Slate News

It wasn’t long ago when social media was a place to go for up-to-the-minute updates in an emergency. But even as internet access is more widespread than ever—and natural disasters more frequent—Twitter and Facebook are less useful than ever. As hubs for news, that era appears over.  Guest: Will Oremus , tech reporter for the Washington Post. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for S...

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the state of working in the United States three years after the COVID pandemic began. They discuss the latest in the efforts in the SEC’s attempts to litigate cryptocurrencies. And finally, can you be a guilt-free investor?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience acros...

As Twitt—sorry, X —continues to go through tumult, an unlikely, long-time player is emerging as the last acceptable place to post. Guest: Sarah Frier , tech editor at Bloomberg Businessweek. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be sup...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s trials schedule and the 2024 election calendar; Vivek Ramaswamy; and “ What the Best Places in America Have in Common .”    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Devlin Barrett, Rachel Weiner, and Perry Stein for The Washington Post: “ Trump’s D.C. election-obstruction trial scheduled for March 202...

As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on April 27. What Next will resume regular programming next week. A self-described activist had late-stage, fallopian tube cancer. She didn’t live in one of the 11 jurisdictions that allows terminally-ill patients the choice to medically end their own l...

As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on Nov. 9, 2022. What Next will resume regular programming next week. As Texas laws have become more discriminatory against trans individuals and their families, many wonder if they can even stay in the Lone Star State, especially when parents could be...

As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on April 17. What Next will resume regular programming next week. Iowa was one of the first states in the country to pass legislation against teaching that the United States is systemically racist — an idea some equate with “critical race theory.” But w...

As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on March 30. What Next will resume regular programming next week.  Two weeks after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Lauren Hall found out the baby she was carrying had a fatal condition: her head and skull weren’t properly developing. Texas’s three overlappi...

Most pet food is made from the byproducts of the meat that we, humans, eat. Recently, there’s been a rise in high-end pet food products - including things like lab-grown meat - that are touted as sustainable options for your furry friend. But a closer look raises questions about whether or not this food is actually better for the environment. Guest: Chloe Sorvino , writer for Forbes and the author...

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speak with author and academic Bjorn Lomborg about his latest book, “ Best Things First ”. How does Bjorn’s advice differ from effective altruism? And where should you donate your own money? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of ou...

In Amicus’ summer series of conversations about books that expanded our thinking about justice and the courts, beyond the churn of headlines, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Judge Margaret M McKeown of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CIrcuit, to discuss her book Citizen Justice: The Environmental Legacy of William O. Douglas―Public Advocate and Conservation Champion Sign up for Slate...

In the spring, it looked like TikTok was on the verge of being banned in America. Since then, it’s continued operating business as usual.  But this week, it was revealed that ByteDance and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States came close to striking a deal that would allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. The negotiations give a glimpse into how social media—and by exten...

This week, John Dickerson is back and joins Emily Bazelon and David Plotz to discuss the first Republican primary debate and the simulcast Tucker Carlson interview of Donald Trump; the Republican law professors’ debate about whether the U.S. Constitution prohibits another Trump presidency; and the United Diners of America.  Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Colectivo Coffee...

Over the past year, a growing number of women and children started appearing on New York City subway platforms and trains, selling candy. Their stories illuminate a country in turmoil a continent away—and an ongoing migrant crisis at home. Guest: Jordan Salama , author of “ The Candy Sellers: The lives and livelihoods of some of the city’s newest migrant children ” for New York magazine. If you en...

Polls show Vivek Ramaswamy pulling even with Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, trailing only Donald Trump (albeit substantially). How did Ramaswamy go from anonymous multimillionaire to a potential Trump alternative in just six months? And what would a Ramaswamy administration look like? Guest: Mini Racker , staff writer covering politics for TIME Magazine. If you enjoy this sho...

Last week, retired NFL lineman Michael Oher sued the Tuohy family and revealed a gulf between real life and how he and the family were portrayed in 2009’s The Blind Side. Guest: Santul Nerkar , reporter on sports and business for the New York Times.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes...

Over the last 20 years, the average college student at a public university has seen prices go up 64 percent, as schools spend more and more on amenities to attract students and raise their own rankings.  Guest: Melissa Korn , higher education reporter at the Wall Street Journal. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any...

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speak with Yepoka Yeebo, author of Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World . Yeebo explains how John Ackah Bley-Miezah convinced people that he held the keys to a large fortune. All they needed to do was help him access it.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus me...

Sorting through a loved one’s things after they’ve died can be an emotional, difficult chore. But now, added to that, people have to sort through the deceased’s password-protected online presence.  Guests: Kate Lindsay, author of the internet culture newsletter  Embedded and the article “ My Mom Will Email Me After She Dies” in the Atlantic . If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for...

Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and John Dickerson talk with author Barbara Kingsolver about her new book,  Demon Copperhead . They discuss her inspiration for the novel, what we keep getting wrong about Appalachia, 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 Ch...

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss FDIC chair Martin Guenberg’s proposal to let big bank debt holders lose money before the uninsured depositors. Also, Rao’s upscale cornering of the red sauce market leads to its $2.7 billion sale to Campbell’s. Finally “The Wig” : Argentina’s right-wing primary winner Javier Milei’s arresting mop and his plan to toss out the currency. In the P...

At first, cryptocurrency seemed like the solution to the problems sex workers have had with traditional banks. But as the US moves to regulate the crypto industry, many are finding it hasn’t worked out like they hoped.  Guests: Joel Khalili , reporter at Wired Liara Roux, sex worker, organizer, and writer You can check out Joel’s reporting in Wired here.   If you enjoy this show, please consider s...

This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by  Lulu Garcia-Navarro  of The New York Times to discuss the indictment in Georgia of Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants for trying to overturn the state’s 2020 election results; the court win by Montana youth for “a clean and healthful environment” and the devastating losses of Maui residents to wildfire; and the lawsuit of Michael Oher against...

Hawaii is in flames, with the death toll from fires on Maui exceeding 100. Now, the search for where the failure—or multiple failures—occurred begins. Guest: Brianna Sacks , reporter covering climate change and extreme weather for the Washington Post. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episode...

The fourth shoe dropped this week, when Fulton County DA Fani Willis announced Donald Trump’s latest indictment, charging the former president, along with 18 others, for engaging in a sprawling criminal conspiracy to disenfranchise Georgia voters. Trump has been responding by lashing out against Willis and voters in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee.  Guest: Rick Hasen , professor of law at UCL...