courts expected to parse SCOTUS’ tea leaves. Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next - Bonus: “We Got Him”

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 17:00:00 GMT

On Friday, authorities announced they had a suspect – and they sure seemed confident they “got him” (to quote Utah Governor Spencer Cox). Mary and Slatester Luke Winkie discuss the press conference – and what happens now.

Guest: Luke Winkie, Slate staff writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - You Can't Escape the Charlie Kirk Video

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Graphic, violent videos like the shooting of right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk circulate across social media moments after they happen, finding an audience even among people who have made no effort to seek them out.

Guest: Craig Silverman, journalist and cofounder of Indicator.

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Political Gabfest - Assassination of Charlie Kirk

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk amid an extremely troubling climate of political violence in America, another Supreme Court order with no majority explanation allowing racial profiling by ICE in LA, and a score-settling excerpt from Kamala Harris’s upcoming memoir 107 Days.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the astonishing new details revealed by the release of a book of letters collected for Epstein’s 50th birthday from his friends, including Donald Trump.

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

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How the Supreme Court Legalized Racial Profiling

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

How a Supreme Court decision from the shadow docket opens the door to racial profiling, creates a nightmare for millions of Latino Americans, and drains dwindling legitimacy from the court itself.

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer covering courts and the law for Slate, and the co-host of Amicus.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump Blew Up 11 People. Is That Legal?

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Last week, Donald Trump announced the military had blown up what he said was a drug-smuggling boat. This week, we still don’t know why he believes the boat was full of smugglers.

But even if they were trafficking drugs, can the president legally blow up 11 people in international waters?

Guests: Shane Harris, staff writer covering national security and intelligence for The Atlantic.

Ana Vanessa Herrero, journalist based in Caracas, Venezuela and reporting on South America for the Washington Post.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Democrats Have Leverage. Will They Use It?

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

With Republicans holding both houses of Congress and the White House, Democrats don’t have a lot of ways to stall Donald Trump’s agenda—except for refusing to further fund the government and triggering a shutdown. They already passed on the opportunity once, but is the situation now so desperate that the opposition party needs to do something—anything?

Guest: Rep. Jamie Raskin, U.S. representative for Maryland's 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Can You Get a COVID Vaccine?

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure as HHS Secretary has meant turmoil for the CDC: thousands of employees have either been let go, or are unclear on their employment status; leadership has been stepping down; and there was a shooting at their Atlanta building in August. The result is RFK being yelled at in the Senate, thousands of CDC employees calling for his resignation, and a country less prepared for the next pandemic.

Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter at the New York Times.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - End of an Electric Avenue

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

An Inflation Reduction Act subsidy for electric vehicles is being shut down by the Trump administration at the end of September, and automakers are preparing for sales of EVs to slow. Can this nascent industry survive?

Guest: Ryan Felton, reporter covering the automotive industry for the Wall Street Journal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - What Do You Pay the Man Who Has Everything?

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Tesla offered Elon Musk an incentive package worth a trillion dollars. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss Tesla's motivation and why Musk, already the richest man in the world, would be tempted by the outrageous number. Then, the big antitrust case against Google went out with a whimper, with the Judge ruling that they are a monopoly but they don’t need to break up the company if they follow a few new rules. The hosts discuss the logic behind the decision and what the ruling might signal to other companies. And finally, with the prospect of Trump’s tariffs being ruled illegal by the Supreme Court, traders are buying up tariff refund rights. So, Felix gets to nerd out about litigation finance.

In the Slate Plus episode: Tilting at Wind Turbines

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - How To Fix Our Broken Constitution

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

There is a “stuckness” to American political life right now, which has become a seemingly inexorable centrifuge of polarization, victimization and power grabbing. The constitution is brandished as sword and shield, and also as though it is the word of God. Americans, it seems, have lost the ability to think creatively and expansively about the constitution, and our ability to amend it. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is in conversation with Jill Lepore, whose new book “We The People: A History of The U.S. The Constitution is a thorough and bold excavation of a central, but utterly neglected part of America’s constitutional scheme: the amendment process. In her book, and in this interview, Lepore challenges Americans to rekindle their constitutional imaginations and really think about what the act of mending, repairing, or amending has meant through the nation’s history, and could mean for a country on the brink.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is the A.I. Bubble Bursting?

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Guest: Ed Zitron, author of the newsletter Where’s Your Ed At and host of the podcast Better Offline.

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Political Gabfest - CDC DOA

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what the spate of legal defeats for the Trump administration portends as cases wind toward the Supreme Court, the real world effects of RFK Jr. gutting the CDC with guest Dr. Josh Sharfstein, and whether Democrats should compel government shutdown or avoid it now that Congress is back.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss NASA Voyager’s journey through space as it reaches a new milestone and wax philosophical about the immensity of the universe and Earth’s place in it.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Decorator-In-Chief

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

From the gold accents going up in the White House, to his orders to bring back classical design to federal buildings, Donald Trump is a president with a very specific aesthetic sensibility—which often is a manifestation of his politics.

Guest: Abdallah Fayyad, policy correspondent at Vox

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Can Congress Stop Trump's Takeover?

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump has been working to expand his presidential influence into places that are supposed to operate independently, like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve, and even into Congress’s constitutionally appointed “power of the purse.” As Congress returns to Washington, is this nominally co-equal branch of government willing to wrest its power back?

Guest: Luke Broadwater, reporter covering the White House for The New York Times.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: The Paradoxes of Patagonia

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by author and New York Times reporter David Gelles to discuss his new biography of enigmatic Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, Dirtbag Billionaire. David does a deep dive into what makes the brand and its founder so unique, including the paradoxes of a wildly successful company trying to remain environmentally sustainable and a billionaire who believes all billionaires to be “policy failures.”

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Presidency for Sale

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

From selling hats, NFTs and cryptocurrency, to stock boosts, swaps and golf-course deals made abroad, the Trumps are taking this presidency to the bank—for what looks to be billions. You can call it distasteful, but has it tipped over into “illegal”?

Guest: David Kirkpatrick, staff writer at the New Yorker.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - ICYMI | The Great Girlboss Comeback

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMT

While the What Next team celebrates Labor Day, please enjoy this episode from our colleagues at ICYMI, Slate’s internet culture podcast. Mary will be back with a new episode of What Next tomorrow.

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate senior writer Scaachi Koul to talk about the return of the girlboss. Over five years after various exposes exposed their poor management and, in some cases, racism, former it-girls like The Wing’s Audrey Gelman and Outdoor Voice’s Ty Haney are back in the spotlight. Their new projects, however, are falling flat. Is there any room for redemption in 2025, or is time to leave girlbosses behind for good?

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay, with help from Kevin Bendis.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - A24 Meets A.I.

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

A24 rose from “small budget indie movie studio” to “one of the most respected brands in cinema” on a reputation for treating filmmakers like auteurs. But as the studio is growing and exploring how to integrate artificial intelligence, it’s at odds with some of the very directors who helped A24 establish itself.

Guest: Alex Barasch, culture editor at the New Yorker

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Slate Money - Sycophantic Suck-Up Machines

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Fed governor Lisa Cook is suing the Trump administration over her dismissal. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck, along with guest Kashmir Hill of The New York Times, discuss the weak fraud case being used to oust the Biden-appointed Fed governor and its significance in the fight to preserve the independence of the Federal Reserve. Then, Kashmir goes in depth on the many stories she’s reported on lately of people forming intense relationships with AI chatbots that lead to dire consequences including psychosis and death. She and the hosts discuss the role of this new technology in our society, the unknowable consequences of its unchecked ubiquity, and what can be done to protect users from potential dangers.

From the Numbers Round: Emily’s Birthday Pancakes

PLEASE NOTE: There is discussion of suicide in this episode. If you are in need of help, 988 is the three-digit, nationwide phone number to connect directly to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Text, call, or chat 988.

In the Slate Plus episode: Big Money on Taylor & Travis

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Is The National Guard Coming To Your City?

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick discusses the recent deployment of the National Guard in Washington D.C. and its implications for checks and balances in the U.S. legal system. She is joined by Elizabeth “Liza” Goitein from the non-partisan Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program, a leading expert on all things Posse Comitatus, the Insurrection Act, and the Pandora’s box of domestic military deployment in policing, and the legal frameworks governing it all. Together they explore the dangers of the administration’s current actions in the nation’s capital, and whether the president can act on his threats to expand them to cities that didn’t vote for him around the country.

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What Next - Bonus: I’ll Gav What She’s Gavin

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 17:00:00 GMT

California Governor Gavin Newsom, presumably as a precursor to a run for the presidency, has been getting attention for a very Trump-influenced style of, uh, fighting back against Donald Trump. Is this where American politics is headed? Does it have to be?

Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilley, Slate senior writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Great Celebrity Spotify Playlist Hack

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The playlists of dozens of high-level government officials and tech executives were suddenly broadcast to the world on a website called “the Panama Playlists.” But the information wasn’t taken by sophisticated hackers infiltrating any mainframes—it was all already publicly available.

Guest: Mike Isaac, New York Times Silicon Valley correspondent.

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Political Gabfest - Dial M for Mortgage Fraud

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Trump’s brazen effort to smash Fed independence by wielding allegations of mortgage fraud against Fed governor Lisa Cook, the expanding law enforcement role of the National Guard in DC and other cities, and the inexplicable folly of Trump’s all-out assault on the renewable wind industry.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss this week’s bizarre NYC bribery scandal involving an advisor to Eric Adams, Chinese influence, and a bag of potato chips.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Could Artificial Blood Save Lives?

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Blood has a very short shelf life, even under the best of conditions—and you can picture the less-than-ideal conditions where blood is frequently needed—which is why scientists have been working on a blood alternative. The results are promising.

Guest: Nicky Twilley, host of “Gastropod” podcast and author of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet and Ourselves.

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 Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - What the John Bolton Raid Means

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

John Bolton isn’t exactly beloved by the right or the left. But sending the FBI to raid his house fits a pattern: Either tell the president what he wants to hear, or face the consequences.

Guest: Shane Harris, staff writer covering national security and intelligence for The Atlantic.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Man Behind Trump’s Firing of Lisa Cook

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte has led investigations into Senator Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Leititia James, and the Federal Reserve’s Lisa Cook for mortgage fraud.

With a background a lot like Trump’s—and a little like Mr. Beast’s—who is Pulte? And what kind of damage could a vengeful FHFA director do?

Guest: Rachel Siegel, reporter covering the economics of real estate and housing for the Washington Post.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Womanosphere Wants To Make America Hot Again

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Katie Miller, whose husband Stephen Miller is Trump’s right-hand man, launched a new podcast to join the growing ranks of content made specifically for conservative women. But is there enough demand—in listeners and supplement sponsorship—to make the same impact that the conservative manosphere has?

Guest: Emma Goldberg, business features writer at The New York Times.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Trump Vs. Cancer Research

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

President Trump has proposed cutting $2.5 billion from the National Cancer Institute, which in addition to cuts to the National Institutes of Health and research universities almost makes you wonder: whose side is he on in the fight against cancer?

Guest: Angus Chen, cancer reporter for STAT news

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Slate Money - ATM Scam Summer School

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: We got more details on the ATM scam that swept New York City thanks to a teen summer job program and an infinite money glitch last month. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss the mechanics of the scam, the fallout for the many parties involved, and the tragic irony that a program meant to teach teen financial literacy led them straight into a harsh real world lesson. Then, Yieldstreet is part of a growing trend of startups that want to democratize private investing but it’s not proving to be a great bet. The hosts discuss the economy of private investment and ask whether or not it's a good idea to make it more public. And finally, the Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece from a 22-year-old about how you should sacrifice your youth to get rich. What’s the real value in trying to become a “thought leader” with pieces like this?

In the Slate Plus episode:

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE⁠

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Punished For Their Pregnancies

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Women were prosecuted for experiencing miscarriage or stillbirth even before the Supreme Court swept away the protections of Roe v. Wade. But these prosecutions have ramped up since, in both red and blue states. The stakes are ramping up too, with legislators introducing bills that would treat abortion as homicide, potentially subjecting patients to the death penalty. This week, Mark Joseph Stern talks with Karen Thompson, the legal director of Pregnancy Justice. They discuss what happens when the state decides a fetus, or even an embryo, has equal or greater rights than pregnant people. As fetal personhood legislation moves ahead in more and more red states, this concept is also seeping into the law in blue states. Women have been jailed because their pregnancies ended in a way the state disliked. Grandmothers have been prosecuted decades after pregnancy loss thanks to investigators using forensic genetic genealogy to hunt them down. As Thompson explains, a frightening frontier in the battle for bodily autonomy and reproductive rights is here, and it demands our attention.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The CDC Under Fire

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Two weeks ago, a gunman fired over 500 bullets at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention building in Atlanta. Between the anti-public health rhetoric coming from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the top, personnel cuts and firings, and now a literal shooting, many employees are reaching their breaking point.

Guest: Lauren Weber, health science accountability reporter for the Washington Post.

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Political Gabfest - Is This Martial Law?

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Trump’s deepening takeover of Washington D.C. as National Guard troops from red states arrive, what if anything was accomplished in the whirlwind of Putin-Trump-Zelensky diplomacy, and this week’s launch of the new liberal publication The Argument with its Editor-in-Chief Jerusalem Demsas.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss escalations of the retribution campaigns against Trump’s rivals, spearheaded by Department of Justice officials Pam Bondi and Ed Martin.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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What Next - D.C’s Senator Knew This Would Happen

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump was able to take over the Metropolitan Police Department and send in National Guard troops and federal agents to patrol the streets due to Washington D.C.’s strange, not-a-state status. One of the district’s (non-voting) Congressional representatives believes D.C. statehood could come in the backlash.

Guest: Ankit Jain, U.S. Senator for Washington, D.C. since 2024.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Can Trump Kill Mail-In Ballots?

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump returned from his meeting with Vladimir Putin convinced that mail-in voting is how he was cheated from winning the 2020 election. Though he’s come to this conclusion without evidence, how much damage can he do to American democracy?

Guest: Rick Hasen, UCLA School of Law, Director, Safeguarding Democracy Project, Election Law blog

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Fixing A Broken Monetary System

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by professors Matt Sekerke and Steve H. Hanke, coauthors of Making Money Work: How to Rewrite the Rules of Our Financial System. They’ll lay out how the money supply in the US is misunderstood and underweighted in monetary policy, how that flawed system contributed to the global financial crisis, and what policymakers can do to fix it all.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Zelensky Brings a Posse to Washington

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

After visiting with Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders, where does Donald Trump stand on the Ukraine-Russia war—and where does that leave Ukraine?

Guest: Tim Mak, editor of the Kyiv-based publication The Counteroffensive.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Travels: How Much Would You Pay to Not Wait in Line?

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this special episode of Slate Money Travels, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what extras are really worth paying for when you travel. Airlines, especially want to nickel and dime for every little thing. But is the extra leg room worth it? What about getting off the plane sooner? Can you put a price on not waiting in line?

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - How Trump Brought Home a Murderer

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Characteristic of this administration’s over-the-top but never-thought-out immigration enforcement, Trump traded more than 250 Venezuelans who had been deported to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison for 10 Americans who were being held prisoner in Venezuela—including a man convicted of a triple homicide.

Guest: Jonathan Blitzer, staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - TBD | Down the Text-Scam Rabbit Hole

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 07:05:00 GMT

The scam du jour arrives via a text message, offering you a job. What happens when you accept?

Guest: Alex Sammon, Slate features writer.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Down the Text-Scam Rabbit Hole

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The scam du jour arrives via a text message, offering you a job. What happens when you accept?

Guest: Alex Sammon, Slate features writer.

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Slate Money - Digital Cash. IRL Wrenches.

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Trump continues to involve himself in the operations of large US companies. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss this slide toward state capitalism, which seemingly goes against the GOP’s usual stance on government involvement in business. Then, so called “wrench attacks" are on the rise wherein wealthy crypto holders are being targeted with real life violence for their digital wallets. The hosts discuss NYMag’s cover story about a particularly wild crypto kidnapping and examine whether this type of wealth makes you more vulnerable. And finally, AI startup Perplexity has made a cheeky bid for Google's beloved Chrome browser. The hosts talk about what makes the free platform so valuable and whether Biden era anti-trust laws will force it to spin off from Google.

Emily’s Bat Story the Numbers Round: A Tourist Ended Up With a Wild Bat in Her Mouth — And Nearly $21,000 in Medical Bills

In the Slate Plus episode: Shamans at the Wedding? In This Economy?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | The Four Years That Changed New York City Forever

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Political Gabfest host Emily Bazelon talks with Jonathan Mahler about his new book, The Gods of New York. They discuss the unraveling of Mayor Ed Koch’s New York City; how the city’s current mayoral race is mirroring the past; and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - When Trump Hits New Jersey, This Lawyer Hits Back

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Law firms, universities, and businesses are bending the knee to the Trump administration at the slightest threat. Amid this shocking cowardice, blue states have been a bastion of defiance against the president’s escalating power grabs—with attorneys general leading the way. Mark Joseph Stern talks with New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, who has been on the frontlines of this battle since Day One.

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What Next - Bonus: Kill Tony, Alive and Thriving

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 17:00:00 GMT

A patron and perhaps foremost practitioner of “anti-woke comedy,” Tony Hinchcliffe sits atop his own thriving comedy kingdom in Austin. And when you’re on top, you’ve got nowhere to punch but down.

Guest: Luke Winkie, staff writer at Slate, author of “The Cult of Kill Tony”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Trump Dips into NVIDIA’s Chips

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Jensen Huang, cofounder of NVIDIA, finds himself president of a $4 trillion company, at the forefront of A.I. technology, and, consequently, something of an international diplomat, as he charms President Trump and negotiates to sell his powerful chips to China.

Guest: Amrith Ramkumar, reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Washington covering tech and crypto policy.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Ethan Oberman, Patrick Fort, and Elena Schwartz.

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Political Gabfest - Humvees on the National Mall

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and guest host Jamelle Bouie discuss the perils of this week’s Trump-plus-Putin (minus Zelensky) summit in Alaska, how Trump’s claimed crime “emergency” provided pretext for National Guard deployment and takeover of D.C. police, and a new presidential memorandum requiring colleges to share admissions data to “verify” that they are not considering race.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and guest host Jamelle Bouie discuss when and, perhaps more importantly, when not to give advice.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Carl Hiaasen about his new book, Fever Beach, a political satire for the Trump Era.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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What Next - In Gaza, Journalism Is a Death Sentence

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

On Sunday, Al-Jazeera’s entire team in Gaza City were killed by an airstrike. Almost immediately, Israel said it targeted one of them on purpose – Anas al-Sharif. The strike fits a pattern, growing both in Israel and across the world, of targeting journalists—and holding no one accountable afterwards.

Guest: Jodie Ginsberg, head of the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit organization promoting press freedom worldwide.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Why Washington, D.C.

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Jimmy Carter sent his daughter to its public schools; pictures of Obama still grace businesses’ walls; and now Trump has taken an interest in Washington, D.C…by deploying the National Guard, reassigning FBI agents, vowing to evict the city’s homeless population.

Guest: Jenny Gathright, reporter at the Washington Post covering the D.C. region.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - South Park Understands the Assignment

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

After using a Trump-stand-in during his first administration, South Park has come back from hiatus as vulgar and confrontational as ever, with its aiming firmly fixed on MAGA. Contrary to government sources, the show’s enjoying a renewed cultural relevance in its 27th season.

Guest: David Mack, contributing writer to Slate.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Travels: Does Travel Really Broaden the Mind?

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this special episode of Slate Money Travels, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss whether traveling can really “broaden your mind.” They dig into the distinction between ‘traveling’ and actually living somewhere; why you need to do more than tick places to see off a list to really have an experience; and how you can travel within the US and still have a mind-bending experience. Plus, Emily builds an army of Straw Men and somehow Elizabeth and Felix agree on something?

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Gutting Our National Parks

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

So why is the Trump administration cutting their budget?

Guests:

Jon B. Jarvis,18th director of the National Parks.

Kevin Heatley, former superintendent of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Here Comes the A.I. Music Slop

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

It’s hard to make money in the music industry. But if you could flood every streamer with hundreds of “original” songs without having to, you know, write or produce it yourself, there’s money there—and less for everyone else.

Guests:

Chris Molanphy, host of Slate’s Hit Parade podcast.

Kate Knibbs, senior writer at Wired

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Who Gets Left Out of Originalism?

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The official history of America’s founding is often told as a whites-only story, a heroic tale of wealthy white men forging a new nation—with no mention of the people they excluded, displaced, or oppressed. But who gets left out of the story that “originalists” like to tell about the law? This week Mark Joseph Stern talks with Maggie Blackhawk, professor at NYU School of Law, and Gregory Ablavsky, a professor at Stanford Law School, about Native nations at the time of the founding, some of which were very much on the scene as the Constitution was being debated and ratified. What did they think about it? And does asking that question obscure a much more complicated—but more accurate—examination of the founding?

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Slate Money - The National Debt Question

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Planet Money’s Mary Childs wrote about why we should all care about the growing national debt right now. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck are joined by Mary to help them understand why the arguments we’ve heard before about why we don’t need to worry about the national debt are falling short. Then, they discuss the statistical crisis that was exacerbated by Trump firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after an unfavorable jobs report. And finally, they cover the massive incentive package Telsa just gave Elon Musk to keep him interested.

In the Slate Plus episode: The Case for Public Radio

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - What Happened After Meta Fired Its Fact-Checkers

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In January, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta was moving from employing professional fact-checkers to letting its users fact-check each other. If you’ve heard that it’s going perfectly, then you, too, have been exposed to misinformation.

Guest: Geoffrey Fowler, tech columnist with the Washington Post

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Ethan Oberman, and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Putting the BS in BLS

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the future integrity of US economic data after Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, what the mid-decade redistricting arms race portends for the future of US representative government, and the phenomenon of “Trump’s Rasputin,” Laura Loomer.

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Jake Jones for BBC Sport: The rise of padel and why it's so popular; LTAPadel: Official padel rules explained; Padelexpress on YouTube: The BEST Out-of-Court Points in Padel HISTORY (video 3:52)

Juliette: Jack Smart for People: Liam Neeson Kisses Pamela Anderson in Cute Naked Gun Promo: 'Couple That Laughs Together, Stays Together'; Alyssa Bailey for ELLE: How Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson Slowly Fell for Each Other: He Was ‘Smitten’ From the Start; Lisa Respers France for CNN: Pamela Anderson is having a moment. And it’s about time

David: Anne Appelbaum for The Atlantic: The Most Nihilistic Conflict on Earth; Wednesday on Netflix; Platonic – Season 2 Official Trailer on YouTube (video 2:02)

Listener chatter from Bill Jacob in Provincetown, Massachusetts: The Telepathy Tapes: A Podcast Beyond Words, from creator and host Ky Dickens.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, David, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the benefits and challenges of giving kids more freedom to play outside and participate independently, parent-free, in the real world.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Carl Hiaasen about his new book, Fever Beach, a political satire for the Trump Era.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Donald Trump Vs. Reality Itself

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump’s never been all that committed to the truth. But experts are warning that by firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and appointing loyalists across the judiciary, he’s taken his war on facts to another level. How long can he attempt to remake reality before the truth—someday, eventually, but inevitably—hits back?

Guest: David A Graham, staff writer at the Atlantic.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - A Rabbi’s Plea for Peace

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Guest: Sarah Reines, rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: The Fabulous Wealth of Carrie Bradshaw

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Slate’s own Cheyna Roth joins Emily Peck to break down how HBO’s Sex and the City revival And Just Like That…has taken the fantasy of being fabulous in New York City into a whole new tax bracket. They’ll discuss the curious dimensions of the kitchen in Carrie’s Manhattan mansion among other real estate mysteries within the show, examine why it’s so annoying to watch incredibly wealthy people be happy on TV, and ask if there really is any such thing as a “hate watch.”

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Don’t Mess With Texas’s Election Maps

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

How Texas redrawing its election maps could set off a gerrymandering arms race across the country—a race the Republicans are likely to win.

Guest: Ari Berman is a voting rights correspondent at Mother Jones.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Travels: The Eternal Baggage Question

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this special episode of Slate Money Travels, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the constant question on travelers’ minds: should you check your bag? They dig into how to make your carry-on count, the beauty of Air Tags, and Felix offers an alternative to checking a bag that isn’t a carry on.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Was Democracy Voted Out?

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Belief in democracy was, until quite recently, taken for granted in America. But what if democracy is less a static noun, and more of a dynamic ideal we (could be) working towards?

Guest:

Osita Nwanevu, contributing editor at The New Republic, columnist at The Guardian, author of “The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding.”

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The A.I. Data Center Push That Wasn't

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

OpenAI’s Sam Altman, flanked by President Trump and Softbank’s Masayoshi Son, announced a hugely ambitious investment in data centers across America to support all the artificial intelligence we’re going to be using. Months in, the project has been scaled back to a single, power-hungry data center in Ohio.

Guest: Berber Jin, reporter covering A.I. for the Wall Street Journal

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What Next - Bonus: When the French Bombed Greenpeace

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Some disputes resist an easy “good vs. evil” dynamic, but when one side calls their plans “Operation Satanique,” it’s not too hard to figure who “the baddies” are.

Guest: Dan Kois, Slate writer.

Articles mentioned in this piece:

Also mentioned: What Next: The Lawsuit Scaring Protesters.

Podcast production by Madeline Ducharme.

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Slate Money - The Nespresso Tariffs

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Trump’s big trade deal deadline expired. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss where the global tariffs stand now, how they relate to the abysmal jobs report, and the Federal Court of Appeals’ challenge on the tariffs’ legality. Then, Nathan Bomey of Axios joins to break down the ways the sports betting boom could be threatening the integrity of major leagues sports and help answer the question of whether it even matters.

In the Slate Plus episode: The big beautiful bag of the summer

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Don’t Give Up on the Law Just Yet

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

It’s easy to give up on the courts right now. SCOTUS is throwing down unreasoned decisions expanding Donald Trump’s authority, and Senate Republicans keep confirming the president’s cronies to lifetime judgeships, tarnishing the entire judiciary with their corruption. But there are judges—courageous, hard-working men and women—who have chosen a different path and are fighting to protect democracy and restore our civil rights. In his new book, Better Judgment: How Three Judges Are Bringing Justice Back to the Courts (out Sept. 2), Reynolds Holding tells the story of three of these judges and how they are laying the groundwork for a post-Trump future in which the courts serve as guardians of liberty rather than instruments of autocracy. Holding speaks with co-host Mark Joseph Stern about these judges’ refusal to accept business as usual and vision of a court that truly delivers equal justice to all.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Death of an Online Whisper Network

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMT

A shadow app for the dating world had its data hacked and exposed, and it laid bare the perils of creating safe spaces for women online — and of relying on tech companies.

Guest: Kate Lindsay, host of Slate’s ICYMI

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Political Gabfest - Gaza is Starving

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 20:40:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the international condemnations of Israel’s actions. They also examine how the Trump administration is gaining control of both universities and the judiciary—through settlements with Ivy League institutions and a controversial judicial confirmation.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, David, Emily and John discuss the controversy surrounding American Eagle

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Carl Hiaasen about his new book, Fever Beach, a political satire for the Trump Era.

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

Research by Nora Moses

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What Next - How Elon Musk Colonized NASA

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

How an Obama-era decision to invest in space capitalism handed Elon Musk a monopoly on space.

Guest: Franklin Foer, staff writer at the Atlantic, author of “The Last Politician” and “World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech.”

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Why Are So Many Institutions Caving to Trump?

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

As Trump came back to the presidency, one of the first warnings liberals began repeating was “Do not obey in advance.” But from government-agency heads to university presidents to news organizations, people are opting to simply leave their jobs, rather than do the uncomfortable work of standing up to authoritarianism.

Guest: Jonathan Last, editor of The Bulwark.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Trans and Shut Out in Trump’s America

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Trans rights and access to health care have been under attack on the state level for years, but the second Trump administration and the Supreme Court have accelerated a chilling effect at clinics across the country.

Guest: Grace Byron, author of “The Grim State of Trans Health Care” and “The Bureaucratic Nightmares of Being Trans Under Trump” for the New Yorker.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Why The Shelves Aren't Empty (Yet)

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In May, after Trump announced a thorough regime of tariffs, supply chain experts warned that Americans would be looking at empty shelves by the end of June. But here we are in late July and the stores still seem fully stocked. So what happened?

Guest: Justin Wolfers, professor of economics at the University of Michigan

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Dupes!

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

There’s an entire economy devoted to seeing what products are trending—clothing, skin care, even Greek Islands—and delivering you a cheaper knock-off to buy.

Guest: Mia Sato, reporter for The Verge

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - When Unaccountable People Come for Your Vote

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Civil rights are under attack. The Supreme Court seems to have its sights set on the Voting Rights Act. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is taking every issue to the court knowing that it will never have to face accountability there. And with states like Texas considering unpopular redistricting plans, the administration may never face it at the ballot box either.

Put more bluntly, many of our elected officials are operating with a perceived immunity from accountability of any sort. This week Dahlia spoke about the deleterious effects of these actions on voting rights with Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. They discuss the damage done to our civil rights by the current Department of Justice, and what we can learn about accountability from recent developments in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

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Slate Money - DORKs Are Cool Again

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The redditors have found a fresh batch of meme stocks. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck examine the so called DORK stocks – Krispy Kreme (DNUT), Opendoor (OPEN), Rocket Mortgage (RKT) and Kohl’s (KSS) among others – and what this resurgence of meme stocks says about the state of the market. Then, the Trump administration’s laissez-faire attitude toward financial regulation has encouraged a return of crypto ventures like Polymarket to the US. The hosts discuss this sea change and whether this lack of oversight will lead to a financial crisis. And finally, CBS says its cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is purely a financial decision despite coinciding with Paramount's settlement with number one Stephen Colbert hater Donald Trump. Was the decision all political, all financial, or all of the above?

In the Slate Plus episode: The Summer Reads Edition

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - A Colbert Report

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Was the Late Show too unprofitable, or too political?

Guest: Eric Deggans, NPR TV critic and media analyst, Knight Chair, Journalism and Media Ethics, Washington & Lee University.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - Is John Roberts to Blame for Everything?

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 20:30:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the latest developments in the Epstein files saga, how Supreme Court decisions under John Roberts have dramatically expanded Trump’s power, and whether the Texas Republicans’ redistricting plan will tip the map redder, or backfire.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss what they are enjoying reading, watching, and cooking so far this summer.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Carl Hiaasen about his new book, Fever Beach, a political satire for the Trump Era.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Nora Moses

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What Next - He Says Gaza Is a Genocide

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

What does it change to call Israel’s assault on Gaza a “genocide”?

Guest: Omer Bartov, Dean's Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University and author of the op-ed, “I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It.”

Another article mentioned in this episode:

“The Need to Forget” by Yehuda Elkana

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - How Dead Is the Department of Education?

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

If Trump follows through and successfully shuts down the Department of Education, what does America stand to lose?

Guest: Laura Meckler, national education writer for The Washington Post and author of Dream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Contemplations on Consumption

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by Emily Mester to discuss her book American Bulk: Essays on Excess. They’ll get into the dopamine-driven appeal of haul videos and Costco, the comforts and horrors of retail chains, the variable signifiers of wealth among classes, and other ways in which overconsumption shapes and reflects our lives as Americans.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - On Epstein, Democrats Go Low

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Why the Epstein scandal—more than any of Trump’s other, lengthy list of scandals—is so damaging that even the Democrats can wield it effectively.

Guest: Brian Beutler, author of the Substack “Off Message,” cohost of the podcast Politix.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Getting Anti-Vaxxers To Roll Up Their Sleeves

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Their son was immunocompromised and couldn’t get the measles vaccines. So his dad asked if everyone going to his school would get vaccinated.

And the thing is—people listened.

Guest: Carl and Rhett Krawitt

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - When Bots Go Nazi

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

It’s kind of strange that Grok, Elon Musk’s chatbot, went full Nazi a few weeks ago, and is just…still out there. But, then again, how are you supposed to hold an LLM accountable?

Guest: Drew Harwell, technology reporter for the Washington Post

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Slate Money - Which Coke's For You?

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: A judge has blocked a Biden era rule that would prevent medical debt from affecting credit scores. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss the logic behind the proposed rule and the economic consequences of this decision. Then, the French Prime Minister has proposed eliminating two national holidays as a way of reducing the national debt. The hosts discuss the likely efficacy of the plan, as well as Trump’s similar suggestion about axing Juneteenth. Finally, Trump made a post implying that Coca-Cola has agreed to use sugar cane instead of high fructose corn syrup in their US products– a claim which the company seems to dispute. What would such a change mean for the corn and sugar industries? And more importantly, which version of Coke actually tastes better?

In the Slate Plus episode: The Protein Obsession is Helping Cheese Farmers

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | A Beach Read for the Outraged

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

David Plotz talks with author Carl Hiaasen about his new book, Fever Beach. Fever Beach is a political satire that follows a couple of dimwitted white supremacists, a corrupt congressman, and the people that try to take them all down. They discuss the real-life racist event Hiaasen witnessed that inspired a central scene in the novel, how Matt Gaetz factors into the book, Hiaasen’s next moves, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - How To Build A Police State (With The Supreme Court’s Blessing)

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Over the last six months, life has been upended for millions of people in America as Stephen Miller's extreme immigration policies have been unleashed. And while the first weeks of the second Trump administration saw some genuine pushback from the Supreme Court, six months in, that feint at checking and balancing has fallen away. On this week's Amicus podcast, Dahlia Lithwick welcomes Aaron Reichlin Melnick, Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council. Reichlin Melnick last appeared on the show in the days after Trump's inauguration and the initial barrage of lawless Executive Orders targeting the immigration system and the millions caught in it. Half a year into Trump 2.0, and Stephen Miller's no-holds-barred anti-immigrant plan for America, what's stuck? What's accelerated? And in light of the new budget, what's next?

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What Next - Bonus: A Muslim, a Dad, an American

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 17:00:00 GMT

In this political moment where hostility towards immigrants and outsiders is openly espoused, one of our own colleagues has released a book about growing up as a Muslim-American in the post-9/11 era—and raising his own kids now.

Guest: Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer and author of “Becoming Baba: Fatherhood, Faith, and Finding Meaning in America.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How The Epstein Files Blew Up MAGAworld

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The MAGA world has been waiting for Jeffrey Epstein’s client list to be released since the first Trump administration. But with those like Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, who stoked interest in the list literally in power, the administration is now saying that no such list exists. For some MAGA fans, this is finally a bridge too far.

Guest: Anna Merlan, senior reporter at Mother Jones.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - MAGA’s Epstein Obsession

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 20:30:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the epic MAGA meltdown over the DOJ’s “there’s nothing to see here” Epstein files memo, how the Supreme Court is using the “shadow docket” to bolster Trump’s efforts to dismantle the federal government, and whether rescission will kill NPR and PBS.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss what they are enjoying reading, watching, and cooking so far this summer.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with author Alison Bechdel about her new book, Spent.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Can Trump Bully Russia?

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

For years, Donald Trump was often the only Western leader with anything nice to say about Vladimir Putin.But with Russia and Ukraine still fighting six months into his term, their friendship is on the rocks. Are we seeing a temporary spat – or a real policy shift?

Guest: Michael McFaul, U.S. ambassador to Russia 2012-2014, author of the upcoming book “Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder.”

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Deported—To a Country You've Never Been To

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

His client, Nyo Myint, is a refugee from Myanmar who was deported by the Trump administration—first to Djibouti, then to South Sudan—along with seven other men. His lawyer is now reaching out to the United Nations to intervene.

Guest: Jonathan Ryan, San Antonio-based immigration attorney and author of the Firewall Substack.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Behind the Democrats’ Losing Strategy

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Why the Democrats’ electoral strategy of “hire consultants to tell you which positions poll well enough to take” has run its course—and where they should look to start rebuilding.

Guest: Ben Mathis-Lilley, Slate senior writer and author of “How Strategist Brain Took Over the Democratic Party”.

Cited in this episode:

The Hollow Parties: The Many Pasts and Disordered Present of American Party Politics (Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld)

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (Robert D. Putnam)

The Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions—And How the World Lost Its Mind (Dan Davies)

Cited in this episode:

The Hollow Parties: The Many Pasts and Disordered Present of American Party Politics (Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld)

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (Robert D. Putnam)

The Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions—And How the World Lost Its Mind (Dan Davies)

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Who Is Trump Promoting For Life?

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to vote on Emil Bove, who has been promoted from Trump’s personal lawyer to his current nominee for a lifelong appointment to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. In any other administration, Bove would be a real outlier. But here? He’s par for a very strange course.

Guest: Jay Willis, editor-in-chief of Balls and Strikes.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - When A.I. is Sycophantic

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

He started using ChatGPT to help with spreadsheets. But their relationship took a turn, and before long it was telling him he could leap off a 19-story building and fly.

Guest: Kashmir Hill, features writer at the New York Times.

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Slate Money - One Big BS Bill

Sat, 12 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Trump's supersized “One Big Beautiful Bill” is now one big BS act. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers the economic ramifications of congress passing the controversial megabill. Then, Trump’s trade war continues to shock and confuse. The hosts discuss the logic, or lack thereof, of his latest tariff proposals. And finally, buried in the big ol’ spending bill is something called a Trump Account which includes $1,000 for newborns. Should you open one?

In the Slate Plus episode: The Plight of the Middle Manager

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Call Is Coming From Inside The Court

Sat, 12 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick sits down with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse to dissect the most recent Supreme Court term and its implications. They explore Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's emerging role and influence, the patterns of bias within the court that she’s calling out, and the broader systemic issues facing the judiciary. Their conversation also delves into the “worst possible nominee” for a lifetime appointment to a US court of appeals, Emil Bove. Next, they tackle climate inaction, Democrats’ failure to respond to the billionaire takeover of the Supreme Court, and why Senator Whitehouse is still optimistic about challenging, even fixing, these systems.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza 2025

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 15:52:00 GMT

The Supreme Court wraps up a momentous term. Dahlia Lithwick, Mark Joseph Stern and guests break down the cases and the controversies, explaining what it means for you, and for American democracy.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Hot Measles Summer

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

It’s a record-breaking year for America: we’ve now had the most reported cases of measles since the disease was declared “eradicated” in 2000.

How did public health backslide so hard that it undid decades of progress—and is there any hope we can get back on track?

Guest: Dylan Scott, senior health correspondent at Vox.

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Political Gabfest - Who Wants a Third Party, Anyway?

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, David Plotz and guest hosts Mike Pesca and Susan Glasser discuss what to make of Elon Musk’s quixotic attempt to start a third political party in America, how Trump’s conflation of national interest with self-interest creates an incoherent foreign policy, and the tedious but impactful “summer rerun season” of Trump’s tariff folly.

Here are this week’s chatters:

Mike: ABC7 New York: Traffic deaths across NYC at record low so far this year as City sees historic drop; Tomoki Chein for The San Francisco Standard: Policing has little effect on SF traffic deaths, decades of data show; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: NHTSA Announces Traffic Fatalities Decreased in the First Quarter of 2025.

Susan: Meg Anderson for NPR: Murders are down nationwide. Researchers point to a key reason

David: Kyla Scanlon on Substack: Kyla’s Newsletter; Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) by Jean M. Auel; Leah Dearborn for LitReactor: What Is ‘The Clan of the Cave Bear,’ and Should You Read It?

Listener chatter from Alan Spatrick in Newton, Massachusetts: Podcast by Andrew Hickey: A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, David and guest hosts Mike Pesca and Susan Glasser discuss whether ICE agents should be allowed to do their jobs in masks.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with author Alison Bechdel about her new book, Spent.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosts
David Plotz, Mike Pesca, and Susan Glasser

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What Next - Stage Managing Sex in Hollywood

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In the wake of #MeToo, Hollywood productions began hiring “intimacy coordinators,” people who work to ensure sex scenes are safe and comfortable for performers. How are they working out so far?

Guest: Jennifer Wilson, staff writer at the New Yorker.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Was the Flash Flooding in Texas Preventable?

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

After one of the deadliest floods in American history in central Texas, people are looking at cuts to the National Weather Service and FEMA’s absence contributing to the devastation. But one looming problem is much, much bigger.

Guest: Jeff Goodell, writer covering climate change, author of The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet and The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: The Working Homeless in America

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by journalist Brian Goldstone to discuss his book There is No Place for Us on the rising homelessness crisis and how a huge swath of the US population can be working and still lack stable housing. They’ll dive into the misconceptions around who makes up the homeless population, the many ways people like the subjects of Brian’s book were put into precarious situations beyond their control, and what it would take to finally end this expanding crisis.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Is Trump Running the Fugitive Slave Act Playbook?

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

A federal force—often defying local governance—coming to take people away without due process has happened before. What lessons can be drawn from parallels between a law that led to the Civil War and what’s happening today with Trump’s hardline immigration enforcement?

Guest: Jamelle Bouie, columnist at the New York Times

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Spectacle of “Alligator Alcatraz” Is the Point

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Built in just eight days, Donald Trump and Kristi Noem toured “Alligator Alcatraz,” a migrant detention facility built on a disused airstrip in the Florida Everglades. Even before Trump touched down in South Florida, branded merchandise was being sold. Soon after he headed back to Washington, the first detainees were brought in.

Guest: Sommer Brugal, Miami reporter for Axios.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How A.I. Lost (and Won) the Big Beautiful Debate

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

As the One Big Beautiful Bill bounced around Congress, one provision—the 10-year moratorium on states making laws to regulate artificial intelligence—fell out. But AI-fans don’t need to worry, there’s still plenty of industry support in the bill.

Guest: Will Oremus, technology news analysis writer for the Washington Post.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Markets Will Be Markets

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The US stock market has reached a new all time high. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined once again by investments expert Barry Ritholtz who talked us through the market turmoil of Trump’s tariff spree back in April. Barry helps the hosts break down the behavior of the markets right now, examine the historical context of record breaking highs, and theorize why the price of the US dollar is still falling.

In the Slate Plus episode: Should we just let kids have the summer to rot?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Sneak Preview: SCOTUS Made it Worse

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern answer your questions about threats to federal judges, how far religious opt-outs can go in public schools in light of Mahmoud v. Taylor, and whether or not the rule of law in America is, in fact, cooked.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Bonus: When the Internet Stopped Being Fun

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Is anyone having fun on the internet anymore? Let’s all go touch grass.

Guest: Scaachi Koul, Slate senior writer and author of “It’s Time to Log Off.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Rerun: Death of the Weather Forecast?

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This episode was originally published on April 27, 2025.

The Trump administration has already begun cutting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which includes the U.S. National Weather Service. What’s the advantage to understanding the weather less?

Guest: Daniel Swain, weather and climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Is Trump’s Reckless Bill Unpopular?

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 22:15:00 GMT

This week, David Plotz and guest hosts Will Saletan and Catherine Rampell discuss what the Senate’s regressive budget bill will do to the health of America, whether there is space left for non-Trump conservatives in American politics, and how Paramount’s settlement of Trump’s meritless lawsuit signifies the fall of another guardrail against an authoritarian president.

Here are this week’s chatters:

Will: Amy MacKinnon and John Sakellariadis for Politico: CIA review of 2016 Russia election probe finds no major flaws; Jonathan Landay for Reuters: CIA review finds flaws but does not dispute finding Putin sought to sway 2016 vote to Trump.

Catherine: Elizabeth Crisp for The Hill: Trump unveils $249 ‘Trump Fragrances’; Alisha Haridasani Gupta for The New York Times: What Does President Trump’s New Perfume Smell Like?; Nick Turse for The Intercept: The Whiff of Corruption: Trump’s New Perfume Has Strong Notes of Graft.

David: Itchy Feet Tours & Safaris in South Africa; Geoff Beattie for The Conversation: Psychology of trophy hunting: why some people kill animals for sport; Hugh Webster for Conservation Frontlines: Trophy Hunting – A Complex Picture.

Listener chatter from Teri Weaver in Syracuse, New York: Michelle Breidenbach for Syracuse.com: Cheap milk and immigration: A blunt farmer’s uncomfortable truth about NY’s dairy industry

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, David and guest hosts Will Saletan and Catherine Rampell discuss recent data showing declines in American pride largely along partisan and generational lines, and what it means to be a proud American.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with author Alison Bechdel about her new book, Spent.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - One Big Deeply Unpopular Bill

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 19:09:00 GMT

Trump wants his “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by July 4. But the bill is so large and expensive—with deep tax cuts only partially offset by huge cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—there’s something in there for almost every member of Congress to hate.

Guest: David Dayen, executive editor of the American Prospect.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Our All-Star SCOTUS End-of-Term Breakfast Table

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern host the panel that’s guaranteed to help you understand what happened during the Supreme Court’s latest term – examining the major decisions, the emergency docket, and the evolving dynamics on the court. Dahlia and Mark welcome the New York Times’ Jamelle Bouie, civil rights lawyer and 14th Amendment scholar Sherrilyn Ifill of Howard University, and Professor Steve Vladeck of Georgetown Law to Amicus, to discuss the implications of the cases and the controversies of the term that just wrapped. Together, they offer close analysis of the court’s decisions and the various justices’ machinations, while stepping back to set it all in vital historical and political context.

This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)Also! Sign up for Slate’s Legal Brief: the latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox.

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What Next - Is This the End of NPR and PBS?

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The Trump administration’s plans to strip funding from PBS and NPR is the latest in a long line of Republican fights against public broadcasting. The House has already voted to take back over a billion dollars it had previously agreed to pay. Will the Senate sign off on it next?

Guest: Brian Stelter, chief media analyst at CNN.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - We Need to Talk About the Supreme Court

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Last week’s big Supreme Court decisions walked back rights for individuals and the powers of the lower courts—and in aggregate made it ever more difficult to believe the court is anything other than another vehicle for delivering the outcomes favorable to Republicans and the conservative project.

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer covering courts and the law.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Why Is ICE Masked Up?

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

ICE agents have begun concealing their identities in masks and plainclothes while making arrests. Experts—including a former ICE official—say that endangers those agents, and violates the trust between law enforcement and the citizenry.

Guests:

Philip Bump, columnist for the Washington Post

Scott Shuchart, ICE’s Assistant Director for Regulatory Affairs and Policy Counselor to the Director, 2022–2025.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The FTC’s Merger Shakedown

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Under a normal administration, a merger between two large advertising firms might attract the government’s interest for anti-monopoly reasons. Under this one, the Federal Trade Commission is creating conditions to…ensure that X still gets advertiser dollars?

Guest: Kate Conger, technology reporter for the New York Times.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Megayacht Foam Parties Are In

Sat, 28 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary in the race for New York City mayor. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the alarmist reactions from business leaders to the Mamdani’s win and why he’s hardly the threat to capitalism they make him out to be. Then, Trump has turned his sights on Jay Powell once again, threatening to prematurely name his successor for Fed Chair. The hosts break down why this “shadow chair” tactic is unlikely to work. And finally, mega-billionaire Jeff Bezos is finally marrying his beloved Lauren Sanchez in an over-the-top, star-studded wedding in Venice. Whatever happened to stealth wealth and quiet luxury?

In the Slate Plus episode: The MAGA Blue Collar Obsession

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - “No Right Is Safe”

Sat, 28 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The cataclysmic opinions from SCOTUS on Friday certainly suggest that the courts can no longer save us. In fact, in Trump v. CASA., we learned that it’s somehow not actually the job of the courts to save us from blatant violations of our rights. With universal injunctions drop-kicked and district court judges sidelined, it’s going to be nearly impossible to vindicate your rights in Trump’s America. No rights are safe when the only way to get relief is to sue the government yourself.

And yet in a definitely-not-planned-last-day-of-the-term-with-all-the-big-cases lineup, several other bad things happened as well. Hosts Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discuss all of Friday's big decisions including Mahmoud v. Taylor, which will allow parents to opt-out of having to hear about LGBTQ+ people in schools.

This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus.

By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

Also! Sign up for Slate’s Legal Brief: the latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox.

Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Other Iran-Israel War

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In addition to the three-dimensional war of bombs and missiles, Iran and Israel—and the US—are squaring off in a cyber battle. With everything from water infrastructure to banking connected to the internet in some way, how much damage can cyberattacks do?

Guest: Maggie Miller, POLITICO cybersecurity reporter

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Let’s Plunge, New York

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 21:30:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon and guest hosts Ruth Marcus and James Forman discuss Trump’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities with guest Steven Cook from the Council on Foreign Relations, Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory in the NYC Democratic mayoral primary, and an astonishing whistleblower report that sheds incriminating light on Trump’s judicial nominee Emil Bove and defiance of court orders in deportation flight cases.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily Bazelon and guest hosts Ruth Marcus and James Forman discuss how Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s approach differs from the other liberal Justices and her ferocious critiques of the Roberts Court’s processes and opinions.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with author Alison Bechdel about her new book, Spent.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Zohran Mamdani’s Former Boss Weighs In

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

How Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani upset the better-connected, better-funded, better-known candidate in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary—and how he might actually govern if he makes it into office.

Guest: Ross Barkan, contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine columnist, and Editor-in-Chief of The Metropolitan Review.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Even This Senator Had No Warning About Iran

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

When news broke that the United States had bombed Iran, members of Congress—the only people who can authorize war according to the Constitution—found out at the same time as the rest of us. What can they do to wrest this authority back; and where is this war with Iran headed now?

Guest: Mark Warner, Democratic Senator from Virginia and Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Sneak Preview: The Supreme Court's Worst Move Since Trump Returned to Office

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 20:03:00 GMT

In this member-exclusive Opinionpalooza episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and co-host Mark Joseph Stern discuss the Supreme Court's shadow docket decision in the case of DHS vs. DVD, which allows for the deportation of migrants to third countries without due process or notice, despite the potential for torture and death. The Supreme Court's majority chose the opaque system of an unsigned, unargued, unbriefed and unreasoned order to issue a body-blow to the rule of law, undermining lower court rulings and Congressional statutes, specifically the Convention Against Torture. Dahlia and Mark discuss the Supreme Court’s accelerating trend of granting sweeping powers to the executive branch without proper justification, all while the Trump administration continues its pattern of defying lower court orders. Not great! Also not great? A brand new whistleblower report from a former rising star at the Department of Justice, claiming that Trump judicial nominee and current senior DoJ official, Emil Bove, deliberately ordered subordinates to defy court orders.

This is a member-exclusive bonus episode, part of Amicus’ Opinionpalooza coverage of the end of the Supreme Court term. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

If you are already a member, consider a donation or merchAlso! Sign up for Slate’s Legal Brief: the latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox. Delivered every Tuesday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Money is One Hell of A Drug

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by author James Frey to discuss his new novel, Next to Heaven, set among America’s ultra-ultra-rich, the real life billionaires he knows who inspired it, and why he thinks money is addicting.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Lawsuit Scaring Protesters

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

A jury recently found Greenpeace liable for more than $660 million in damages to the company behind the Dakota Access pipeline for its role in the Standing Rock protests.

But the ramifications extend far beyond Greenpeace. As protests against various Trump administration policies heat up across the country, what does this lawsuit say about how opponents can weaponize the courts to criminalize protesters?

Guest: Alleen Brown, independent investigative reporter, editor at Drilled

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump Bombed Iran. Are We at War?

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The Trump administration bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. While the Pentagon says these facilities are severely damaged, a diplomatic end to the conflict and a nuclear disarmament agreement feel less possible than ever.

Guests:

⁠Gregory Gause⁠, Visiting Scholar at the ⁠Middle East Institute⁠ and ⁠Professor Emeritus of International Affairs⁠ for the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University

⁠David Faris⁠, ⁠political science professor⁠ at Roosevelt University, ⁠contributing writer⁠ for Slate.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Airlines Are Selling Your Data to the Government

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

ARC, the data broker owned by the country’s major airlines, has been selling domestic flight data in the US to Customs and Border Protection. But in the contract, they told CBP not to reveal where the data was from… why?

Guest: Joseph Cox, co-founder of 404 Media and the co-host of the 404 Media Podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Slate Money Submits To The AI Overlords

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: We become cheerleaders for crypto regulation, AI, and…Cheerleaders. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the GENIUS act, the major crypto regulation bill which recently passed the Senate, and its implications for regulating stable coins and how it could upend payment processing as we know it in the United States. Then, the hosts discuss the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, who recently received a 400% raise as chronicled on the Netflix series America’s Sweethearts. And finally the hosts listen and react to an AI recreation of the podcast with the help by one of our listeners. Please enjoy your new parasocial relationships with Felix-bot, Emily-bot, and Elizabeth-bot.

In the Slate Plus episode: What the hell is an EMILLI?

Check out Felix’s recommendation, the Zero Art Fair, July 8-12, 2025, at The FLAG Art Foundation, NYC.

Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Many Compromises of Elena Kagan

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The Justices seem intent on packing their summer vacation bags and getting on their way.

Earlier in the week, the court’s conservative supermajority upheld a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for trans kids. The logic behind the decision was…lacking (Slate Plus members can hear about this right now). In this episode, Dahlia Lithwick talks to Chase Strangio, the lawyer for the Tennessee plaintiffs, about where we go from here.

Meanwhile, don’t miss the significance of Friday’s batch of rulings: co-host Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia to talk about the implications in cases seemingly about vaping and faxes and gas stations, but with much bigger implications. He also breaks down why Elena Kagan keeps joining the conservatives, and whether it foreshadows something bigger headed our way (light-at-end-of-tunnel-or-oncoming-train-dot-gif).

This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

(If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)

Also! Sign up for Slate’s Legal Brief: the latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox. Delivered every Tuesday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | Alison Bechdel Explains Selling Out the Progressive Way

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

David Plotz talks with author Alison Bechdel about her new book, Spent. They discuss what’s memoir and what’s less than memoir in the comic novel, David’s own contribution to the book, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Bonus: The All New Electric … Hummer?

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Listen to What Next via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, Overcast, Google Play, or iHeart.

America’s most machismo and gas-guzzling car, the Hummer, has been relaunched as an electric vehicle. But who is this electrified megatruck really for?

Guest: Alex Sammon, Slate features writer

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - We Deport. You Laugh?

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The Trump administration's anti-immigration campaign has become defined by distasteful memes that gleefully portray the mass deportations being carried out across the country. It’s impossible to ignore… which is exactly what the administration wants.

Guest: Drew Harwell, tech reporter at the Washington Post.

Podcast production by Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Massive Ordnance Penetrator

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 20:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss whether the US should join Israel’s war on Iran, the tragic Minnesota assassinations and why US political violence is surging now, and the Supreme Court’s unsurprising but willfully obtuse decision to uphold Tennessee’s youth transgender care ban.

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: A Family Matter by Claire Lynch; The Fall of Affirmative Action: Race, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Higher Education by Justin Driver; A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children by Haley Cohen Gilliland.

John: Mary Cunningham for CBS News: Federal Reserve holds its benchmark interest rate steady at today's FOMC meeting; ABA Banking Journal: Fed’s Powell says some areas of U.S. may be ‘uninsurable’ in next decade

David: Trip Gabriel for the New York Times: William Langewiesche, the ‘Steve McQueen of Journalism,’ Dies at 70

Listener chatter from Jacob Podell in Chicago, Illinois: Juliana Kim for NPR: Family shows AI video of slain victim as an impact statement – possibly a legal first

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the exciting possibilities and likely limitations of using AI tools for historical research and writing.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Mighty Real Edition

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

As What Next celebrates Juneteenth, please enjoy this episode ⁠from our colleagues at Hit Parade⁠. What Next will be back in your feed on Monday.

Little Richard was rock ‘n’ roll’s flamboyant architect. Lesley Gore sang that no one owned her. Sylvester was a gender-fluid icon who helped define disco. Freddie Mercury made rock operatic, and George Michael demanded freedom.

What all of these LGBTQ artists had in common was bold hitmaking—and fear of being fully out of the closet. For decades, queer acts topped the charts while cloaking their true identities and paving the way for today’s more openly queer stars.

For Pride Month, join Chris Molanphy as he traces the hidden history of queer hitmakers on the charts—including those that managed to be both out and No. 1, right up through our modern age of Lil Nas X and Chappell Roan. It’s a celebration of these artists’ quest to feel… mighty real.

Want more Hit Parade? Join Slate Plus to unlock monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of “The Bridge,” and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Sneak Preview: SCOTUS Apparently Doesn’t Believe Trans People Exist

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 20:00:00 GMT

In this Slate Plus exclusive episode, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern analyse the Roberts Court's decision in Skrmetti, effectively bans gender-affirming care for trans minors in more than 20 states.

This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)Also! Sign up for Slate’s Legal Brief: the latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox. Delivered every Tuesday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Kristi Noem Understands the Assignment

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

As the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem has made herself the official face of the Trump administration’s military crackdowns on protesters in Los Angeles, raids in majority-Democratic cities, and the deportations of student activists. How has she been able to consolidate so much power so quickly?

Guest: Seth Tupper, Editor-in-Chief of the South Dakota Searchlight

Ahilan Arulanantham, Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The War Netanyahu Always Wanted

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

On Friday, Israel launched massive strikes in Iran, targeting nuclear sites and killing top military leaders in the largest single-day attack on the country since the 1980s. Iran has retaliated, launching ballistic missiles at Israeli cities and killing at least eight people. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is walking a tightrope as it tries to maintain its alliance with Israel and negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran.

How might the war escalate from here? And what does this mean for America’s relationships in the region?

Guest: Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East Correspondent for The Economist.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Vaccine Skeptics Just Scored a Big Win

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, accusing members of serving industry interests and never recommending against a vaccine. Their role, however, was advising on usage for vaccines that the FDA already approved.

As RFK Jr. restaffs the committee with his own “nonpartisan” members, where does that leave vaccines and the state of American health?

Guest: Noel Brewer, Gillings Distinguished Professor in Public Health at the University of North Carolina.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Summer Travel Tips To Not Get Detained

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

A guide to keeping your phone, and your digital life, safe when you’re crossing the border.

Guest: Lily Hay Newman, senior writer for WIRED covering information security.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

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Slate Money - Peak AI Frenzy

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Warner Brothers and Discovery breakup again. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers examine the undoing of the three-year-old merger. Then, the hosts discuss runaway AI valuations as Meta spends billions on AI and xAI raises equity off a multi-billion dollar valuation. And finally, what effects are Trump’s aggressive immigration policies having on the economy?

In the Slate Plus episode: What happened to happy hour?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Tanks On DC’s Streets And A US Senator In Handcuffs

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

America feels very different this weekend. While the president’s planned military parade (that just happens to coincide with his birthday) will see tanks and armored vehicles rolling through Washington DC, federalized National Guard and US Marines have been deployed to Los Angeles over the objections of state and city electeds, many of us are reeling from seeing a sitting US Senator forced to the floor and cuffed for trying to ask a question, and dozens of protests are planned around the country to declare “No Kings”. It’s. A. Lot. In this episode of Amicus Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mark Joseph Stern to try to process some of the events of the last week, and to understand where the law stands on the key question of whether President Trump lawfully deployed troops quell anti-ICE raid protests in California that the administration is trying to claim are a “rebellion”.

This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)Also! Sign up for Slate’s Legal Brief: the latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox. Delivered every Tuesday.

Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - New DOGE, New Tricks

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Elon Musk has ridden off into the sunset acrimoniously (maybe), but the Department of Government Efficiency is just getting started. Will DOGE continue wildly cutting or is something even more chaotic coming next?

Guest: Makena Kelly, senior writer at WIRED.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - Very Heavy Force

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the ominous juxtaposition of Trump sending National Guard troops and Marines to quell mostly peaceful protests in LA with his impending military parade in DC, RFK Jr. firing the entire CDC vaccine advisory board and what this means for the future of vaccines, and a unanimous Supreme Court decision that makes it easier to win “reverse discrimination” cases.

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: David Marchese for the New York Times: The Interview: Ocean Vuong Was Ready to Kill. Then a Moment of Grace Changed His Life; Ocean Vuong for the New York Times (Opinion): My Brother’s Keeper.

John: The University of Cambridge: Medieval Murder Maps; podcast series: Medieval Murders.

Juliette: Graham Dunbar for the Associated Press: What the Trump travel ban means for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games; Chelsea Jones for CBS News Miami: Will ICE agents be at Miami’s FIFA Club World Cup games? Sheriff Cordero-Stutz responds after deleted CBP post.

Listener chatter from Katie Johnston in Bangor, Northern Ireland: Sophie Hardach for the BBC: How the humble chestnut traced the rise and fall of the Roman Empire

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss favorite dark comedy drama Hacks, which tackles the relationship between two women of differing generations and clashing opinions with witty banter and emotional richness.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Trump’s Brittle Authoritarianism

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump is sending the troops to California, while also getting ready for a big birthday parade—for himself and the US Army—in DC. Does grasping for symbols of military strength smack a bit of desperation?

Guests: Jamelle Bouie, columnist at the New York Times

Jeremy Lindenfeld, reporter and Capital and Main local news fellow.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Will Israel Starve Gaza Into Submission?

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In Gaza, two million people are at risk of starvation, as Israeli-controlled aid has been repeatedly interrupted and marked by violence towards aid workers and chaos at distribution sites.

Guests:

Mohammed Mhawish, journalist and writer from Gaza City.

Alex de Waal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, author of the 2017 book, Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Philosophy of The Budget

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Felix Salmon is joined by Barry Lam, host of Slate’ philosophy podcast Hi-Phi Nation to help him explain how the GOP sees the budget deficit in the “Big Beautiful Bill” using philosophical arguments.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Corporate America Retreats From Pride

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

After years of bigger floats and bigger rainbow-ified logos, corporate sponsorship for Pride Month celebrations is dropping off this year. But, given that Pride is the commemoration of an uprising against police harassment, maybe that’s a good thing.

Guests:

Christina Cauterucci, Slate senior writer and the host of Outward, Slate’s podcast about LGBTQ+ life, and Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs.

Tessa Skara, comedian, musician, co-host of annual comedy show “⁠Corporate Pride⁠” with ⁠James Tom⁠.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Trump Sends in the Troops

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

When immigration raids began in the Los Angeles area last weekend, so did spontaneous protests. On Sunday, Trump federalized 2,000 California national guardsmen in response. While Trump stopped short of invoking the Insurrection Act, he claimed authority to send troops wherever ICE operations might be contested by mass demonstrations.

Guest: Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Future of the Internet Hinges on Gail Slater

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater inherited the government’s antitrust case against Google and is eager to follow it through—but likely not for the same reasons as her predecessors.

Guest: Nancy Scola, reporter and contributing writer at POLITICO.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - There Is No Musk-Trump Feud Without The Roberts Court

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Money talks, and sometimes it speaks as law by fiat from the highest court in the land. In this episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick delves into the impact of money on the judiciary and, eventually, on, democracy with Michael Podhorzer, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. They discuss how the many faces of big money in America, currently personified by Elon Musk and Donald Trump, have shaped the Supreme Court and government regulations. They explore the implications of recent court decisions, the downfall of unions, and the crucial role of collective action in preserving democracy. Michael Podhorzer also writes a weekly newsletter, Weekend Reading.

Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Slate Money - Let’s TACO ‘Bout It

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Prices are going up, but inflation data has become unreliable under Trump. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss how staffing cuts at The Bureau of Labor Statistics have called economic data into question, and what that means for our economy. Then, someone went ahead and told Trump what TACO stands for and he’s pissed. The hosts discuss how a markets term coined by finance journalist Robert Armstrong went mainstream and whether Trump knowing about it changes anything. And finally, does Gen Z hate reading or not? What are these kinds of stories really telling us?

In the Slate Plus episode: The most anticipated fight is ON!

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Main Character: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Sean Diddy Combs’s trial in New York started about a month ago and was expected to take about two months, so here at the halfway mark, we check in with a Slate correspondent who has been on the scene at the courthouse.

Guest: Nadira Goffe, staff writer of culture at Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is Palantir Building a Data Big Brother?

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

One of the goals of DOGE was to get rid of the “silos” that keep government agencies from sharing freely amongst themselves efficiently and instead organize data using tools offered by companies like Palantir. The thing is, a lot of those silos are there by design, and removing them could be a nightmare for privacy advocates.

Guest: Sheera Frenkel, tech reporter for the New York Times.

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Political Gabfest - Republicans vs. the Big Beautiful Bill

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 22:43:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Elon Musk’s dramatic entrance into the fight between Republican factions over details of the Big Beautiful Bill, whether an independent judiciary can survive in the face of new threats, and the implications of Trump’s cruel new travel bans.

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Chris Cameron for the New York Times: Trump Orders Investigation of Biden and His Aides; Matt Brown and Chris Megerian for the Associated Press: Trump orders investigation into Biden’s actions as president, ratcheting up targeting of predecessor; Amanda Seitz and Geoff Mulvihill for the Associated Press: Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions; Reva B. Siegel and Mary Ziegler in Virginia Law Review: Abortion’s New Criminalization – A History-and-Tradition Right to Health-Care Access After Dobbs.

John: The Economist: How to prevent drunken punch-ups; Maya Goldman for Axios: Seniors’ marijuana use reaches new high; Benjamin H. Han, Kevin H. Yang, Charles M. Cleland, et al. in JAMA: Trends in Past-Month Cannabis Use Among Older Adults.

David: Ian Austen for the New York Times: A 355-Year-Old Company That Once Owned One-Third of Canada Is Shutting Down; Heather Whiteside for The Conversation: More than a department store: The long, complicated legacy behind Hudson’s Bay Company; Terina Ria for City Cast Salt Lake: How Julia Reagan Became a Billboard Icon; City Cast Salt Lake Podcast: The Julia Reagan Billboard Debate, Permanent Farmers Market, MomTok Parody (audio 32:00).

Listener chatter from Sam Rutledge in Eugene, Oregon: 2021 Telephone Game; Artist Application for 2025 Telephone Game

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss whether the term “TACO” (“Trump Always Chickens Out”) is a useful way of understanding Trump, and what else might be driving his unpredictable and impulsive actions.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Sneak Preview: Unanimous Opinions Out Front, Desperate Dealmaking Out Back

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 21:05:00 GMT

This is part of ⁠Opinionpalooza⁠, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. The best way to support our work is by joining ⁠Slate Plus⁠. (If you are already a member, consider a ⁠donation⁠ or ⁠merch⁠!)Also! Sign up for ⁠Slate’s Legal Brief:⁠ the latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox. Delivered every Tuesday.

Dahlia Lithwick hosts an 'Opinionpalooza' special of Amicus, covering Thursday’s decisions from the Supreme Court. She and Mark Joseph Stern dive into Ames vs. Ohio Youth Department, discussing Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s opinion on reverse discrimination, Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s refreshing nod to the establishment clause in the Catholic Charities case, and Justice Kagan’s narrow decision in Mexico’s lawsuit against US gun sellers; a decision that was not the win the gun lobby hoped for. Together, they reveal the strategy emerging from the court’s liberals this term. The episode wraps up with a deep dive into an uptick in dismissed cases and its potential link to audacious former Supreme Court clerks.

Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next - She Was Tortured. America Shut Her Out.

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Since January, the Trump administration has suspended the right to claim asylum at the southern border. One narrower form of protection—for those who had been tortured by their governments—was supposed to remain. But lawyers have realized that even that appears to be gone.

Guest: Mark Betancourt, freelance reporter covering immigration from DC, who wrote “This Ethiopian Woman Was Tortured by Her Government. The US is Sending Her Home Anyway” for KQED.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Can Zionism Survive This War?

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

After 20 months of war, with violence erupting far from the Middle East, where is the future of Zionism headed?

Guest: Isaac Saul, Tangle executive editor and author of “I think I’m leaving Zionism, or Zionism is leaving me.”

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - George Floyd Square, Five Years Later

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Five years after George Floyd’s murder sparked nationwide protests, the legacy of that movement is still being written in Minneapolis and America writ large—even as some attempt to erase it.

Guest:

Marcia Howard, president of the teacher chapter of Minneapolis Federation of Teachers

Brandt Williams, senior editor covering race, class and communities for MPR News. 

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - The Perfect Vacation Length

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this special episode of Slate Money, Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss how long is too long for a vacation. They dig into how time zones should factor into travel plans, how much recovery time you need on the back end of a vacation, and why you should sometimes plan a trip to do absolutely nothing.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Can the U.S. Learn from the U.K.'s Post-Brexit Mess?

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: voter discontentment at the two major parties is creating an opening for a far-right populist with an anti-immigration, protectionist agenda that economic experts warn would be devastating.

With a Trump trade deal in hand, can Keir Starmer and Labour give British voters something to vote for, rather than just against?

Guest: Anand Menon, professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at Kings College London.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - So Long, Elon

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

His time in Washington was brief, but we’ll be picking up the pieces for a long time. What Elon’s exit signals for the future of DOGE, and Musk’s political career.

Guest: Kate Conger, reporter for the New York Times covering X and other technology companies.

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Slate Money - Pay Offs & Lay Offs

Sat, 31 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Felix Salmon left Axios. He, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the opaque language and politics around parting ways with an employer and the motivation behind giving severance packages. Then, it seems the threat of AI taking over jobs is becoming real as the hosts examine the role state of AI in tech and other industries and its effect on the job market. Finally, major stablecoin issuer Circle is going public. So what is a stablecoin and why do people want them?

In the Slate Plus episode: Donald Trump’s Rococo Share

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - This End Of Term At SCOTUS Is Unlike Any Other in History

Sat, 31 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The end (of the Supreme Court term) is nigh. This week, Amicus goes into June Opinionpalooza mode with some meta-analysis of what to look out for as the Supreme Court delivers dozens of decisions over the next month or so. Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern say this is a term-ending unlike any other, partly because the number of cases pinging onto the high court’s shadow docket means the term may never really, truly, actually, end. And even when the shadow docket cases are decided, there is no real law that emerges, just a few lines of unsigned chicken scratch. Beyond the big merits cases concerning everything from birthright citizenship to healthcare for trans minors to racial gerrymandering to defunding Planned Parenthood, and beyond the brief, unbriefed, unargued emergency docket cases, the Supreme Court’s conservatives are in a power struggle with the very president they crowned quasi-king.

In a conversation recorded live on Friday at the WBUR Festival in Boston, Mark is joined by Professor Jed Shugerman of Boston University Law School, where they discuss the bad originalism and poor judgment that led to the Roberts’ court’s embrace of a little something called unitary executive theory that has become the Trump administration’s carte blanche.

Get Slate’s latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox. Delivered every Tuesday. https://slate.com/legalbrief

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Drone Wars

Fri, 30 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The war between Ukraine and Russia is being fought increasingly via drone —and NATO and US military leadership is training troops for future conflicts that will pit man against machine.

Guest: Jake Epstein, senior defense reporter for Business Insider.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - Why Destroy Harvard?

Thu, 29 May 2025 20:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss this week’s Supreme Court decision that validates Trump’s firing of 2 officials without cause thus stealth-overruling a key check on presidents, the power dynamics around who benefits from Trump’s attempts to destroy Harvard, and the challenges and rewards of male friendship in modern life.

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Emily Davies for The Washington Post: Trump’s clemency spree extends to ex-gangster, artist, former congressmen; Aaron Blake for CNN: ‘No MAGA left behind’: Trump’s pardons get even more political

John: Jason DeParle for The New York Times: How a Generation’s Struggle Led to a Record Surge in Homelessness; Malu Cursino for the BBC: Ancient human fingerprint suggests Neanderthals made art; Cara Tabachnick for CBS News: Last living grandson of 10th U.S. President John Tyler, a link to a bygone era, dies at 96; the Miller Center at the University of Virginia: President John Tyler (1790-1862); Sherwood Forest: More About Sherwood Forest and John Tyler.

David: Sarah Zhang for The Atlantic: The ‘Man Eater’ Screwworm Is Coming

Listener chatter from Jody Litvak in Los Angeles: The Stamp Thief (trailer video 1:58)

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss WilmerHale’s court win this week, in which Judge Leon struck down the president’s politically-motivated executive order against the law firm as unconstitutional.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Legally Dead—And Pregnant

Thu, 29 May 2025 12:53:00 GMT

Adriana Smith was nine weeks pregnant when she was declared brain dead in February—far enough along that her fetus showed cardiac activity. The hospital then refused to let her family decide whether or not they want to keep Smith on life support long enough for the fetus to be delivered.

Guests:

Imani Gandy, Editor-at-Large for Rewire News Group, covering law and courts and co-host of the podcast “Boom! Lawyered.”

Mary Ziegler, law professor at UC Davis, author of Personhood: The New Civil War Over Reproduction.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Does Gavin Newsom Have It All Figured Out?

Wed, 28 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Everyone assumes the reason Gavin Newsom has had right-wingers like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon on his podcast is to burnish his credentials for an imminent presidential run. But no podcast episode is going to make Republican voters forget that he’s a California Democrat.

Guest: Marisa Lagos, political correspondent for KQED and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Is 'Your Friends & Neighbors' Aspirational?

Tue, 27 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Hillary Frey joins Emily Peck to discuss the kind of rich people that populate the Apple TV+ show Your Friends & Neighbors, Jon Hamm’s Don Draper-esque charm, and whether there’s any real point to having a murder plot line.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - What Would You Pay to Stay Alive?

Tue, 27 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

A Revlimid pill costs about 25 cents to make, and about a thousand dollars to buy—but it’s keeping him alive, so what choice does he have?

Guest: David Armstrong, investigates healthcare at ProPublica, author of “The Price of Remission.”

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Perfecting the Balance Between Tourists and Locals

Mon, 26 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this special episode of Slate Money, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers. They talk discuss why you should never get the hotel breakfast, whether locals should get discounts at popular spots, and whether you should avoid tourist traps.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - The Glaring Problem with Headlights

Mon, 26 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

As What Next celebrates Memorial Day, please enjoy this episode ⁠from our colleagues at Decoder Ring⁠. What Next will be back in your feed tomorrow.

Something seems to have happened to car headlights. In the last few years, many people have become convinced that they are much brighter than they used to be—and it’s driving them to the point of rage. Headlight glare is now Americans’ number one complaint on the road. The story of how and why we got here is illuminating and confounding. It’s what happens when an incredible technological breakthrough meets market forces, regulatory failure, and human foibles.

So if you feel like everyone’s driving around with their high beams on all the time, it’s not your imagination. What once seemed like an obscure technical concern has gone mainstream. But can the movement to reduce glare actually do something about the problem?

In this episode, you’ll hear from ⁠Nate Rogers⁠, who wrote about the “headlight brightness wars” for The Ringer; ⁠Daniel Stern⁠, automotive lighting expert and editor of Driving Vision News; and Paul Gatto, moderator of ⁠r/fuckyourheadlights⁠.

This episode of Decoder Ring was written by Willa Paskin and Olivia Briley, and produced by Olivia Briley and Max Freedman. Our team also includes Katie Shepherd and supervising producer Evan Chung. Merritt Jacob is our Senior Technical Director.

If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, please email us at ⁠DecoderRing@slate.com⁠, or leave a message on our hotline at 347-460-7281.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Crypto's Big Win

Sun, 25 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The crypto industry poured tons of money into the last election cycle. Is the GENIUS Act, which has bipartisan support, their big payoff?

Guest: Hilary Allen, professor at American University’s Washington College of Law.

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Slate Money - Elon Backs Off

Sat, 24 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The bond vigilantes are being summoned by Trump’s take bill. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the contents of the controversial bill and how the bond markets are reacting. Then, Julian Sanchez of the WatchCats podcast joins to discuss Elon Musk’s announcement that he’s stepping back from the government and break down what he did with DOGE. Then, has the rise of GLP-1s created a dilemma for group dinners?

In the Slate Plus episode: Are We in The Slop Era?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Two Tracks of Justice

Sat, 24 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week’s episode attempts to understand the ways in which the law of Trump unfolds along two tracks at the same time. First, Mark Joseph Stern joins us to talk about the Supreme Court’s decision to let Trump fire the heads of independent agencies, undermining a 90-year-old precedent in an unsigned, two-page decision on the shadow docket. This is a case in which Donald Trump’s agenda perfectly aligns with the wishlist of the conservative supermajority that controls the court. But if the court keeps giving Trump free passes to break the law now, why should we expect him to respect the court when it tries to draw the line later?

Then Dahlia Lithwick talks to the University of Chicago’s Aziz Huq about the idea of a “dual state,” a legal arrangement in which seismic changes happen in ways that are not perceptible to the bulk of the citizens. Drawing from the work of a Jewish lawyer who witnessed the dual state operate in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Huq explains that authoritarians can seize the levers of the law to persecute disfavored groups, without disturbing the idea of the rule of law for the great majority of the nation.

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What Next - Bonus: Main Character: The One Big Beautiful Bill

Fri, 23 May 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” cleared the House this week and heads off to the Senate where…actually let’s bring in an expert to explain what happens next.

Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior political writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Inside OpenAI's Empire

Fri, 23 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

OpenAI started as a non-profit dedicated to building safe A.I. Now, they’re obsessed with building artificial general intelligence by any means necessary - even if they don’t quite know what that is.

Guest: Karen Hao, reporter and author of “Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI”

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Political Gabfest - Big and Beautiful or Huge and Horrendous

Thu, 22 May 2025 20:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the huge House tax bill and its broad economic implications with Harvard economist Jason Furman, the DOJ’s selective investigation and prosecution of officials as a method of intimidation, and the Heritage Foundation’s “Project Esther” as the Trump administration’s blueprint for shutting down dissent with accusations of antisemitism.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Can A “Morality Coalition” Succeed Against Trump?

Thu, 22 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Rev. Dr. Barber II is objecting to Republicans’ budget bill on the grounds of morality as much as politics—which is why he’s been praying, protesting, and getting arrested to stick up for those who will be affected by it.

Guest: Reverend Doctor William J. Barber II, pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Goldsboro, North Carolina, professor at Yale Divinity School, and founder of the Forward Together Moral Movement.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - If Trump Guts FEMA, Are Tornado Victims On Their Own?

Wed, 21 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

One of the more surprising targets of Project 2025—and now, therefore, the Trump administration—is FEMA. How will proposed changes affect what FEMA can do, as hurricane season begins, and as a changing climate makes weather more unpredictable?

Guest: Thomas Frank, editor for E&E News’ climate finance team.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Here’s How the GOP Cuts Medicaid

Tue, 20 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In a return to a classic party policy goal, Republicans want to add “work requirements” to Medicaid to offset costs in Trump’s “one big beautiful bill.” Work requirements for health insurance have been tried before, on the state level, and the end result is a lot of people—including working people—losing their health insurance.

Guest: Leo Cuello, research professor at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy’s Center for Children and Families and former Health Policy Director of the National Health Law Program.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - A Disneyland Guide

Mon, 19 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this special episode of Slate Money, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Slate editor in chief, Hillary Frey. They talk all things Disneyland, including why Disneyland is better than Disney World, the need to let go of the inevitable costs ahead of your trip, why it makes for a great vacation with teenagers, and more.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Is Immigration Still Trump’s Strongest Issue?

Mon, 19 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

As Donald Trump strives to deliver on his harsh immigration enforcement campaign promises, the president’s approval rating on the issue has dropped. But very public mistakes—with very real consequences—and dipping polls don’t seem to be slowing the administration down yet.

Guests:

Adrian Carrasquillo, author of the Huddled Masses newsletter from The Bulwark

Primitiva Hernandez, executive director of 805Undocufund, a central California non-profit providing legal and financial assistance to immigrants

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - You’ve Been Deepfaked

Sun, 18 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

What do you do when your likeness has been turned into A.I.-generated pornography?—it’s a problem people are already facing. But legislation moving through Congress may cause more problems than it would solve.

Guests:

Joanne Chew, actress and visual artist based in LA.

Samantha Cole, cofounder of 404 media and author of “How Sex Changed the Internet and How the Internet Changed Sex.”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - TBD | You’ve Been Deepfaked

Sun, 18 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Guests:

Joanne Chew, actress and visual artist based in LA.

Samantha Cole, cofounder of 404 media and author of “How Sex Changed the Internet and How the Internet Changed Sex.”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | How to Create an Exceptional Family

Sat, 17 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Emily Bazelon talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success. They discuss the commonalities among families that have multiple high-achieving children, what we can learn from these unique families, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Did You Fill Yer Boots With Stocks?

Sat, 17 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The stock market is coming back after its post Liberation Day fall. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what this does, and mostly doesn’t, signal about the economy under Trump. Then, one stock that is not doing well at all is the UnitedHealth Group. The hosts explain the perfect storm the company has found itself in, and examine if that’s actually the reason for its decline in the market. And finally, did you know there was insurance for self-defense shootings and AI chatbot errors?

In the Slate Plus episode: Can a (very expensive) calendar fix your marriage?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - SCOTUS Is About to Suffer Buyers Remorse, Again

Sat, 17 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Our eyes this week were trained on the arguments over birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court on Thursday. While Solicitor General John Sauer advanced wild arguments on behalf of the Trump administration, four of the justices (hint: the women) seemed extremely suspicious of his motives. The five men? Not so much. Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia Lithwick to break down Trump v. CASA Inc. and the growing divide on the court between those who trust this president and those who don’t.

Although Thursday’s arguments touched on fundamental rights, SCOTUS made the strange choice to largely avoid the constitutional question and focus on a different one: Whether district courts have the power to issue “universal” injunctions that apply nationwide, as multiple courts did in order to protect birthright citizenship from the president. Judges have issued an unprecedented number of these orders against the Trump administration—in response to Trump’s unprecedented barrage of lawless executive orders. Some conservative justices seem perturbed by the explosion of universal injunctions. But it became clear on Thursday that this is the worst case for the court to use to rein them in.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Newarkification of Flying

Fri, 16 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Aging equipment and chronically understaffed air traffic control have made flying in and out of Newark’s Liberty International Airport a delay-snarled mess. And the problems there aren’t entirely unique. Will Congress and the Trump administration be the ones to fix it?

Guest: Will Guisbond, staff reporter covering air traffic control for The Air Current

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Just a Modest $400 Million Gift

Thu, 15 May 2025 20:15:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how Trump’s trip to the Middle East is wildly off the scale of any past corruption and offensive to American tradition, the Supreme Court hearing arguments in the first case in Trump’s attempts to limit birthright citizenship, and the buzz about a new book from Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the Trump administration admitting White South Africans as expedited refugees from a nonexistent “genocide” while removing deportation protections from Afghan refugees.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with author Maggie Smith about her new book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - The Qatari Plane Is Just The Start

Thu, 15 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Between the crypto ventures, real estate deals, and a gift-wrapped tricked-out 747, it feels like Donald Trump is more open-for-business than ever this term. And since no one seems able or willing to stop him, why wouldn’t he be?

Guest: Andrea Bernstein, investigative journalist and host of Trump Inc and author of “American Oligarchs: The Kushners, The Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power.”

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump’s Middle East Diplomacy

Wed, 14 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Ahead of his first trip to the region, Donald Trump’s policies toward the Middle East have been full of surprises. He wants sanctions on Syria lifted; he revealed the U.S. has been negotiating directly with Hamas; and he’s considering a new nuclear deal with Iran—and without consulting with Israel.

Guest: Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for the Economist.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: An Economist Shares Her Cheat Codes

Tue, 13 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Redfin’s Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather has a new book, Hate The Game, where she shares the "economic cheat codes” she’s discovered for life, love and work. She joins Emily Peck to discuss topics from the book like how to use game theory when asking for a raise and why Destiny’s Child is such a good parable for knowing your negotiating power.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - David Hogg Wants Democratic Politicians to Be Afraid

Tue, 13 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

What if the Democratic Party’s problem isn’t just messaging—it’s the Democrats themselves, and “seniority politics” that never call incumbents to account? Is it time for a Tea Party-style cleaning-of-the-house?

Guest: David Hogg, DNC Vice Chair and founder of Leaders We Deserve PAC

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The War Over Pete Hegseth

Mon, 12 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Despite being perhaps the least experienced person to ever hold his position, Pete Hegseth has set about dramatically reforming the Department of Defense to Donald Trump’s specifications—which seem to have less to do with creating a more effective fighting force, and more to do with window dressing.

Guest: Tom Bowman, Pentagon reporter for NPR.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Online and Pregnant

Sun, 11 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The intimate and extremely personal experience of bringing a child into this world? There’s an app for that…and forums…and so much advice…that contradicts other advice…and a surprising amount of eugenics.

Guest: Amanda Hess, critic at the New York Times and author of the book “Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Tariff Stockholm Syndrome

Sat, 10 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The UK and the US agreed to the framework for a trade deal. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the details of the agreement and what it means that it includes keeping the 10% baseline tariffs staying in place. Then, Bill Gates has announced that he’s winding down the Gates Foundation and doubling the money he’s giving away. The hosts discuss how this is a reaction to Elon Musk’s slashing of USAID and the state of billionaire philanthropy. And finally, OpenAI has reversed its plan to become a for profit enterprise after public backlash. The hosts discuss implications of the governance structure going forward.

In the Slate Plus episode: Can Trump really put tariffs on Hollywood?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - SCOTUS, Meet The Broligarchs

Sat, 10 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

After Silicon Valley’s yeet to the right after Donald Trump was elected in 2016, and the DOGE-ification of the federal government (read: chaos and abuse as the driving ethos of HR), it felt like high time to delve into the evolving relationship between tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel and the U.S. government. Their influence has massive implications for core constitutional issues such as mass surveillance, privacy, and deregulation. Kara Swisher joins Dahlia Lithwick on this week’s Amicus to highlight the dangers of tech giants' encroachment on government oversight and the implications of AI and cryptocurrency.

This week’s episode concludes with a heartfelt tribute to Justice David Souter who died on Thursday. Dahlia and former Souter Clerk Mary-Rose Papandrea reflect on the late Justice’s humility, judicial philosophy, and the profound loss felt by his former clerks and the legal community.

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What Next - Bonus Main Character Syndrome: Your Mom

Fri, 09 May 2025 17:00:00 GMT

As we head into Mother’s Day weekend (there’s still time to get to the florist if you hurry!), we dive into “motherhood in the moment”—where “pro-natalism”, the rising cost of childcare, and, um, Chapelle Roan are making the “Tiger Mom” era of a decade ago seem quaint.

Guest: Jenée Desmond-Harris, staff writer for Slate and host of Dear Prudence.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Chatbots All The Way Down

Fri, 09 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Why artificial intelligence isn’t waiting for consumer demand.

Guest: Gerrit De Vynck, tech reporter for The Washington Post.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Trump Backlash, Australian-Style

Thu, 08 May 2025 19:18:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss anti-Trump sentiment in foreign elections with former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, why the Trump administration has done relatively little about medication abortion so far and whether it will last, and how looming Medicaid cuts will hurt millions of Americans.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss whether and how to pay attention and respond when Trump “jokes” about the possibility of serving a third term as president.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with author Maggie Smith about her new book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life.

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

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Yes, Shelves Will Be Empty

Thu, 08 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The consequences of Donald Trump’s new tariffs are working their way through the supply chain and soon will start showing up for consumers in the form of empty shelves, higher prices, and potentially even layoffs and a recession.

Guest: Christopher Mims, Wall Street Journal tech reporter and the author of Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door---Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy.

Jessica Berger, CEO of Bundle x Joy.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Arts of the Deal

Wed, 07 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

How Donald Trump is attempting to shape the arts to his own liking, from installing himself as head of the Kennedy Center to canceling grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, throwing organizations and projects of all sizes into uncertainty and chaos.

Guests:

Alisa Solomon, director of the Arts & Culture concentration at the Columbia Journalism School

Katy Waldman, staff writer for the New Yorker.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - A Marco Rubio for All Seasons

Tue, 06 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Marco Rubio has been collecting titles. In addition to Secretary of State, he’s now also the acting administrator of USAID, the acting archivist for the National Archives and Records Administration—and he just became a National Security Advisor. It fits his career trajectory, wherein Rubio has proven time and time again to be whatever he needs to be.

Guest: Justin Peters, Slate correspondent and author of “What Happened to Marco Rubio?”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump v. the Judiciary

Mon, 05 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Is the arrest of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan the start of Trump’s open war on judges?

Guest: Jeremy Fogel, retired federal judge and executive director for the Berkeley Judicial Institute.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How Elon Wields Power

Sun, 04 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

What is it about the way that Elon Musk wields power that led 65 percent of Americans to agree he has too much influence on the federal government?

Guest: Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post tech reporter and author of “Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Everyone Cares About Power Grids This Week

Sat, 03 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The entire Iberian peninsula lost power for 18 hours. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by energy expert John Kemp to talk about why that might have happened and nerd out on power grids. Then, the GDP is down by 0.3%. But is that really the right metric to care about? Finally, the tech world is bringing back the brutal system of stack ranking management. The hosts discuss why this might be ill advised.

In the Slate Plus episode: Are Toy Tariffs…Good?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Un-American Project

Sat, 03 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Whether it’s attempting to overturn birthright citizenship, effectively stripping citizenship from American children, or claiming Alien Enemy Act war powers under an imaginary invasion, Trump’s anti-immigrant moves are outlandishly unconstitutional. They are also being met with significant pushback from judges, even conservative ones. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern who explains the landmark ruling from a Trump-appointed judge in the southern district of Texas that declared the administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act is unlawful. Next, Amanda Frost, University of Virginia law professor and author of You Are Not American: Citizenship Stripping from Dred Scott to the Dreamers, joins Dahlia to explain what Birthright Citizenship really means, and all the ways Trump is working to redefine what it means to be an American, including stripping citizenship from children and denaturalizing adults.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Marc Andreessen’s New Deal

Fri, 02 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

What drove Marc Andreessen’s transformation into a political actor, and what is he looking for from having Washington in his thrall?

Guest: Zoe Schiffer, WIRED journalist covering business and Silicon Valley.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Only 100 Days

Thu, 01 May 2025 20:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump administration’s first 100 days and recent polls, the state of American health policy and underlying DOGE cuts with reporter Dan Diamond, and a potential radical shift in American life if the Supreme Court allows a religious charter school in Oklahoma.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily and David interview John about his professional and personal experience of covering the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome for CBS Evening News.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with author Maggie Smith about her new book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

Thu, 01 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Many of the policy changes in Trump’s first 100 days have come from the White House—but now, it’s Congress’s turn. Republicans have roughly a month to pass a multi-trillion-dollar bill to advance the president’s domestic agenda. But will the bill’s combination of tax cuts and increases in spending on defense and border security render it unpassable for GOP budget hawks?

Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer at Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Inside the ICE Prison Holding Student Detainees

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

After Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk was abducted off the streets of her district, Rep. Ayanna Pressley is not mincing words when it comes to the Trump administration: “These are the actions of a dictator.”

Last week, Rep. Pressley traveled to Louisiana with a Congressional delegation to visit Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil in the ICE detention facilities where they’re being held. Now, she’s speaking out about what she witnessed firsthand.

Guest: Ayanna Pressley, US representative for Massachusetts’ 7th district and member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: The Family Squabble That Could Change Right-Wing News

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Succession may be over but the drama continues for the Roy family’s real world counterparts. Felix Salmon is joined by McKay Coppins to discuss his experience getting up close and personal with the Murdoch family and break down the dynamics behind the battle over the family empire.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Will HHS Survive RFK Jr?

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

At his first press conference as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, RFK Jr. gave a glimpse of what the department will look like under his leadership: a smaller overall budget, relitigating settled scientific questions.

Guest: Kiera Butler, senior editor and reporter at Mother Jones and author of Raise: What 4-H Teaches Seven Million Kids and How Its Lessons Could Change Food and Farming Forever.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Are Public Schools the Supreme Court's Next Target?

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The Supreme Court is hearing two cases this month regarding religion in public schools that seem to contradict each other—a public school in Maryland where parents claim books with LGBTQ characters or themes are indoctrination, and a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma arguing it has the right to state funding. Can the court’s religion-friendly majority give them both what they want without falling afoul of the First Amendment?

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer for Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Death of the Weather Forecast?

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Guest: Daniel Swain, weather and climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Say Goodbye to Hollywood

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Trump has reversed his stance on Jay Powell and his extreme tariffs on China. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Trump’s backtrack on his threat to fire the Fed chair as well as his recent concession that his 145% tariffs on China aren’t sustainable. Then, the hosts weigh in on the growing trend of film and television productions moving out of California in search of budget breaks, as reported by The New York Times. And finally, the ice bucket challenge is back. The hosts debate the efficacy of viral awareness campaigns.

In the Slate Plus episode: Junk fees have been vanquished!

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Anti-Trump Cases That Have Changed The Game

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

As we approach President Trump’s 100th day in office (this time around) this Wednesday, Dahlia Lithwick checks in with one of the key architects of the litigation strategy that is successfully confounding the administration’s most exorbitant executive overreach. After almost 140 executive orders and scores of associated lawsuits, it’s hard to keep track of the state of play. But Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward is on hand to help us think through the main strands of anti-authoritarian litigation, and to explore how some recent wins in court against Trump 2.0 are upending the administration’s attempt to style itself as an all-powerful unitary authority.

Next, Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern joins to discuss the Supreme Court's recent actions, including a significant order halting deportations to El Salvador, reflecting a growing judicial resistance to the administration's overreach and a confusing claim that Presidents work for . . . their lawyers?

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Immigration Data Dragnet

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

One of DOGE’s goals is to get government data out of “silos” and make it more easily shared across departments. But there are good reasons for some data to be kept apart.

Guest: Vittoria Elliot, WIRED reporter covering platforms and power.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - One Thing Even Trump Won’t Do

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 20:15:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Henry Blodget to discuss the financial and political fallout from the President’s threats to fire Fed Chair Powell and subsequent retreat; a Supreme Court case over free exercise of religion that could have broad implications; and why Trump stands by Hegseth after Signalgate Part 2.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily and David are joined by Henry Blodget to discuss the weird and somewhat terrifying AI experiment he conducted for his Substack Regenerator.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with author Maggie Smith about her new book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Flight Attendant Who Wants You to Go on Strike

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Guest: Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL–CIO.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Fed Up!

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Why Trump wants to ouster his own appointee, Jerome Powell, from the Fed chair—and why the rest of the world is rooting for Powell to stay put.

Guest: Liz Hoffman, Semafor’s business and finance editor, host of Semafor’s World Economy Summit, and author of Crash Landing: The Inside Story of How the World’s Biggest Companies Survived an Economy on the Brink.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Ciao Papa

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Preaching for empathy and compassion, Pope Francis was at times seen as an agent of dramatic change in the Catholic Church. Did he succeed? Is that even an answerable question before the world knows his successor?

Guest: David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Why Did Big Law Fold So Easily?

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Some of the nation’s biggest law firms have found themselves in Trump’s crosshairs and have pledged pro-bono legal service to maintain their security clearances and access to government buildings. Others, however, are trying to fight back.

Guest: Ankush Khardori, attorney and former federal prosecutor in the US Justice Department.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Baby Monitor Trap

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

If setting up a baby monitor in the room with your sleeping kids doesn’t allow you to pop out and enjoy the cruise ship, what are they actually good for?

Guest: Stephanie Murray, writer for The Atlantic, the newsletter Family Stuff, who wrote “You’re on Vacation. You Leave Your Kid in Your Hotel Room With a Baby Monitor. What Could Go Wrong?” for Slate.

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Slate Money - Jay Powell’s Tough Call

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Trump isn’t happy with Fed chair Jay Powell’s take on his tariffs. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers and guest host Cardiff Garcia discuss the economic reasoning for why Powell is resisting the president’s demands to lower rates and what would happen if Trump finds a legal way to fire him. Then, the Trump administration is both gutting the IRS and potentially weaponizing it against Harvard. The hosts discuss the consequences of politicizing the agency. Finally, Trump’s trade war keeps escalating as China refuses to back down. Is there any chance for a good outcome?

In the Slate Plus episode: Elon Musk’s Baby Brood

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | How to Turn the Creative Process Into “Good Trouble”

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

John Dickerson talks with author Maggie Smith about her new book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life. They talk about the essential elements of all creative projects, when you know a project is “done”, how to stay “porous” in the world, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Playing Chicken With the Constitution

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Ever since March 15, when three flights carrying hundreds of men who had been afforded zero due process left United States airspace and landed in El Salvador, American democracy has been hurtling toward an internal conflict that the federal judiciary would very much prefer to avoid, but just keeps getting more unavoidable. On this week’s Amicus podcast, Mark Joseph Stern is joined by Leah Litman for the first half of the show. They discuss how, faced with a Trump administration that claims the ability to rewrite the Constitution on the fly, denies the ability to follow court orders, and dangles the possibility of extending its lawlessness to renditioning American citizens to a foreign prison, the federal judiciary this week did what the Supreme Court failed to do last week: explicitly call out the regime’s lawless actions. Aptly, Leah’s new book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes, comes out on May 13 and they discuss how the highest court’s enabling of Trump and MAGA more broadly has brought us to the constitutional precipice.

Next: In the six months since the re-election of Donald Trump, abortion and reproductive rights have been squished way below the fold, news-wise, obscured by an ever-mounting pile of terrifying headlines. But outside of the public glare, the legal landscape of reproductive rights has been shifting. Dahlia Lithwick talks to Mary Ziegler about her book Personhood: The New Civil War Over Reproduction. Together, they examine how notions of fetal and embryonic personhood are fueling punitive actions against women, physicians, and those who provide or seek healthcare related to reproduction.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The U.S. vs Meta

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week, the FTC and Meta began a trial to determine if—by adding Instagram and WhatsApp to its portfolio with Facebook over a decade ago—the company became a monopoly in social media. If Meta loses, it could be forced to split up, losing Instagram—and its substantial ad revenue.

Guest: Paresh Dave, senior writer at WIRED.

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Political Gabfest - Trump vs. Harvard

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 20:30:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump administration’s ramped up attacks on Harvard and international students, the courts flirting with findings of contempt after the administration ignores and mocks court orders, and the ways the Trump tariffs and exemptions invite corruption and “swampiness.”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the implications of the White House cutting the wire services seat from the press pool to explicitly punish the Associated Press.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with author Adam Higginbotham about his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Should Hospitals Drug Test New Moms?

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In an ongoing opioid epidemic, hospitals drug testing new mothers and their babies has an intuitive logic. But applied unequally, rife with false positives, and prone to disrupting those important early weeks, is it a best practice?

Guest: Shoshana Walter, investigative reporter for The Marshall Project

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - When a State Tells Trump 'No'

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In February, Donald Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills got into a spat over Trump’s executive order on trans athletes, that ended with both parties tersely agreeing to meet in court. Since then, the Trump administration seems to be trying to make an example of the state—cutting off federal funding where it can.

Guest: Callie Ferguson, investigative reporter for the Bangor Daily News.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: The Student Loan Paradox

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: The federal student loan program was meant to help students seeking a route to a better life – so why is it putting so many of them into crippling debt instead? Journalist Jillian Berman, author of Sunk Cost: Who’s to Blame for the Nation’s Broken Student Loan System and How to Fix, joins Emily Peck to unpack the fraught history of the national student debt system and discuss where it stands now.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Trump’s Weaponized IRS

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

On April 7, the Treasury Department and Department of Homeland Security reached an agreement to allow ICE to use confidential tax information to locate undocumented immigrants. Though this group generally pays taxes at a higher rate than comparable U.S. citizens, advocates warn that the IRS-ICE team-up could have a chilling effect. They say it’s likely to endanger the $66 billion in federal tax revenue undocumented immigrants are estimated to contribute, and add to a climate of fear in communities nationwide.

Guest: Francine Lipman, law professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Project 2025’s Plan for Your Family

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Despite what Trump said on the campaign trail, his administration seems to be working right out of Project 2025, where the first goal is to “Restore the family as the centerpiece of American life—and protect our children.” What does this mean in action? It starts with a very specific type of “family.”

Guest: David Graham, Atlantic staff writer and author of the forthcoming book, The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - TikTok: Somehow Also Affected by the Tariffs

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

TikTok was on the verge of being sold to a non-Chinese company when Trump rolled out his new tariff plans. Now everything is thrown into uncertainty and the company has until mid-June to find another buyer—or be banned in the United States.

Guest: Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times reporter covering TikTok, technology and emerging media companies.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - The Economy’s ‘One Guy Problem’

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Trump’s erratic tariff policies are creating a lot of volatility in the markets. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by investments expert Barry Ritholtz to unpack the week’s wild tariff news and this uniquely unpredictable situation where one person’s decisions are having a huge effect on the markets. Then, Barry helps the hosts understand investing in this environment with lessons from his new book ‘How Not To Invest’.

In the Slate Plus episode: The trouble with leaf blowers.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - A Lawyer’s Guide to Not Caving to the President

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

On this week’s Amicus, autocratic creep in high and low gear. In high gear: The Supreme Court finally issued its order in Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s case, requiring that the government “facilitates” Abrego Garcia’s return from the El Salvadoran prison to which he was illegally and accidentally reditioned, but also recognizing the limits on its authority to direct the executive branch. Dahlia Lithwick talks to Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern about the ways in which the High Court’s attempts to avoid a showdown with the Trump administration may be futile.

