Slate Daily Feed

When it crash-landed on the charts in 2019, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” felt new and old at the same time: a savvy, TikTok-fueled viral hit that summarized a century of cross-cultural collisions between R&B, rap and country. It was also unexpectedly huge—a record 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100—and controversial, as Billboard magazine pulled the song from its Hot Country Songs chart, promptin...

An app for open money laundering, a corridor of massive casinos in the middle of nowhere, and the global scamdemic.  Guest: Cezary Podkul, reporter for Propublica 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 supporting the work we do here...

While the What Next team celebrates the holiday, enjoy this episode from our colleagues at Decoder Ring. In 1992, a Minnesota-based software company known for its educational hit The Oregon Trail released another simulation-style game to school districts across the country. Freedom! took kids on a journey along the Underground Railroad, becoming the first American software program to use slavery a...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the problems with issue polling and issues with political journalism; the chaos and conflict of Sam Altman and OpenAI; and the failure of the Oslo Accords and perpetual struggle between Israel and Palestine. Send us your Conundrums: submit them at  slate.com/conundrum . And join us in-person or online with our special guest –  The L...

Kids generate so…much…stuff. A lot of it is memorable. Videos of their first words? So cute. Colorful drawings that progressively get better? Masterpieces. Trophies, stuffies, books? All valuable. The problem: There’s no way to keep everything. So how do you figure out what to cherish and what to toss? On this episode from our friends at Slate's How To! podcast, co-hosts Carvell Wallace and Courtn...

With their underdog-against-all-odds-redemption stories and epic training montages, sports movies can be the best source of support when we’re deep in the toughest moments in our lives. Earlier this year, when our executive producer, Liliana Maria, found herself surrounded by cancer and death in her close circle of family and friends, she turned to the Michael B. Jordan movie, Creed III, to help h...

This week, the panel begins by reviewing The Curse , a cringe-worthy Showtime series co-produced by Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie. Fielder and Emma Stone star as Asher and Whitney Siegel, a newlywed couple at the center of a reality HGTV show built on narcissism, gentrification, and lies. Then, the three jump into Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers , which Dana describes as a “sadsack Christmas cla...

Pizza Hut’s adventure in the Soviet Union was unlike any restaurant opening before or since. It involved a fleet of submarines, a very special pizza topped with tuna and salmon, and a casual dining spot on a mission to change the world. This episode was written by Kelly Jones and Josh Levin, One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung. This episode was produced by Kelly...

The war in Gaza has laid bare some deep fault lines within the Democratic party when it comes to Israel policy. How might that impact next year’s elections? Guest: Alex Sammon , Slate politics writer.  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 yo...

Today, Rachelle and Candice celebrate ICYMI’s third annual Friendsgiving episode. They’re joined by  Weight For It   host Ronald Young Jr. and ICYMI producer Daisy Rosario to run down the internet moments that made them laugh out loud this year. They cover viral moments such as the adventures of George Santos, gamer thirst traps and little girls singing iconic jingles. This podcast is produced by...

OpenAI was the hottest startup in Silicon Valley off the success of ChatGPT. Then, the board fired Sam Altman.  Guest: Mike Isaac , technology reporter at 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 of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work...

Josh Levin, Joel Anderson, and Ben Mathis-Lilley are joined by the Ringer’s Lindsay Jones to talk about the controversy Charissa Thompson kicked up about sideline reporting. They also discuss Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, and whether he’ll succeed at bringing a new leadership style to the NFL. Finally, the Wall Street Journal’s Joshua Robinson joins to assess Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah, and Zak help a listener who’s in a quandary. Her young son started copying his Black classmates’ vernacular. She doesn’t know if or how she should correct him.  Recommendations:  Jamilah: Jiffy Cornbread Zak: Proper Noun Song (to the tune of September by Earth, Wind and Fire) Elizabeth: Car Sickness Glasses  Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.c...

In the first episode of Slate Money Goes to the Movies, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers talk with Joe Nocera, author of “ The Big Fail ” about Dumb Money. Can you make a good movie about something that happened two years ago? What’s it like to watch the COVID pandemic on the big screen? Who made money in the GameStop craze?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slat...

Over the past few years, ultra-conservative activists took aim at school boards, trying to shape curriculums to match their beliefs. But this year, from Pennsylvania to Iowa, “parental rights candidates” lost handily. What happened? Guest: Adam Laats , Professor of Education and History at Binghamton University. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members...

The bedbug break-out during Paris fashion week this fall was obviously horrifying, but the bad news doesn’t stop there. Bedbugs are on the rise—and on the move. Guest: Benji Jones, senior environmental reporter at Vox. 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 Dea...

Emily Bazelon talks with cartoonist  James Sturm , about his new graphic novel adaptation of  Watership Down . They discuss what makes the animal characters so compelling, going tharn[MOU1] , where  Watership Down  fits in the literary tradition, and so much more. Tweet us your questions  @SlateGabfest  or email us at  gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipula...

Donald J Trump is signaling a split with the conservative legal movement’s kingmakers, The Federalist Society. Instead, the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee is planning a radical (and radically lawless) remaking of American government in his image.  On this week’s show, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Amanda Hollis Brusky, professor of politics at Pomona College and author of  Ideas with C...

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by writer, comedian and  Glamorous Trash   host Chelsea Devantez to break down this watershed year of celebrity memoirs. The trio crowns the best and the worst titles, dissect what separates a good memoir from a great one, and reveal the shocking figure who has appeared in way more memoirs than you’d expect. This podcast is produced by S...

This week, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers chat with Ed Conway, economics and data editor of Sky News, whose new book “ Material World ” tells how a handful of everyday resources built civilization — and remain incredibly important today. Also: the astounding secrets of car paint…and why new cars look like mud. Podcast production by Patrick Fort and Jared Downing. Hosted on Acast....

In this special mini-episode of Hit Parade, recorded live on at Housing Works bookstore in New York City, host Chris Molanphy is joined by Dan Charnas—author of the New York Times bestseller Dilla Time, The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla , and the acclaimed The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop . They discuss Chris’s new book Old Town Road —how he came to write it, what made the s...

Girls at a New Jersey high school were early victims of a novel and growing problem: their images were taken from social media without consent to create “deep-fake pornography.”  Guest: Julie Jargon , Wall Street Journal family and tech columnist. 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...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Joe Manchin’s departure from the U.S. Senate and what it means for the Democratic majority, No Labels, and the 2024 presidential race; the Supreme Court’s new code of conduct and whether it’s worthless; and the Israel-Hamas war and how it’s affecting Democratic politics. You can be a part of the show: submit your Conundrum at  slate...

On this episode: Zak, Jamilah and Elizabeth help a listener who’s struggling with a deep pessimism about the state of this country — and he wants to make sure that his kids have some hope to hold onto.  We also go over our week in parenting triumphs and fails. Then, if you’re sticking around for Slate Plus, we’ll share some strategies for explaining the war in Gaza to kids – and hopefully not frig...

As Palestinian allies like Hezbollah and Iran voice their support, is there a danger of more countries being pulled into the war in Gaza?  Guest: Gregory Gause , head of the Department of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, specialist in Middle East politics. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate...