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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...

Few inspirational phrases are quoted more often than Mahatma Gandhi’s “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It shows up on t-shirts, bumper stickers, even tattooed on people’s bodies. Life coaches, leadership trainers, and American presidents constantly cite it. There is one problem with this quotation, however: Gandhi never said it. And the story of how the “be the change” actually came t...

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...

Few inspirational phrases are quoted more often than Mahatma Gandhi’s “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It shows up on t-shirts, bumper stickers, even tattooed on people’s bodies. Life coaches, leadership trainers, and American presidents constantly cite it. There is one problem with this quotation, however: Gandhi never said it. And the story of how the “be the change” actually came t...

Ten years ago, the world was gearing up to welcome the first female president. Instead, Donald Trump’s surprise victory went on to alter America’s entire political landscape. It’s exactly what the people behind the Pussyhat Project feared. And yet, the pink knitted hat that took over the first of many Women’s Marches has gone on to become the opposite of the feminist symbol it was intended to be....

To mark John Prine’s 80’s birthday, Anna catches up with his wife Fiona. Then we revisit Anna’s 2018 conversation with John, where he discussed his bestselling album Tree of Forgiveness . Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Right now, we’re running a deal on Death, Sex & Money Plus memberships! Sign up to get bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Vis...

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...

As soon as Jane Doe filed her civil suit against Cornell University, the internet was up in arms. Everyone from Florence Pugh to Love Island contestants took to social media to share their disgust, imploring men to do better when it comes to preventing sexual assault. For those who lived through #MeToo, it all feels eerily familiar. On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer and cre...

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...

If you’d like to support our podcast and show everyone how important and impactful this story is, we hope you will take a moment to vote for us for The Signal Listener’s Choice Award by going to vote.signalaward.com/publicvoting . When We All Get to Heaven tells the story of one of the first LGBTQ-positive churches, the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco (MCC-SF), and how it faced the...

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...

The 1980s yielded a bumper crop of near-miss hits—songs that stalled out at No. 2, No. 11, or No. 41 during their original Billboard runs but were vindicated in the streaming era. The song that lent its title to a Molly Ringwald movie missed the Top 40—twice. Stevie Nicks missed the Top 10 with what is now her most beloved solo song. And Bruce Springsteen missed his only chance at a No. 1 song tha...

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...

One of the many perks of subscribing to Decoder Ring Plus is access to every episode of Decoder Rings Back, our member-exclusive series where host Willa Paskin calls up a listener to answer their question about a cultural mystery directly. This week we’re offering a taste of the latest Decoder Rings Back, where Willa tries to clear up our listener Samantha’s culinary confusion: Why, of all spices...

What if I told you there was a machine that, using powerful energy and frequencies, could cure everything from common colds to cancers to missing limbs? Well, I’d be lying. And yet, a not-insignificant part of the internet is waiting with baited breath for the arrival of “medbeds,” a QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theory that President Trump has even acknowledged himself. On today’s episode, host Kate...

After three years as Poet Laureate, Ada Limón craved a smaller, more private life. Then she saw a sign: her childhood home was for sale. In this episode, Anna and Ada talk about writing, memory, chronic pain and making a life where she started. Ada Limón’s latest book is called Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry . She’s also the editor of You Are Here: Poetry In the Natural World . Death, Se...

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...

There are some controversies that can only happen on Threads. Discussions about mermaid trauma, for instance, or Pepsi having to apologize for their post about Wild Cherry. The platform is home to particularly unhinged users, but why? On today’s show, host Kate Lindsay is joined by creator, podcaster, and reluctant Threads lover Franchesca Ramsey to discuss why Threads got its reputation, and how...