Slate News

In 1867, an 8-year-old girl named Elizabeth Turner became the epicenter of a legal battle that would help define what freedom really meant after the Civil War. Days after Maryland abolished slavery, her former enslaver had her re-indentured under a sham "apprenticeship" law used to seize Black children. Elizabeth’s mother—and thousands of other parents—refused to accept it.  In this second ep...

Why are kids getting faster? Is it the shoes? Also, running the Boston Marathon is obviously a huge accomplishment, but if you ran the 2013 Boston Marathon, you should lead with that and not save it for an interview years after you meet someone. Guest: Rob Gunther, producer for Slate’s What Next. This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only...

Steve Witkoff is a real estate investor, an attorney, and now America’s Special Envoy to the Middle East. It may seem like a weird career shift for Witkoff, but he’s such an outlier that the famously transactional Donald Trump treats him like an actual friend. Guest: Andrea Bernstein, investigative reporter and the co-host of four podcasts, including Trump Inc . Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why the war in Iran has flared back up despite the increasing likelihood of political consequences for Trump and his allies, the promises and perils for the U.K.'s newest Prime Minister Andy Burnham with guest Adrian Wooldridge , and the chilling effect of the DOJ's subpoenas of journalists for their reporting on Trump's Qatari Air...

Over the weekend, Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Florida after British prosecutors brought new charges of rape and sex-trafficking, which were added to charges from May 2025 and an on-going civil case.  With 59 charges, for actions dating back over a decade, how were the Tates able to evade court for so long—and what does it mean that their popularity continued to grow even as the a...

A federal judge paused the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. This may not have been a necessary step if the Department of Justice had taken its corporate enforcement mandate more seriously. But under this administration, a proven method has emerged to keep the government out of your business: make it personally profitable for Donald Trump. Guest: Liz Oyer , Former U.S. Department of...

When Donald Trump seizes on an idea, he can riff on it nigh infinitely in any direction, which is why his fairly short and contained primetime speech on election security last week seemed so out of character. Why does Trump seem so determined to keep spinning his wheels on the likely-dead SAVE Act? How much damage can he do before the midterm elections this fall? Guest: Ari Berman , national votin...

In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers talks to journalist Beth Gardiner about her expose of the plastic industry, Plastic Inc. They’ll get into the unsettling history behind the now ubiquitous material and how Big Oil has managed to hide in plain sight, shifting the burden of plastic waste onto consumers.  Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening...

A month after a pair of devastating earthquakes and more than six months after the US absconded with their president, how are the people of Venezuela faring under—wait, who’s actually in charge? Guest: Josh Partlow , staff writer at The Atlantic 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. Subscr...

John Dickerson interviews Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan about their new book Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump . Drawing on extensive reporting from inside the White House, they explore how Trump's second term differs radically from his first, from his decision-making process to the people surrounding him and his relationship with power, money, and the presidency it...

For the better part of two centuries of U.S. history, the American people understood that they—and not the Supreme Court—were the final arbiters of the Constitution. But in recent decades, nine unelected justices have claimed that mantle for themselves. Now, with the high court's claim of neutrality and legitimacy crumbling, an urgent question must be answered: Can "We the People" restore our powe...

This week: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul put a statewide moratorium on building A.I. data centers. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck discuss the decision and how the rush to build data centers is driving up energy costs. Then, the hosts explain how a new law–which removes an existing requirement for mobile-home construction–might help the affordable-housing crisis. And finally:what the...

Ah, New York—where it’s hot, loud, and the air is barely breathable. So it’s not especially surprising that Governor Kathy Hochul is opting out of adding to all of that and announcing a moratorium on building new data centers in the state.  Guest: Nitish Pahwa , Slate staff writer This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you un...

Is Microsoft laying off 3,200 employees from the Xbox division just a new boss coming in and pruning an overgrown asset, or is it a sign that console gaming is coming to the end?   Guest: Jason Schreier , reporter at Bloomberg News , cohost of Triple Click, author of Play Nice , Press Reset , and Blood Sweat and Pixels .  Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-fre...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how the confirmation hearing for Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is yet another example of Trump trying to force Congress to bend the knee, what is behind the horrific ICE killings of two men this week and what can be done about it, and the details of a new multi-state antitrust lawsuit to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merge...

America is one nation under the fear of an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a food-borne illness that has given thousands “explosive diarrhea.” Where did it come from? What can you do to avoid it? And how will it end? Guest: Nicholas Florko , staff writer at The Atlantic Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite S...

Todd Blanche’s hearing to become US Attorney General has begun. With a resume that includes the president’s $1.8 billion slush fund and, uh, the “handling” of the Epstein files, what could they possibly have to talk about?  Guest: Harry Litman, former US attorney, former deputy assistant attorney general, host of Talking Feds, the podcast and Substack Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate P...

As the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston demonstrates, ICE’s deportation surge is continuing—and so is the violence.  Guest: Arelis Hernández , reporter at the Washington Post covering the U.S. southern border, immigration, Texas and beyond. 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 podc...

Mitch McConnell’s “extended absence” (let’s call it that) from the Senate has drawn attention to the fact that the average age of American lawmakers has been skyrocketing. Is it time to talk about mandatory retirement ages? Guest: Sam Moyn, author of Gerontocracy in America , Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listen...

This week: The company buying up legacy brands like AOL, Evernote, and Vimeo had a huge IPO with shares immediately surging by 40%. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and guest host Stacy-Marie Ishmael discuss the Milan-based company’s strategy and unexpected success. Then, the hosts look at how prediction markets are booming during the World Cup. And later: why Bitcoin’s plummeting price is costin...

The Supreme Court just wrapped one of its most consequential terms in decades—and Amicus brought together three heavyweight legal experts to break down the damage. Their conversation centers on the biggest themes of the recent term: Congress has been sidelined completely; the Court is the final arbiter of all things; hubris has become the methodology, and the midterms should worry us all. &nb...

Ah high summer—time for Emmy nominations, giant aquatic mammals to take over seaside towns, and Democrats to point fingers as they frantically try to swap out candidates at the last minute.  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...

If you’ve seen ads for Trump Accounts for kids, but also know anything about Donald Trump, you might be wondering “Free $1,000 per baby? Okay, what’s the catch?” It’s a classic.  Guest: Justin Wolfers, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan , and founder of Platypus Economics . Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why an insurgent candidate with so many red flags got so far, how shocking new details about Trump's 2025 income show billions in earnings while those who bought his crypto lost billions, and what everyone lost when the president decided World Cup rules didn't apply to us. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and D...

How are supporters and voters reacting to the sexual assault allegations that have brought an end to Graham Platner’s Senate campaign? Guests: Lorry Fleming, Maine voter.  Emma Vigeland, co-host of The Majority Report with Sam Seder. 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 tod...