Slate Daily Feed

The 79-year-old musician tells Anna about coming into his gender identity, “being cared for” by his bandmates, and the joys–and pitfalls–of finding success later in life. Listen to "Transmissions" here ( https://open.spotify.com/album/6X7rxq4bKcwPTKRFgIzR30?si=BfLeHGcKRS-uC0O5T9irBA ), and you can stream his new album “The Ones Ahead” here: https://open.spotify.com/album/0AdkBNWEM8uprSOb2ah8aD . D...

This week, Dana is joined by Slate’s books and culture columnist, Laura Miller, and senior editor Rebecca Onion (who are filling in for Julia and Stephen). The panel begins by unraveling Passages , the sexy but also, at times, repelling feature from director Ira Sachs about a complicated love triangle. The film received a controversial NC-17 rating from the Motion Picture Association. Then, they h...

Polls show Vivek Ramaswamy pulling even with Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, trailing only Donald Trump (albeit substantially). How did Ramaswamy go from anonymous multimillionaire to a potential Trump alternative in just six months? And what would a Ramaswamy administration look like? Guest: Mini Racker , staff writer covering politics for TIME Magazine. If you enjoy this sho...

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie to discuss  his recent profile of  Critical Role’s  Matthew Mercer . Launched by Mercer and his friends in 2015,  Critical Role  is undoubtedly a megahit, boasting  over 600 million views on YouTube . As Winkie wrote in his profile, “A 2021 data leak out of Twitch confirmed that  Critical Role  is one...

Last week, retired NFL lineman Michael Oher sued the Tuohy family and revealed a gulf between real life and how he and the family were portrayed in 2009’s The Blind Side. Guest: Santul Nerkar , reporter on sports and business for 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...

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Yahoo Sports’ Henry Bushnell to talk about Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory and the turmoil that preceded it. The New York Times’ Kurt Streeter joins to discuss the controversy over  The Blind Side . Finally, ESPN’s Luis Miguel Echegaray assesses Lionel Messi’s brilliant opening month with Inter Miami.   Spain (3:27):  The story behind La Roja’s World Cu...

On this episode: Zak Rosen, Jamilah Lemieux, and Elizabeth Newcamp help a parent who wants to give their youngest some mindfulness tools to help with their nighttime anxiety. They share a ton of resources—so you’re bound to find something that will work for your family!  This week’s non-meditation recommendations:  Jamilah: Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson Elizabeth: Cino Linko Zak: Goodles Join...

Over the last 20 years, the average college student at a public university has seen prices go up 64 percent, as schools spend more and more on amenities to attract students and raise their own rankings.  Guest: Melissa Korn , higher education reporter at the Wall Street Journal. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any...

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speak with Yepoka Yeebo, author of Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World . Yeebo explains how John Ackah Bley-Miezah convinced people that he held the keys to a large fortune. All they needed to do was help him access it.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus me...

Sorting through a loved one’s things after they’ve died can be an emotional, difficult chore. But now, added to that, people have to sort through the deceased’s password-protected online presence.  Guests: Kate Lindsay, author of the internet culture newsletter  Embedded and the article “ My Mom Will Email Me After She Dies” in the Atlantic . If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for...

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss FDIC chair Martin Guenberg’s proposal to let big bank debt holders lose money before the uninsured depositors. Also, Rao’s upscale cornering of the red sauce market leads to its $2.7 billion sale to Campbell’s. Finally “The Wig” : Argentina’s right-wing primary winner Javier Milei’s arresting mop and his plan to toss out the currency. In the P...

Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and John Dickerson talk with author Barbara Kingsolver about her new book,  Demon Copperhead . They discuss her inspiration for the novel, what we keep getting wrong about Appalachia, and more.    Tweet us your questions  @SlateGabfest  or email us at  gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Ch...

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dive deep into the mystery shrouding Lil Tay, a 14-year-old influencer who went viral in 2018 for being the “youngest flexer of the century.” In the years since her arrival onto the scene, Lil Tay has been hounded by controversy concerning her parents custodial battle, allegations of abuse and suggestions of exploitation. When rumors started swi...

At first, cryptocurrency seemed like the solution to the problems sex workers have had with traditional banks. But as the US moves to regulate the crypto industry, many are finding it hasn’t worked out like they hoped.  Guests: Joel Khalili , reporter at Wired Liara Roux, sex worker, organizer, and writer You can check out Joel’s reporting in Wired here.   If you enjoy this show, please consider s...

This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by  Lulu Garcia-Navarro  of The New York Times to discuss the indictment in Georgia of Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants for trying to overturn the state’s 2020 election results; the court win by Montana youth for “a clean and healthful environment” and the devastating losses of Maui residents to wildfire; and the lawsuit of Michael Oher against...

On this episode: Zak Rosen, Jamilah Lemieux, and Elizabeth Newcamp are reunited! They start the show with a round of ‘Triumphs and Fails,’ which include a back-to-school clothing haul, a budding song writer, and a difficult swim test. Then they advise a listener who is wondering how to tell their kids about the realities of life, especially when there are so many difficult conversations to be had....

Hawaii is in flames, with the death toll from fires on Maui exceeding 100. Now, the search for where the failure—or multiple failures—occurred begins. Guest: Brianna Sacks , reporter covering climate change and extreme weather for the Washington Post. 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 episode...

Once you start listening for catchphrases in everyday life—you can’t stop hearing them. From the radio era’s “Holy mackerel!” to Fonzie’s “Ayyy!” to Urkel’s multiple go-to lines on Family Matters , we explore the irresistible quotables from sitcoms, movies and social media that have burrowed into our collective lexicon. Oh, just one more thing… bazinga! (Did I do that?) This episode was written by...

On today’s show, Candice Lim is joined by Slate producer Cheyna Roth to dissect the recent troubling events that happened on  Below Deck: Down Under . Two crew members were fired after separate filmed incidents of sexual harassment and misconduct, and viewers have been praising several cast members for stepping up and doing the right thing. The underappreciated spinoff is now being heralded as the...

This week, the panel begins by dissecting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem , a zany piece of intellectual property that’s been taken off the shelf by Jeff Rowe, Seth Rogan, and a slew of animators and turned into a critical darling. Then, the trio reviews The Retrievals , a five-part narrative podcast hosted by Susan Burton for The New York Times and Serial Productions that chronicles t...

The fourth shoe dropped this week, when Fulton County DA Fani Willis announced Donald Trump’s latest indictment, charging the former president, along with 18 others, for engaging in a sprawling criminal conspiracy to disenfranchise Georgia voters. Trump has been responding by lashing out against Willis and voters in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee.  Guest: Rick Hasen , professor of law at UCL...

This month, hosts Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder discuss Amazon Prime’s adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s best-selling queer rom-com Red, White & Royal Blue . They also speak with intersex activist and educator Pidgeon Pagonis about their memoir Nobody Needs to Know and the campaign to end nonconsensual surgeries on intersex kids. The hosts end the show, as always, w...

Earlier this summer, it looked like Hunter Biden’s legal team had reached a plea deal. But last week, the Justice Department announced a special counsel was being appointed to his case. What happened in between? Is the president's son getting singled out—or special treatment? Guest: Ankush Khardori, attorney and a former federal prosecutor in the US Justice Department. If you enjoy this show, plea...

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and the Atlantic’s Vann Newkirk talk about ESPN’s embrace of gambling. They also discuss the alleged suspension of Baltimore Orioles announcer Kevin Brown for alluding to the team’s recent losing seasons. Finally, Rebecca Schuman joins to assess Simone Biles’ return to competitive gymnastics.   ESPN and gambling (3:30):  The Worldwide Leader makes a big bet. Is it too la...

On this episode: Zak Rosen talks with Phillip Maciak, TV critic with The New Republic, teacher at Washington University in St. Louis, and author of the book, Avidly Reads Screen Time . He explains where the concept of screen time started and how it became this marker of good (or bad) parenting.  Recommendations:  Zak: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie + The “Mouse Game” Jamilah: The Barbie movie Join u...