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Our current fascists are obsessed with the apocalypse—it drives everything they do, from stoking anti-immigration fervor around the world to wanting to colonize Mars. But why run from our beautiful planet when we can still fight? Guest: Naomi Klein , co-author of End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World . Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the...

Democrats are excited about the prospect of a blue wave, with their Senate candidates leading races in Texas and Georgia. But beyond the races, there’s a separate issue in those states—how your vote gets counted. Guest: Greg Bluestein , Chief Political Reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Jessica Huseman , Editorial Director at Votebeat Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to acces...

Up against #Resistance superstar Alexander Vindman, Angie Nixon overcame a huge spending gap to win the Democratic primary to run for a US Senate seat in Florida. As she now runs in a state-wide election in ruby-red Florida, her message remains the same: addressing people’s needs. Guest: Angie Nixon, Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives and DSA-affiliated candidate for U.S. Se...

When Puerto Rico’s debt crisis ballooned into the largest governmental default in U.S. history, Congress stepped in with an unprecedented solution. Felix Salmon is joined by David Skeel , who served as chair on the oversight board that helped the island regain economic stability and detailed the saga of this debt crisis in his book Promise Land . They discuss the ins and outs of government debt, t...

While the What Next team recovers over the holiday, enjoy this episode from our friends over at Platypus Economics . Mary will be back to her usual feed tomorrow. Americans feel almost exactly as gloomy today as they did in 1980 — when inflation was near 14% and unemployment was close to 8%. Today those numbers are a fraction of that, yet consumer sentiment hit an all-time low. Justin Wolfers trea...

This week, we’re talking about a mega-merger, Spain, and artificial intelligence. First up, hosts Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers go deep on the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger. They unpack David Ellison's calculus, the potential ripple effects, and more. Then they look to Europe at the economic woes in Spain and France. Finally, Silicon Valley really, really wants...

Donald Trump brags about his boundless freedom while the same Supreme Court that handed him that power has curtailed everyone else's. Confidence in the court has cratered to historic lows, and waiting for a justice to retire is not actually a plan. Could a “shadow court”––a body set up to critique and even to rival SCOTUS—rescue democracy? In her new book, The Shadow Court: Rescuing Democracy...

How the Cornell University rape allegations show we’re not really “post-MeToo.” 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,...

An exchange of insults on X was all that director Alex Gibney got directly from the main character of his new documentary, “Musk.” But by interviewing his business partners, father, wives and girlfriends—and using a bit of movie magic—Gibney takes viewers inside Elon Musk’s head. Spoiler alert: it’s not pretty. Guest: Alex Gibney , filmmaker and director of the documentary “ Musk .” Want more What...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss where the midterms stand mere weeks out from Election Day, the legal and cultural issues at the heart of the deeply disturbing Cornell University rape case, and the perennial American debate over whether to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: Samuel A. Alito Jr. for The Wall Street Journal: Opi...

Voters are angry and it looks like they’re eager to express themselves in the midterm elections. But even if Democrats take both chambers of Congress, they won’t have the power to change much—but they will have enough power to be blamed if things continue to get worse. Guest: Jonathan V. Last , editor at The Bulwark Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the wh...

How Steve Ballmer, the richest owner in sports, was caught dead to rights by a humble podcaster, and what lessons the media and public can take from courtside seats to the halls of power. Guest: Pablo Torre, investigative reporter and host of “ Pablo Torre Finds Out .” Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorit...

From Michigan to Florida to Texas, there are new Democrats in town and on the ballot. But other than novelty, what do these candidates have in common? Guests: Hasan Piker , political commentator and streamer. Adam Mockler , political commentator and YouTuber Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate pod...

Democrat Justin Pearson made national headlines in 2023 when he expelled from Tennessee’s general assembly while trying to talk about gun reform after a school shooting. That same spirit has driven him to run for Congress, despite the newly redrawn electoral map that erased the state’s only majority Black district. Guest: Justin Pearson , state representative for Tennessee’s District 86, running f...

Adam Auriemma , author of the Bloomberg Money newsletter, brings his personal finance expertise to the show. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck pick Adam’s brain about how we should think about budgeting, his thoughts on renting and buying in the current housing market, and his take on financial advisors and planners. In the Slate Plus episode: Annuities Are So Hot Right Now Want to...

This week, the Supreme Court blessed the torture of a condemned woman, and the court is set to kick off the new term by doing fossil fuel's bidding. So here at Amicus, we’re not really in the mood for a razzle-dazzle “curtain raiser.” Instead, we’re taking a clear-eyed look at the ways the Roberts court is pulling the constitutional rug out from under the American people. First, Dahlia is join...

Move over, New Deal; Donald Trump is in his public works era, using tax dollars to give the American people a…chatbot and also what looks like a campaign ad for the president, even though he isn’t running for anything, can’t run again, and also can’t use tax dollars to buy ads for himself. Uh, masterful stroke, sir? This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. B...

A.I. large language models are prompt, attentive, positive and frictionless—in short, much easier to deal with than humans with their own needs, wants, and moods. But, as long as humans aren’t social creatures by nature, this should be fine, right? Guest: Sherry Turkle , licensed clinical psychologist and the founding director of MIT's Initiative on Technology and Self. Want more What Next TBD...

This week, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and guest host David Leonhardt discuss the GOP's failed witch hunt against Jack Smith and bizarre moments from the hearing, the Supreme Court's decision to allow the Trump administration's cruel third-country deportations to continue for now and broader issues of immigration and asylum, and the mixed bag of a college sports bill that sidesteps the...

Why the NAACP spoke out against the “Protect College Sports Act,” which was just passed by the US Senate—and why the bill is unlikely to get a vote in the House anytime soon. Guest: Alex Kirshner , Slate contributing writer and co-host of the college football podcast Split Zone Duo . Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across a...

In the face of a tariff shock, an energy shock and a fiscal shock, the Fed is opting to raise interest rates. Donald Trump may not like it, but he has only himself to blame. Guest: Justin Wolfers , Professor of Public Policy and Economics at University of Michigan, host of Platypus Economics . Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family an...

The party that holds the White House always braces for backlash in the midterm elections. But with Donald Trump’s approval rating hitting historic lows and voters furious at his handling of the economy, inflation, and the war in Iran, races that were once considered safe Republican wins are up for grabs. Guest: David Faris , associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University. He’s al...

In this Money Talks: Emily Peck interviews reporter Ellen Gabler about her New York Times investigation into how Wall Street investors are making money on personal-injury lawsuits that drag on for years—with unsettling consequences for plaintiffs. Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe direct...

Former labor organizer and iron worker Brian Poindexter embodies the emerging blue-collar, practical-minded Democrat type in the upcoming midterms. While he leads his race for an Ohio district Trump won handily, is that the power of his pitch or the mounting allegations against his opponent? Guest: Brian Poindexter , Democratic congressional candidate running for Ohio’s 7th district. Want more Wha...

This week: The bond market continues to churn with yields spiking globally. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck are joined by Financial Times journalist Robin Wigglesworth , whose new book, A Fabulous Debt: The Epic Story of How Bonds Built the Modern World , feels particularly relevant right now. Robin recounts the research he did for the book and explains why the history of bonds is...