Next, Dahlia turns to the autocratic creep in low gear that is President Trump’s buyout of Big Law. Jessie Weber, managing partner at Brown Goldstein and Levy, shares her view from a firm that has no intention of capitulating government bullying.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Trump Tariffs Hit Mushroom Kingdom

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The same day Nintendo was officially introducing its latest console, Donald Trump was announcing his new global tariff plan. As a result, gamers were treated to an early preview of what a world bound up in tariffs would look like. Spoiler: It’ll probably cost you a lot more.

Guest: Jason Koebler, a co-founder of 404 Media

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - The Bond Market Shrieks

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 22:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the self-inflicted chaos of Trump’s tariffs and an escalating trade war with China; the Supreme Court’s careful responses to deportations without due process which leave key questions unanswered; and the brazen attempted heist of a North Carolina Supreme Court seat by Republicans.

Emily: Adam Cancryn and Maggie Miller for Politico: Trump orders investigation of two first-term administration aides who criticized him

John: Blue Mass (Wikipedia); National Museum of American History: Blue Mass Compound, Sugar-coated Pills; Wallace B. Mendelson for Psychology Today: Heavy Metal Blues: The History of Medicinal Mercury; Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green; Alka Agrawal for Science: All the President’s Pills.

David: Sage McHugh for The Spruce: The 7 Best Moth Repellents the Spruce Has Tested; Sophie Yarin for The Brink: Pioneering Research from Boston University: Elevating the Clothes-Eating Moth from Pest to Evolutionary Marvel; Chris Obenschain for HowStuffWorks: What To Do If You Inherit An Old Car

Listener chatter from Tim in Solana Beach, California: Jack Dolan for the L.A. Times: As baby great whites cruise among California surfers, science finds (almost) nothing to fear; Video (3:15), L.A. Times on YouTube

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss favorite artworks they turn to for solace and perspective when chaos and tumult dominates the news.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with author Adam Higginbotham about his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Impeachment From the Bottom Up

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Thousands of “Hands Off!” protestors took to the street over the weekend. While it’s clear they were marching against the actions of Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, what would “hands off” look like? If it’s removing these guys from office, why not tell the people with the power to do it?

Guest: Gabe Garbowit, former Senate staffer, current organizer at citizensimpeachment.com

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - A Cancelled Actor Scripts His Comeback

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Jonathan Majors was an actor on the rise—indie credits, prestige television, a Spike Lee joint, a superhero film. But all of that looked like it was over when Majors was found guilty of assault and harassment in 2023.

Now Majors is back on the promotional circuit for the film “Magazine Dreams.” Is this evidence of the #MeToo movement’s waning power, or is it more of the same from an industry that’s always eager for a man’s redemption story?

Guest: CT Jones, culture writer at Rolling Stone

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Sneak Preview: The Supreme Court Just Gave The Trump Administration Everything It Wanted—Almost

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:30:00 GMT

Here’s a question for you. If you are scooped up by ICE (masked, covering badge numbers), then moved from one detention center to another in quick succession, before being hastily forced onto a flight to El Salvador where you are imprisoned in a “terrorism confinement center” beyond the jurisdiction of the United States –– at what point in that process could you access some kind of adjudicatory review? In this bonus episode of Amicus for Slate Plus members, Dahlia Lithwick tackles the Supreme Court’s shadow docket decisions in two overlapping but distinct cases stemming from the Trump administration’s renditioning of detainees to an El Salvadorean mega-prison which also happens to be a legal black hole.

Joined by Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern, they explore the legal and procedural concerns, the consequences for due process, and why five justices saw fit to reward the Trump administration for some very out-of-bounds behavior in the lower courts.

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What Next - The Mass Grave in Gaza

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

While Egypt and the Gulf States submit proposals to rebuild Gaza, Israel is moving forward with President Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the war rages on, and Gazans have been struggling to access essentials like food and medical supplies.

Guest: Aya Batrawy, NPR international correspondent based in Dubai.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Upside Of Tariffs

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Maybe Trump doesn’t care if the economy tanks—maybe he believes he can play it all to his advantage. And maybe, through a lot of pain, this is the only way America’s going to learn its lesson.

Guest: Jonathan Last, editor of The Bulwark

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Wall Street Can’t Quit Elon

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Elon Musk’s polarizing persona and antics have created a toxic cloud around his companies, particularly Tesla. But despite that, Wall Street can’t seem to quit him. Why?

Guest: Felix Salmon, host of Slate Money and chief financial correspondent for Axios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - He Was Deported by Administrative Error. We Talked to His Lawyer.

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The US government’s use of a prison in El Salvador as an extra-judicial due-process free black site has been rendered starkly visible by the story of one man they tried to disappear. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick interviews Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, lawyer for Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident, husband and father, who was illegally deported to El Salvador in March due to what the government admits was an administrative error. Abrego Garcia was abruptly detained by ICE, torn from his family, and sent to a brutal Salvadoran prison despite having legal protections against deportation. The Justice Department now says Abrego Garcia must remain in the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador. On Friday a district court judge in Maryland ordered his return.

Next, we turn to the Trump administration's disastrous tariffs. Slate's Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia to explore the legality of Trump’s latest, inexplicable round of tariffs against the rest of the world, and debate whether the Supreme Court will apply its so-called “major questions doctrine” when a Republican is in the White House.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - That Wack-Ass Tariff Formula

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: Trump unveiled his extensive list of tariffs. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the questionable math that went into calculating these hefty tariffs and the stock market’s extremely negative reaction to the announcement. Then, Trump has picked a fight with the country's biggest law firms, threatening the integrity of the US legal system. Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern joins to break down the situation. And finally, the US dollar is down after Trump’s tariff announcement which was a big surprise. (Listen to our episode with Paul Krugman to understand why.) The hosts examine the factors that led to its weakening.

In the Slate Plus episode: Broadway plays have gone Hollywood.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Where DOGE Is Taking Us

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week, DOGE set its sights and scythe on the Department of Health and Human Services, with a goal of cutting 10,000 federal workers, once again raising the question: what’s their endgame here?

Guest: Makena Kelly, senior writer for WIRED

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - The Democrats Had A Good Day

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 22:05:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss liberal judge Susan Crawford’s sweeping victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race; Trump’s new, nearly universal massive tariffs; and the dangerously casual standards the government is using to deport alleged gang members despite acknowledged mistakes.

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Stephanie Nolen for the New York Times: Millions of Women Will Lose Access to Contraception as a Result of Trump Aid Cuts.

John: Arthur Delaney for HuffPost: Emails Confirm Social Security Administration Canceled Maine Contracts As Political Payback; Fatima Hussein and Patrick Whittle for the Associated Press: Social Security’s acting leader faces calls to resign over decision to cut Maine contracts. Bodkin on Netflix.

David: Book Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, by author Adam Higginbotham; Movie The Intern with Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway (official trailer on YouTube: The Intern); book Emma by Jane Austen (Emma ebook at Project Gutenberg; Emma at Jane Austen’s House).

Listener chatter from Emma in Lebanon, New Hampshire: Vermont’s ‘Mr. Maple’ Has Great Stories To Tell

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily talks with Annie Karni and Luke Broadwater about their new book, Mad House: How Donald Trump, MAGA Mean Girls, A Former Used Car Salesman, A Florida Nepo Baby, and a Man With Rats In His Walls Broke Congress.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with author Adam Higginbotham about his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Lives Ruined by Trump's Deportation Machine

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Trump campaigned on deporting dangerous criminals, but in his administration’s haste to deliver on that promise, men with no criminal records or who are in the United States legally have been taken to a prison in El Salvador, which even the administration admits was a mistake.

Guests:

Jonathan Blitzer, staff writer at the New Yorker, author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis.

Nick Miroff, staff writer for The Atlantic covering immigration.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How the Supreme Court Could Gut Planned Parenthood

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, a case that will determine whether South Carolina can cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

But with clear legal precedent stating that they can’t, how did this case even end up before the Supreme Court? And, given how far the court has gone to accommodate the MAGA agenda, is the outcome of this case in doubt?

Guest: Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent at Vox.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: The Campaign Against the Free Press

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Amidst the Trump administration’s continued attacks on the press, David Enrich’s new book, Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment, and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful, feels incredibly timely. He joins Elizabeth Spiers to discuss his reporting on increasing efforts to exploit the legal system to protect the rich and powerful from being held accountable, creating an incredibly fraught landscape for journalists and news outlets.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Free Speech? Not If You’re A Foreign Student.

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 07:00:00 GMT

As video of federal agents stopping Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk on the street and taking her away to be detained circulated on social media, people kept asking, “how could this happen here?” The answer involves organizations that claim to help the federal government identify and find activists, and victims whose rights to free speech and due process can be swiftly suspended.

Guest: Aymann Ismail, staff writer at Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Will Elon Musk Buy Another Election?

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

How an election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court has become a referendum on Elon Musk—and the most expensive state supreme court race ever.

Guest: John Nichols, associate editor at The Capital Times in Wisconsin, contributor on electoral politics and public policy for The Nation, and author of multiple books on media and politics.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - This Is Your Brain On Ketamine

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Ketamine has gone from a recreational psychedelic to an approved treatment, and it has caught on in Silicon Valley in a big way. Are the long-term effects of using ketamine—recreationally or therapeutically—sufficiently known? Are we witnessing them right now?

Guest: Shayla Love, staff writer for the Atlantic.

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What Next - TBD | This Is Your Brain On Ketamine

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Guest: Shayla Love, staff writer for the Atlantic.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Illegal Group Chats Are Everywhere

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: A leaked Signal message revealed illegal use of the commercial app by the Defense Department. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain how this is a common issue in finance, where employees often defy SEC regulations on secure communication in favor of more convenient ways of communicating. Then, a recent study shows that people are leaving states with anti-abortion laws and other evidence suggests political migration in the US is on the rise. Finally, Dollar Tree is selling Family Dollar to private equity for $1 billion, 10 years after buying it for $8 billion. The hosts discuss what might have led to the end of the disastrous merger.

In the Slate Plus episode: Felix joins What Next host Mary Harris to talk about the godfather of crypto, Satoshi Nakamoto.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trump’s Plan To Put A Chokehold On Voting

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The Trumpian inversion of reality was threaded into so many areas of the law and active litigation this week.

Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss the apparent evaporation of judicial patience for Trump lawyers simultaneously claiming that a signal chat was not classified or subject to record preservation rules, AND the flights to El Salvador that were filmed for posterity on arrival at a prison were in fact state secrets. Together, they also think through the likelihood of the Supreme Court stepping into the Alien Enemies Act case at this early stage by just taking the Trump administration at its word that those summary renditions were totally legal and constitutionally correct.

Next, Dahlia Lithwick talks to Wendy Weiser, vice president for democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School, about another Trumpian inversion of reality: his executive order titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections”, which in fact is not about election integrity, but instead an extension of the Big Lie election theory that could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - We Made a Memecoin

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Guests:

Azeem Khan, advisor to UNICEF’s crypto fund and cocreator of the blockchain Morph.

Nitish Pahwa, Slate staff writer covering business and tech.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Houthi PC Small Group

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 20:30:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the hilarious-if-it-wasn’t-so-terrifying accidental sending of secret attack plans from Trump administration officials to a journalist; the chilling capitulation of big law firms to Trump’s onslaught; and similar aggressive efforts to intimidate higher education in the United States.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily and David talk with Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow about the path forward for Democrats and her new book Hate Won’t Win: Find Your Power and Leave This Place Better Than You Found It.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with author Adam Higginbotham about his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Group Chat Heard ‘Round the World

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

How former congressman and Air Force veteran, Adam Kinzinger interprets the leaked Signal chat of top Trump administration officials discussing a military strike on Houthi targets.

Guest: Adam Kinzinger, former Republican Congressman for Illinois’s 11th and 16th districts who served on the January 6th select committee, and author of Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - What Happens To My Student Loans Now?

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Trump’s attempted elimination of the Department of Education has left more than 40 million Americans with student loans wondering how their repayment plans will be affected—and future college students wondering what options will exist when it’s time to go to school.

Guest: Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, higher education reporter at the Washington Post.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - A Tea Party for the Democrats?

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders are holding packed rallies on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. The energy is there, but what is the message and how could it translate to a win for the down-and-out Democratic Party?

Guest: David Weigel, national political reporter at Semafor.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How Colleges Can Fight Back

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The Trump administration is using federal money—and the withholding thereof—as a way to bring universities like Columbia and Penn to heel. But institutes of higher education have not yet begun to fight, and when they do, they’ve got strong legal arguments against incursions on their academic freedom.

Guest: Lee Bollinger, president emeritus, Columbia University

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Bezos 2.0

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

During his first term, President Trump and Jeff Bezos openly sparred with each other. During this second administration, though, it seems like Bezos is trying to endear himself - and his companies - to the White House. So what changed?

Guest: Dana Mattioli, reporter for the Wall Street Journal and the author of The Everything War: Amazon’s Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power.

Special thanks to David Maraniss.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Who’s The Boss?

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: DOGE is taking its chainsaw to the Social Security Administration. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers examine the real reasons behind the Elon Musk led crusade against the SSA. And then, DOGE used extreme tactics against the US Institute of Peace including a physical takeover of the building by force. Meanwhile, the founder of Pirate’s Booty tried a similar tactic to try to gain power over his small Long Island town. The hosts discuss how these stories and recent actions by Trump call into question what authority really means when it comes to our government. And finally, Dan Primak of Axios joins to explain how a private equity firm just made the Boston Celtics the highest valued team (in dollars) in US sports history.

In the Slate Plus episode: Why are US winemakers upset about a potential wine tariff?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Rule of Law Took A Very Dark Turn This Week

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

If you’re overwhelmed by the sheer volume of lawless acts, constitutional crises (we count five), and huge Trump administration losses in court this week - honestly, same. But if anyone can render this swirling storm of lawsuits and orders and injunctions legible, and put them in terms that can help make sense of this moment, it’s Dahlia Lithwick. On this week’s show, Dahlia is first joined by Quinta Jurecic, a fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and a senior editor at Lawfare, to discuss the deeply worrying shift in the Trump regime’s posture toward judges and the rule of law, that’s been playing out inside and outside the courts this week. Next, Dahlia speaks with a lawyer who secured a big win against Elon Musk and DOGE this week in one of the USAID cases. Mimi Marziani explains the litigation strategy, and its limits.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Trump's War on Scientific Research

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The National Institutes of Health is the primary engine of biomedical research around the world, which makes the Trump administration's dramatic cuts to its grant program both confusing and potentially incredibly harmful.

Guest: Katherine J. Wu, staff writer for the Atlantic.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - The “Constitutional Crisis Is Here”

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 22:00:00 GMT

This week, John Dickerson and David Plotz are joined by Ruth Marcus to discuss the showdown over mass deportation and the government’s defiant response to court orders; a deep data dive by Ezra Klein and David Shor about why Trump won the 2024 election; and this week’s so-called “negotiation” call between Trump and Putin.

Listener chatter from Kevin in Portland, Oregon: Orb (Netflix)

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, John and David are joined by Ruth Marcus to discuss the arrest and prosecution of a Houston midwife this week under Texas’s near-total abortion ban.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with author Adam Higginbotham about his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis And Cheyna Roth

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump’s Animal-Spirit Economy

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The economy that Donald Trump inherited from Joe Biden had low unemployment, slowing inflation, and a growing GDP. So what is he trying to achieve by imposing heavy tariffs on our allies and trading partners?

Guest: Stephanie Ruhle, NBC business analyst and the host of MSNBC's The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - A "Made for TV" Deportation Policy

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Mass deportations were a big part of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and now in office, he’s making good on the wide-sweeping aspects of his policy, though the numbers aren’t yet massive. Most recently, he’s justified these actions through the 1798 Alien Enemies Act which only applies during wartime. When a judge attempted to halt the deportations to evaluate this use of the rarely-utilized law, Trump called for him to be impeached.

Guest: Michelle Hackman, U.S. immigration policy reporter in The Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Sneak Preview: An Escalating Constitutional Crisis

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 20:41:00 GMT

In this urgent extra episode of Amicus, host Dahlia Lithwick and Slate's senior writer Mark Joseph Stern discuss the unfolding constitutional crisis triggered by the Trump administration's defiance of a court order to halt flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to be delivered to El Salvador’s so-called Terrorism Confinement Center - a vast foreign prison that could be described as a labor camp. Lithwick and Stern explore the timeline of events that unfolded in Federal Court Judge James Boasberg’s court this week, and on planes bound for El Salvador. Next, they try to parse the legal arguments put forth by the Justice Department, claiming apparently boundless power for President Trump to render anyone he deems a gang member. Finally, they discuss why the Trump administration has chosen this particular constitutional hill to die on, and how far Chief Justice John Roberts might be prepared to go along with it.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: The Mighty Dollar

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: How does America assert its power globally? The short answer is money. For the long answer, Felix Salmon calls in authors Edward Fishman (Chokepoints) and Saleha Mohsin (Paper Soldiers) who both recently published books on the subject. They’ll discuss how the US dollar managed to become the world’s reserve asset, the ways it’s been weaponized in the past, and what that global status means under an “America First” president.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Is this the End of Sesame Street?

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Educational, entertaining, and about as universally beloved as any part of American life, how did Sesame Street find itself cutting staff and searching for a new broadcasting home?

Guest: David Kamp, author of Sunny Days: The Children's Television Revolution That Changed America

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Democrats Had a Rare Opportunity. They Blinked.

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Last week, Democrats averted a government shutdown—by voting for a MAGA-friendly Continuing Resolution, which may have just handed even greater power to Trump. Why?

Guest: Josh Marshall, editor-in-chief of Talking Points Memo

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How Trump Is Trying to Kill Press Freedom

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

With a Trump-friendly Supreme Court and a contentious relationship with the press, could Donald Trump follow through on his 2016 campaign goal of making it easier to sue media companies for libel—and imperil America’s free press?

Guest: David Enrich, business investigations editor at the New York Times and author of “Murder The Truth.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - MrBeast and The Chocolate Factory

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

This week: The US Stock Market is plummeting during Trump’s second term. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain why headlines very rarely affect the movements of the Stock Market–and discuss whether we're currently living one of those exceptions. Then, the Wall Street Journal has reported that the Trump family is in talks to invest in the US arm of crypto giant Binance. If true, the move would almost certainly be an attempt to buy a pardon for billionaire founder CZ, who pled guilty to violating U.S. anti-money-laundering requirements under Biden. And finally, Youtube megastar MrBeast, made popular among the Gen Alpha set for giving away fabulous prizes, is turning his fame into fortune via his candybars. Are they any good? Elizabeth will decide!

In the Slate Plus episode: How many days a year should we all really spend at work?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Big Law Stands Up

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump continued his almost uninterrupted losing streak in the courts. Across the country we saw federal judges openly criticizing his Administration officials and their lawyers for overreach, bullying and misrepresentations about not only their cases, but about norms and values. But Trump has both judges and law firms in his crosshairs. On this week’s show, former US Attorney Preet Bharara joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss the role of lawyers and law firms and legal norms in a crisis of lawlessness, and the extent to which court victories alone can save democracy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | The Day the Challenger Fell From the Sky

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

David Plotz talks with author Adam Higginbotham about his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space. They discuss the feats of engineering that took place, the political cynicism and cost-cutting that played a role in the tragedy, the heroism and tragic loss of the people on board the shuttle, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Bonus Main Character: Meghan Markle Could Use a Win

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 17:00:00 GMT

From television, to a royal wedding…and back to TV, Meghan Markle is carving out her own niche.

Guest: Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay, cohosts of Slate’s ICYMI.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Will Tesla Survive Elon Musk?

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The public’s anger towards Elon Musk and DOGE has found an outlet in the form of Musk’s car company Tesla. How long can the company put up with a sinking reputation and stock price?

Guest: Pranshu Verma, tech reporter for the Washington Post.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - What Happens When Government Breaks

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 20:00:00 GMT

This week, John Dickerson and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem to discuss how Elon Musk and DOGE are endangering Americans; the Trump administration’s attacks on universities and the arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil; and the politics of the measles outbreak centered on West Texas.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, John and David are joined by Juliette Kayyem to discuss taking your kids to work: great, weird, terrible, or all of the above?

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Rich Benjamin about his new book, Talk to Me: Lessons From a Family Forged by History.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Could DOGE Really Gut Social Security?

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

DOGE cuts have already hit Social Security, with offices closing and employees fired. With Elon Musk calling the program a “Ponzi scheme” and saying entitlements are “the big one to eliminate,” this may be just the beginning of the unraveling of the trusted safety net that millions of Americans rely on.

Guest: Joe Perticone, political reporter at The Bulwark.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Will Student Protesters Be Deported?

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The Trump administration’s approach to free speech, immigration, and due process all converge in a crackdown on Columbia University.

Guest: Sarah Brown, news editor at the Chronicle for Higher Education.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Andrew Cuomo Wanted To Be President. He’ll Settle For Mayor.

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Andrew Cuomo—the hard-headed former governor of New York state —became something of a national hero in 2020 with his no-nonsense press conferences. By 2021, he was mired in a sexual misconduct scandal and the fallout from a public health disaster. How is he polling so well in the Democratic primary for New York’s mayoral race?

Guest: Jimmy Vielkind, New York politics reporter for WNYC.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Til Trump Do Us Part

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

They were three Harris-supporting women, from across the country, all married to Trump-supporting men—and they were all contemplating divorce.

Guest: Scaachi Koul, Slate senior writer who wrote about women considering leaving their husbands over their support for Donald Trump and the author of Sucker Punch.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Zuckerberg and the Post-Factcheck Era

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

After the election, Mark Zuckerberg announced that he was doing away with Facebook’s fact-checking apparatus in the US. With content creators getting paid based on reach, and content spreading wider and faster the more extreme it is, is Facebook the perfect environment for misinformation to flourish?

Guest: Craig Silverman, technology reporter for ProPublica.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Constitutional Truth At The Heart Of The DOGE Cases

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Elon Musk’s moves at DOGE have been legally dubious from the start. And the more we learn, the more questions we have about this not-an-agency helmed by Musk –– who is apparently both in charge, and also not in charge. That’s why we wanted to talk with Kate Shaw, University of Pennsylvania law professor and co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, about the very real constitutional issues raised by DOGE and Musk and his minions. Shaw spoke with Dahlia Lithwick about what is and isn’t legal about DOGE, and the impossible bind that creates for government lawyers tasked with defending his devastation of the government.

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Slate Money - Eggistential Crisis

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China went into effect – only for him to turn around and suspend many of them. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Trump’s love of tariffs and the political effects of his trade war. Then, Egg Watch gets a whole segment this week as Chenya Roth joins to discuss the economics of egg demand and the question of if eggs even should be super cheap. And finally, an elaborate scheme to buy every lottery ticket and guarantee a jackpot went down in Texas. The hosts debate whether there is actually anything wrong with that.

In the Slate Plus episode: The Trump bump has become quite a slump

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - From 4Chan to Charlottesville to DOGE

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

To understand the second Trump administration, you have to understand the internet culture that gave birth to it.

Guest: Elle Reeve, CNN correspondent who reported on the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA for Vice News.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Trump’s Display of Dominance

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Trump’s authoritarian address to Congress and whipsawing on tariffs; the outright betrayal of Ukraine and alliance with Russia on naked display in the Oval Office; and the ways the Covid pandemic caused and accelerated change in America.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss Andrew Cuomo, the NYC mayoral race, and its relevance to national politics.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Rich Benjamin about his new book, Talk to Me: Lessons From a Family Forged by History.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How Worried Are Ukrainians?

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Aware of Donald Trump’s reputation as a dealmaker, Ukrainians had some hope as he took office—maybe Trump could break the stalemate with Russia and find peace. Then that Oval Office meeting happened…

Guest: Romeo Kokriatski is the managing editor of New Voice of Ukraine, and co-host of the podcast Ukraine Without Hype.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Sneak Preview: What Trump’s First Big Loss At SCOTUS Means

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 19:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday morning the Supreme Court dealt a blow to the Trump administration's effort to withhold $2 billion promised for foreign aid work. Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discuss the Court’s decision to reject the Trump administration's request to halt a lower court's order, by a five to four vote, compelling the State Department to resume payments. While Chief Justice John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett sided with the court's liberal justices, Justice Samuel Alito offered a “stunned” dissent, reacting to the Court’s surprising rebuke to the Trump administration with few facts but plenty of fury.

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What Next - The True Cost of Slashing the Government

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Republicans have been talking about cutting the size of the government down for decades. Now that the Trump administration is following through on those plans, the process is laying bare just how much pain this budget hacking is going to inflict on Americans and people across the globe.

Guest:

Jeffrey Okoro, executive director for CFK Africa, a non-profit focusing on public health and financial opportunities based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Hannah Smith-Brubaker, farmer in central Pennsylvania and executive director of Pasa, a non-profit working with farmers on sustainability.

Vincent Pinti, law and public-policy graduate student at the University of Michigan.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: The American Myth of Hard Work

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: Emily Peck is joined by journalist and author Adam Chandler to discuss what he discovered about how Americans think about work while writing his book 99% Perspiration. They’ll get into America's often misguided and misinformed obsession with rugged individualism, the long-term effects of de-emphasizing community, and of course, Emily in Paris.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Why Trump Needs Congress

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Congressional Republicans are trying to extend Trump’s first-term tax cuts, appease GOP budget hawks and increase defense spending—all in a single budget. Can it be done?

Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer at Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Why Women Kill

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

A survey of people incarcerated in California found that 20 percent of women in for homicide had killed their abusive partners. How have self-defense laws failed women in abusive relationships—and how can they be reformed to save lives?

Guest: Rachel Louise Snyder, journalist, author of No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us, and professor at American University.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Cracking the Egg Crisis

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Everyone’s talking about the price of eggs—so why are they so expensive? And when can we expect—if ever—the price to come back down?

Guests:

Dr. Jada Thompson, associate professor at the University of Arkansas

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Trump Math & Techno-Fascism

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Trump has proposed a $5 million “gold card” for US citizenship, suggesting that the US could sell 10 million of them to pay off the national debt. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the logic behind this considering the similar programs that already exist and the possible pool of candidates. Then, they discuss guest Kyle Chayka’s recent piece in the New Yorker comparing Silicon Valley invasion of the government, led by Elon Musk, to the “techno-fasiscts” of 1930s Japan. And finally, the danger of black plastic kitchen utensils was debunked after the discovery of a simple math error. But the “zombie fact” is still affecting sales.

In the Slate Plus episode: The $19 Strawberry and Rise of Luxury Food

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - When the Lawyers are Lawless

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 08:00:00 GMT

This past week has seen firings at the Pentagon, an Executive Order targeting a private law firm, the installation of a podcaster and January 6 denialist as #2 at the FBI, and an incident in which an audience member at an Idaho townhall was wrestled to the ground and led away in zip ties by private security that answer to no lawful police entity. Is this what happens when the lawyers, police officers, military officials and other law enforcement organizations who are meant to keep us all safe, are sidelined or conscripted into lawless behavior?

On this week’s episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick speaks to Asha Rangappa, a former FBI special agent, editor at Just Security and author of the substack The Freedom Academy with Asha Rangappa. Asha explains what happens when people who are hellbent on using the law to break the law achieve positions of power, and whether the safeguards still in place can hold.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The DOGE Resistance

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Federal workers in the U.S. Digital Service resigned in protest over what they viewed as indiscriminate, irresponsible firings coming from the DOGE office. While lawsuits are entering the courts and protests are taking to the streets, will any of this make a difference to the chainsaw-minded leaders of DOGE?

Guest: Ryan Mac, tech reporter at the New York Times and co-author of “Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter.”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - So Europe is Our Enemy Now?

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 21:15:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the future of the transatlantic alliance and Ukraine in the wake of the UN resolution votes with Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist; the House GOP’s budget resolution and the reconciliation process; and the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive moves against the press.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss recent legal developments around two death penalty cases in Texas.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Rich Benjamin about his new book, Talk to Me: Lessons From a Family Forged by History.

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

Research by Emily Ditto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Will Gaza’s Ceasefire Last?

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has held since January 19. Now, the second phase—negotiating Gaza’s future—is supposed to begin. But anger over the deaths of hostages and intrusions into the West Bank aren’t going to make it easy.

Guest: Yair Rosenberg, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of Deep Shtetl, a newsletter about the intersection of politics, culture, and religion.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The DOGE Backlash Begins

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In town halls from Oregon to Georgia, people are letting Republicans know just how angry they are about the dramatic cuts to the federal government. And their displeasure is starting to sink Trump’s approval rating.

Guest:

Greg Bluestein, political reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Ben Mathis-Lilley, senior writer for Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Barron Mania

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Barron Trump, the president’s youngest son, isn’t on the public speaking circuit and has no social media presence. But he’s nevertheless become a Gen-Z-aged avatar of Trump masculinity for the MAGA faithful. Where does reality end and speculation begin?

Guest: Dan Adler, staff writer for Vanity Fair.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - What If America Went on Strike?

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In 2011, a Republican majority in the Wisconsin State House faced massive protests to their plans to strip power from public sector workers. State Democrats fled across the border and the possibility of a general strike loomed.

But the strike fizzled out and the legislation ultimately passed.

And now the situation in the federal government is shaping up in a similar way. Do the workers need to break the glass and do what Wisconsin stopped short of?

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - $Trump

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The crypto industry threw its weight and money behind Donald Trump, in hopes of legitimizing the industry. Before his Inauguration Day was over, Donald Trump was already enriching himself via a memecoin, one of the scammier, least legitimate-looking uses of crypto.

Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany, reporter covering cryptocurrency for the New York Times.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - The Consequences of Getting on Europe’s Bad Side

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 frankly confusing logic of it all. Finally, they discuss The Cut’s deep dive into the brand Quince and what makes the “one stop dupe shop” so popular. Plus, another edition of Egg Watch 2025 featuring the Wall Street of Eggs.

In the Slate Plus episode: Med spas are taking over America.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Long Live The King?

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 guest this week is Deepak Gupta, former senior counsel at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and founding principal of Gupta Wessler LLP, who is now fighting for his former colleagues' jobs in court. Gupta is also representing Gwynne A Wilcox, the Chair of the National Labor Relations Board who was fired via late night email in a case that is likely headed to SCOTUS.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Elon's Endgame

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - The “Justice Department is Dire“

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:40:00 GMT

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 and if space really is our destiny as humans.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Rich Benjamin about his new book, Talk to Me: Lessons From a Family Forged by History.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Why This Trump Nominee Has Union Support

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 that’s firing huge chunks of its workforce?

Guest: Tammy Kim, contributing writer at the New Yorker.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - A Measles Outbreak and Wake-Up Call

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Rob Gunther, and Ethan Oberman.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: The Disappearing Databases

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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What Next - How Eric Adams Got His Charges Dropped

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Rob Gunther, and Ethan Oberman.

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What Next - How To Rebuild Your Life After a Wildfire

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

As What Next celebrates President’s Day, please enjoy this episode from our colleagues at How To. What Next will be back in your feed tomorrow.

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) conversation, Laurel tells Jeff how she’s still processing what she lost in a 2017 wildfire, and they talk about the heartbreak, grief—and glimmers of hope—that follow the sudden loss of your family’s home.

Artwork mentioned: It’s Going Down Like a House on Fire by Nyx Coker.

If you liked this episode check out: How To Survive a Disaster.

Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis.

Want more How To!? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Visit slate.com/howtoplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Can You Pay Attention, Please?

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.”

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Slate Money - Is Bribery Back?

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 inflation report which of course leads to another Egg Watch 2025.

In the Slate Plus episode: Japanese 7Elevens

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | A Former Haitian President’s Grandson Lives the Modern Immigrant Experience

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Emily Bazelon talks with author Rich Benjamin about his new book, Talk to Me: Lessons From a Family Forged by History. They delve into Rich’s complex family history— particularly the experiences of his grandfather, Daniel Fignolé. Fignolé was the president of Hatti in 1957 before being ousted by a coup that involved American influence. Rich and Emily discuss how the political upheaval had a lasting impact on Rich and his family, the immigrant experience of “internalizing America” and the lasting scars of trauma.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Gangster Presidency

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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, Dahlia Lithwick speaks to Harry Litman, a former U.S. attorney, and host and executive producer of the podcast Talking Feds. Harry explains why the so-called “Thursday Night Massacre” is not the kind of scandal even this administration can shrug off while yelling something about the “deep state” and “weaponization”.

Next, Dahlia turns to the chaotic, destructive and dangerous “spontaneous disassembly” of much of the federal government currently taking place at the hands of Elon Musk with guest Sam Bagenstos, former general counsel of the United States Department of Health and Human Services until December 2024, also former general counsel for the Office of Management and Budget from January 2021 until June 2022. Now a professor at the University of Michigan, Sam explains what happens when the federal government stops working, and why persistently asking whether or not we’re in a constitutional crisis is simply the wrong question.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is Elon Actually Trying to Buy OpenAI?

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 Times

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Political Gabfest - Trump vs. The Judges

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 21:20:00 GMT

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 her novel, The Safekeep.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - The Award for Messiest Oscar Contender Goes To…

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Trump’s South Africa Fixation

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Rob Gunther, and Ethan Oberman.

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What Next - The GOP Can't Quit "Stop the Steal"

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Lessons From Hungary

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Trump’s Data Purge is a Digital Book Burning

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 Midwest

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Slate Money - The Trade War That Never Was

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 trading futures, and how each are affected by their respective regulating entities.

In the Slate Plus episode: Egg Watch 2025 gets its own episode.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trying To Undo A Coup, In The Courts

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 agents threatened with retribution and the public disclosure of their names, because they did their jobs and prosecuted January 6th cases. Gertner is involved with a slew of cases from the State Democracy Defenders Fund. She talks with host Dahlia Lithwick about the many wins against the administration in court this past week, and whether they matter. Next, Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia to update us on the DOGE litigation and the Birthright Citizenship cases.

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What Next - TBD Bonus: The Discourse | Why is Elon Musk Cheating at Video Games?

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 08:15:00 GMT

Elon Musk is supposed to be running several companies and a new government department—so why is he also spending money to pretend to be good at video games?

