Slate Daily Feed

This week: Trump has proposed a $5 million “gold card” for US citizenship, suggesting that the US could sell 10 million of them to pay off the national debt.  Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the logic behind this considering the similar programs that already exist and the possible pool of candidates. Then, they discuss guest Kyle Chayka ’s recent piece in the New Yorker co...

Federal workers in the U.S. Digital Service resigned in protest over what they viewed as indiscriminate, irresponsible firings coming from the DOGE office. While lawsuits are entering the courts and protests are taking to the streets, will any of this make a difference to the chainsaw-minded leaders of DOGE?  Guest: Ryan Mac, tech reporter at the New York Times and co-author of “ Character Limit:...

In the late 1980s, the English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys dominated the U.K. pop charts and staged an invasion of the American charts. Years later, founding member Neil Tennant dubbed this streak of creative and commercial supremacy the group’s “imperial phase”—a term that eventually caught on among music critics and pop fans. So, what does it take for an artist to achieve imperial dominance? Why...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the future of the transatlantic alliance and Ukraine in the wake of the UN resolution votes with  Zanny Minton Beddoes,  editor-in-chief of  The Economist ; the House GOP’s budget resolution and the reconciliation process; and the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive moves against the press.  For this week’s Slate Plus bon...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak are talking about estrangement. We got a really thoughtful question from a listener whose four-year-old is starting to ask questions about why one of his grandparents isn’t in the picture. And with kids that age, the questions just keep coming… even on topics like this, that are really hard to explain. Elizabeth recommended the following resources:  A Famil...

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has held since January 19. Now, the second phase—negotiating Gaza’s future—is supposed to begin. But anger over the deaths of hostages and intrusions into the West Bank aren’t going to make it easy. Guest: Yair Rosenberg , staff writer at The Atlantic and author of Deep Shtetl , a newsletter about the intersection of politics, culture, and religion.  Want mor...

In 1972, Jerry Lewis—the actor and filmmaker known for slapstick comedies like The Nutty Professor —took the biggest risk of his career when he decided to make a drama called The Day The Clown Cried , about a circus clown who ends up in Auschwitz. This could have been a landmark as one of the first portrayals of the Holocaust in American cinema. Instead, it became a different kind of landmark: all...

On this week’s show, we preview the Oscars and Trump’s demolition throughout renowned institutions of art. Isaac Butler — author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act and host of the new Criterion Channel series, The Craft of Acting — sits in for Stephen Metcalf. First, the hosts discuss I’m Still Here and the continued addition of non-English speaking films getting some of the b...

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim break down YouTuber Ethan Klein’s attack on Fauxmoi and why public figures are starting to fire back at snark pages. Earlier this month, Klein’s wife Hila became a topic of discussion on Fauxmoi, a popular celebrity subreddit, after she posted an Instagram story that claimed a potential collaboration fell apart due to anti-semitism. Posts of problematic behavior and la...

In town halls from Oregon to Georgia, people are letting Republicans know just how angry they are about the dramatic cuts to the federal government. And their displeasure is starting to sink Trump’s approval rating. Guest: Greg Bluestein, political reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution .  Ben Mathis-Lilley, senior writer for Slate . Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-f...

Bryan Lowder sits down with journalist Nico Lang to discuss their recent article for Slate It Was Never About Protecting Kids on Trump’s Executive Order restricting gender-affirming care for minors. They examine how the administration is using “child protection” rhetoric as a cover for anti-trans policies, the real-world impact on trans youth and their families, and the history of this political s...

Barron Trump, the president’s youngest son, isn’t on the public speaking circuit and has no social media presence. But he’s nevertheless become a Gen-Z-aged avatar of Trump masculinity for the MAGA faithful. Where does reality end and speculation begin? Guest: Dan Adler , staff writer for Vanity Fair . Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your ot...

