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On this episode: Zak is joined by Lucy Lopez , host of the Mamacita Rica podcast , and Doyin Richards , an author, founder of the Anti-Racism Fight Club , and Care and Feeding contributor . Together, they help a listener who’s struggling to mesh her own perfectionism with a kid who’s not excelling in school. That listener asked her question in our Facebook community and has gotten a ton of great h...

The temperature is going up, but the number of open, public pools isn’t. It’s not just a summer bummer; it’s turning into a public health crisis. Guest: Mara Gay , member of the New York Times editorial board, focused on New York State and local affairs. 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 epis...

In this episode we asked listeners if they were currently planning a wedding, and if money had become a sticking point. We heard from couples with vastly different ideas of what they wanted to spend, about opinionated parents and in-laws, tips from people who managed to spend less, and one Icelandic wedding planner’s mission to give the gift of a free wedding to a lucky, deserving couple.  Want to...

This week, the panel begins by diving into Theater Camp , a mockumentary-style comedy about gloriously talented misfits. Then, they pay tribute to Sinéad O’Connor, the dearly missed Irish singer, songwriter, and activist whose 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live rocked the world. Then, the trio is joined by screenwriter (and co-host of the Scriptnotes podcast) John August to discuss the WGA an...

Kissing—the romantic, sexual, steamy kind—is so ingrained in us that it just seems like a fact of life. Like breathing or eating, we just do it. But what if it’s not like that at all?  In this episode, we’re going to look at passionate kissing, well, dispassionately, not as something instinctual and innate but as a cultural practice. We’re going to backtrack through history in search of the origin...

We’re eight months into the year—and former president Donald Trump has now been indicted three times. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury charged Trump with three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction. But what exactly does that mean? And can someone really run for president…while juggling three different trials?  Guest: David Graham , staff writer for “The Atlantic” If you enjoy this sho...

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dive deep into the ethics of AI-generated music. Since the days of Alan Turing, music created by computational models has been inextricably bound up with technological process. But now that tools like Voicify. AI are going viral on TikTok and the Recording Academy has updated their rules to allow music created with AI tools to be eligible for Gr...

In December, University of California graduate students went on strike for six weeks. It was the largest higher education strike in U.S. history. But even after the new contract was signed and the strikers were back at work, they found the fight didn’t stop.  Guest: Peter Lucas , a writer covering labor and politics. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus mem...

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the Washington Post’s Chuck Culpepper to talk about big wins for Colombia and Australia at the Women’s World Cup. Alex Kirshner of Slate and the Split Zone Duo podcast also joins to discuss whether NFL running backs should go on strike and the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown getting the biggest NBA deal ever.   Women’s World Cup (2:40):  The scene in the stadium wh...

On this episode: Zak and Jamilah are joined by Lucy Lopez , host of the Mamacita Rica podcast . They first tackle a third grader who heard a dirty joke and is now repeating it without knowing what it means. Then they have advice for a parent whose preteen has been going through toilet paper at an alarming rate.  Recommendations:  Zak: Parenting Advice to Ignore in Art and Life Lucy: Watching films...

In a recent public hearing, three government officials told Congress that not only are “unidentified anomalous phenomena” real, they’re a major national security concern. But one witness took his testimony even further, claiming the government possesses materials of “non-human origin.” How much do we really know about UAPs – or, as they’re more commonly known, UFOs? And now that Congress is involv...

It’s 2023 – and less than half of all Americans have returned to the office full time. That means U.S. downtowns from San Francisco to New York are emptier than they’ve been in decades. Offices are actually trending away from policies that mandate returning five days a week. So, how can cities get creative – and develop some new ways to boost the local economy? Guest: Henry Grabar , Slate staff wr...

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice reach into the ICYMI mailbag to answer why TikTokers are pretending to be video game characters, how a city girl became an anti-feminist prairie wife, and why snacktime is getting an obnoxious rebrand. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the tentative agreement between UPS and their unionized workers. They discuss how Goldman Sachs’ Apple credit card went bad, and a new study reveals how household income influences Ivy League admission rates. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network an...

In Amicus’ summer series of conversations about books that expanded our thinking about justice and the courts, beyond the churn of headlines, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by death penalty lawyer, professor and author Stephen Bright to discuss his new book, The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts .  Sign up for Slate Plus now to support our...

What do Lenny Kravitz, a hitmaker primarily in the ’90s and ’00s, and Bruno Mars, a 2010s–20s hitmaker, have in common? It turns out, a lot: Each man has a wide-ranging ethnic and musical background, with early exposure to unusual sides of showbiz. Each has scored hits in a variety of styles. They are admirers of each other’s work and have even performed live together. But the main thing Lenny and...

At a White House summit late last week, some of the biggest names in tech - including Meta, Google and OpenAI - signed “voluntary” commitments to safeguard artificial intelligence. In Congress, Senate Leader Chuck Schumer recently introduced a “legislative framework” for A.I. law… but as they debate and deliberate, the A.I. train continues to move full steam ahead. It’s clear the government’s payi...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legislative win limiting judicial powers while hundreds of thousands of Israelis protest; Harvard University and other elite colleges’ reconsideration of legacy admissions; and the revise-or-bust status of Hunter Biden’s plea deal.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Emily...

On this episode: Zak and Jamilah are joined by Lucy Lopez , host of the Mamacita Rica podcast , to talk about all things Barbie. Whether you played with Barbies as a kid — or are weighing whether to let your kids have them now — the summer blockbuster movie is certainly giving us a lot to talk about. Extra Listening: ​​ Why Barbie Lives On They also discuss their week of triumphs and fails includi...

Country music’s Jason Aldean has been around for years. But he didn’t crack the Billboard Top 5 until he released “Try That in a Small Town” – a controversial hit that portrays American city living as a gauntlet of violence and crime. CMT pulled down the song’s video, which featured Aldean singing at a former lynching site. But “Try That” is more popular than ever. Why? And what does its ubiquity...

Parmesan is a food—but it’s not just a food. Italy’s beloved cheese is often paired with a deep craving for tradition and identity. But its history also involves intrepid immigrants, lucrative businesses and an American version that’s probably available in your local grocery store. After a notorious debunker of Italian-cuisine myths claims this Wisconsin-made product is the real deal, we embark on...

This week, Israel’s far-right coalition government voted to strip the Supreme Court of the power to overturn “unreasonable” government actions and appointments. Protesters and experts alike worry it's the first step in a broader push towards gutting the judiciary altogether. Is Israel on the brink of authoritarianism?  Guest: Yair Rosenberg , staff writer at The Atlantic, author of its “ Deep Shte...

This week, the panel begins by examining Barbie , Greta Gerwig’s hot pink, record-breaking movie about the iconic Mattel doll. Then, the trio dives into Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer , which chronicles the life of the “Father of the Atomic Bomb,” and explores whether the film achieves its aims. Finally, they are joined by Slate’s Chris Molanphy to discuss the controversy behind country singer Ja...

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice dive deep into the ICYMI mailbag to answer listener questions about Colleen Ballinger’s 10-minute ukulele-backed apology, the renaming of Twitter, and the disappearance of 25-year-old Carlee Russell. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...

The Justice Department just sued the state of Texas over a floating barrier in the Rio Grande. It’s also investigating accusations from a state trooper that agents were told to push a group of migrants - including children - back into the water. What is happening at the southern border? And how did it get so dire?   Guest: Ben Wermund, Washington correspondent for the Houston Chronicle and San Ant...