Guest: Drew Harwell, tech reporter for the Washington Post.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Bonus: The Discourse | Why is Elon Musk Cheating at Video Games?

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 08:15:00 GMT

Elon Musk is supposed to be running several companies and a new government department—so why is he also spending money to pretend to be good at video games?

Guest: Drew Harwell, tech reporter for the Washington Post.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - TBD | Is Elon Musk Unstoppable?

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is Elon Musk Unstoppable?

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Elon Musk’s DOGE Rampage

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 21:20:00 GMT

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 Reads, Emily talks with Yael van der Wouden about her novel, The Safekeep.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Guantanamo Bay’s Comeback Is a Warning

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - DOGE V. USAID

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Capitalism Extremists In the Trump 2.0 Era

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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, and its potential consequences for our democracy.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Are Airplane Crashes Inevitable?

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Trump’s Anti-Trans Agenda

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The DeepSeek Panic

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - The Federal Employee ‘Buyout’ Makes No Sense

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 winners of the digital media age.

In the Slate Plus episode: CVS has a new way of locking up their stuff.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trump’s American Takeover

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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. An expert in the law of autocracy, Scheppele has seen firsthand what happened to constitutional courts and the democratic norms that governed them in Russia and Hungary and she joins Dahlia Lithwick on Amicus this week to explain how Trump’s executive orders on everything from government funding to transgender people in the military reveal a familiar global playbook that has chillingly familiar endpoints.

Un-paywalled episodes' description:

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What Next - Bonus | Main Character Syndrome: Deepseek

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Did the Chinese artificial intelligence start-up Deepseek just blow up the A.I. world as we know it? Or is it just a cheap knock-off?

Guest: Lizzie O’Leary, host of the Slate podcast What Next TBD.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your 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 Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - RFK Jr. Is a Feature, Not a Bug

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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, White House correspondent for The Washington Post

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Elon Musk’s Fork in the Road

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 21:55:00 GMT

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 the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Yael van der Wouden about her novel, The Safekeep.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Was Tulsi Gabbard Always Like This?

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump’s DIY Government Shutdown

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 to the Amicus feed. Dahlia Lithwick just dropped an emergency episode.

Guest: Karen Tumulty, political columnist for The Washington Post.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Extra: The Federal Funding Freeze

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 21:10:00 GMT

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. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Professor Stephen Vladeck of Georgetown University Law Center to understand the ramifications of a flimsy memo that threatens the very structure of government as we know it in the United States.

The Impoundment Crisis of 2025 - by Steve Vladeck

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What Next - Who Will Mourn DEI?

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 Disappears

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Trump’s Gift to Militias

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The A.I. Will See You Now

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trump’s Unconstitutional Rampage Against Immigration

Sat, 25 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 aiming to defend immigrants through litigation, advocacy, and more. Not all executive orders are created equal, and so Aaron leads us through what’s constitutionally possible, legally probable, and already swinging into action from Trump’s immigration edicts.

Aaron’s post about Bishop Mariann Edgar-Bunne: https://bsky.app/profile/reichlinmelnick.bsky.social/post/3lgdojbbjvk2y

Amicus’s October episode on the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 with Katherine Yon Ebright,

American Immigration Council: After Day One: A High-Level Analysis of Trump's First Executive Actions

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Slate Money - Trump’s TikTok Backtrack

Sat, 25 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 episode: Are Barack and Michelle the new Harry and Megan?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Bonus: The Discourse | The Bro-ligarchs Take Washington

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 15:01:55 GMT

Choice seats for Donald Trump’s second inauguration were filled with tech founders and CEOs, signaling their importance to this presidential term. Then Elon Musk sent another signal of his own…

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, staff writer for business and tech at Slate.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next TBD —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your 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.

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What Next - TBD Bonus: The Discourse | The Bro-ligarchs Take Washington

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 15:01:00 GMT

Choice seats for Donald Trump’s second inauguration were filled with tech founders and CEOs, signaling their importance to this presidential term. Then Elon Musk sent another signal of his own…

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, staff writer for business and tech at Slate.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next TBD —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your 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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Department of Government Elon

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - This Time Trump Knows What He’s Doing

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 21:00:00 GMT

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, The Safekeep.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Research by Julie Huygen and Emily Ditto

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What Next - How Closed Is the Border?

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Can Trump Actually Do All That?

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Preview: Deciphering The Lawlessness of Trump’s Executive Orders

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:00:00 GMT

Some very clear themes are already emerging from President Donald Trump’s executive orders; cruel, chaotic, and fear-stoking - yes, but also - they’re rife with shoddy drafting (is that you, ChatGPT?), sloppy lawyering, and some are wildly unconstitutional. In an extra episode of Amicus for plus members, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern begin the work of parsing a few of the many, many executive orders raining down on America in the hours since Trump assumed office for the second time.

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What Next - Did Democracy Die in Darkness?

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Last October, Amazon CEO and billionaire owner of the Washington Post Jeff Bezos swooped in to halt the publication of a Kamala Harris endorsement from the editorial board. Yesterday, he appeared in the front row at Trump’s second inauguration. The paper’s hemorrhaging subscribers—and laying off dozens of staff members—but it seems like the internal unrest has just begun.

Guest: Maxwell Tani, journalist covering media for Semafor.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: The Cost of Caring

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Hello Trumpworld

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 Slate

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - As Fires Approached LA, Angelenos Turned to Watch Duty

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Looking for up-to-the-minute updates on where the fires are, LA residents have been turning to the app Watch Duty, rather than getting updates directly from the local or state government, or even local media.

Guests:

David Merritt, cofounder and CTO of Watch Duty

Alyssa Jeong Perry, LA-based producer for Slate.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | Finding Connection in the Aftermath of History’s Horrors

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Emily Bazelon talks with author Yael van der Wouden about her debut novel, The Safekeep. They discuss why Yael chose a queer love story, how Yael’s own Dutch and Jewish heritage influenced her writing, the history of dispossession after World War II, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The New Constitutional (dis)Order

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 Jack Smith’s report, to the new (presumptive) Attorney General of the United States’ apparent ignorance of birthright citizenship and therefore the 14th amendment.

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Slate Money - Oligarchy in the USA

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 FTC 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 the Slate Plus episode: An MBA Ain’t What It Used To Be

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta-Morphosis

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 reporter

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - Every Single Trump Pick Will Be Confirmed

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 21:30:00 GMT

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 Life.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - What the Ceasefire Is and Isn’t

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Does Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 Report Matter?

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Can Trump End Birthright Citizenship?

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Who’s to Blame for the LA Fires?

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Tech Is Bending the Knee

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - TikTok Is Cooked, Trump Is Sentenced

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 longer.

Amicus has an analysis of all of it. First, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discuss whether and how Trump’s sentence matters, and what it tells us about the Supreme Court under Trump 2.0. Next, they’re joined by Gautam Hans, clinical Professor of Law at Cornell Law School, who specializes in constitutional law, technology law and policy, to discuss why the Supreme Court seemed so very ready to reach right past the First Amendment and grab for national security in order to uphold the TikTok ban.

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Slate Money - The Dire Costs of the LA Fires

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 finally, New York City has at last implemented its congestion pricing. And while it’s too early to know the effects, the hosts look to London to see what the future could hold for the city’s commuters.

In the Slate Plus episode: Wirkin Bag Economics

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Will the Supreme Court Save TikTok?

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Will a First Amendment defense keep TikTok running in America?

Guest: Emily Baker White, tech reporter for Forbes.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - One Measly Report

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 21:00:00 GMT

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 biography, John Lewis: A Life.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Preview: Trump’s Racking Up Supreme Court Loyalty Points

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 19:15:00 GMT

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 York Times bestsellers, The Trump Indictments and Where Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation.

*We are not eating elephants. Please do not eat elephants.

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What Next - Greenland’s a Distraction

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Blake Lively Vs. Hollywood

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Selling The American Dream

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Justin Trudeau Steps Down

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Is ISIS Back? Or Did It Never Leave?

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Bitcoin Takes the White House

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - The Business of Lively vs Baldoni

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 caused a lake-sized tequila surplus in Mexico.

In the Slate Plus episode: Coffee Wars

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - John Roberts’ New Year Blame Game

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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 civil rights champions and also infallible monarchs while blaming pretty much everyone except the court for the high court’s plummeting legitimacy. What does it mean when the most powerful men in the world equate all criticism with threats of violence, and confuse victory with victimhood? What does it mean when Supreme Court justices decide to freelance and freestyle as trial court judges and appellate litigators at high court oral arguments? And what do lawyers and judges need to do to hold the line in the coming year, and the years that will follow?

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Musk vs. MAGA

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Ethan Oberman, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - The “Thank You, Jimmy Carter” Edition

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 21:00:00 GMT

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 faith

CBS News: From the archives: Jimmy Carter becomes first president to walk in inaugural parade to White House and WGAL: Harrisburg, 1979: Jimmy Carter visits TMI after partial meltdown

Sam Stein and Jonathan Alter for The Bulwark: Jimmy Carter was a misunderstood President. Here’s Why. and His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life by Jonathan Alter

Stephen Hess for The Brookings Institution: Jimmy Carter: Why He Failed

Todd S. Purdum for The Atlantic: Jimmy Carter Was America’s Most Effective Former President and Gal Beckerman: What Made Jimmy Carter Such a Strange President

Andrew Prokop for Vox: Elon Musk is on a collision course with Stephen Miller

Jonathan Edwards for The Washington Post: MAGA is fighting a ‘civil war’ over H-1B visas. Here’s what they are.

Nick Romeo for The New Yorker: What Could Citizens’ Assemblies Do For American Politics?

History.com: Ancient Greek Democracy and Simon Hornblower for Britannica: The reforms of Cleisthenes

Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab

Bürgerrat: Citizens’ assemblies worldwide

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Caucasia: A Novel and Colored Television by Danzy Senna and A Complete Unknown from Searchlight Pictures

John: Event Santa Cruz: Dock Ellis No-No Cocktail at Brophy’s – Carmel; Patrick Hruby for ESPN: The Long, Strange Trip of Dock Ellis: Meet The Man Behind Baseball’s Most Psychedelic Myth.; and Paul Geisler Jr. for the Society for American Baseball Research: Dock Ellis

David: Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story from National Geographic and Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome and Fatherland: A Novel by Robert Harris

Listener chatter from Lawrence in Bowling Green, Ohio: Rhiannon Giddens for Silkroad: American Railroad: A Musical Journey of Reclamation

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David discuss what President Joe Biden should do in his final two weeks in the Oval Office.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with David Greenberg about his new biography, John Lewis: A Life.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Jared Downing

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosts

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz

Follow

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

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What Next - The Struggle to Get Aid to Gaza

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - How To Exorcise Your Fitness Demons

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Happy New Year! What Next resumes regularly scheduled programming tomorrow, but for the holiday, check out this episode of How To! from December: How To Exorcise Your Fitness Demons.

Sandy is a former college athlete who knows how to exercise—at least, she used to. These days, she’s feeling lost without a coach, a workout plan, or much free time. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Danielle Friedman, author of Let’s Get Physical and a contributor to the New York Times Well section. Danielle explains how to embrace movement that you love, make it fit into your life—and actually stick with it.

If you liked this episode check out: How To Start Strength Training and How To Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrea.

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What Next - The Trump Restoration

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Jimmy Carter’s Legacy

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Cost of Suicide Prevention Software

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Dead Amendment Walking

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - The Truth Behind Donald Trump’s Tariff Talk

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Disclosure in Podcast Description: A Bond Account is a self-directed brokerage account with Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Deposits into this account are used to purchase 10 investment-grade and high-yield bonds. As of 9/26/24, the average, annualized yield to worst (YTW) across the Bond Account is greater than 6%. A bond’s yield is a function of its market price, which can fluctuate; therefore, a bond’s YTW is not “locked in” until the bond is purchased, and your yield at time of purchase may be different from the yield shown here. The “locked in” YTW is not guaranteed; you may receive less than the YTW of the bonds in the Bond Account if you sell any of the bonds before maturity or if the issuer defaults on the bond. Public Investing charges a markup on each bond trade. See our Fee Schedule. Bond Accounts are not recommendations of individual bonds or default allocations. The bonds in the Bond Account have not been selected based on your needs or risk profile. See https://public.com/disclosures/bond-account to learn more.

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What Next - TBD | 2024 In Review: Would You Buy Poop On the Internet?

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

“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.”

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - 2024 In Review: Would You Buy Poop On the Internet?

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Guest:

Luke Winkie, Slate staff writer who published “The Poop Broker.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - The “2024 Conundrums” Edition

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 Sanger, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth with live show support from Katie Rayford

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - 2024 in Review: What the WNBA Salary Debate Misses

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - 2024 in Review: Why Miss USA is Imploding

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Can Math Really Crack the Stock Market? (Encore)

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

The “Fama–French model” is a Nobel laureate-designed tool for predicting the stock market. It guides hundreds of billions in investments. The problem? Its numbers keep shifting. For this Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with Planet Money host Mary Childs about her deep dive for Bloomberg into finance mathematics. They question the nature of investing, markets, and reality itself. Mary is also the author of The Bond King.

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 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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - 2024 in Review: Wait, Is JUUL Banned or Not?

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - From Behind the Money: Why Northvolt Failed to Become Europe’s Battery Champion

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

This week, we’re bringing you an episode from the FT’s Behind the Money podcast: Battery maker Northvolt was supposed to be Europe's best hope for staying competitive during the green transition. But recently, that hope has crumbled. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November. The FT’s Nordic and Baltic bureau chief Richard Milne spent years reporting on the Swedish start-up and in this episode, he chronicles Northvolt’s ambitious rise, and what its failings mean for Europe’s battery industry. Follow Behind the Money wherever you listen to podcasts.

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What Next - 2024 in Review: Would You Die For MrBeast?

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 Times

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Influencer vs. Influencer

Sun, 22 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next - TBD | Influencer vs. Influencer

Sun, 22 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Guest: Mia Sato, reporter covering platforms and communities for The Verge.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Defamation Stations!

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 of the press are pretty understandable. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by storied media columnist Margaret Sullivan and First Amendment scholar Sonja R West to understand the protections in place and the pinch points for a free press under Trump.

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Slate Money - Who Elected Elon?

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 in Brazil and gets wonkish on the latest Fed rate cut and trade deficit. And finally, Amazon and Starbucks workers across the country have gone on strike. Emily explains the subtleties of the disputes.

In the Slate Plus episode: What’s your gift giving strategy?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads: The Life and Legacy of John Lewis

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Slate Political Gabfest host David Plotz talks with author David Greenberg about his new book, John Lewis: A Life. They discuss how Lewis went from marching with Martin Luther King, Jr. to an iconic career as a politician, Lewis’s commitment to non-violence, how Greenberg uncovered never-before-seen documents, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Plus | A Karaoke Holiday With What Next

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:05:00 GMT

For a very special holiday edition of What Next, Mary chats with Death Sex & Money host Anna Sale about the anthems they’ll be belting out the next time they do karaoke—and they take calls from colleagues and listeners about their own go-to barn-burners for this unsettled moment.

You can find all these anthems (and more) on one Spotify playlist here https://tinyurl.com/whatnextkaraoke

Guest: Anna Sale, host of Slate’s Death, Sex & Money

To hear the rest of this episode, subscribe to Slate Plus. You'll also 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 Madeline Ducharme.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Drones!??!!!?!!!

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 writer

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Political Gabfest - The Shutdown and the Great Capitulation

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 22:00:00 GMT

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, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - Can More Grocery Stores Fix Food Deserts?

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - How Trump Got ABC to Pay Up

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - How Shaboozey Broke the Mold

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Make Hollywood Great Again

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 Mail

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Rob Gunther and Ethan Oberman.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Surveillance State Trump Is Inheriting

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Cheyna Roth, and Ethan Oberman.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Chris Wray Just Made Way For Something Even Worse Than Kash Patel

Sat, 14 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 the sheer scale of the shift in the constitutional landscape following a run of cases at the end of the last term that gave the courts the power to reshape the administrative state from the bench, and to impede the tools of the environmental protection trade at a time when the climate is in crisis. But the news cycle moved on and the global climate alarm got snoozed again. That alarm was surely ringing again at One, First Street this week, when a case that could reshape the nation’s biggest environmental law was argued at the Supreme Court.

Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado comes to the court as a dispute over how much review is due to a railroad plan that will carry waxy, crude oil through environmentally sensitive areas, and send said waxy crude on its way to already polluted and health blighted gulf communities. Sam Sankar of Earth Justice was on hand to explain how this weedy case paints a very clear picture of the Supreme Court conservative majority’s fondness for grabbing cases that are vehicles for achieving their preferred policy outcomes, but then finding themselves in a bit of a pickle when its time to craft a new test for an old problem.

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Slate Money - Why Netflix is Reducing Parental Leave

Sat, 14 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Elon Musk and Trump’s Shadow Transition Team

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - Syria’s Collapse, Israel’s Delight

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 22:00:00 GMT

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 talks with Stephanie Gorton about her new book, The Icon & the Idealist: Margaret Sanger, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - Who Can Save the Democrats?

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - How Daniel Penny Walked Free

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: The Synapse Scandal

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Why United Healthcare Is Easy to Hate

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The End of Assad in Syria

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Spotify Trapped

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - The Week of Minor Apocalypses

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 too bright and what, if anything, is being done about it.

In the Slate Plus episode: The conclusion on Felix and Emily’s year long bet about ETFs and Bitcoin.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Meet Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s New Roy Cohn

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 discuss the broader consequences of Patel’s stated desire to use the Justice Department as a tool for political retribution, including threats to journalists and DOJ officials, and what his targeted individuals can do in the face of this new, chilling reality.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Influencer Administration

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - Is The Democratic Party Doomed?

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 22:00:00 GMT

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 Icon & the Idealist: Margaret Sanger, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - Even Trump Loyalists Are Scared Of Kash Patel

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Martial Law (Briefly) in South Korea

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Did Biden Break the Presidential Pardon?

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The House’s Gift to Trump

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - When Your Flight’s GPS Gets Spoofed

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Conceptual Art is Literally Bananas

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 Buffet published a letter explaining why and how he is giving away his billions after his death. The hosts discuss the efficacy and logic of his plan to give $1.2 billion to his family’s foundations.

In the Slate Plus episode: We’ll hear how Felix spent his time away.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Right’s About-Turn on Parental Rights

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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, alongside the Biden administration, representing the parents and physician of trans adolescents seeking care, in what will be the biggest trans rights case the court has ever heard. Chase and Dahlia dig through the doctrine to reveal the conservative legal movement’s deep hypocrisy when it comes to trans rights as compared to the rights of parents and doctors when it comes to abortion.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Post-Election Social Media Wars

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 Post

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What Next - Decoder Ring | If You Give a Mouse a Cookie…Will He Want a Welfare Check?

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

While the What Next team is having a holiday, take this journey with our colleagues over at Decoder Ring. What Next will be back in your feed on Monday.

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 children’s books, and try to figure out how this particular kid’s book became a Republican battle cry.

This episode was written by Cheyna Roth. It was edited by Katie Shepherd and Evan Chung. It was produced by Sofie Kodner. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin, Evan Chung, Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.

In this episode, you’ll hear from author Laura Numeroff, book critic Bruce Handy, economist Rebecca Christie and former journalist Max Ehrenfreund.

If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

If you’re a fan of the show, we’d love for you to sign up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to listen to Decoder Ring and every other Slate podcast without any ads. You also get unlimited access to Slate’s website. Member support is crucial to our work. So please go to slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

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Political Gabfest - Are These Trump Tariffs for Real?

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Which Came First, the Bird Flu or the Egg?

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: RIP DEI?

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - A New Strategy for Banning Abortion

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - When Jesus Is on the Curriculum

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is Sickle Cell Anemia…Cured?

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 Times

Deb 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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Can The Senate Save Us?

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 a role of moderation, or just roll over. This matters a lot with respect to what the federal judiciary is going to look like, how much scrutiny is applied to the most outlandish cabinet nominees, and the independence of the Justice Department.

On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who has spent years investigating the dark money plot to control the courts, and who knows from firsthand experience why the justice department is different from other agencies.

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Slate Money - Is Bluesky the New Old Twitter?

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 a political label.

In the Slate Plus episode: Should we quit cleaning?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - TBD | What's Google Without Chrome?

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 News

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - What's Google Without Chrome?

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 News

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Trump’s Cabinet Keeps Getting Weirder

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 23:00:00 GMT

(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 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 Kevin Bendis and Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Mass Deportation How?

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump’s Shadow Cabinet

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Welcome to Trump City, USA

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Jamie Raskin: “We Can’t Let The Fear Paralyze Us”

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 district

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The X-odus

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Alyssa Jeong Perry.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - TBD | The X-odus

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, Slate business writer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads: How Two Rivals Shaped Birth Control in America

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 08:05:00 GMT

Political Gabfest host Emily Bazelon talks with author Stephanie Gorton about her new book, The Icon & The Idealist.They discuss racism and prudishness in the early suffragist movement, how eugenics played a role in the birth control movement, and how two different women fought each other, despite wanting the same things.

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 Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Matt Gaetz And The Clown Car Crash Into The Justice Department

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 screaming “free speech” as they sue in their forum-shopped court of choice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - What the D.O.G.E?

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

This week: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have a lot of “plans” for the D.O.G.E. Emily Peck, Elizabeth Spiers, and Anna Szymanski discuss the suspect promises of the Trump-appointed heads of the Department of Government Efficiency. Then, Bitcoin is at a record high right now, though the value of crypto remains uncertain. Also, AI clones are being used to apply to jobs and even find us dates, but are they doing it well?

In the Slate Plus episode: New York City has passed a bill preventing landlords from charging tenants for broker’s fees. Finally!

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Manosphere That Delivered Trump Back to Power

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Attorney General Matt Gaetz?

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 22:00:00 GMT

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 unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Can SNL Meet the Moment?

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump Vs The World

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: The Rise and Fall of Victoria’s Secret

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: how did Victoria’s Secret go from hot to not? Emily Peck is joined by Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez, authors of Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon to discuss the origins of the ubiquitous bra retailer, its role in the rise of fast fashion, and how the brand successfully reflected the culture–until it suddenly didn’t.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Protecting Abortion, Electing Trump

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How to Prepare for the Worst

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Polls Weren’t Wrong

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 Poll

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What Next - TBD | The Polls Weren’t Wrong

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Guest: Tatishe M. Nteta, Provost Professor of Political Science, Director of UMass Poll

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - The Trump Trade

Sat, 09 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

This week: The markets had a big reaction to Trump’s win. Emily Peck, Elizabeth Spiers, and Anna Szymanski discuss what traders are actually betting on and how a Trump economy will affect consumers. Then, Anna breaks down the collapse of Germany’s government and what it means for Europe’s economy. Also: Reddit stock is doing great. But why is it still so popular? The hosts discuss the refreshing relatability and searchability that has kept the platform on top.

In the Plus episode: After a week of anxiety, doomscrolling, and disappointment, the hosts discuss what they’re doing to distract themselves from the news.

Podcast production by Jesssamine Molli and Cheyna Roth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Trump’s Back, This Time Without Guardrails.

Sat, 09 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 navigating the challenges that lie ahead for American democracy, as we collectively struggle to make sense of this pivotal moment and to emerge from the fog with a flicker of hope.

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What Next - TBD | Elon Wins

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 18:15:12 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, Cheyna Roth and Alyssa Jeong Perry.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Elon Wins

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Guest: Zoë Schiffer, incoming director of business and industry at Wired, author of Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - This IS Who We Are

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 22:00:00 GMT

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 stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump 2.0

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Deep Breath, Here We Go

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 22:30:00 GMT

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 Plus subscribers. If you’re not a member but you’d like to access weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis and to access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts, you can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next - America Can't Quit Trump

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 10:12:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - A Shocking and Predictable Election

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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: Osita Nwanevu, contributing editor at the New Republic and columnist at The Guardian.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - What to Watch While Watching Election Results

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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 Jones

Kadia Goba, political reporter for Semafor

Isaac Saul, founder of the Tangle newsletter

We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - u up? Go vote.

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Who Do Washington Post Boycotts Hurt? Not Jeff Bezos.

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

In the Plus segment: The New York Times took a sympathetic look at the parents of Sam Bankman-Fried and other jailed FTX execs. Our hosts found it to be pandering to the anxieties of the paper’s white, suburban readers. How much sympathy do the parents of 30-something corporate crooks really deserve?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Great Big Pre-Election Freedom and Democracy Show

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 “too early to call” is a pro-democracy posture on election night—even as the former guy almost certainly claims victory before the clock strikes midnight—regardless of the actual results.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - What Elon Wants From Trump

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - Floating Island of Garbage

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - Spoiler Alert: The People Policing Your Vote

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Spoiler Alert: Almighty Omaha

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: The Gambler Who Bet on Alibaba

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

In this Money Talks: the man who would bet billions on a coin toss. Host Felix Salmon chats with Lionel Barber, whose new book Gambling Man: The Secret Story of the World’s Greatest Disruptor, Masayoshi Son reveals how the man who backed Alibaba became the world’s biggest maverick investor, throwing fortunes at enterprises that could either succeed spectacularly or go down in flames.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Spoiler Alert: Undecided Voters

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Spoiler Alert: Jill Stein

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Facebook for the Dead

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.”

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The 1798 Law Inspiring Trump’s Mass Deportation Dreams

Sat, 26 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 history, in order to do very chilling things to immigrants. She started researching the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, the sole operative part of the notorious Alien and Sedition Acts. By October 2024, Donald Trump was invoking the statute in most of his stump speeches, saying he intends to use it to carry out the mass deportations of non-citizens, without due process and with domestic law enforcement deployed to full effect. We are already seeing Texas trying to use the language of “foreign invasion” to achieve exactly these ends. On this week’s Amicus podcast, Dahlia Lithwick asks Katherine Yon Ebright to help the rest of us catch up with her deep dive on this dangerous law, and to explain why we should take the threats to use it literally and seriously.

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Slate Money - Elon Musk’s Scheme to (Sort Of) Buy Trump Votes

Sat, 26 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 luxuries.

In the Plus bonus mini-episode: Keurig Dr. Pepper plans to spend more than a billion dollars on the Ghost energy drink company. The hosts discuss what’s powering the energy drink renaissance and how some hyper-caffeinated, sugary beverages are managing to brand themselves as health and fitness drinks — and what it’s doing to the Gen Zs swallowing the bait.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Can TikTok Sway this Election?

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - The Disinhibited Fascist

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 21:05:00 GMT

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 Elon Musk following Donald Trump.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with Dan Harris about his book, 10% Happier 10th Anniversary Edition: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works – A True Story.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - Abortion Is on the Ballot. Republicans Have a Plan.

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - When It Comes to the Border, Has Trump Already Won?

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

We want to hear from you! Submit your answers to our What Next listener survey at slate.com/WhatNextSurvey.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: How Did Trump Scam America? Lots of Luck.

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 only for deception and scams.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Why Killing Sinwar Won’t End the War

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Should the Menendez Brothers Be Free?

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How Secure Is Our Election?

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads: Finding Happiness During This Election Year

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 07:05:00 GMT

Political Gabfest host John Dickerson talks with author Dan Harris about his re-released book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, And Found Self-Help That Actually Works – A True Story in light of the looming November 5 vote. They discuss the steps to coping with election anxiety, how to benefit from group dynamics (instead of letting the doom-scrolling get to you), and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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Slate Money - China Needs a Stimulus Bazooka

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Reuters’ 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 Levin joins to discuss the new season of Slow Burn, which explores how Fox News hijacked American politics.

In the Plus bonus mini-episode: Starbucks wanted to be a classy Italian espresso house, but it became a modern milkshake shop for teens to loiter and flirt. Are its sugar and caffeine-packed drinks bad for otherwise upstanding youths? Or is it good they’re hanging at the ‘Bucks rather than seedier haunts?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - How To Steal A Presidential Election

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 electors refuse to certify the election if they disagree with the outcome?

Next, Dahlia talks to retired respected conservative federal judge J Michal Luttig, who is raising the alarm about the Supreme Court’s willful ignorance when it comes to defending democracy from Donald J Trump. Judge Luttig says part of the blame for the January 6th insurrection lies with the Supreme Court, and warns the court’s majority is poised to tip the scale for Trump this time around.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Elon-Trump Alliance

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - 15 Percent of Black Voters Support Trump

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 19:28:16 GMT

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. Supreme Court.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Elizabeth Strout about her new book, Tell Me Everything: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Want more Political Gabfest? 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 Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next - Kamala’s Bid for Black Men’s Votes

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Overdose Deaths Are Going Down. Why?

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Post

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: We Could Run Out of Everything Again

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

For this Money Talks, it’s time to turn the rat race into a rat walk on the beach. Brigid Schulte, author of Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life, speaks with about America’s toxic relationship with labor in which employees at all levels are underpaid, under-rested, and over-hustled. They discuss what America can learn from work cultures in other countries and what it will take to achieve the four-day workweek.

In this Money Talks: The pandemic wrecked global supply chains — but they were already set up for disaster. Peter S. Goodman, author of How the World Ran Out of Everything: Inside the Global Supply Chain, speaks with Emily Peck about the failure of the “just-in-time” logistics model, how a global shipping cartel is suffocating small exporters, and how another pandemic-style supply chain breakdown could leave store shelves empty once again.

Want more Slate Money? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes for each regular Slate Plus episode. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Slate Money show page. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Jared Downing, Cheyna Roth, and Patrick Fort.

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What Next - Gambling on Elections, What Could Go Wrong?

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Forget polls—are gambling websites the real way to predict politics?

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, business and tech writer at Slate

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - An Extremely Online Hurricane Season

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - 23andMe...And a Looming Data Disaster

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Slate Money - What the Hurricanes Cost

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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: WordPress is a nonprofit foundation that supports around 40% of the internet, but its for-profit arm has locked horns with a major competitor. The hosts join Slate’s Nitish Pawah to discuss the battle between Automattic and WP Engine with the fate of a chunk of the web in the balance.

Want more Slate Money? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Slate Money show page. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - 27 Years On Death Row

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

“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 inadequate defense counsel, Oklahoma’s Attorney General took the bold step of confessing to constitutional error in the case and supporting a new trial. But Oklahoma’s State Supreme Court is pressing on with Glossip’s execution, and so, on Wednesday morning, the High Court heard a case long on the appearance of process and short on actual justice. Don Knight, Richard Glossip’s attorney of almost 10 years, provides insights into the flawed process, and the shocking revelations from newly discovered evidence boxes. This case highlights broader questions about justice, fairness, and trust in the American legal system…. Leading us to an update from the latest inductee to the Lady Justice Hall of Fame – Amicus listener Barbara Hausman-Smith, and her one-woman protest at One First Street. Listen to the end of the show to find out what links this 76-year-old grandmother from Maine to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and SCOTUS’s landmark decision to legalize equal marriage in Obergefell in 2015.

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What Next - TBD | Trump’s Crypto Gurus

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 reporter

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Trump’s Crypto Gurus

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times reporter

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Political Gabfest - Is The Blue Wall Cracking?

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 20:30:00 GMT

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 about her new book, Tell Me Everything: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Getting Out Of Lebanon

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Diddy Was Indicted. Conspiracies Ran Wild.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Supreme Court’s Back. Uh Oh.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - October 7th, One Year Later

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - A.I. Goes Nuclear

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Wired

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Slate Money - Why Were the Striking Dockworkers Unpopular?

Sat, 05 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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: It's a chicken tender world, and we’re just livin’ in it. The hosts discuss how chicken tenders (and nuggets and fingers) came to dominate American dining. (Even if Felix never eats at those sorts of places.) Then — bonus within the bonus — Felix and Emily get into a debate about Long Island pizza vs. Manhattan pizza.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - What We’re Watching This New Supreme Court Term

Sat, 05 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 accept what the High Court is handing down—two women who have decided to do something, in very different ways.

You’re going to find out why one of these women will head to SCOTUS on Monday in the suit she wore to argue before the High Court 44 years ago. Dahlia Lithwick will ask the other woman, Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward, about the legal theories, doctrine tracking, and litigation strategies her organization is deploying to fight for democracy in the courts –– even (and especially) in courthouses and cases far from One First Street, where until now, the conservative legal movement has had almost free reign. Because any honest preview of the new Supreme Court term needs to look wider and deeper than the handful of cases docketed for the coming weeks.

Want more Amicus? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes. Plus, you’ll 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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Helene Proves Nowhere is Safe

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Watchdog

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Political Gabfest - JD Vance's Damning Non-Answer

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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 Wyoming Republicans.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Elizabeth Strout about her new book, Tell Me Everything: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - Experts Feared a Wider War. It's Finally Here

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Sneak Preview: The RFK Jr Ballot Mess in North Carolina Was Just the Beginning

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 the path forward for progressive priorities and jurists in state courthouses.

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 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.

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What Next - Vance and Walz Debate

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: It’s Time to Work Less

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

For this Money Talks, it’s time to turn the rat race into a rat walk on the beach. Brigid Schulte, author of Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life, speaks with Emily Peck about America’s toxic relationship with labor in which employees at all levels are underpaid, under-rested, and over-hustled. They discuss what America can learn from work cultures in other countries and what it will take to achieve the four-day workweek.

Podcast production by Jared Downing, Cheyna Roth, and Patrick Fort.

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What Next - How To Debate JD Vance, From His Last Opponent

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Will Eric Adams Cost the Dems the House?

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - American Life is a Highway

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Public.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 Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank.Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1828849), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. . See public.com/#disclosures-main for more information.

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Slate Money - How Nike Shoes Got Lame

Sat, 28 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 ordinary consumers?

In the Plus bonus mini-episode: Three Mile Island is back, baby! The hosts discuss Mincrosoft’s power purchase agreement that involves switching on the defunct nuclear plant and Americans’ troubled relationship with nuclear in general.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Public.com+Public Investing Disclosure: 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 Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank.Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1828849), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. . See public.com/#disclosures-main for more information.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Next Supreme Court Gun Fight

Sat, 28 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 public safety implications of this case and the dramatic decrease in ghost gun-related crimes following the Biden administration’s introduction of the rule at the heart of the case. They also uncover the role of dark money in funding lawsuits aimed at eroding gun safety laws, and how it compares to the anti-abortion legal strategies of the Christian right.

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What Next - Bonus: The Surge | Indicted for Swagger

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:00:00 GMT

A throwback week in politics finds New York’s Boss Tweed of Swagger in trouble, a Republican bucking the party line for his constituents and a name Democrats thought they were done with.

Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer, who writes the weekly newsletter The Surge.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of The Surge but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Big Tech Fears Her

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - North Carolina Crazies

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 20:44:06 GMT

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 with Elizabeth Strout about her new book, Tell Me Everything: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Public.com+Public Investing Disclosure: Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. See public.com/#disclosures-main for more information.

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What Next - Will North Carolina Pick The President?

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 College

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Why More Democrats Are Buying Guns

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 co-author of American Gun: the True Story of the AR-15 with Zusha Elinson.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Political Gabfest - Political Gabfest: A Murder Mystery that Uncovers the Excitement in the Everyday and Ordinary

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 16:16:10 GMT

On this month’s edition of Gabfest Reads, Political Gabfest host David Plotz talks with author Elizabeth Strout about her new book, Tell Me Everything. They discuss how Strout conceives of interconnected stories and characters across her work, including the return of beloved characters like Olive Kitteridge. They also dig into the importance of listening and the ways ordinary lives can be extraordinary.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - The New Rules of Campus Protest

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - What Was The Point of Israel’s Pager Attack?

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Trump Called. Laura Loomer Answered.

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - The Fed Rate Cut is a New Beginning

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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-sharing network.

Here’s a link to the Yukiko Morita bread lamps Emily mentioned in the numbers round.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Chief Justice Tips His Hand

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Supreme Court correspondent for 30 years, and is the author of Justice on the Brink: A Requiem for the Supreme Court.

As we head into another pivotal Supreme Court term, Dahlia Lithwick and Greenhouse turn their expert SCOTUS watching lens on how the High Court got so leaky, why the Chief was so unprepared for the public backlash to his decision in the immunity case, and whether the Chief is so much Team Trump that we should worry about the election cases inevitably headed his way.

Want more Amicus? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis

and weekly extended episodes. Plus, you’ll 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.

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What Next - Bonus: The Surge | 45 Days from Election Day

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:00:00 GMT

It’s just 45 days until election day—and the polls are telling us…a little bit of everything. In our first Slate Plus exclusive crossover, Mary sits down with one of the nation’s foremost experts on political nonsense.

Guest: Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer, who writes the weekly newsletter The Surge.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Can Instagram Really Keep Kids Safe?

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Instagram’s new default privacy settings for teenagers are designed to keep kids safe from strangers online. It’s a worthy endeavor, but are privacy settings enough? And what about all the other hazards teenagers face on social media?

Guest: Natasha Singer, New York Times tech reporter, focused on how technology is affecting childhood and schooling.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - Who Is Responsible For Political Violence?

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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 Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Inside Israel’s October 7th Tourism

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Currents

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The View from Springfield, Ohio

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Under the Spell of Someone Else’s Wealth

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

For this Money Talks, Emily Peck chats with Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind. His new novel Entitlement explores what happens when normal people enter the lives of the super-rich. Rumaan and Emily discuss class, opportunity, and how the ego and conceit of wealth can be contagious.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - When Cops Police Your Vote

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Kamala Endorsement (Taylor’s Version)

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is Boeing Lost in Space?

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - Fasten Your Seatbelt, Boeing

Sat, 14 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Why Ron DeSantis Hates Direct Democracy

Sat, 14 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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, about the playbook that’s being used to threaten ballot initiatives to protect abortion rights in states around the nation.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - TikTok Goes to Court

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 07:30:00 GMT

The law has been passed and signed by the president: TikTok’s parent company must sell or divest from the app. But that’s not happening without a legal fight.

Guest: Emily Baker-White, investigative reporter at Forbes.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Donald Trump Takes The Bait

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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 bottleneck during the Early to Middle Pleistocene transition

John: Sasha Weiss for The New York Times Magazine: The Prince We Never Knew; Mike Wall for Space.com: New record! 19 people are orbiting Earth right now; and Black Fire by Sonni Cooper

David: Hemispheres

Listener chatter from Curt Fonger in Daphne, Alabama: Caity Weaver for The New York Times Magazine: America Must Free Itself from the Tyranny of the Penny

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, David, Emily, and John continue their conversation with Nate Persily on election integrity.

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 Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Pandemic Lessons We’ve Forgotten

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump and Harris, Head to Head

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 09:30:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Her Sister Died in 9-11. She Almost Got Justice.

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Should Parents Face Charges for Kids’ Crimes?

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Misguided Buzz About Mosquitoes

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Security

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - The Chase Glitch Proves Checks Are Stupid

Sat, 07 Sep 2024 07:08:00 GMT

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 of breakfast in bed.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Public.com+Public Investing Disclosure: 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 Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank.Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1828849), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. . See public.com/#disclosures-main for more information.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Subvert the Election, But Make It Legal

Sat, 07 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 on Amicus: what’s changed in election law since 2020, and what it means for the vote in 2024. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by 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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - US v. Google… Again

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - Why Isn’t Harris Doing Better?

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 20:30:00 GMT

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 Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - Who—and Why—Israelis Are Protesting

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 04:00:00 GMT

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 Shtetl

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Could Arlington Cost Trump Military Votes?

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: How to Make the Next Wordle

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

For this Money Talks, it’s all fun and games…and lots and lots of money. The Puzzmo game designer speaks with Felix Salmon about how to make addicting, viral pastimes that turn a profit. They discuss what made Wordle such a breakout hit, how to make games for both bad and good players, and the strained relationship between art and profit.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Why Shein and Temu Are At War

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - How To Put a Toxic Job Behind You

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

While the What Next team enjoys the holiday, we’re proud to feature this episode from our colleagues at How To.

When Elle started a new career as a therapist, she never imagined she would be the one in need of help. After just a few months, her position at a group practice became untenable amid a lack of support from colleagues. Now she’s looking for a new job and wants to avoid a similar scenario. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace introduces Elle to leadership coach Rudhir Krishtel, who helps us rethink our relationships to co-workers—and work itself.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrae.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Telegram's CEO Just Got Arrested. Huh?

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - Is This Company Keeping the Rent Too Damn High?

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 07:08:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Legal Fallout of Trump’s Immunity

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 ruled for him in Trump v. U.S..

Listen to Andrea Bernstein on We Don’t Talk About Leonard, Trump Inc., and Will Be Wild. Andrea is also the author of American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Back To School… Without Phones

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Post

Russell Shaw, head of Georgetown Day School and author of “Why We’re Banning Phones at Our School” for the Atlantic.

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Political Gabfest - Will Harris and Trump Actually Debate?

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 20:30:00 GMT

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 and Nidia Cavazos for CBS News: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton raids Latino Democrats’ homes, including those of LULAC members; and Frederka Schouten and Tierney Sneed for CNN: Democrats sue to block new GOP-backed Georgia election certification rules

John: Glenn Thrush for The New York Times: Would-Be Trump Assassin’s Interest in Violence Went Back to 2019

David: Jonathan Shaw for Harvard Magazine: Mapping the Human Brain

Listener chatter from Adam Webb in Chicago: Paul Collins in The Believer: Why Can’t My Son Vote?

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, David, Emily, and John will talk about the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz interview. Bonus content this week will be available on Friday.

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 Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie HuygenPublic.com+Public Investing Disclosure: Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. See public.com/#disclosures-main for more information.

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What Next - JD Vance’s Anti-Rizz

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Venezuela’s Opposition Brought Receipts

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Is Kamala Harris Progressive?

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Georgia Election Laboratory

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Who’s Going to Regulate AI?

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Forgotten Jan 6th Case Against Trump

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Carroll. Trump owes tens of millions of dollars.

On this episode of our series “The Law According to Trump,” is the civil court path to holding Trump to account in a way that actually sticks? Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, speaks with host Andrea Bernstein about his case that uses the 150-year-old KKK Act to make Trump face consequences for his actions on January 6th.

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Slate Money - Disney’s Wrongful Death Nightmare

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 for Starbucks…or another stale cup of decaf?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Public.com+Public Investing Disclosure: Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. See public.com/#disclosures-main for more information.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Crypto Courts the 2024 Vote

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - The Democrats ‘Do Something’ Convention

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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 iPhone

Emily: 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 Outrage

David: David Wade for WBZ News: How do you stop political texts on your phone?; Presumed Innocent by Apple TV+ and Presumed Innocent by Warner Bros.; and Road House by Prime Video and Road House by United Artists

Listener chatter from Scott Rada in La Crosse, Wisconsin: ChatGPT’s Slate pitches for 3,000 B.C.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, available Friday, August 23, David, Emily, and John talk about Kamala Harris’s nomination acceptance speech.

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 Ethan Oberman

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosts

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz

Follow

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

@slatepoliticalgabfest on Threads / https://www.threads.net/@slatepoliticalgabfest

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

Slate Political Gabfest on YouTube / https://www.youtube.com/@slate/podcasts

Want more Political Gabfest? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next - The DNC Is A Party. How Long Will It Last?

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Chicago's Mayor Takes on the Democrats' Toughest Issue

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: How to Save a Doomed Economy

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

How do you save a region from an economic tailspin? For this Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with Paul Collier, author of The Bottom Billion and, most recently, Left Behind: A New Economics for Neglected Places. They discuss the economic and political forces that drag countries and regions to the bottom — and how they might be saved. Paul gives examples across time and geography, from Cold War-era Germany to modern-day Africa.

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 exclusive bonus mini-episode with every regular episode of Slate Money! 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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Can Kamala Harris Win “Uncommitted” Democrats?

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The Gender War Election

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Rise of Off-Brand Ozempic

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - Nate Silver and the Secret World of Risk-Takers

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 how the media handled Joe Biden’s age concerns.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads: Where Does the American Jewish Experience Go from Here?

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Political Gabfest host Emily Bazalon talks with author Joshua Leifer about his new book, Tablets Shattered: The End of An American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life. They discuss Leifer’s experience growing up Jewish in America, the conflict in Gaza, how what it means to be Jewish has evolved, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Don’t Pardon Trump’s Pardons

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 into Trump’s use of the pardon with Ciara Torres-Spelliscy. Torres-Spelliscy is a professor of law at Stetson University and the author of Corporate Citizen?: An Argument for the Separation of Corporation and State and Political Brands. Torres-Spelliscy speaks with host Andrea Bernstein about how Trump’s pardoning has hurt democracy, and what it means for the future of the country.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Elon Musk’s Bully Pulpit

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Slate

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Are We Really Still Talking About Crowd Size?

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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: Xochitl Gonzalez for The Atlantic: To Save The World, My Mother Abandoned Me and Phil Klay for The New York Times Magazine: Artists and Activists Both Have a Role. But Not the Same One.

Marin: Switzerland Events; Geneva Events Calendar; and Berner Zibelemärit (Onion Market)

David: Will Sullivan for Smithsonian Magazine: The World’s Largest Iceberg Is Stuck in a Spinning Ocean Vortex and NASA: Iceberg A23a in the Southern Ocean, Antarctica

Listener chatter from Simon Jones in Paris, France: Evan Ratliff’s Shell Game podcast

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and Marin talk about pets and babies. See Anonymous in The Cut: Why Did I Stop Loving My Cat When I Had a Baby?.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with Roland Allen about his book, The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosts

Marin Cogan, Emily Bazelon, and David Plotz

Follow

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

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What Next - Would You Die For MrBeast?

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Times

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Trump Seems Lost. But Can He Lose?

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How Boeing Stranded Two Astronauts

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - AIPAC Vs. The Squad

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

A Republican-backed organization is spending millions to unseat progressive Democrats—and it’s succeeding.

Guest: Alexander Sammon, Slate politics writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Tesla’s Out of Juice. But Are EVs?

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Michigan

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - What the Heck is Going on in Japan?

Sat, 10 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Michael Cohen and the Trump Lawyers Who Get Burned

Sat, 10 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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, another lawyer speaks with us about representing Donald Trump. Danya Perry is Michael Cohen’s attorney (yes, that Michael Cohen). She offers insight into why lawyers still want to represent Trump, and what the ethical implications are - personally and professionally.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Google’s a Monopoly. What About The Rest?

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Should the other Silicon Valley giants be worried following the Department of Justice’s decisive win against Google?

Guest: Leah Nylen, antitrust reporter at Bloomberg

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - These Walz Could Talk

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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 Channel

Emily: International Olympic Committee: Table tennis rules, scoring system and all you need to know; Jake Rossen for Mental Floss: Why Do Some Olympic Athletes Wear Paper Numbers?; International Olympic Committee: Sports Swap; and Maia Hjelmar for GQ Australia: 16 Olympic athletes who succeeded in more than one sport

David: Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson in The New York Times: Ten Meter Tower

Listener chatter from Fraser Ronald in Ottawa, Canada: Ari Berkowitz for Scientific American: Is Your Nervous System a Democracy or a Dictatorship?

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and Juliette talk about RFK Jr. and The Bear. See Clare Malone for The New Yorker: What Does Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Actually Want?

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with Roland Allen about his book, The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosts

Juliette Kayyem, Emily Bazelon, and David Plotz

Follow

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

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What Next - The Olympics Meet the Culture Wars

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Why It Had to Be Walz

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Can the Rich Really Lose It All?

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

For this Money Talks, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, author of Fleishman Is in Trouble, chats with Felix Salmon and Emily Peck about her newest novel Long Island Compromise, a tale about a a family of one-percenters who see their lives and fortunes turned upside down. The hosts discuss Taffy’s real-world inspirations for the story, the psychology of the rich, and whether it really is possible for the super wealthy to lose it all.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - How Trump Got Ice Cube

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Project 2025 Isn't Dead, It's Born Again

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - If They Can Get Sydney Sweeney They Can Get You

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - How the Olympics Has Changed Paris

Sat, 03 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

On this week’s Slate Money, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Slate’s Henry Grabar and former Slate Money co-host AnnaSzymanski. They dig into Henry’s experience covering the Paris Olympics; what’s in the latest jobs report; and Florida’s experiment with high-speed trains.

In the Slate Plus segment, what exactly is the Soup Dumpling Index?

Mentioned in the Show:

Tom Vailant for The Pudding: Is Sleep Training Harmful?

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Why Donald Trump Sues Everyone

Sat, 03 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 much further and is much broader than the election subversion cases.

While Dahlia Lithwick takes a well-deserved break, Amicus is very lucky to have award-winning investigative journalist Andrea Bernstein in the host chair. Andrea has covered five trials against Trump or his company for NPR, is the author of American Oligarchs: the Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power, and she has also hosted three podcasts that touch on Trump and the law, including, most recently “We Don’t Talk About Leonard.”

This episode delves into Trump's history of litigation with a close eye on how he has used nuisance lawsuits. Slate’s jurisprudence editor Jeremy Stahl joins Andrea to outline the many people and organizations the former President has sued since leaving office. Then, former US Attorney Jim Zirin, author of Plaintiff in Chief: A Portrait of Donald Trump in 3500 Lawsuits, fills us in on the history of Trump’s love of litigation.

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What Next - A Word: “Momala” and “Papa Bear”

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Courtesy of our colleagues at A Word, enjoy this a special interview with America's first Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff.

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 other forms of hate, and campaigning with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Guest: Second Gentleman of the United States Doug Emhoff

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

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 slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Are More Young People Getting Cancer?

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - These [Republicans] Are Weird

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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 Championship

Emily: Social Security and Trends in Wealth Inequality and The Sea Change

David: Who Goes Nazi? By Dorothy Thompson

Listener chatter from former Slatester Torie Bosche on the Edith Roller Journals

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, David, John, and Emily about the wildfires raging out west and David’s own escape from Jasper National Park.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot: A Novel. And Gabfest Reads now has its own site!

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

Research by Kat Hong

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What Next - Israel Targets Hamas in Iran. Now What?

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - America’s Avocados; Mexico’s Problem.

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Olympic Gymnastics is Back. But Is It Better?

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

How physical and emotional abuse from coaches still persists in American gymnastics.

Guest: Molly Henseley Clancy, sports writer for the Washington Post.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The DEI Smear Against Kamala Harris

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 University

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Panopticon Olympics

Sun, 28 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - Rupert Murdoch Plays Succession Games

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

This week, the Slate Money team, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers unpack the Rupert Murdoch family drama, some alleged stock manipulation, and Southwest Airlines’ latest policy change.

In Slate Plus, the crew unpack money transfers, and how a little extra cash could change your life.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Judge David Tatel and a New Perspective on the Court

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 life. Andrea joins Dahlia to preview the series.

Later in the show, Dahlia talks with Judge David S. Tatel. Tatel served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and became prominent for both his jurisprudence and his blindness. His new memoir, Vision, was published last month and every young lawyer should read it. On this week’s show Judge Tatel discusses the book, which details his experience on the federal appeals court and his blindness. They also talk about his concerns for the current Supreme Court and its recent approach to the law.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is Silicon Valley Trump-Vance Country?

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - The Coronation of Kamala Harris

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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 Roth

Research by Ethan Oberman

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What Next - Could Biden's Court Reforms Actually Work?

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Why the Secret Service Director Resigned

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: How to Write a Trashy Airport Book

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

For this Money Talks, lawyer/podcaster Peter Shamshiri, co-host of If Books Could Kill, reveals the secrets of junk nonfiction to host Emily Peck. He explains why “airport books” like The Secret, Hillbilly Elegy, and The Tipping Point tend to be rife with non-advice, pseudoscience, and outright junk, and what that means for our culture at large. He also tells how to get rich with your own crappy self-help book!

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Kamala Harris: Meme Queen to Madame President?

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 writer

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Joe Biden Passes the Baton

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Conspiracy Theory Election

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads: Understanding the World Through Notebooks

Sat, 20 Jul 2024 07:05:00 GMT

John Dickerson talks with author Roland Allen about his new book, The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper. They discuss the historical origins of notebooks, how to keep a notebook and their own personal journeys documenting their lives.

If you enjoyed this conversation, you’ll love an exploration into John Dickerson’s notebooks with his podcast Navel Gazing. Season one is out now.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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Slate Money - Did Y2K Finally Happen?

Sat, 20 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - SCOTUS Doesn’t Have To Be This Way

Sat, 20 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 very special conversation about the role of constitutional courts in democracy, and where SCOTUS may be veering off track.

Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosie Abella

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - America’s Tech Trustbuster

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Justice

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Political Gabfest - “Fight, Fight, Fight”

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 21:00:00 GMT

This week, 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 BritBox

Mary: The New York Times: “100 Best Books of the 21st Century”

Listener chatter: Matt from Holland, MI on a visual representation of wealth inequality in America.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, John and Mary talk about what to expect at the Democratic National Convention.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot: A Novel. And Gabfest Reads now has its own site!

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

Research by Kat Hong

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What Next - What Republicans Really Want

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther, with help from Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - How to End One-Party Rule

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - J.D. Vance: You're Hired

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 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, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Judge Aileen Cannon Closes Trump Mar-a-Lago Classified Documents Case [Preview]

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 21:27:00 GMT

The judge overseeing the stolen classified documents case at former President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Club has dismissed the case, ruling that Jack Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional. This decision will likely be appealed. It’s a big swing, on a Trump trial question that’s very possibly heading on a fast track up to the United States Supreme Court. That sinking feeling is becoming pretty familiar, huh? In a special episode of Amicus for our Slate Plus subscribers, Dahlia Lithwick speaks to Matthew Seligman who had argued for the constitutionality of the special counsel last month in Judge Cannon’s courtroom in Florida.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to the full version 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.

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What Next - After the Trump Assassination Attempt

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The New World of DIY Medical Tests

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

“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 Post

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Slate Money - When Are You Too Old to Work?

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: This SCOTUS Decision Is Actually Even More Devastating Than We First Thought

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 of modern government. The Supreme Court’s biggest power grab for a generation isn’t just about bestowing new and huge powers upon itself, it’s also about shifting power from agencies established in the public interest to corporations, industry and billionaires.

This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. We kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Boeing Pleads Guilty

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Even George Clooney Has Abandoned Biden

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 20:00:00 GMT

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 some notes and references from this week’s show:

George Clooney in The New York Times: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.

Franklin Foer for The Atlantic: Biden Has Fallen Into a Psychological Trap

Leigh Ann Caldwell, Marianna Sotomayor, Jacqueline Alemany, and Paul Kane for The Washington Post: Pelosi opens the door, subtly, to replacing Biden

Merriam-Webster Dictionary: coronate and ideate

Tim Alberta for The Atlantic: Trump Is Planning For A Landslide Win

Ryan Teague Beckwith for MSNBC: What is Project 2025? The plans for Trump’s second term, explained

Judd Legum for Popular Information: What Trump doesn’t want you to know about Project 2025 and The alarming new power Trump will claim in a second term

James Taranto for The Wall Street Journal: Strange New Respect

Ann E. Marimow for The Washington Post: Justice Amy Coney Barrett is charting her own path on the bench

Stephen I. Vladeck in The New York Times: The Most Interesting Justice on the Supreme Court Is Also the Loneliest

James LaRock and Jacob Hammond for Balls and Strikes: The Hollow Originalism of Amy Coney Barrett

Oyez: Amy Coney Barrett

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 abused me when I was a child. My mother, Alice Munro, chose to stay with him

David: Natasha Singer for The New York Times: Students Target Teachers in Group TikTok Attack, Shaking Their School and City Cast DC Live Podcast Taping on Saturday, July 13

Listener chatter from Researcher Julie: Alexandra Alter for The New York Times: Romance Bookstores Are Booming, Dishing ‘All the Hot Stuff You Can Imagine’ and Elisabeth Egan: Emily Henry on Writing Best-Sellers Without Tours and TikTok; Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, Ellen Gamerman, and Isabella Simonetti for The Wall Street Journal: How Dragons, Magic and Steamy Sex Took Over the Book World; and Bridgerton on Netflix

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, David, John, and Emily talk with Professor Emily Wilson about her translation of Homer’s Iliad. See The Iliad by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson. See also The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot: A Novel. And Gabfest Reads now has its own site!

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 and Ethan Oberman

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - How to Survive This Heat

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - This Congressman Wants Biden to Drop Out

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: What Does “Making It” Really Mean?

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

For this Money Talks, former Teen Vogue executive editor Samhita Mukhopadhyay speaks with host Emily Peck about the false promise of the “girl boss” myth. In her book “The Myth of Making It,” Samhita recounts her own grueling climb to the top — a road paved with double standards and toxicity for women — and why she left it all behind. In her conversation with Emily, she discusses enduring hurdles facing career-driven and how we can begin to fix work culture for everyone.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - France Staves Off the Far Right—This Time

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Why Gay Rights Are Under Attack – Again

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Blu-Ray-naissance Is Here. Sort of.

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

The downsides of the streaming era are coming into focus for movie fans—uncontrollable, changing libraries; lower fidelity; lack of extras and features. Can all of these be solved with a return to physical media?

Guest: Ash Nelson, journalist and author of “The Lost Art of the DVD Extra” for Slate.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Behind Britain’s Bonkers Election

Sat, 06 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Nieman Marcus’ parent company gobbling up Saks Fifth Avenue.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: The Supreme Court End-of-Term Breakfast Table

Sat, 06 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 understand about the Justices who made those decisions for the rest of us, and the Justices who dissented.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Elon Says Have More Babies

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Bloomberg

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Political Gabfest - Trump Is So Immune

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 09:00:00 GMT

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, Inc. v. Board of Governors, and SEC v. Jarkesy

Matt Gluck, Hyemin Han, and Katherine Pompilio for Lawfare: The Supreme Court’s Presidential Immunity Decision

Perry Stein for The Washington Post: Justice Sotomayor dissent: ‘The President is now a king above the law’

Gary J. Schmitt and Joseph M. Bessette for the American Enterprise Institute: The Hamilton-Madison Split over Executive Power

Dan Pfeiffer for The Message Box: Why the Dem Panic over the Debate is Getting Worse

‘Will Rogers Today’: Will Rogers on Politics

Tim Miller for The Bulwark: Dear Dems: The Gaslighting Isn’t Helping Matters

Amy Howe for SCOTUSblog: Supreme Court strikes down Chevron, curtailing power of federal agencies and Mark Walsh: Consider the wild gray squirrel, Kagan rebukes her colleagues as court overrules Chevron

Mark Sherman for AP: The Supreme Court rules for a North Dakota truck stop in a new blow to federal regulators

How to Save a Country from The New Republic: The Administrative State Is Under Attack

Congressional Research Service: The Major Questions Doctrine

Eric Berger for Dorf on Law: Is Loper Bright a Big Deal? and Michael C. Dorf: Could Congress Reinstate Chevron?

Tierney Sneed, Jeanne Sahadi, Tami Luhby, Brian Fung, Ella Nilsen, Jen Christensen, and Katie Lobosco for CNN: How the Supreme Court’s blockbuster ‘Chevron’ ruling puts countless regulations in jeopardy

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Paul Sabin of Yale University and City of New Haven: East Rock park

John: Dave McMenamin for ESPN: Lakers pick Bronny James in NBA draft; LeBron ‘emotional’

David: City Cast DC and Ross Andersen for The Atlantic: The Search for America’s Atlantis

Listener chatter from Jen in Denver, Colorado: Brandy Zadrozny and Jon Schuppe for NBC News: Who tried to steal Graceland?

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk about the joys of summer. See Merry Maids: 15 Fun Things to Make the Most of Summer 2024; NBC: Olympics Paris 2024; and epicurious: Summer. See also Produce bluebook: Nectarine Market Summary and Lemonada Media: Julia Gets Wise with Patti Smith.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot: A Novel. And Gabfest Reads now has its own site!

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - A Mom's Fight for a Fair Opioid Settlement

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Last week the Supreme Court ruled a $6 billion settlement between Purdue Pharma and victims of the opioid crisis could not move forward, because it granted immunity to the Sackler family, the principal owners of Purdue. For one of the litigants, a mother who has lost two sons to overdoses, the decision felt like “a sucker punch.”

Guest: Cheryl Juaire, part of the bankruptcy settlement with Purdue Pharma and founder of the non-profit organization Team Sharing, a support group for parents who have lost kids to overdoses.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Supreme Court’s Abortion Punt

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How Bad is the Trump Immunity Ruling?

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: The Supreme Court Puts Presidents Above the Law (Preview)

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 21:37:13 GMT

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority rounded out the term by gifting massive unprecedented power to commit criminal wrongdoing to presidents. A court that already put a thumb on the scale for former President Donald J Trump by slow talking and slow walking the immunity case in exactly the way he hoped, has now thrown out the scale in favor of a brand new sweeping, monarchic immunity ruling in favor of the former president and any future insurrection-prone presidents. Trump v United States provides that US Presidents may enjoy wide-ranging immunity from criminal prosecution because coups are constitutional as long as you make them official. This episode delves into the decision’s implications for democracy, and for presidential power, while also providing historical context. We also look ahead to the legal battles looming in the various Trump trials at all their various stages. What does this do to the Georgia indictments? The classified documents case? And the felony counts for which Trump will be sentenced next week? Host Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer on the courts and the law, and Professor Corey Brettshnieder, who teaches constitutional law and political theory at Brown University and is the author of the new book The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It.

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 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.

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What Next - If Not Biden, Then…

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Are IUDs Still a Mystery?

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: The Day SCOTUS Became President

Sat, 29 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 longstanding Chevron doctrine and upending the ways in which government agencies can regulate the things they regulate like; clean air, water, firearms your retirement account and oh, medical care.

This term has signaled something especially troubling. While you can certainly be concerned about Trump or Biden being president once again, you should be more worried about how the justices at the Supreme Court have basically made themselves the end-all-be-all of every legislative matter, regardless who wins presidential contests. It should also come as no surprise who will benefit from these decisions (rich people with yachts).

Host Dahlia Lithwick speaks with Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern and Professor Pam Karlan, co-director of Stanford law school’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic to go over Friday’s rulings and to break down what it means that federal agencies will no longer be able to, you know, do anything reasonable.

Listen to an interview with a doctor helping unhoused people in Grants Pass, OR.

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Slate Money - SCOTUS Cracks the Sackler Shield

Sat, 29 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Biden’s Catastrophic Debate

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:59:24 GMT

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 Trump

Will 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 by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Extreme Weather Keeps Surprising You

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: SCOTUS and MAGA’s Shared Vision For Government Comes Into View

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 22:17:04 GMT

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 pollution. This decision split along ideological lines, and is part of a stealthy dismantling of the administrative state. SEC v Jarkesy severely hinders the agency’s ability to enforce actions against securities fraud without federal court involvement, and the decision will affect many other agencies. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out how this power grab by the court disrupts Congress's ability to delegate authority effectively. Project 2025 just got a jump start at SCOTUS, and we have two more big administrative cases yet to come, the so-called Chevron cases: Loper Bright v Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v Department of Commerce. This is shaping up to be a good term for billionaires and a court apparently hungry to expand its power. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern (of course) and they are saved from any regulatory confusion by environmental and administrative law all-star, Lisa Heinzerling, the Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center, who served in the EPA under President Obama.

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Political Gabfest - A Law Trapped In Amber

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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. Missouri

Greg Stohr, Kimberly Robinson, and Lydia Wheeler for Bloomberg: Supreme Court Poised to Allow Emergency Abortions in Idaho

Amy Howe for SCOTUSblog: Supreme Court appears to allow emergency abortions in Idaho and Supreme Court upholds bar on guns under domestic-violence restraining orders

Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez for The Idaho Capital Sun: Idaho’s OB-GYN exodus throws women in rural towns into a care void

Eleanor Klibanoff for The Texas Tribune: Emergency rooms not required to perform life-saving abortions, federal appeals court rules

Ariane de Vogue, Tierney Sneed, and Devan Cole for CNN: Supreme Court issues report on Dobbs leak but says it hasn’t identified the leaker

Mark Joseph Stern for Slate: Supreme Court Inadvertently Reveals Confounding Late Change in Trump Ballot Ruling and Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern: John Roberts Tried to Clean Up Clarence Thomas’ Mess. He May Have Invited More Chaos.

Linda Greenhouse in The New York Times: The Supreme Court Steps Back From the Edge and How John Roberts Lost His Court

Michael C. Dorf for Dorf on Law: Justice Kavanaugh’s Concurrence in Rahimi Contains a Whopper of an Error (or Worse) and The Hidden Merits Ruling in Murthy v. Missouri

Gregory Krieg for CNN: George Latimer defeats House ‘squad’ member Jamaal Bowman in historic New York Democratic primary

Michelle Goldberg for The New York Times: The War in Gaza Is Splintering the Democratic Party

Ben Davis for The Guardian: The Aipac-funded candidate defeated Jamaal Bowman. But at what cost?

Peter Beinart for The Beinart Notebook: Jamaal Bowman’s Courage

Jon Murray, Seth Klamann, and Nick Coltrain for The Denver Post: Five takeaways from Colorado’s primaries as voters give Lauren Boebert new life, pick a Denver DA and more

Anthony Adragna and Nicholas Wu for Politico: AIPAC offshoot spending heavily to beat Cori Bush in her primary

Colby Itkowitz, Emily Guskin, and Scott Clement for The Washington Post: Trump trusted more than Biden on democracy among key swing-state voters

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change by Premal Dharia, James Forman, Jr., and Maria Hawilo and Karin Brulliard for The Washington Post: For millionaire and four hunters, a wild Western lawsuit over public land

Linda: Thelma from Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing and Aisha Harris, Bob Mondello, Bedatri D. Choudhury, Liz Metzger, Mike Katzif, and Jessica Reedy for NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour: June Squibb’s ‘Thelma’ is the wrong grandma to mess with

David: Hark and David Plotz for Hark’s The Conversation: Campaign Trail 2024

Listener chatter from William Wagner in Green Bay, Wisconsin: Sam Anderson with illustrations by Gaia Alari for The New York Times: Walnut and Me and Sam Anderson: Animal podcast

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David and Emily talk with Linda Greenhouse about Murthy v. Missouri.

In the next Gabfest Reads, David talks with Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Buckling Up for the Debate

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Guardian

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: The Vanishing Emergency Abortion Decision (Preview)

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 22:08:05 GMT

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court issued two important decisions in its traditional fashion: a box of printed copies for those journalists in the press room, and furious SCOTUS website refreshing for those who were not.

Murthy v Missouri was one of the closely watched social media cases of the term, about “jawboning” or when and if the government can ask/prod/urge private social media companies to moderate content in the interest of things like public health or election integrity, or whether such conduct constitutes censorship. Snyder v US concerned corruption and the difference between bribes and gratuities under a federal corruption law.

Somewhere in between the publishing of these opinions, however, the court inadvertently and very briefly published what may or may not be its opinion in a pair of emergency abortion cases, Moyle v United States and Idaho v United States. The Court spokeswoman urged us all to pay no attention to the early draft. Chaos ensued. On this extra, members-only episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mark Joseph Stern to try to get our arms around a day of big news, including the “now you see it, now you don’t” abortion news at the highest court in the land.

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 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.

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What Next - The OB-GYN Behind the Fight to Ban Mifepristone

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Does Anyone Need Cookbooks?

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

For this Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with food writer, podcaster, and cookbook author Matt Rodbard about the latest trends in the culinary biz. They discuss the Korean restaurant craze, the rise of non-alcoholic drinks, and how grocery stores got cool. They disagree on the usefulness of physical cookbooks but agree that MSG is underrated.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Is the Apprentice Movie Fired?

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 at the Daily Beast, covering Republican campaigns.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Lauren Boebert Will Not Go Away

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 09:00:00 GMT

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 Denver

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is Your Phone Tracking Your Driving?

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Rahimi and The Roberts Court’s All New, Also Old, Second Amendment Doctrine

Sat, 22 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 bonkers extreme originalism-fueled Bruen decision from two terms ago.

This week Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern are joined by Kelly Roskam, the Director of Law and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

Later in the show, Mark and Dahlia look under the hood of Department of State v Munoz - an immigration case decided this week that Justice Sotomayor says is sewing seeds for the end of marriage equality as we know it.

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Slate Money - McDonald's Fast Food Price War

Sat, 22 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Amazon Wants Your Handprint

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 journalist

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Presidential Debate Preview

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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 opportunity

James Oliphant for Reuters: The Biden-Trump presidential debate: what to watch for

Shane Goldmacher and Reid J. Epstein for The New York Times: Trump, Biden and CNN Prepare for a Hostile Debate (With Muted Mics)

Josh Barro for Very Serious: Of Course Biden Should Attack Trump for Being a Convicted Felon

Dr. Vivek H. Murthy in The New York Times: Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms and Sherry Turkle: Stop Googling. Let’s Talk.

Consider This on NPR: ‘An unfair fight’: The U.S. surgeon general declares war on social media

Howard Blume and Defne Karabatur for The Los Angeles Times: LAUSD approves cellphone ban as Newsom calls for statewide action

Tatum Hunter for The Washington Post: What research actually says about social media and kids’ health

Candice L. Odgers in Nature: The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness?

Mitch Daniels in The Washington Post: Indiana is revealing the real consequences of one-party rule

Ballotpedia: State government trifectas

Scott S. Greenberger in NC Newsline: Shared power used to be the norm in state government. Now it’s nearly extinct.

Nicholas Kristof for The New York Times: What Have We Liberals Done to the West Coast?

Here are this week’s chatters:

John: Liquor.com: Vesper; The New York Times: John Hurt in ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’; and John Hurt in The Guardian: Krapp’s Last Tape: John Hurt on Samuel Beckett’s loner hero

Emily: The Innocence Project: Texas Seeks Execution Date for Robert Roberson, An Innocent Man Wrongly Convicted Under Debunked Shaken Baby Hypothesis

David: Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Georgetown University: The Vocation of Journalists in a Time of Testing; Washington City Paper: Paper, Cut; and Bruce Weber and Ashley Southall for The New York Times: David Carr, Times Critic and Champion of Media, Dies at 58

Listener chatter from Tristan Hinderliter in Long Island City, New York: Samantha Pearson for The Wall Street Journal: Even Hardened Convicts Are No Match for These Guard Geese

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and John talk about the Brat Pack: then and now. See Hulu: Brats and David Blum for New York Magazine: Hollywood’s Brat Pack. See also RHINO: John Parr – St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) (Official Music Video) and Comedy Bites Vintage: Don’t You Forget About Me (Final Scene) The Breakfast Club.

In the next Gabfest Reads, David talks with Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Homelessness Before the Supreme Court

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Slow Burn: Defend Our Children

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Happy Juneteenth! What Next resumes regularly scheduled programming tomorrow, but for the holiday, check out this episode of Slow Burn Season 9: Gays Against Briggs.

In 1977, John Briggs was a small-time state senator with big dreams. But Briggs’ plan to ban gay and lesbian teachers from California schools changed the arc of his life and career. Suddenly, he was a right-wing hero, and a villain of the gay rights movement. And his message seemed to be catching on all over the country.

Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock the first five episodes of Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs. Your subscription also gets you ad-free access to all your favorite Slate podcasts, plus other member exclusive content. Join now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.

Season 9 of Slow Burn was written and produced by Christina Cauterucci. Slow Burn is produced by Joel Meyer, Sophie Summergrad, and Kelly Jones.

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.

Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had engineering help from Patrick Fort and Madeline Ducharme.

Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones, based on an image of Silvana Nova and a poster designed by Larry Hermsen and the Too Much Graphics Collective.

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What Next - How IVF Became the GOP's Next Battle

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - What's Eating the Economy?

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The FBI Made a Phone Network. It Was A Trap.

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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”

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: SCOTUS Says Yes to Bump Stocks, No to Gun Safety Regulation

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 for a perfectly partisan six to three majority, gun enthusiast and ultra conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, decided the administration had overstepped its authority enacting the ban, and based the decision in a very technical, very weird reading of the statute. On this Opinionpalooza edition of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s senior writer on the courts and the law - Mark Stern, and David Pucino, Legal Director & Deputy Chief Counsel of Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Together, they discuss the careful reasoning and research behind the ban, Justice Thomas’ self-appointment as a bigger gun expert than the agency charged with regulating guns - the ATF, how the gun industry used its own “amicus flotilla” from extreme groups to undermine the agency, and how the industry will use this roadmap again. But, please don’t despair entirely, you’ll also hear from David about hope for the future of gun safety rules.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads: When a Sex Robot Catches Feelings

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

David Plotz talks with author Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot. They discuss how much discomfort Annie (a “Cuddle Bunny” type of robot) can feel, how the story of a robot is really about the right to control a body, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Is Tesla Even a Good Car Company?

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Apple Goes Intelligent

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: Don’t Call the Mifepristone Case a Win (Preview)

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 20:40:26 GMT

What do you call a case where there’s no standing and yet the lawsuit is still standing? FDA v Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine AKA the mifepristone case, AKA the case that tried to raise a zombie law from the dead, and will now continue to roam the lower courts in search of a national abortion ban.

While the Comstock Act was not mentioned in the US Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to maintain the legal status quo on abortion pills, the overton window just got wedged open a little wider.

In this Opinionpalooza extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discuss SCOTUS’ abortion pill decision in depth and explore the consequences of a case that was doomed to fail before even this Supreme Court, but is also doomed to return to haunt us.

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 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.

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Political Gabfest - Biden’s Risky Asylum Policy

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 20:00:00 GMT

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 Opens a New Back Door on Immigration

Matthew Yglesias for Slow Boring: Biden is doing the right thing on asylum

Matt Collette for Vox: Our identity crisis on immigration

Alex Nowrasteh for the Cato Institute: The Most Common Arguments Against Immigration and Why They’re Wrong

Statista: U.S. immigration/migration – statistics & facts

Andres Triay, Robert Legare, Nicole Sganga, Pat Milton, and Camilo Montoya-Galvez for CBS News: ICE arrests 8 with suspected ISIS ties

BBC: What is the UK’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda? and Nick Beake and Kostas Kallergis: Greece boat disaster: BBC investigation casts doubt on coastguard’s claims

Anthony Faiola, Imogen Piper, Joyce Sohyun Lee, Klaas van Dijken, Maud Jullien, and May Bulman for The Washington Post: With Europe’s support, North African nations push migrants to the desert

Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: Trump Is Not America’s Le Pen

Sam Jones for The Guardian: EU elections 2024: how did key countries vote and what does it mean?

CBS News: NYC Comptroller Brad Lander announces legal challenge to congestion pricing pause

Michelle Kaske, Laura Nahmias, and Zach Williams for Bloomberg: New York Governor Shocks Manhattan With Halt to Congestion Pricing

Lauren Sforza for The Hill: Murphy says ‘the biggest policy mistake of the past 50 years in New Jersey’ was Christie’s decision to cancel Gateway tunnel project

The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Curt Anderson for WJHG: Florida jury finds Chiquita Brands liable for Colombia deaths, must pay $38.3M to family members

John: Well, This Is Me: A Cartoon Collection from the New Yorker’s Asher Perlman by Asher Perlman and Taylor Orth for YouGov: In-flight drama: Where Americans sit on airline etiquette

David: City Cast Nashville and Hey Nashville; City Cast Austin and Hey Austin; Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi; Dartmouth: 2024 Commencement Address by Roger Federer at Dartmouth; Maxi 4 NBA: Michael Jordan I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career.; and Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis—Lessons from a Master by Brad Gilbert and Steve Jamison

Listener chatter from Jason Anderson in Chicago, Illinois: Neil Steinberg for the Chicago Sun-Times: Sorry, Ken Griffin – Chicagoans will call the Museum of Science and Industry what they please

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David talk about Hunter Biden’s conviction. See Jonathan Lemire for Politico: Biden’s team was waiting for a Hunter verdict. That didn’t make it easier when it arrived. and Abby Phillip for CNN: Hear how conservatives reacted to Hunter Biden’s conviction. See also Perry Stein for The Washington Post: Gun counts Hunter Biden faces are rarely stand-alone charges and John Miller for CNN: Meanwhile, Trump said during pre-sentencing interview he had a gun in Florida, weeks after his conviction.

In the next Gabfest Reads, David talks with Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - She Met the Alitos—and Got Them on Tape

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Wait, Is JUUL Banned or Not?

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Guest: Jamie Ducharme, health correspondent at Time, author of Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: The NIMBY Catch-22

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

It’s Money Talks…live! This episode was taped at The Hewlett Foundation’s annual New Common Sense Conference, where Felix Salmon chatted with Jerusalem Demsas, who covers housing and infrastructure for The Atlantic. They discuss the NIMBY mentality, regulatory tangles holding back real estate development, and what we have to give up to gain more affordable housing.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Hunter Biden’s Judgment Day

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - What’s Biden Doing with the Border?

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Fee’d Up: A Musician’s Take on Ticketmaster

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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, musician

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Anna Phillips.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Supreme Court’s Appeal to Heaven

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 of the extreme Christian right, and explain how the changing legal landscape is enabling right wing religious fever dreams to become explicit policy in a document like Project 2025. They all agree on this one thing: This is an episode about much more than flags.

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Slate Money - Is the NY Times Just a Gaming Platform?

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Secret Semiconductor War

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Will Trump’s Conviction Help Biden?

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 20:30:00 GMT

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 early

Sarah Longwell in The Atlantic: The Two-Time Trump Voters Who Have Had Enough

Dafydd Townley for The Conversation: Trump guilty verdict: the fallout for US democracy

Politico Magazine: 22 Experts Predict What the Trump Conviction Will Mean for 2024 and Beyond

CBS News: Watch: Biden speaks at D-Day commemoration ceremony

Perry Stein for The Washington Post: Gun counts Hunter Biden faces are rarely stand-alone charges and Perry Stein, Devlin Barrett, and Matt Viser: How a fight over immunity unraveled Hunter Biden’s plea deal

Cris Barrish for WHYY: Lawyers spar in Wilmington court over whether Hunter Biden ‘knowingly’ lied on federal gun purchase form about drug use

Eugene Daniels for Politico: Biden issues a rare statement on his son’s criminal trial

Mini Racker for Time: How Hunter Biden’s Scandals Compare to Those of Trump’s Family Members

Matthew Yglesias for Vox: Nepotism and the 2020 election, explained

Emily Bazelon and Charles Homans for The New York Times: The Battle Over College Speech Will Outlive the Encampments

Here & Now on WBUR: Pro-Palestinian protesters at Brown reach deal with university

Emma H. Haidar and Cam E. Kettles for The Harvard Crimson: Harvard Will Refrain From Controversial Statements About Public Policy Issues

Paul Alivisatos in The Wall Street Journal: Why I Ended the University of Chicago Protest Encampment

Greta Reich and Caroline Chen for The Stanford Daily: Pro-Palestine protesters detained following occupation of president’s office, face immediate suspension

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Liz Goodwin for The Washington Post: Senate Republicans vote against making contraception a federal right and Ellen Wexler for Smithsonian Magazine: The 150-Year-Old Comstock Act Could Transform the Abortion Debate

John: Marco Hernandez, Jeffrey Gettleman, Finbarr O’Reilly, and Tim Wallace for The New York Times: What Ukraine Has Lost and Helena Skinner and Emma Ogao for ABC News: Satellite images show devastation in Sudan 1 year since conflict began

David: Alina Chan in The New York Times: Why the Pandemic Probably Started in a Lab, in 5 Key Points

Listener chatter from Kevin Cassidy in Sawyer, Michigan: Dyartorin Crafts: How to make Leonardo Da Vinci Bridge using popsicle sticks and HeyDadHey: How To Make A Da Vinci Bridge

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David talk about changes at the Washington Post and the state of journalism. See Oliver Darcy for CNN: Washington Post abruptly replaces executive editor Sally Buzbee in shakeup, David Folkenflik for NPR: New CEO of ‘The Washington Post’ puts former colleagues in power, and David Bauder for AP: With its top editor abruptly gone, The Washington Post grapples with a hastily announced restructure. See also Edward Helmore for The Guardian: ‘The final act’: fears US journalism crisis could destabilize 2024 election and Jack Shafer for Slate: The New Vanity Press Moguls.

In the next Gabfest Reads, David talks with Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Hollywood Strikes Are Over. No One's Back To Work.

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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, TheWrap

Diego Mariscal, IATSE local 80 dolly grip

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: The United States is Doing Retirement Wrong

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 07:05:00 GMT

On week’s special Money Talks, Teresa Ghilarducci, author of Work, Retire, Repeat: The Uncertainty of Retirement in the New Economy joins Felix Salmon to discuss all things retirement. They dig into what other countries are getting right (and wrong) about retirement, how the 401k failed, Teresa’s ultimate plan to fix retirement, and more.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Rafah Under Fire

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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+.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - It’s Supreme Court Blockbuster Season

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Election Workers in the Crosshairs

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Group

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Would You Buy Poop On the Internet?

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Guest:

Luke Winkie, Slate staff writer who published “The Poop Broker.”

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Political Gabfest - John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: The Meaning Behind All This Navel Gazing

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 07:05:00 GMT

In this week’s essay, John discusses instinct versus obligation, his daughter’s wit, how he has changed since episode one, and more.

Notebook Entries:

Notebook 58, page 10. September 16, 2021

“You don’t measure your life the way you measure your writing.” - Nan

Notebook 75, page 46-47. September 2021

When your dog dies and son goes to college and you are confronted with your life’s work it all boils down to one alarm: the clock is ticking. If a scream is better than a thesis, I was hearing some kind of scream, but what was the thesis?

References:

Everything Is Copy – HBODocs

The Power of Regret – Daniel Pink

The Mezzanine – Nicholson Baker

“The Creative Process” – James Baldwin

Slouching Towards Bethlehem – Joan Didion

“Three Paths Toward the Meaning of Life” - Arthur Brooks for The Atlantic

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com

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Slate Money - Nobody’s Gonna Stop Nvidia

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Will the Supreme Court Step Into Trump’s Hush Money Conviction?

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 it is humanly and expert lawyerly possible. Ryan Goodman is the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Professor of Law at New York University School of Law. He served as special counsel to the general counsel of the Department of Defense (2015-16). He is also the founding co-editor-in-chief of the national security online forum, Just Security, a vital resource if you are trying to follow the many trials and appeals of Donald J Trump.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: The Court of King Alito

Fri, 31 May 2024 17:05:53 GMT

Business as usual at the Supreme Court is the institutional response to the unusual business of Justice Samuel Alito’s letter writing about his flag-flying wife. In this bonus episode for Slate Plus members, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern knit together the yarns of jurisprudence with injudicious symbolic support for insurrection and christian nationalism - so you don’t get lost in this tangle. As the justices hand down cases and turn down congressional requests for recusal, Dahlia and Mark trace the link between bending the facts and discarding the record to suit Justice Alito’s narrative in his opinions, in his non application of the ethics code, and in his lack of humility in the flag fiasco.

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 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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - He’s Suing Big Tech Over Uvalde

Fri, 31 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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, attorney

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Anna Phillips.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - SPECIAL: Trump Guilty on All 34 Counts

Fri, 31 May 2024 01:36:42 GMT

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.

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What Next - Amicus: Trump Guilty on All 34 Counts

Fri, 31 May 2024 01:33:51 GMT

In light of late-breaking news, we present this conversation from our colleagues at Amicus:

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.

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Political Gabfest - Donald Trump is Convicted! Plus, Who is Winning The Senate?

Thu, 30 May 2024 20:30:00 GMT

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 Ratings

Jonathan Weisman for The New York Times: 10 Senate Races to Watch in 2024

Ben Kamisar for NBC News: Rich people are spending more than ever to run for Congress. A big test is coming in Maryland.

Nate Silver for 538: Are The Democrats Screwed In The Senate After 2024?

The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America by Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer and The New York Times Magazine: The Untold Story of the Network That Took Down Roe v. Wade

Ian Ward for Politico: The Group Behind Dobbs Does Not Want to Talk About What Comes Next

Bree Davies and Paul Karolyi for City Cast Denver: Lauren Boebert Can’t Lose

CBS Colorado: Beto O’Rourke Talks Gun Violence At Aurora Campaign Stop

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Law & Justice Journalism Project: 2024 Fellowship

John: Katie Razzall, Darin Graham, and Larissa Kennelly for BBC News: FBI investigating missing ancient treasures from British Museum and Rebecca Mead for The New Yorker: The British Museum’s Blockbuster Scandals

David: Meilan Solly for Smithsonian Magazine: Giant Pandas Are Coming Back to Washington, D.C.; Maura Judkis and Travis M. Andrews for The Washington Post: Let’s argue about the giant pandas; and Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute: Red panda

Listener chatter from Annamarie Smith in Sacramento, California: Sukey Lewis and Julie Small for KQED: On Our Watch: New Folsom

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David talk about pronatalism and the Collins family. See Jenny Kleeman for The Guardian: America’s premier pronatalists on having ‘tons of kids’ to save the world: ‘There are going to be countries of old people starving to death’. See also Luke Munn for The Conversation: Pronatalism is the latest Silicon Valley trend. What is it – and why is it disturbing?; Sarah Jones for Intelligencer: There’s Nothing New About Pronatalism; and The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank by David Plotz.

In the next Gabfest Reads, David talks with Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - An “Apprentice” Producer’s Mea Culpa

Thu, 30 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - The View from Israel

Wed, 29 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Business is Bad for Lesbians

Tue, 28 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Lesbian businesses are great for the queer women’s community, but making them profitable is a different matter. For this Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with June Thomas, author of A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women's Culture, to discuss a unique mix of cultural and economic challenges facing the queer economy.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Death of Bidenomics

Tue, 28 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Slow Burn: A Hotbed of Homosexuality

Mon, 27 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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—are in crisis, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, anytime: Dial 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.)

Season 9 of Slow Burn was written and produced by Christina Cauterucci. Slow Burn is produced by Kelly Jones, Joel Meyer, and Sophie Summergrad.

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.

Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had engineering help from Patrick Fort and Madeline Ducharme.

Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones, based on an image of Silvana Nova and a poster designed by Larry Hermsen and the Too Much Graphics Collective.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Why Hospitals Keep Getting Hacked

Sun, 26 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Time Travel Via an Assortment of Journal Entries

Sat, 25 May 2024 07:05:00 GMT

In this week’s essay, John discusses Mothers’s Day, playing tennis with the Attorney General, medical scares, and more

Notebook Entries:

Notebook 19, page 16. April 2011

Is it possible, through applied thought, to become systematic in an approach to life? If you were to do that how would you proceed?

Notebook 16, page 6. July 26, 2005

“I’m here with a bunch of midshipmen and wondering what there is to do around here.” - Boy trying to hit on a girl working @ The Reef in Castine, ME.

Notebook 15, page 30. September 2004

Head problems:

Sunday 9/5 morning

Tuesday 9/7 evening

Wednesday 9/8 before lunch

Notebook 22, page 22. April 24, 2014

Question:

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

What do you want to be now?
Why the difference?

Notebook 9. 1995

“That’s just the ticket the doctor ordered”

Notebook 13. 2001

“Free as a clam”

Notebook 17, page 67. December 2006

The man sitting next to me has a face on the boil and garlic and old booze on his breath. When he sleeps, he sighs. For this leg of the flight I am wrapped in his breathy gumbo.

Notebook 15, page 7. April 2004

“In all these there are messages for those who use their reason.” - Quran quotation

Notebook 15, page 80. 2005

Would like to meet her.

Notebook 54. July 26, 2020

“Writing requires a reader. You can’t do it alone.” - John Cheever

Notebook 15, page 71. 2005

In the light of sobriety not sure what this means

Notebook 13. March 2001

Yesterday I played tennis with John Ashcroft the atty. general of the U.S.

Notebook 13, page 108. December 11, 2001

Anne just called. There is one little heartbeat beating in her today. Everything is okay for this hurdle. I must say, I was really worried.

Notebook 20, page 10. December 24, 2013

“Sometimes Dad says weird stuff, just ignore him” - Anne to kids about me

Notebook 15, page 84.

“Life goes on,” Hayawi says. “We are in the middle of a war [in Iraq] and we still smoke the water pipe.”

Notebook 45, page 24. April 16, 2019

Our savior lives by the manner in which we live.

Notebook 19, page 23. 2011

People on their mobile phones in England say goodbye a lot: “Cheers, alright then, speak to you soon, ta.” (That’s four ways of saying goodbye). Amelia tells the story of a man who thanked a ticket-taker by saying “Ta, magical, cheers.”

References:

Disaster on the Penobscot - John Henry Fay for Naval History Magazine

One Man’s Meat by E.B. White

The House at Allen Cove I E.B. White House Tour - New England Magazine

Little Plastic Castle - Ani Defranco

“Two Years of War: Taking Stock” - Anthony Shadid for the Washington Post

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com

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Slate Money - Endless Shrimp In This Economy!?

Sat, 25 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Kyla Scanlon, author of the new book In This Economy?: How Money & Markets Really Work to talk about the disconnect between reality and perception that lead what she calls a “vibecession” – wherein many believe we’re in a recession that isn’t actually happening at all. Also: The many reasons that may have led to Red Lobster’s bankruptcy – it’s not not because of shrimp – and Kyla helps answer a listener's question about stock buybacks.

In the Plus segment: The Taco Bell heist!

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: A Bad June Rising At SCOTUS

Sat, 25 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Steve Vladeck (whose New York Times bestseller The Shadow Docket came out in paperback this week) and Mark Joseph Stern in untangling the complex web of legal, political, and personal dramas enveloping the nation's highest court. From Justice Alito's flag-flying fiasco, to the forces shaping the court’s docket, to its divisive rulings, this episode could well be titled “Why Are They Like This?” As the court's term hurtles towards its frenetic close, Dahlia and her guests dissect the legal and ethical ramifications of the justices' actions, both on and off the bench. Tune in to this must-listen episode of Amicus for an eye-opening exploration of the Supreme Court's turbulent session, the ideological battles at play, and what it all could mean for the fundamental principles of democracy and the rule of law. Whether you're a legal aficionado or simply concerned about the direction of the country, this episode is the end-of-term preview you really need to understand what the heck is happening over the next few weeks.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Scarlett Johansson vs OpenAI

Fri, 24 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Opinionpalooza: Justice Alito Flies the Flag for Racial Gerrymanders (Preview)

Thu, 23 May 2024 21:53:01 GMT

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 justice - and democracy - inaccessible for plaintiffs already shut out of the political system through racist maps with political excuses. In recent years, the Supreme Court has gutted the Voting Rights Act and now seems intent on hollowing out equal protection and diluting the reconstruction amendments; the constitutional provisions central to building a thriving diverse democracy.

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 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.

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Political Gabfest - Justice Alito's Upside Down Flag

Thu, 23 May 2024 21:00:00 GMT

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 Abbie VanSickle: Display at Alito’s Home Renews Questions of Supreme Court’s Impartiality; and Abbie VanSickle: What Do Judicial Rules Say About Alito and a ‘Stop the Steal’ Symbol?

V: The Original Mini Series on Prime Video

Mark Sherman for AP: Roberts, Trump spar in extraordinary scrap over judges and Mark Sherman and Lindsay Whitehurst: Supreme Court Justices Barrett and Sotomayor, ideological opposites, unite to promote civility

David Leonhardt for The New York Times: The Rise of a New Centrism and A New Centrism Is Rising in Washington

John Dickerson for Gabfest Reads and New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the Westby David E. Sanger

Bobby Allyn for NPR: Scarlett Johansson says she is ‘shocked, angered’ over new ChatGPT voice

Nitasha Tiku for The Washington Post: OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show and Molly Roberts: Scarlett Johansson’s ChatGPT face-off confirms our fears about AI

Midler v. Ford Motor Co., 849 F.2d 460 (9th Cir. 1988) on Justia

Blake Brittain for Reuters: New York Times denies OpenAI’s ‘hacking’ claim in copyright fight

Michael Sainato for The Guardian: Consultant behind deepfaked Biden robocall indicated for Democratic primary scheme

Her by Warner Bros. Pictures

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Hacks on Max

John: Lauren Aratani for The Guardian: Majority of Americans wrongly believe US is in recession – and most blame Biden

David: 99% Invisible: Towers of Silence

Listener chatter from Aaron Tax in Washington, D.C.: Andrea Sachs for The Washington Post: A beloved alley cat now lives in the Watergate. Was she kidnapped, or rescued?

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, John, and David talk about Republican politicians’ answers to the question: will you accept the results of the 2024 presidential election? See Alec Hernandez for NBC News: Here’s what top Trump VP picks say about the 2020 election results – and whether they’ll accept the 2024 outcome; Justin Green for Axios: Listen to Republicans on whether they’ll accept 2024 election results; and Patrick Svitek for The Washington Post: Top Republicans, led by Trump, refuse to commit to accept 2024 election results.

In the next Gabfest Reads, David talks with Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Diddy’s Reckoning

Thu, 23 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - How Originalism Ate The Law: What We Can Do About It

Wed, 22 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 answer questions from our listeners.

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What Next - Does Netanyahu Have an Exit Strategy?

Wed, 22 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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, and religion.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Is Killing a Protester Still a Crime?

Tue, 21 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next - What Are Presidential Debates For?

Mon, 20 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Business on the Campaign Trail.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Dark Side of GoFundMe

Sun, 19 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Moving in New York Twenty Years After September 11th.

Sat, 18 May 2024 07:05:00 GMT

In this week’s essay, John discusses the differences between moving around New York in 1991 and 2021; remembering 9/11 twenty years later; and more.

Notebook Entries:

Notebook 75, page 12. September 2021

Notebooks to Garret

Notebook 75, page 13. September 2021

Can you make a typo with handwriting? What’s a typo with handwriting called?

Notebook 4. 1991

We have to unplug the light to run the vacuum, so we do a lot of our vacuuming in the dark.

Notebook 75. September 11, 2021

Fritz want something?

References:

Smythson Notebooks in Blue

9/11 ceremonies, events and coverage on 20th anniversary - CBS News

Richard Drew on Photographing the “Falling Man” of 9/11 - CBS News

Want to listen to Navel Gazing uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Navel Gazing and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/navelgazingplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads: Why Americans Care About Animals

Sat, 18 May 2024 07:05:00 GMT

Emily Bazelon talks with authors Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy, about their new book, Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals. They discuss the evolution of animal treatment in America, moral duties to animals, and how to care about more animals than our pets.

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 Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Alito’s Stars and Gripes

Sat, 18 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 stars and stripes flying from their flagpole and that it was in retaliation for an an anti-Trump sign.

It’s unseemly. Undoubtedly unethical. But this intra-suburban squabble, and the very clear implications it has for a public already aware of the Supreme Court’s dwindling legitimacy, is unlikely to evoke shame, amends, or recusal from Justice Alito. On this week’s Amicus, American legal exceptionalism sliced three ways: Dahlia Lithwick on the Justice and the Flag, Slate’s jurisprudence editor Jeremy Stahl on how Donald J. Trump’s criminal hush money trial ends, and Congressman Jamie Raskin on concrete steps to supreme court reform, how to get back the rights the Supreme Court has taken away, and what a binding ethics code would look like.

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Slate Money - Biden Zaps Chinese EVs

Sat, 18 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 for DAF holdersl

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Too Stonks Too Furious

Fri, 17 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - How Bad Was The Poll For Biden?

Thu, 16 May 2024 20:30:00 GMT

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 Pattern

Aaron Navarro for CBS News: Biden to tout Microsoft expansion in Wisconsin

Matt Bush for NPR: Maryland Democrats pick Angela Alsobrooks to take on Hogan for open U.S. Senate seat

Betsy Klein, Michael Williams, and Kristen Holmes for CNN: Biden and Trump agree to 2 presidential debates, with first set for June 27 on CNN

@JoeBiden on X

Perry Stein for The Washington Post: Michael Cohen seemed to have delivered for prosecutors – if jurors believe him

Ed Mazza for HuffPost: George Conway Goes There With Scathing Personal Challenge For ‘Wuss’ Trump

Stephen Collinson for CNN: Why Johnson’s appearance at Manhattan courthouse stands out among Republicans backing up Trump

Politico: ‘Embarrassing’: Romney calls out GOP who attended Trump trial

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Netflix’s Duran Duran: There’s Something You Should Know; HBO’s The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart; Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing’s Joan Baez: I Am A Noise; Netflix’s The Greatest Night In Pop; HBO’s Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed; Netflix’s Wham!; and Think Film’s Festival Express

John: The Daily Report with John Dickerson for CBS News

David: Brown Revisited: Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and Warner Bros. Pictures’ They Shall Not Grow Old

Listener chatter from Rob Jones in Seattle, Washington: SmarterEveryDay on YouTube: How to Surface a Submarine in the Arctic Ocean

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily talks with Azeen Ghorayshi of The New York Times about The Cass Review. See Azeen Ghorayshi for The New York Times: Hilary Cass Says U.S. Doctors Are ‘Out of Date’ on Youth Gender Medicine. See also Claire Rush for AP: Idaho’s ban on youth gender-affirming care has families desperately scrambling for solutions and Jonathan Chait for the Intelligencer: CPAC Speaker Urges Eradication of Trans Rights.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with David E. Sanger about his new book, New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Why Miss USA is Imploding

Thu, 16 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next - Can Fox News Still Sway an Election?

Wed, 15 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: Can Math Really Crack the Stock Market?

Tue, 14 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Fight for Joe Manchin’s Seat

Tue, 14 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - MAGA Eating Itself Alive

Mon, 13 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 writer

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Would You Choose Your Child’s Sex?

Sun, 12 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: The Sneaky Pitfalls of the To-Do List

Sat, 11 May 2024 07:05:00 GMT

In this week’s essay, John discusses the Pomodoro Routine (among other productivity routines), why he especially needs a meditation pillow, and how a particular teacher captured his heart.

Notebook Entries:

Notebook 75, pages 8 and 9. September 2021

OReinstating the Pomodoro Routine…

Starting Marshall again…

Write Brice…

Send Laura the larger project list…

Work on budget to get accounts in order

Meditation pillow upstairs.

Notebook 18. December 6, 2009

Instapaper

Alpha Smart

Richard Hugo on poetry

Degrees of Gray In Philipsburg.

Notebook 18, page 105. June 4, 2011

Visit to Mr. Mead. He was playing piano as we entered. [During our conversation, he asked]: do you find your work fulfilling? Do you have a close circle of friends? Questions about life and living it well…

References:

Getting Things Done - David Allen

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

The Questions That Will Get Me Through the Pandemic - John Dickerson

43 Folders - Merlin Mann

The Hardest Job in the World - John Dickerson

Essays of E.B. White

“Merlin Mann” - Tina Essmaker for The Great Disconnect

More about Ernest “Boots” Mead

“Because Buying New Running Shoes is More Fun Than Actually Running” - Merlin Mann for 43 Folders

Atomic Habits - James Clear

The Creative Habit - Twyla Tharp

Free Agent Nation - Daniel Pink

“Sharon Salzberg On: Openness, Not Believing the Stories You Tell Yourself, and Why the Most Powerful Tools Often Seem Stupid at First” - Ten Percent Happier

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - How Originalism Ate The Law: The Trap

Sat, 11 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Get your tickets for Amicus Live in Washington DC here.

In the second part of our series on Amicus and at Slate.com, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern are back on the originalism beat. This week they’re trying to understand the mechanisms of what Professor Saul Cornell calls “the originalism industrial complex” and how those mechanisms plug into the highest court in the land. They’re also asking how and why liberals failed to find an effective answer to originalism, even as the various “originalist” ways of deciding who’s history counts, what constitutional law counts, which people count, were supercharged by Trump’s SCOTUS picks. Madiba Dennie, author of The Originalism Trap, highlights how the Supreme Court turned to originalism to gut voting rights. In 2022, the US Supreme Court’s originalism binge ran roughshod over precedent and unleashed Dobbs and Bruen on the American people - Mark and Dahlia talk to a state Supreme Court justice about what it’s like trying to apply the law amid these constitutional earthquakes.

In today’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Dahlia talks to AJ Jacobs about his year of living constitutionally, and she confesses to an attempt to smuggle contraband into One, First Street.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - How Neoliberalism Scammed America

Sat, 11 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 wildfires weren’t caused by Jewish space lasers — but there was malfeasance behind the scenes.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Meet the Trump Campaign’s A.I. Guy

Fri, 10 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, Cheyna Roth and Anna Phillips.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Trump Wore Pajamas

Thu, 09 May 2024 20:00:00 GMT

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 cases

Li Zhou for Vox: Marijuana could be classified as a lower-risk drug. Here’s what that means.

Sam Tabachnik for The Denver Post: Black market marijuana grows are popping up faster than law enforcement can take them down. But is legalization the cause?

John Ingold for The Colorado Sun: What have we learned about the arguments for and against legalized marijuana in the past 10 years?

