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When Giulia Lukach had her first manic episode, it seemed to come out of nowhere. She was in her late twenties, and had been married to her husband, Mark, for three years. “For him it was just so new because I’ve always been the happy girl,” Giulia told Anna in an interview in 2015. Her psychosis was dark and intense.“ The only thing she could talk about was the devil and that she needed to protec...

This week, guest host Danny Lavery talks with self-appointed lesbian pop culture expert Kira Deshler to dive into the lively queer subculture within the Taylor Swift fandom, and their quest to liberate her. From there they explore the relationship between queer fans and their often straight pop icons. Songs mentioned: Tim I Wish You Were Born a Girl by Of Montreal Pink Triangle by Weezer  Johnny A...

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Patrick Marlborough to discuss their recent essay for Slate,  “The Death of the Internet as a Haven for People With Autism.”  They wrote, “Things began to shift, if imperceptibly at first, with the advent of social media, and the steady corralling and corporatization of that otherness, weirdness, fun, and joy.” On the show, Marlborough describ...

This week, Dana and Stephen are joined by Supreme Friend of the Pod, Isaac Butler, who co-hosts Slate’s Working podcast and is the author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act (which is now available in paperback!). The panel begins by pondering Dream Scenario , a provocative new film from Norwegian writer-director Kristoffer Borgli. The nightmarish social satire stars Nicolas Ca...

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 as its subject matter. Less than four months later, it was pulled from the market. In this episode, we rev...

If you want to imagine what Donald Trump’s second presidential term would look like, look at what he left unfinished from his first—and listen to his long list of personal grievances. Guest: Susan Glasser , staff writer at The New Yorker, co-author of The Divider , a history of Donald Trump in the White House. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members ge...

A Jewish writer and Muslim journalist sit down to discuss the power dynamics, tribalism, and role of empathy in a far-away conflict that hits close to home in America.  Guests: Aymann Ismail , Slate staff writer Emily Tamkin , writer and author of The Influence of Soros and Bad Jews . If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads o...

Josh Levin, Joel Anderson, and Ben Mathis-Lilley weigh the evidence in the sign-stealing case against Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. They also discuss Texas A&M’s decision to fire its football coach Jimbo Fisher. Finally, Josh and Joel speak with writer Megan Swanick about the career and legacy of Megan Rapinoe.   Harbaugh (4:04):  Should the coach go down or is he getting railroaded?   Fisher (...

In the first episode of Slate Money’s Travel series, Felix Salmon talks with The New York Times’ Lydia Polgreen about her time as a foreign correspondent and big-time business exec. What was it like to carry $10,000 in cash? And how buttery is the leather on a private jet?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the ne...

Andy Beshear, Kentucky’s Democratic governor, maintained a Biden-like moderate image and rode it to victory in this year’s election. His state knows him best as the “infrastructure governor”—but his support for abortion rights might be the biggest takeaway for other Democrats staring down challenging 2024 races. Guest: John Nichols , national affairs correspondent for The Nation. If you enjoy this...

On this episode: Zak Rosen and Elizabeth Newcamp are joined by Dr. Lindsay Cavanagh , a psychologist and military marriage coach. She also hosts a podcast called Married to Military . Lindsay is here to help Zak and Elizabeth answer a listener question about a couple who cannot agree on parenting styles. The letter writer loves to research and consume parenting content. The husband, on the other h...

A review website became suddenly flush with new bylines, right as the newsroom was negotiating with management. But information on their new contributors was hard to find—were they people at all, or was this the first clumsy incursion of A.I. into their newsroom? Guest: Will Sommer , Washington Post media reporter If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus member...

In this episode, Rachelle and Candice map out what happened when TikTok food personality  Keith Lee  traveled to Atlanta and ignited a  culinary controversy . Lee is a former MMA fighter-turned-influencer who has been taking food tours around the country, ranking their cuisine and posting his reviews on TikTok. He was tasting restaurants in Atlanta when the itinerary took a turn for the worst: bad...

This week, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Rob Copeland of The New York Times to discuss his new book The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend , which examines the vast difference between Ray Dalio’s public persona and Bridgewater’s private reality. Then, Felix, Emily and Elizabeth cover the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike,...

If we are to take Donald J. Trump seriously (and at this stage it’s surely a fool’s errand not to), then the rule of law and democracy are on the line if (when) he becomes the Republican nominee for 2024. What role will the former President’s many many legal woes play in the coming months? A clearer picture is emerging after testimony for the prosecution wrapped in the civil fraud trial against Tr...

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...

In late October, Tesla mechanics in Sweden began to strike after the company refused to sign a collective agreement. This week, the country's other major unions joined in the fight as well.  Can Sweden’s robust labor culture force Tesla to make concessions?  Guest: Melissa Eddy , Berlin correspondent for the New York Times.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the 2023 election results and Democratic wins in Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky; President Joe Biden’s numbers in recent polls and the youth vote; and U.S. v. Rahimi at the Supreme Court, the 2nd Amendment and gun control, and the history and tradition test. And you can be a part of the show: submit your Conundrum at slate.com/conundr...

On this episode: Zak, Jamilah and Elizabeth help a listener who feels like a failure for leaning on YouTube to get their energetic 10-month-old to chill out — so they can handle household stuff for 30 minutes a day. Is this something to feel bad about? We also go over our week in triumphs and fails, and listen in on a real-time parenting moment for Zak. Then, if you have Slate Plus, Elizabeth and...

When Donald Trump took the stand in his civil trial in New York this week, maybe he wasn’t trying to convince the judge who will decide this case—maybe he was playing for the MAGA audience outside, who will be headed to the polls in a year.   Guest: Barbara McQuade , law professor at the University of Michigan and a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.  If you enjoy this show...

This fall, Tony! Toni! Toné! is on tour for the first time in twenty years. Raphael Saadiq's career took off as a member of the R&B trio —a group whose music taught Anna, a pre-teen at the time, a thing or two about romance and sexiness. Raphael left the group in the mid-'90s, launching a successful solo career and co-writing and producing music with everyone from Solange and Mary J. Blige to...

From the moment it was released in 1995, The Rules was controversial. Some people loved it—and swore that the dating manual’s throwback advice helped them land a husband. Others thought it was retrograde hogwash that flew in the face of decades of feminist progress. The resulting brouhaha turned the book into a cultural phenomenon. In this episode, Slate’s Heather Schwedel explores where The Rules...

This week, the panel is joined first by Isaac Butler, co-host of Slate’s Working podcast and author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act , to debate the merits of David Fincher’s The Killer and whether the director’s latest “thriller” (which stars Michael Fassbender) is a masterful example of craft or simply a logic-free time-suck. Then, Dana, Julia, and Stephen explore the worl...

This week, Christina, Bryan, and Jules talk with Jeopardy! winner and trans trailblazer Amy Schneider about her bold new memoir In The Form of a Question . Amy won $1.3 million after a 40 day winning streak in 2021, the longest streak for a woman in the show’s history. In this episode, Amy talks about the decision to be herself on her historical Jeopardy! run and why it felt important to not skip...

A month after the October 7 attack by Hamas, how do Israelis view what happened, their country, neighbors, and the future? Guest: Iris Zaki , Israeli filmmaker whose latest, ‘ I Don’t Have That Empathy. It’s Not in Me Anymore.’ What Israeli Survivors Believe Now , was featured in the New York Times. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits...