Slate Daily Feed

This week we look back on some of our favorite stories from a year that had us asking—sometimes with excitement and sometimes with exasperation—"What Next?" This episode originally aired March 21. A very strange bankruptcy case is coming to a close. Its settlement hinges not on payments rendered or bills neglected, but on the pain of millions of American families who slid into the jaws of the opio...

The Food and Drug Administration gave an important thumbs up to lab-grown chicken, which means we could start seeing it in stores as soon as next year. While billions of dollars have been spent developing lab-grown meat, important questions remain: Is the production of it actually greener than raising livestock? Can it be made affordably? Is it healthy? And will anyone eat it? Guest: Chloe Sorvino...

Earlier this month, a group of nurses were fired after posting a TikTok where they shared their complaints or “icks” about their patients. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by health and wellness journalist Julia Craven to talk about this recent news, the proliferation of “ick” content on TikTok, and why healthcare workers (and everybody else) should keep their work complaints in the...

This week, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers explain what the Fed’s interest rate dot plot means. They also talk about Microsoft’s attempted acquisition of video game developer Activision, and the latest details of the SBF scandal.   In the Plus segment: the revival of the office holiday party.   Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

The highest court in the land has ignored the need for standing, the trial record, and of course precedent this past year––and it matters.  Host Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Sherrilyn Ifill, former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and a senior fellow at the Ford Foundation. They discuss Sherrilyn’s thought-provoking piece this month in the New York Re...

John Dickerson talks with author Gautam Mukunda about his new book  Picking Presidents: How to Make the Most Consequential Decision in the World . They talk about how Mukunda’s first book,  Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter  laid the groundwork for  Picking Presidents . Later, Dickerson and Mukunda dig into why ‘intellectual brilliance’ – which goes beyond IQ - is a strong predictor of pre...

Sam the Sham over the Rolling Stones? The Knack over Donna Summer? Wilson Phillips over Mariah Carey? Glass Animals over Harry Styles? On Billboard’s year-end Hot 100, upsets are quite common. Songs that seemed to dominate the chart all year are defeated by stealthily ubiquitous earworms. Sometimes the obvious song takes the prize: “Hey Jude,” “Every Breath You Take” or “I Will Always Love You.” A...

Even in a crazy year for crypto, Sam Bankman-Fried’s story is undeniably the most bananas. And even in the context of the implosion of FTX, getting arrested has got to make this week his worst yet. What charges does SBF face? Guest: Stacy-Marie Ishmael , managing editor on crypto for Bloomberg News Host: Lizzie O’Leary Sponsored by Saks.com. Check out the Holiday Gift Guide on  saks.com Hosted on...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Krysten Sinema leaving the Democratic party; Republicans’ good turnout, poor performance midterms; and the new documentary, Pelosi in The House .   Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:   Pelosi in the House Here are this week’s chatters: John: Watch Richard Nixon’s Watergate speeches at the Miller Center’s websi...

On this episode: It’s a triple fail week! Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth commiserate over running out of patience and they revel in a school picture so unfortunate it could be a meme. Then they answer a question from a listener whose kid is interested in too many things and is having a hard time narrowing down the activity wish-list. Then on Slate Plus, they weigh in on a Slate Parenting Facebook gro...

The Reichsbürger movement is the group behind the plot to overthrow the German government that was disrupted last week. Their grievances are both specific to their country—that the German government is illegitimate and the Reich needs to be reestablished—and familiar to right-wing extremist watchers in the U.S.. They have been radicalized by lockdowns, vaccine requirements, and Qanon. How is this...

In our last episode, we look at how estrangement changes shape over the course of a life: how it can bend or harden, and how it affects new relationships, old memories, and the idea of family.  Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox, and updates from t...

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is is joined by NBC’s Morgan Sung to talk about how she lives online as an internet culture reporter. They talk about early internet loves like Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfiction, who Morgan thinks you need to follow on social media, and her and Rachelle’s favorite online conspiracy theories. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, an...

Since its founding in the 1980s, the Federalist Society has been advancing right-wing judges through the American judicial system. One of their most ardent critics called up a member to talk about how. Guest: Mark Joseph Stern , Slate senior 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...

This week, Isaac Butler and Dan Kois fill in for Stephen and Dana, joining to chat about Netflix’s new series, Wednesday . Then, they talk about the documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed . Finally, they discuss what our Spotify Wrapped results tell us about ourselves.  In Slate Plus, the panel shares a fun follow-up on one of Julia’s recent endorsements.  Email us at culturefest@slate.com....

Argentina and Croatia face off in the World Cup semifinals today, and all eyes are on Lionel Messi. At 35, Messi is trying to put a cap on a legendary career and bring a World Cup championship to his home country.  How did he get to the top of the soccer world? And what will be his legacy if Argentina loses? Guest: Jasmine Garsd Garcia , host of NPR’s soccer podcast “ The Last Cup .”  If you enjoy...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim to talk about journalist Grant Wahl, who died suddenly over the weekend at the age of 49. They’re also joined by the Atlantic’s Franklin Foer for a conversation about Morocco’s thrilling run to the World Cup semifinals. Finally, they discuss Brittney Griner’s long-awaited return to the United States after...

On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth are joined by Slate writer, editor, and former Mom and Dad are Fighting host, Dan Kois , who is here to urge parents (and teens) to get trained to administer Narcan. He first wrote about the “miracle” tool in his piece: Parents, You Need Narcan . Essentially, the drug is a powerful tool that’s easy to use, widely available, and will give people peace of...

In an effort to address New York’s growing problem of unhoused people living on the streets, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city would start involuntarily hospitalizing people. It’s a strategy the city tried back in the ‘80s as well. Why didn’t it work then? Guest: Sam Tsemberis , founder and executive director of Pathways to Housing, and associate clinical professor of Psychiatry and Biobeha...

Self-driving cars and robotaxis are starting to appear on the streets of San Francisco. While we have a whole regulatory system in place for drivers, who’s making sure these new cars are safe? Guest: David Zipper , Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Taubman Center for State and Local Government Host: Lizzie O’Leary If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Sla...

This week, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the Trump Organization’s tax fraud conviction, why workers at The New York Times went on strike and ChatGPT, a shockingly articulate AI chatbot.   In the Plus segment: How to tackle holiday gifting.   Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Thanks  Avast.com ! Learn more about Avast One at  Avast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

The internet has been as wild as ever this year, delivering stories like West Elm Caleb, the Liver King, the Bridgerton musical and its legal woes, and more. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Time’s Moises Mendez II and BuzzFeed’s Kelsey Weekman to talk about everything they lived through online in 2022, discussing the good, the bad, and the truly cursed. This podcast is produced b...

Artificial intelligence is growing in leaps and bounds, and everywhere from Big Tech companies like Google to small teams like OpenAI are developing more and more convincing chatbots. Is the world ready for convincing, talking computers?  Guest: Alex Kantrowitz , host of the Big Technology podcast. Host: Emily Peck If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus membe...

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Raphael Warnock beating Herschel Walker, and oral arguments at the Supreme Court in the anti-gay marriage website designer case and the “independent state legislature” election case.   Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Fr. James Martin, S.J. for Outreach: “ When Is Religious Liberty A Fig Leaf For Homophobia?...

On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth recap their week in parenting. Then Elizabeth speaks with Megan McNamee, MPH, RDN, of Feeding Littles about how to feed your kids this holiday season and beyond. Then on Slate Plus, Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth discuss what to do if someone criticizes your parenting style .  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus me...