Nathaniel Meyersohn for CNN: The dark side of the sports betting boom

C-SPAN: President Biden Remarks at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Ben Smith for Semafor: Joe Kahn: ‘The newsroom is not a safe space’

Dan Pfeiffer for Message Box: Why Biden Won’t Do a New York Times Interview and A Response to the Editor of the New York Times

Matthew Yglesias and Brian Beutler for the Politix Podcast: The Times, They Aren’t A Changin’

Charles Homans for The New York Times Magazine: Donald Trump Has Never Sounded Like This

Eli Stokols for Politico: The Petty Feud Between the NYT and the White House

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice by David S. Tatel

John: Gina Kolata for The New York Times: Locks of Beethoven’s Hair Offer New Clues to the Mystery of His Deafness

David: Randy Yohe for West Virginia Public Broadcasting: W.Va. Gubernatorial Campaign Attack Ads Vilify Transgender Children and Kyndall Cunningham for Vox: The Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar feud, explained

Listener chatter from Justin and Katie in Columbus, Ohio: Keziah Weir for Vanity Fair: The Vatican’s Secret Role in the Science of IVF.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk with Emily Lawler, Detroit Free Press. See Emily Lawler for the Detroit Free Press: Voters’ voices in Saginaw County; John Wisely: Legal troubles don’t dampen Trump enthusiasm as he visits Michigan; and Paul Egan: As Trump visits, Michigan bellwether Saginaw County is feeling its political juice. See also Arpan Lobo: Michigan lawmaker says ‘illegal invaders’ landed at DTW. They were NCAA basketball teams.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with David E. Sanger about his new book, New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Stormy Daniels Takes the Stand

Thu, 09 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next - Conservative Candid Camera in the Darién Gap

Wed, 08 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Hamas Agreed to a Ceasefire. Now What?

Tue, 07 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Why Democrats Will Save Mike Johnson’s Job

Mon, 06 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Can California Save Journalism?

Sun, 05 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Remembering Early 1990s New York

Sat, 04 May 2024 07:05:00 GMT

In this week’s essay, John discusses an onboarding memo for his assistant Laura, and recounts his early days living and working in New York City.

Notebook Entries:

Notebook 75

Onboard memo for Laura

Notebook 3, page 44. May 1991

June 17 start job. Good stuff

Notebook 3, page 46. May 1991

Tips on buying renting in NYC

Ask about broker

20s and 30s East side. Murry Hill

Live on no major avenue

Interest bearing account for security deposit

Medeco locks

Notebook 4, page 15

Scared standing on 34th and Broadway

$6 cab fare

Notebook 4, page 42

Getting lost in the village

References:

The Little Brown Book of Anecdotes by Clifton Fadiman

Medeco Locks

“Here is New York” by E.B. White

“Silly Job Interview” - Monty Python

John Cleese on Creativity in Management

Herbie Hancock: Miles Davis’ Essential Lesson On Mistakes

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com

Host

John Dickerson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - How Originalism Ate the Law: The Trick

Sat, 04 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Get your tickets for Amicus Live in Washington DC here.

In this, the first part of a special series on Amicus and at Slate.com, we are lifting the lid on an old-timey sounding method of constitutional interpretation that has unleashed a revolution in our courts, and an assault on our rights. But originalism’s origins are much more recent than you suppose, and its effects much more widespread than the constitutional earthquakes of overturning settled precedent like Roe v Wade or supercharging gun rights as in Heller and Bruen. Originalism’s aftershocks are being felt throughout the courts, the law, politics and our lives, and we haven’t talked about it enough. On this week’s show, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern explore the history of originalism. They talk to Professor Jack Balkin about its religious valence, and Saul Cornell about originalism’s first major constitutional triumph in Heller. And they’ll tell you how originalism’s first big public outing fell flat, thanks in part to Senator Ted Kennedy’s ability to envision the future, as well as the past.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Will New DEA Rules Light Up the Weed Business?

Sat, 04 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Bird Flu—It’s in Milk?

Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Should Student Protesters Be Arrested?

Thu, 02 May 2024 20:00:00 GMT

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 – Palestinian student protesters have been arrested

Sharon Otterman and Santul Nerkar for The New York Times: As Protests Grow, Universities Choose Different Ways to End Unrest

Mary Harris for Slate’s What Next podcast: Columbia Cracks Down

The University of Chicago: Report on the University’s Role in Political and Social Action

Jonathan Chait for New York’s Intelligencer: Why the Right Loves the Anti-Israel Encampments

Abigail Hauslohner for The Washington Post: House passes antisemitism bill over complaints from First Amendment advocates

Alexander Bolton for The Hill: Democrats split over campus protest crackdown

Emily Bazelon for The New York Times: How ‘History and Tradition’ Rulings Are Changing American Law

Regulations on YouTube

Calvinball on Wikipedia

The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law: A Conversation with Justice Amy Coney Barrett

Ian Millhiser for Vox: The Supreme Court appears poised to rein in its worst decision on guns

Ulysses S. Grant Revealed: President Ulysses S. Grant On The U.S. Constitution

Martin Pengelly for The Guardian: Trump VP contender Kristi Noem writes of killing dog – and goat – in new book

PBS American Experience: Nixon’s Checkers Speech

Marc A. Caputo for The Bulwark: Trump: ‘Marco has this residency problem.’

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Gal Beckerman for The Atlantic: A Prominent Free-Speech Group Is Fighting for Its Life

John: Sonja Anderson for Smithsonian Magazine: This Newly Deciphered Papyrus Scroll Reveals the Location of Plato’s Grave

David: Kenny Holston for The New York Times: Inside a Navy Submarine Navigating the Arctic

Listener chatter from Christina in Philadelphia: Marina Bolotnikova for Vox: Mega drive-throughs explain everything wrong with American cities; Wikipedia: Third place; Jake Blumgart for The Philadelphia Inquirer: Starbucks plans a new Center City location with no restrooms or seating; and Marin Cogan for Vox: The deadliest road in America.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk with Professor Deborah Tuerkheimer about the Harvey Weinstein case in New York. See Hurubie Meko and Maia Coleman for The New York Times: Prosecutors Say They Plan to Retry Harvey Weinstein as Soon as the Fall and Maria Cramer: Here are five takeaways from the overturned conviction. See also Deborah Tuerkheimer for CNN: Reversal in Harvey Weinstein case isn’t the demise of sex crimes prosecution and Credible: Why We Doubt Accusers and Protect Abusers by Deborah Tuerkheimer.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with David E. Sanger about his new book, New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosts

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Columbia Cracks Down

Thu, 02 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Biden’s Climate Report Card

Wed, 01 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - Money Talks: How to Get Fit Like the 1%

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Too busy running the rat race to…run? Former Wall Street Journal fitness columnist Jen Murphy has some advice. She chats with host Emily Peck about making time for diet and exercise and the value of investing in your health at any age and stage of life.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Man Who Wrote the Trump Playbook—30 Years Ago.

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Jewish Case for Protest

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Failures of ‘Organic’ Farming

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Anna Phillips.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: The Power of Four Numbers

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 07:05:00 GMT

In this week’s essay, John discusses the art of attention and how to develop the skill of slow-looking.

Notebook Entries:

Notebook 75, page 8. September 2021

1016

Notebook 1, page 54. June 1990

- Magna carta 1215 at Salisbury

- Girls skipping

- The Haunch of Venison

- Chris

References:

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

A Little History of the World by E.H Gombrich

Artist Jeff Koons

“The Art of Divination: D.H. Lawrence on the Power of Pure Attention” by Maria Popova for The Marginalian

“Gabfest Reads: A Woman’s Life in Museum Wall Labels” for Political Gabfest

One Woman Show by Christine Coulson

“Grammy-winning artist Jason Isbell talks about the craft of songwriting and his latest music” for CBS News

A Journey Around My Room by Xavier De Maistre

“Just think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind” by Timothy Wilson, et.al for Science

“Our Rodent Selfies, Ourselves” by Emily Anthes for the New York Times

One Man’s Meat by E.B. White

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com

Host

John Dickerson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Democracy Dies at SCOTUS

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 violent storming of the Capitol on January 6th 2021, and former President Trump’s many schemes to overturn the election and stay in power, were relegated to lower-case concerns as opposed to ALL CAPS panic over hypothetical aggressive prosecutors.

On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by leading constitutional scholar and former assistant Professor Pam Karlan of Stanford Law School and a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. Slate’s senior legal writer Mark Joseph Stern also joins the conversation about the MAGA justices flying the flag in arguments in Trump v United States.

In today’s bonus episode only for Slate Plus members, Jeremy Stahl gives Dahlia Lithwick a view from inside the courtroom of Donald Trump’s hush money trial.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money - The Rich People Restaurant Crisis

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Correction, April 29, 2024: In the audio of this podcast, Emily Peck originally misstated that the FTC sued to block the Penguin Random House–Simon and Schuster deal. It was the Department of Justice.

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?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - So ... Is TikTok Banned?

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Election Fraud Pure and Simple

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:00:00 GMT

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the testimony of prosecution witness David Pecker in Donald Trump’s criminal trial, student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, and the Supreme Court argument on presidential immunity.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

Matthew Haag for The New York Times: David Pecker, Ex-National Enquirer Publisher, Details How He Aided Trump

Richard L. Hasen in the Los Angeles Times: Opinion: Why it’s hard to muster even a ‘meh’ over Trump’s New York criminal trial

J. David Goodman, David Montgomery, Jonathan Wolfe, and Jenna Russell for The New York Times: Campus Protests Over Gaza Intensify Amid Pushback by Universities and Police

Spectator Editorial Board for the Columbia Spectator: Is Columbia in crisis?

Minouche Shafik in The Wall Street Journal: Columbia University President: What I Plan to Tell Congress Tomorrow

David Schizer in CNN: Opinion: To combat antisemitism, start by following the law

Michael C. Dorf for Verdict: Federal Antidiscrimination Law Does Not Require Campus Crackdowns

J Oliver Conroy for The Guardian: ‘Media firestorm’: Israel protest at professor’s home sparks heated free-speech debate

C-SPAN: Supreme Court Hears Case on Former President Trump’s Immunity Claim

Ann Marimow for The Washington Post: Supreme Court seems poised to allow Trump trial, but not immediately

Ian Millhiser for Vox: Donald Trump already won the only Supreme Court fight that mattered

Here are this week’s chatters:

John: Stephen Clark for Ars Technica: Recoding Voyager 1—NASA’s interstellar explorer is finally making sense again

Emily: Abbie VanSickle for The Washington Post: Supreme Court Appeals Sharply Divided in Emergency Abortion Case and Angela Palermo for The Spokesman-Review: Idaho has lost 22% of its practicing obstetricians in the last 15 months, report say

David: Exploring a Secret Fort on airbnb; City Cast: Work with us.; and Eve O. Schaub for The Washington Post: Don’t waste your time recycling plastic

Listener chatter from Michael Starr in New York City: Patrick Page in All The Devils Are Here; Richard the Third by Paul Murray Kendall; and Nancy Shute for NPR: No Hunch Here: Richard III Suffered From Scoliosis Instead

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk about a question before the Supreme Court: can a city regulate homelessness? See Amy Howe for SCOTUSblog: Court divided over constitutionality of criminal penalties for homelessness; Esteban L. Hernandez and Meira Gebel for Axios: Supreme Court weighs case that could affect Denver’s approach to homelessness and Alayna Alvarez: Denver’s urban camping ban brings 10 years of turmoil; and Eli Saslow and Todd Heisler for The New York Times: A Sandwich Shop, a Tent City and an American Crisis.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with David E. Sanger about his new book, New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosts

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How Trump Found His Lawyer

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - PREVIEW: Abortion Gaslighting is Back at SCOTUS

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 22:00:00 GMT

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.

Wednesday morning, the court heard arguments in Moyle v. United States, the consolidated case tackling what levels of care pregnant patients can be provided in emergency rooms in states with draconian anti-abortion laws.

And on Thursday morning, the High Court will hear Trump v. United States, the case in which the former president - who is currently spending much of his time slouched at the defendant’s table in New York City - will claim a kind of vast sweeping theory of immunity that roughly translates as - “when you’re president, they let you do it. You can do anything”. In an extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern dig into what happened in the EMTALA arguments Wednesday morning and then look ahead to Thursday’s arguments in the immunity case.

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What Next - Columbia Calls the Cops

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Your Right to Protest? Not the Supreme Court’s Problem.

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - What the WNBA Salary Debate Misses

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Remembering George and Defending the Morning

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 07:05:00 GMT

In this week’s essay, John dives deep into the loss of his beloved dog, George, the essayist’s dilemma, the comfort of quiet mornings, and more.

Notebook Entries:

Notebook 75, page 5. September 5, 2021

I go to the morning alone.

Notebook 75, page 6. September 6, 2021

Phantom nails on the stairs

References:

“Every Dog Is a Rescue Dog” by John Dickerson for The Atlantic

“Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds” by Miho Nagasawa et.al for Science

Haikus by Jennifer Gurney

“Which Pet Will Make You Happiest?” by Arthur C. Brooks for The Atlantic

“The Family Dog Is in Sync With Your Kids” by Gretchen Reynolds for The New York Times

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com

Host

John Dickerson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Internet Archive Endangered

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads: Can America Survive Its Relationships with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin?

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 07:05:00 GMT

John Dickerson talks with author David E. Sanger about his new book, New Cold Wars. They discuss how Russia and China came to reach their new levels of power, the role the Middle East and Obama Administration played in all of this, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Twelve Jurors and One Angry Ex-President

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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™ correspondent Jeremy Stahl to discuss what we learned this week, and what we can expect when the trial truly gets underway next week.

In today’s bonus episode only for Slate Plus members, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern welcome Justice Clarence Thomas back from his long weekend, with a close listen to the January 6th case that was argued before the court on Tuesday. Fischer v United States is raising more alarm bells about the conservative justices’ posture toward armed insurrection. They also dig into Justice Elena Kagan’s opinion in a potentially tricky TitleVII case that, miraculously for this court, went pretty well in terms of civil rights protections in the workplace. Listen 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.

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Slate Money - Tesla’s Toxic Relationship With Musk

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - What’s Driving Tesla’s Layoffs?

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - Could You Be A Trump Juror?

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 20:00:00 GMT

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, Maggie Haberman, and Wesley Parnell for The New York Times: Prosecutors and Defense Lawyers Begin to Seat Jurors for Trump Trial and Maggie Haberman: A Weary Trump Appears to Doze Off in Courtroom Ahead of Criminal Trial

David Bauder for AP: Trump trial: Why can’t Americans see or hear what is going on inside the courtroom?

Ann E. Marimow for The Washington Post: Supreme Court divided over key charge against Jan. 6 rioters and Trump

Michael C. Dorf for Dorf On Law: The Ejusdem is Loose -- SCOTUS Insurrectionist Case Edition

Mark Leibovich for The Atlantic: Gavin Newsom Can’t Help Himself

HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher: Gov. Gavin Newsom

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Uri Berliner in The Free Press: I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.; David Folkenflik for NPR: NPR editor Uri Berliner resigns with blast at new CEO; Alicia Montgomery for Slate: The Real Story Behind NPR’s Current Problems; A24’s Civil War; and HBO’s The Last of Us

John: The Annie E. Casey Foundation; diversitydatakids.org by Brandeis’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management: Child Opportunity Index (COI); Aliya Schneider for The Philadelphia Inquirer: ‘They’re cheating.’ President Biden floats higher tariffs on Chinese imports in Pittsburgh speech; John Dickerson for Slate’s Navel Gazing podcast; and CBS News Prime Time with John Dickerson

David: Trevor Aaronson, Sam Eifling, and Michael Mooney for Audible’s Hold Fast podcast and Jacques Billeaud for AP: Backpage founder will face Arizona retrial on charges he participated in scheme to sell sex ads

Listener chatter from Josh in Brisbane, Australia: Ross Scott’s website Stop Killing Games

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk with Anna Sale about her podcast, Death, Sex & Money, which is now on Slate. See Death, Sex & Money podcast: A Sociopath’s Guide to Death, Sex, and Money and Patrick Page in All The Devils Are Here.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Tana French about her book, The Hunter: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosts

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Is It Too Late to Escape “Forever Chemicals”?

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Will Abortion in Florida and Arizona Decide the Election?

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Felix Wins His Crypto Bet

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Five years ago, tech investor Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz bet our own Felix Salmon a 100-year-old bottle of wine that 10% of Americans would be using Bitcoin to pay for something by now. Ben lost, of course, but he’s ready to double down with a new digital wager! He and partner Chris Dixon discuss the past and present of crypto, blockchain, and AI.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - What Israel Does Now

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next - Trump In (Criminal) Court

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is America Ready for Legal Psychedelics?

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - Why America’s Internet Sucks

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Sending our Son to College

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

In this week’s essay, John remembers dropping his son off at college, and trying to hold onto moments and feelings while you can.

Notebook Entries:

Notebook 75, page 6. September 2021:

They chose you.

Notebook 15, page 4. April 2004:

Sitting with Brice by waterfall. Throwing rocks in stream. Loading sand from dump truck and loader and back again.

References:

What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

Songwriter Nick Cave

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com

Host

John Dickerson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Jurisprudence of Bleeding Out

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 stabilize whoever comes through their ER doors with a medical emergency. Sometimes this requires abortion care, and for a faction of conservative advocates, this cannot stand.

Ahead of oral arguments the week after next, we wanted to get a sense of what healthcare looks like for pregnant women experiencing medical emergencies now, and how this case threatens to undermine that care in the future. This week, Dahlia Lithwick speaks with Dr. Dara Kass, an emergency medicine physician, about what EMTALA was built to do, what ER physicians are being asked to do, and what will happen should Idaho prevail in this case.

Later in the show, Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern joins to discuss the hullabaloo over when, if, and how Justice Sotomayor should be made to retire and the very gendered work of keeping SCOTUS from going off the rails (any more than it already has).

In today’s bonus episode only for Slate Plus members Dahlia and Mark discuss the outrageous ruling that creates (but really, revives) a de facto total ban on abortions in Arizona. They also explain why the EMTALA case from the show isn’t being talked about as much as the recent mifepristone case was. 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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Does Google Suck Now?

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Arizona Territory’s 1864 Abortion Law

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 19:00:00 GMT

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 Bouie for The New York Times: The Man Who Snuffed Out Abortion Rights Is Here to Tell You He Is a Moderate

Ramtin Arablouei and Rund Abdelfatah for NPR’s All Things Considered: Abortion was once common practice in America. A small group of doctors changed that

A.O. Sulzberger Jr. for The New York Times: Reagan Says Ban On Abortion May Not Be Needed

David Faris for Slate: Why No Labels Didn’t Stick

Slate’s Political Gabfest: The “No Mugshot” Edition

Thomas B. Edsall for The New York Times: Has No Labels Become a Stalking Horse for Trump?

Michael H. Brown for The Washington Post: Joseph Lieberman, senator and vice-presidential nominee, dies at 82

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Dartmouth’s Leslie Center for the Humanities: People, Place, Podcasts: Emily Bazelon and Erica Heilman in Conversation and the Rumble Strip podcast

John: Slate’s Navel Gazing podcast and Rachel Wolfe for The Wall Street Journal: The Calls for Help Coming From Above the Poverty Line

David: Hannah Seo for The New York Times: Is It Better to Brush Your Teeth Before Breakfast or After?

Listener chatter from Mark Phillips in Baltimore, Maryland: Ben Crair for The New Yorker: The Magic of Bird Brains

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily discuss AI communications with loved ones after they die. See Walter Marsh for The Guardian: Laurie Anderson on making an AI chatbot of Lou Reed: ‘I’m totally, 100%, sadly addicted’ and Ira Glass for This American Life: The Ghost in the Machine. See also Niamn Ancell for Cybernews: These apps could resurrect your relatives using artificial intelligence; Rebecca Carballo for The New York Times: Using A.I. to Talk to the Dead; and Tamara Kneese for Wired: Using Generative AI to Resurrect the Dead Will Create a Burden for the Living.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Tana French about her book, The Hunter: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosts

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Judge Protecting Trump

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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

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What Next - How the Government Botched Financial Aid

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next - No Labels Is Out. But RFK Jr. Remains.

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next - How Young Is Too Young to Work?

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - America Needs More Power

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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

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Slate Money - EVs Need a Charge-Up

Sat, 06 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: An Exploration of Inklings

Sat, 06 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

In this week’s essay, John Dickerson looks back on a Sunday morning in 2021, and ruminates on the empty spaces left behind by the people that once filled our lives.

Notebook Entries:

Notebook 75, page 6. September 5, 2021:

“Oh my god. We dropped our son at college and our dog is dead.” – Anne.

References:

“Sunday Morning Coming Down” by Johnny Cash

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot

“When Someone You Love is Upset, Ask This One Question” by Jancee Dunn for the New York Times

“A Case of ‘Sunday Neurosis’” by Jena McGregor for the Washington Post

“Waking Early Sunday Morning” by Robert Lowell

Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything is Changing by Brad Stulberg

Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed

“Alabama Pines” by Jason Isbell

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Host

John Dickerson

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - When Gag Orders Become Campaign-Performance Indicators

Sat, 06 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 national security expertise to discuss the evolution of Trump's tactics from stochastic terror to direct incitement. Together, they explore the implications for democracy of a presidential campaign where one candidate issues violent threats and tries to intimidate judges. Kayyem lays out in stark terms the kinds of focus and planning needed in the coming months.

Juliette Kayyem is a national security expert, Harvard lecturer, CNN analyst, Atlantic contributor, and author of 'The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.' Avowedly not a lawyer, she approaches America’s political predicament using counter-terrorism approaches to Trump’s movement and preparations for the 2024 elections.

Want more Amicus? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll 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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Truth Social’s Rocky Week

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Florida Bans Abortion Again

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 23:00:00 GMT

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 Mankind on Apple TV+

Listener chatter from Kim in Spartanburg, S.C.: The fish doorbell and thunder_keck on TikTok: fish doorbell season is back

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily discuss the April 8 total solar eclipse. See John Dickerson and David Parkinson for CBS News: Massive storm system threatening millions across U.S. See also Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Festival; Annie Dillard for The Atlantic: “Seeing a partial eclipse bears the same relation to seeing a total eclipse as kissing a man does to marrying him.”; The Guardian: Columbus and the night of the bloody moon; and John Uri for NASA: Eclipses Near and Far.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Tana French about her book, The Hunter: A Novel.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Jared Downing

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosts

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz

Follow

Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/

@SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest

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What Next - How Much Longer Can Netanyahu Hold On?

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - John Dickerson Introduces: Navel Gazing

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Political Gabfest host John Dickerson has been a journalist for more than three decades, reporting about presidential campaigns, political scandals, the evolving state of our democracy. Along the way, he’s also been recording his observations in notebooks he has carried in his back pocket. On the Navel Gazing podcast, John Dickerson invites you to join him in figuring out what these thirty years of notebooks mean: sorting out what makes a life --or a day in a life— noteworthy.

Listen to Navel Gazing every week, starting April 6th, wherever you get your podcasts.

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What Next - How Gambling Took Over Sports

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: How to Escape the Invisible Factory

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

For this edition of Money Talks: Are you feeling trapped in Zoom/Teams/Slack purgatory? Author Cal Newport’s book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout has a way forward. Host Emily Peck speaks with him about how the digital office became an “invisible factory” and how you can take back control of your working life.

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 discussion segment for every regular episode of Slate Money. 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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - How a Democrat Flipped a Seat in Alabama

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next - The Group Behind Christian Conservatives’ Winning Streak

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Psychological Toll of Mars

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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

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Slate Money - How Do You Bribe a President? Meme Stocks.

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - When RAGA Rhymes with MAGA

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 talk about how an organization representing the chief legal officers in half the states in the union has become a national policy juggernaut, pushing legislation and litigation to assist polluters, harm women and LGBTQ families, torment immigrants and even steal elections, all absent any significant oversight or consequences.

In this week’s bonus plus segment, Slate’s very own Mark Joseph Stern joins to discuss coverage of the oral arguments in the mifepristone case (including the hugely significant takeaway most of the analysis missed), and the reasons Neil Gorsuch hates nationwide injunctions.

And finally, following on from last week, thinking about the language we use to describe first trimester abortions.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Can Boeing Pull Out of This Tailspin?

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Live In Washington, D.C.!

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 19:00:00 GMT

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, 405 U.S. 727 (1972)

303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, et al., 600 US _ (2023)

Juhi Doshi for ABC News: What is the Comstock Act? The 151-year-old law mentioned in SCOTUS abortion pill case

SCOTUSblog: Idaho v. United States

Pam Belluck for The New York Times: What to Know About the Federal Law at the Heart of the Latest Supreme Court Abortion Case

Geoff Mulvihill and Kimberlee Kruesi for AP: Which states could have abortion on the ballot in 2024?

The New York Times: Keeping Track of the Trump Criminal Cases and Michael M. Grynbaum and John Koblin: NBC News Cuts Ties With Ronna McDaniel After Network Firestorm

Brian Beutler for Off Message: The Political Economy Of Normalization

Gallup: World Happiness Report 2024

Clare Ansberry for The Wall Street Journal: U.S. No Longer Ranks Among World’s 20 Happiest Countries

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: The Wall Street Journal: Evan Gershkovich: Updates on the WSJ Reporter Detained in Russia

David: Tim Newcomb for Popular Mechanics: A Controversial Pyramid Isn’t Actually 27,000 Years Old—and Now, the Mystery Deepens and Paul M.M. Cooper for Fall of Civilizations Podcast: Episode 18 Is Out Now!

John: National Archives: From Alexander Hamilton to Jeremiah Wadsworth, [20 August 1787]; John Dickerson for Slate’s Navel Gazing podcast (coming soon); John Dickerson on Court TV (not available); Emily Bazelon on C-SPAN; and David Plotz on C-SPAN: Washington Journal Newspaper Roundtable.

Listener chatter from Phil Goldstein in Washington, D.C.: The New York Times: Flesh Descending In A Shower.; An Astounding Phenomenon In Kentucky--Fresh Meat Like Mutton Or Venison Falling From A Clear Sky.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily answer audience questions. See Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Tana French about her book, The Hunter: A Novel.

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 with special thanks to Patrick Fort for on-site production and Katie Rayford for logistics support

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosts

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz

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What Next - Nickelodeon’s Legacy of Abuse

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.”

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What Next - Will Islamophobia Sink This Judicial Nomination?

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next - Has Trump Run Out the Clock?

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Madeline Ducharme, Anna Phillips, Paige Osburn, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - After the Moscow Concert Attack

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - The Next Round of the Union Fight

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - Is Apple’s Monopoly Good for Us?

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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?

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - How The Mifepristone Case Reached SCOTUS

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 violates a 19th-century anti-vice law called the Comstock Act.

This week on the show Dahlia Lithwick speaks with Carrie N. Baker, Smith College professor and author of the forthcoming book Abortion Pills: US History and Politics. Baker says taking away the rights to access abortion pills in the mail could have catastrophic consequences for pregnant people, drug development, and privacy for all Americans.

In this week’s subscribers-only segment, Slate’s Trump Law correspondent Jeremy Stahl gives us the updates on some of the cases against the former president - including the “a lot ton” of money he owes in New York, like starting on Monday.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Reddit’s IPO Gamble

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - When Is Government Speech Coercion?

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 20:00:00 GMT

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 restricting government communications with social media companies

Lindsay Whitehurst for AP: Supreme Court appears receptive to NRA free-speech lawsuit against a former New York state officia

Hogan Gore for the Austin American-Statesman: 5th Circuit Court of Appeals leaves SB 4 on hold after dueling orders on Texas immigration law

Ben Protess, Maggie Haberman, and Kate Christobek for The New York Times: Trump Spurned by 30 Companies as He Seeks Bond in $454 Million Judgment

Ruth Marcus for The Washington Post: Fair’s fair: Trump should be able to appeal the judgment against him and Catherine Rampell:Trump can’t find anyone to spot him $424 million. Would you?

Sarah Mervosh, Claire Cain Miller, and Francesca Paris for The New York Times: What the Data Says About Pandemic School Closures, Four Years Later

Slate Political Gabfest: The “Stop Counting Now” Edition

Weakley County, TN

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Small Game: A Novel by Blair Braverman and Small Game: A Novel at the DC Public Library

John: Ramishah Maruf for CNN: MacKenzie Scott donates $640 million after open call for nonprofits and Ahjané Forbes for USA Today: Ticketless passenger found in Delta flight’s lavatory, forcing plane to turn around

David: Sarah Zhang for The Atlantic: DNA Tests Are Uncovering The True Prevalence Of Incest and City Cast: Work with us.

Listener chatter from Joshua Weaver in Austin, Texas: Matthew Brown for AP: Montana man used animal tissue and testicles to breed ‘giant’ sheep for sale to hunting preserves

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk about The Mysterious Case of The Reappearing Princess. See Karla Adam for The Washington Post: Will Princess Kate video put an end to royal communications mess? and Mark Landler for The New York Times: The Royals Tried to Control Their Image Online. The Internet Had Other Ideas.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Tana French about her book, The Hunter: A Novel.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - How Anti-Abortion Laws Trap Domestic Abuse Survivors

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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What Next - Why We Still Don’t Have a Cease-Fire

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Madeline Ducharme, Anna Phillips, Paige Osburn, and Rob Gunther.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: What Happens When a Country Won’t Pay Its Debt?

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

For this edition of Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with Jay Newman, the former hedge fund manager who helped Elliot Management recover $2.4 billion from Argentina after that country defaulted on its loans. Jay shares his philosophy on sovereign debt and recounts a 16-year battle full of judicial intrigue.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - The Trump Veepstakes Is On

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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

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What Next - Haiti’s Power Vacuum

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Madeline Ducharme, Anna Phillips, Paige Osburn, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - When Private Equity Gets in to Health Care

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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”

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Anna Phillips.

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Slate Money - Work is Mid 🤷‍♀️

Sat, 16 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads: How Tana French Uses Genre Tropes to Tell Great Human Stories

Sat, 16 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Emily Bazelon talks with author Tana French about her new book, The Hunter. They discuss the different perspectives French uses throughout her books, how French happened into writing mysteries, writing as an outsider to Ireland, and more.

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 Cheyna Roth.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Who Gets to Lie Online?

Sat, 16 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 administration censored their online speech about COVID-19, the 2020 election, among other issues The plaintiffs don’t claim that the administration directly silenced their speech. Instead, they argue that, by working with social media companies to limit the spread of misinformation, the government unlawfully chilled the free expression of their ideas.

Gowri Ramachandran serves as deputy director in the Brennan Center’s Democracy program.The amicus brief filed by her team from the Brennan Center in Murthy draws the Justices attention to another aspect of election disinformation . Ramachandran explains to host Dahlia Lithwick that combating election disinformation has always been important, but it is especially critical now, as election workers struggle to keep on top of voting issues.

Later in the show for Slate plus subscribers, Mark Joseph Stern joins to talk about the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals taking a swing at teens’ access to contraception, and a new effort to combat the scourge of judge-shopping.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Is TikTok Cooked This Time?

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Political Gabfest - Did Hur Exonerate Biden?

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:00:00 GMT

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.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

C-SPAN: 2024 State of the Union Address and Former Special Counsel Hur Testifies on Biden Classified Documents Report, Part 1and Part 2

House Committee on the Judiciary: Recorded Interview: Robert Hur, President Biden Transcript, Date of Interview: October 8, and Date of Interview: October 9

Kaitlan Collins for CNN: Fmr. Mar-a-Lago employee who helped move classified docs speaks with CNN

Adam Serwer for The Atlantic: How Hur Misled the Country on Biden’s Memory

Jack Goldsmith in The New York Times: Jack Smith and Robert Hur Are the Latest Examples of a Failed Institution

Erica Pandey and Russell Contreras for Axios: Blue cities go red with conservative policies on crime

Michael Barbaro and Mike Baker for The New York Times’s The Daily podcast: Oregon Decriminalized Drugs. Voters Now Regret It.

Madaleine Rubin for The Texas Tribune: Sean Teare unseats Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in primary

Stefanie Dazio for AP: Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón advances to runoff

Jeffrey M. Jones for Gallup: More Americans See U.S. Crime Problem as Serious

Stephanie Sy and Shoshana Dubnow for the PBS News Hour: As concerns grown around surging violent crime, the numbers tell a different story

David Leonhardt for The New York Times: Should China Own TikTok?

CBS News: FBI Director Wray says China targeting U.S. civilian infrastructure, economic security

Laura He for CNN: If the US bans TikTok, China will be getting a taste of its own medicine

CBS Mornings: Jon Stewart on why he’s going back to “The Daily Show” anchor desk

Mike Pence on Fox News: TikTok is digital fentanyl and Congress, Biden must act before it’s too late

Josh Dawsey and Jeff Stein for The Washington Post: How Donald Trump switched to defending TikTok

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Josh Gerstein for Politico: Federal courts move against ‘judge-shopping’ and John Dickerson and Jessica Levinson for CBS News Prime Time: New rules aim to prevent “judge shopping” in major court cases

John: Emily Goulet for Philadelphia: Fight Like a Girl: The New Wave of High-School Wrestling and Alex Bellos for The Guardian: He ate all the pi: Japanese man memorises π to 111,700 digits

David: Lend A Box

Listener chatter from Steven in Queens, New York: New York Times: Soon Finds Mother For His 5 Children; Widower Discovers Six Women Eager to Marry Him and Care for His Brood.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, John, and Emily talk about marriage proposals. See Caroline Kitchener for The Atlantic: Marriage Proposals Are Stupid; Sadiba Hasan for The New York Times: 10 Great Ways to Pop the Question; and Parija Kavilanz for CNN: After 2023 wraps up, get ready for a spike in marriage proposals.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Kiley Reid about her book, Come and Get It.

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

Research by Julie Huygen

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What Next - Mexico Is Full Of American Guns. So the Country’s Suing.

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 support our work.

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What Next - Where is Kate Middleton?

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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Slate Money - Money Talks: Her Boyfriends Couldn’t Handle Her Success

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

In a special episode of Money Talks, Emily Peck chats with writer/director Chloe Domont, whose feminist thriller Fair Play explores what happens when an ambitious woman outshines her well-meaning but insecure partner. It was inspired by Chloe’s experience surpassing the men in her own life. (But there is a happy ending!)

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Biden's War on Junk Fees

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 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.

Podcast production by Paige Osburn, Elena Schwartz, Rob Gunther, Madeline Ducharme, and Anna Phillips.

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What Next - He Quoted Hitler. Now, He Could Be Governor.

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Instagram’s Pedophile Problem

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

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 Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Slate Money - Are Wallets Obsolete?

Sat, 09 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT

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.

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.

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