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On this episode: Lucy Lopez , Elizabeth Newcamp , and Zak Rosen answer a question about modeling emotions and teaching boys that it’s healthy to cry. They first check-in with Zak after the attack at Temple Israel, the Michigan synagogue that Zak went to growing up and where his family still belong.  Mentioned on the show:  Standing Together , a “progressive grassroots movement organizing...

On this week’s show, Dana and Steve are joined by long-time FOP Isaac Butler (and author of the forthcoming book The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America's Culture Wars .) They step into this week’s cultural trenches by way of an animatronic beaver den in Pixar’s Hoppers . Does the kooky eco-romp revive Pixar from its much-discussed slump? They discuss. Next, they step to the fr...

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe to answer the question everyone is asking since he appeared in a viral moment from the Oscars’ red carpet: Who TF is Jake Shane? The TikTokker has a podcast, an upcoming Hulu show, and a role at a candy company, but is best known for just being around famous people. He insists he’s not a journalist, but he’s not qui...

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. Want more What Next? Subscribe t...

Soon after his wife started experimenting with ChatGPT last summer, Rob* says her demeanor began to change. He says she started using mystical speech, running all communication through AI, and filed for divorce. Now, Rob is left to wonder how much he’s to blame for the end of their marriage and how much can be explained by “AI-induced psychosis.”  Also in this episode, Anna talks to psyc...

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.  Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next...

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. Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe dire...

Hosts Alex Kirshner , Lindsay Gibbs , and Ben Lindbergh discuss the thrilling World Baseball Classic semifinal between Team USA and the Dominican Republic, as well as the missed calls, Navy SEAL visits, and other strange drama surrounding the tournament. Then the panel previews NCAA March Madness tournament before closing with a look at the expanding connections between Jeffrey Epstein and figures...

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 . Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favori...

On this episode: Lucy Lopez , Elizabeth Newcamp , and Zak Rosen open up the mailbag to spotlight your advice on welcoming a second child into the family. They also sound the alarm (blow the bugle?) on summer camp planning. It’s time to sign up for summer activities. We need to hop to it because spots are filling up fast!  Episodes mentioned: Postpartum Is Boring. Here’s How to Enjoy It. Secon...

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. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next fam...

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’...

On today’s episode, guest host Scaachi Koul is joined by journalist and content creator Melanie Hamlett to talk about the trend of wives who make content about the husbands who seem to hate them. Melanie has covered the toxic dynamics of some heterosexual relationships for years, including a viral 2019 article for Harper’s Bazaar .  She was recently interviewed as part of an article for The C...

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.  Hoste...

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 . This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only...

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 . Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Nex...

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 weeken...

On this episode: Lucy Lopez , Elizabeth Newcamp , and Zak Rosen help the dad of a new driver. His son just got his driver’s license and has been driving super carefully. Good right? Well, he’s not keeping up with the flow of traffic. Should he be encouraged to speed?  They also share a round of triumphs and fails. Including an amazing Power Rangers-inspired trick to kill time, kids stepping u...

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.  Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening...

When Eyes Wide Shut opened in the summer of 1999, it was widely considered a disappointment. This final film from legendary director Stanley Kubrick had been sold as an erotic thriller, and potentially even a peek into the real sex lives of its then-married stars, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. But Eyes Wide Shut was stranger than that: a meditative art film whose much-hyped orgy scene is more cree...

On this week’s monster mash, Steve, Dana, and Julia gather around the proverbial reanimation laboratory to take on the nutty, goth, and unbridled The Bride! Maggie Gyllenhaal’s feminist—or not, it’s up for debate—retelling of Frankenstein features a truly committed performance from Jessie Buckley. Do the disjointed pieces add to a coherent whole? They discuss. Next, they take a look at Paul McCart...

When Eyes Wide Shut opened in the summer of 1999, it was widely considered a disappointment. This final film from legendary director Stanley Kubrick had been sold as an erotic thriller, and potentially even a peek into the real sex lives of its then-married stars, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. But Eyes Wide Shut was stranger than that: a meditative art film whose much-hyped orgy scene is more cree...

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 . Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the t...

On today’s encore episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by sociologist and content creator Josh Lora, who goes by @tellthebeees on TikTok and Substack . In his viral piece, “ The Mainstreaming of Loserdom ,” Lora explores how a generation of people is becoming proudly anti-social, often in favor of staying home on their phones. While less and less people may be partying, they’re not exactly happy a...

This week and next, we’re talking to listeners about how chatbots are impacting their personal lives. Anna talks to a parent getting tips on how to raise a teenager, an American abroad who turned to ChatGPT for grief counseling, a therapist who says Claude is better than a lot of her peers, and a husband who says AI broke up their marriage.  Podcast production by Zoe Azulay Death, Sex & M...