Slate Daily Feed

The bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act has noble-sounding intentions, but has been called one of the most dangerous bills in years by the digital rights group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Guest: Richard Blumenthal , senior United States senator from Connecticut.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate pod...

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by  Jane Friedman , author of  The Business of Being a Writer   and the publisher of  Hot Sheet , a newsletter about the publishing industry. The three discuss Friedman’s recent battle with AI-generated books that were being published and sold under her name on Amazon. Friedman published a blog about the saga titled “ I Would Rather S...

If an instrumental tops the charts, it’s probably an earworm: “Tequila.” “Wipeout.” “Dueling Banjos.” “The Hustle.” “Feels So Good.” “Chariots of Fire.” “Axel F.” You can probably whistle or hum several of those from memory. But do you remember the artists? All were one-hit wonders. By and large, instrumental hits throughout chart history were flukes. But there were exceptions: a trumpet player fr...

A trial a decade in the making has started, as the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google and its unrivaled position as the top search engine begins. Is this the beginning of the government “taking on Big Tech” and the end of Google as we know it? Guest: Leah Nylen , covering antitrust for Bloomberg. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus mem...

This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are reunited with John Dickerson to discuss the Wisconsin Republicans’ effort to impeach Justice Janet Protasiewicz and protect their gerrymander; Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s decision to start an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden and prevent a government shutdown; and Biden’s age problem and Donald Trump’s battleground-state difficulties. Join us for...

On this episode: Zak Rosen, Jamilah Lemieux, and Elizabeth Newcamp talk about parenting digital citizens.  Elizabeth sits down with author and speaker Dr. Devorah Heitner about her latest book, Growing Up in Public . The book helps guide parents through navigating social media and phone usage for their kids — and the privacy, freedom, and surveillance issues that come along with phones.  We also g...

In the early days of television, women struggled to find their place. In 1955, they got it: forecasting the weather, on stations all across the country. But as these “weather girls” transformed the airwaves, a group of powerful men hatched a plan—one that had the potential to push women weathercasters off the air forever. Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is E...

Following “The Call,” our series on the opioid epidemic continues in Harlem. Inside a safe-consumption site, addiction is destigmatized—outside, however, the neighbors feel differently. Guest: Syderia Asberry-Chresfield, co-founder of the Greater Harlem Coalition and a former Vice President for JP Morgan Chase. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members g...

Anna follows up with Sarah Short, the mom who became a surrogate to pay off debt. They discuss her divorce, starting her own business, and why this chapter of her life feels “freeing.” And if you're a Maria Bamford fan, Anna is interviewing her on stage in San Francisco on Saturday, October 14th, as part of City Arts & Lectures. You can get tickets to join them in person or watch remotely here...

This week, Stephen and Dana are joined by guest host Kat Chow, journalist and author of the 2021 memoir Seeing Ghosts . The panel begins by wading through HELL , Chris Fleming’s new hour-long comedy special that’s both puzzling and delightfully goofy. Then, the three consider Astrakan , a deeply dark and unsettling first feature from director David Depesseville, and attempt to parse through the fi...

On today’s show, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton are joined by Slate business and tech writer Nitish Pahwa to describe his recent piece on  the deranged world of vintage fast-food training videos . In the depths of Youtube, videos from companies like McDonald’s, Hardee’s, and Jack in the Box depict a bygone era where employees were trained by animated burgers and celebrity cameos. This podcast is...

It feels like we live in a world of near constant environmental disasters. Whether it’s living through an emergency, or consuming coverage in the media, collective trauma takes a mental toll. What steps can we take to be ready—for ourselves, our communities, and to help the recovery?  Guest: Dr. Tara Powell , associate professor, School of Social Work, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign If yo...

Back in January, Ron DeSantis appointed six new trustees to the board of Florida’s New College, who swiftly set about remaking the school according to a much more conservative vision of what college should be. Now, as the new school year begins, we’re starting to see what that vision actually looks like.  Guest: Sam Greenspan , freelance journalist who attended New College of Florida from 2004 to...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Coco Gauff’s big breakthrough at the U.S. Open. They also discuss Texas’ win over Alabama, and whether the Longhorns are back, baby. Finally, the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver joins to assess Team USA’s non-medal-winning performance at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.   Coco Gauff (2:48):  Why her first grand slam victory felt so monumental.  ...

Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio was just sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the January 6th insurrection. With much of their leadership, and that of the Oath Keepers, now behind bars, has their movement hit a dead end? Or is this just more grist for the anti-government outrage mill? Guest: Brandi Buchman, independent journalist covering the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys trials...

On this episode: Zak Rosen, Jamilah Lemieux, and Elizabeth Newcamp tackle two listener questions. First: How young is too young for an allowance? The question-asker’s 4-year-old really likes asking for things when they go to the store and she’s wondering if an allowance will help him learn the value of money. Second: How to make time for playdates, especially when both parents work and the weekend...

As the opioid overdose crisis continues, a group of volunteers started a hotline with one mission—not to encourage people to go to rehab, not even to discourage them from using—just to keep them alive for one more day.  A collaboration with This American Life. Guests:  Stephen Murray, paramedic and overdose researcher at Boston Medical Center. Jessie, a registered nurse who answers calls on the Ne...

This week, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Coco Krumme to discuss her book Optimal Illusions: The False Promise of Optimization.   In the Plus segment: The story in Felix’s newsletter today on why the city of Birmingham in the UK has gone bankrupt.   Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Marc Elias , who has litigated more election and voting cases than almost anyone, to talk about Alabama’s disregard for SCOTUS’ decision in the big Voting Rights Act case of last term, and why the lawlessness is the point. They also delve into the dangers of tying the disqualification of former President Donald J Trump from office under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amen...

COVID’s still here but the public’s appetite for masking, social distancing, or remote learning is long gone. One palatable way to stop the spread: improving air circulation indoors.  Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter 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 podca...

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice field a listener question about Bloom, the green powder nutrition company that’s popping up all over TikTok. They’re joined by health and wellness writer Julia Craven to talk about Bloom’s virality and what we should know before jumping on the green powder bandwagon. But first, they break down Tinder’s latest villain: the Tabi Swiper. This podcast is produc...

When Howard County signed a $27 million contract with the start-up Zum, the company promised to modernize the way schools provide transportation. But when the school year started, that’s not what happened. Guest: Daniel Zawodny , covering transportation for the Baltimore Banner and corps member of Report For America. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus mem...

This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by The Atlantic’s  Franklin Foer  to discuss Joe Biden’s White House and  The Last Politician ; the war in Ukraine and the possible meeting of Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin; and Americans’ views on the value of higher education. Join us for  Political Gabfest Live  in Madison, Wisconsin on October 25!   Here are some notes and references from th...

On this episode: Zak interviews Jake Gyllenhaal, Greta Caruso, and Dan Santat about their new book, The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles . They dive into what makes that particular relationship so special, why it’s overlooked in children’s literature, and even what goes into crafting a kids book.  We also go over our week in triumphs and fails. Then, if you’re sticking around for Slate Plus, w...

In 1955, the frontiersman Davy Crockett became the most famous man in America, more than a century after his death at the Alamo. This week, Evan Chung dives into a cultural phenomenon nobody saw coming. Not the kids in coonskin caps who started the craze, not the parents whose money fueled it, and least of all Walt Disney, the legendary studio head who created it totally by accident. Josh Levin is...