When comedian Chelsea Devantez began writing her memoir, she knew exactly where to start: with a teenage relationship that spiraled into domestic violence. But when she submitted her draft, lawyers informed her she legally couldn't name her abuser or detail what happened. "I threw the book in the trash for a few months," Chelsea recalls. After consulting friends and family, she decided to continue...

Hosts Alex Kirshner , Lindsay Gibbs , and Ben Lindbergh speak to the Athletic’s Dermot Corrigan about the trial of former Spanish women’s soccer chief Luis Rubiales, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting World Cup star Jenni Hermoso. The trial not only condemned the Spanish Football Federation, but also spotlighted a deeper issue of misogyny in Spain. The panel also revisits the 4 Nations Fa...

On this episode: Lucy, Zak and Elizabeth tackle a letter from a mom who feels like she’s living in Wrestlemania. This mom and dad love tickle fights and wrestling with their two boys — but the younger one isn’t so good at honoring a tap-out. So, we’ll talk about how to prevent, or at least pause, the wrestling match before anyone gets hurt. We’ll also check in and share what’s on our minds this we...

In 2011, a Republican majority in the Wisconsin State House faced massive protests to their plans to strip power from public sector workers. State Democrats fled across the border and the possibility of a general strike loomed.  But the strike fizzled out and the legislation ultimately passed.  And now the situation in the federal government is shaping up in a similar way. Do the workers need to b...

The crypto industry threw its weight and money behind Donald Trump, in hopes of legitimizing the industry. Before his Inauguration Day was over, Donald Trump was already enriching himself via a memecoin, one of the scammier, least legitimate-looking uses of crypto. Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany, reporter covering cryptocurrency for the New York Times. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus...

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay aren’t immune to TikTok marketing, even when it comes to healthcare. From Hims and Hers to nutritional gummies to something called “beef tallow,” social media promises the answers to all your medical woes. To figure out how to responsibly navigate this new online healthcare landscape, Candice and Kate talk to NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent, Sydney Lupkin. Sydney rec...

This week: The US is weakening ties with its biggest ally while embracing an old enemy. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers explain how the Trump administration’s antagonization of Europe – and further alignment with Russia – could mean major economic blowback if it goes far enough. Then, rumor has it that Intel is looking to sell parts of its business off to foreign firms Broadcom an...

President Donald J Trump’s administration has been invoking a conservative legal theory as justification for his claim to possess king-like presidential powers. This new supercharged version of the “unitary executive theory” may just be extreme enough to stick in the craw of some conservative judges, but will it find a warm welcome when it inevitably lands at the Supreme Court, and should we brace...

Why are some people able to talk with just about anyone—about almost anything? One answer may lie in the questions we ask—and how deeply we ask them. Stick with us here… In this episode, host Charles Duhigg examines why deep questions are so powerful and how to ask them in everyday life. He talks to Nick Epley, psychology professor at the University of Chicago and lifelong researcher of deep quest...

In a new miniseries inspired by Charles Duhigg’s bestseller, the former host of Slate’s How To! podcast sits down with psychologists, social scientists, and even a Hollywood writer to explore how to ask the right questions, communicate without words, and find meaningful connections in our lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As someone whose companies receive billions of dollars from the government, it’s worth asking why Elon Musk is so zealous about cutting government spending.  Guest: Max Chafkin , features editor and tech reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek and cohost of the Elon, Inc podcast . Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your fav...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the apparent corrupt bargain involving NYC mayor Eric Adams and the bonfire of Justice Department resignations; what could possibly go wrong when Musk and DOGE access the IRS and Social Security; and talk to Marc Dunkelman about his new book Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress – and How to Bring it Back .  For this week’s Slate P...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak answer a listener’s voicemail about planning a field trip to DC — and trying to avoid politics. The parents at this school have very different politics than our listener, and the listener’s already gotten her 10-year-old to agree to skip the White House… but is that the right call? And can you even avoid politics on a history lover’s tour of DC? If you want...