Slate Daily Feed

A father took a photo of his son for their doctor. He wound up being investigated by the police. Guest: Kashmir Hill Host: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Trump’s strange legal maneuvering in the obstruction investigation; what Trump’s second term would do to U.S. democracy; and what voters deserve to know about a candidate’s health. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jonathan Rauch for The Atlantic “ Trump’s Second Term Would Look Like This ” Age of Innocence ,...

On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth share their triumphs and fails, including a hair styling defeat. They then answer a question from a mom whose son is struggling with a 50/50 custody agreement. He never wants to go to his dad’s house and complains that his step siblings are making fun of him. Is it time to intervene? Then on Slate Plus, Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth discuss their thoughts...

Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow went viral in April for striking back at an extreme characterization made by a Republican colleague. The video of McMorrow’s speech—viewed over 14 million times—tells a bigger story about how national political rhetoric is affecting local political debates. But is the senator really demonstrating how to reset the terms of debate? Or is she just one more pers...

Rumors about the legendary gangster Al Capone’s buried treasure transform an abandoned Chicago hotel into the center of the entertainment universe. Will Geraldo Rivera’s excavation on live TV turn up money, skeletons, or nothing at all? One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin.  Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts an...

Big Freedia is a reality TV star and fixture on New Orleans' bounce scene. But days after Hurricane Katrina, she was sleeping on the street outside of the city's convention center. This episode originally aired in 2015.  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 ou...

On today’s show,  Madison  and  Rachelle  have a short discussion of the  recent beekeeper drama  on TikTok. Then, they’re joined by  Bobby Finger  and  Lindsey Weber , hosts of the  Who Weekly?  podcast, to discuss Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez getting back together. They talk about what it was like when the pair first got together in the early 2000s, and why it feels so exciting to see these tw...

This week, Dana and Julia are out but never fear, we’ve brought on two great guest host to join Steve: slate alumnus and NYT columnist Jamelle Bouie and senior editor at Slate, Sam Adams. First, the panel breaks down the moral quandaries of the socially unhinged HBO hit The Rehearsal . Then, the panel dips a toe into the dark side with the Aubrey Plaza-led film Emily the Criminal . Finally, the pa...

Banning books in schools is on the rise. Around the country, parents are lobbying to banish from libraries and curriculums any work they deem to be “graphic” or “offensive,” often sweeping up books centered on queer or POC experiences in the process. Some authors say that’s no coincidence - nor is it surprising that this is happening just as the publishing industry is remaking itself to tell more...

Until last month, Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and one of only three Black head coaches among the NFL’s 32 teams. That number has since dropped to one.  On Tuesday, Flores announced he was suing the NFL, alleging that the league's hiring practices are racist. His suit comes almost 20 years after the creation of the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview ethnic-min...

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Vinson Cunningham are joined by Ben Mathis-Lilley to discuss his new book on college football,  The Hot Seat . They also discuss the hype around American tennis star Coco Gauff and review the soccer documentary  Welcome to Wrexham .   The Hot Seat  (2:14):  Why does college football make so many of us insane?   Coco Gauff (24:54):  Is the publicity warranted, or is t...

On this episode: Zak, Jamilah, and Elizabeth are joined by Phillip Maciak , TV editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books and teacher at Washington University in St. Louis. Phillip explains why Bluey , a kids show centered around a family of dogs in Australia, is the best depiction of parenthood on TV . Recommendations:  Phillip recommends reading newspaper comics with kids. Elizabeth recommends th...

Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is a fervent right-wing activist. She was also a supporter of the attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, as evidenced by a batch of texts shared with the congressional committee investigating January 6th.  The Ginni Thomas texts create a conflict of interest for Justice Clarence Thomas as he hears cas...

Shows are disappearing. Staff are getting axed. Is It greed, or necessary for the networks' survival? Guest: Julia Alexander Host: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While authorities searched for missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito, she was everywhere to be found on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram. Content creators, some well-intentioned and others simply chasing clout and clicks, turned the story of Gabby’s apparent death into the latest in true crime drama. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk about the murkiness of the true crime internet and the ethics o...

This week, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the Biden administration student loan debt forgiveness plan, the cancellation saga of Dan Price , and AMC’s “APE units”.   In the Plus segment: More on student loan debt forgiveness.   Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Law Professor and former journalist Amy Gajda joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss her latest book, Seek and Hide: The Tangled History of the Right to Privacy . They chart a course through early conceptions of privacy to today’s fraught battles over privacy and dignity in the age of surveillance capitalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So, sure—Billy Joel’s first Top 40 hit, way back in 1974, was “Piano Man,” and the nickname stuck. But for a guy who became famous sitting behind 88 keys, few of his biggest hits are really piano songs. In fact, on all three of his No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, keyboards are  not  the primary instrument. The truth is, Joel isn’t the Piano Man, he’s the pastiche man. He has openly admitted t...

Legendary hacker Peiter "Mudge" Zatko’s reputation in the cybersecurity world is unmatched. His allegations against Twitter’s security are all the more damning because of it. Guest: Joseph Menn Host: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss what the special election results suggest for the midterms, an unprecedented $1.6B donation to a secretive conservative organization; and Biden’s student loan forgiveness and repayment plans. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together , by Heath...

On this episode: Zak, Jamilah, and Elizabeth help a letter writer who is hurt by the cliquey moms in her parenting group. All the kids get along great. But the moms constantly make her feel like an outsider, despite her initiating conversation and planning hang outs. Zak, Jamilah, and Elizabeth share some tips for making friends with other parents, knowing your value, and ditching people who aren’...

After winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, and over $100 million in prize money, this month Serena Williams announced the end of her professional tennis career. While her on-court accomplishments and longevity put her in the sporting pantheon, her cultural impact is just as remarkable.  Guest: Amira Rose Davis , assistant professor of Black studies at the University of T...

This week, Evan Chung tells the story of the American teachers who competed for an unprecedented prize: a spot on the January 1986 launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Three of the finalists describe the grueling selection process and the tragedy that killed one of their own. One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin.  Derek John is Sr. Su...

In 2018, David Buckel died by self-immolation to protest climate change. His husband Terry talks about respecting David's message while grieving him, and finding new joy in his own life.  For more Terry, listen to him on Vox’s Today Explained , along with Tim DeChristopher who was imprisoned for his climate activism, and if you are experiencing climate grief, we encourage you to go back and listen...

The realm of fan fiction is a wild, magical place to be, especially if that fan fiction is set at Hogwarts. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about All the Young Dudes , an extensive Harry Potter fan fiction that has inspired a fandom all its own, and just how that fandom came to be. But first, they chat about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and spend time listening to the fir...