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J.D. Vance became a sought-after cultural translator when he published Hillbilly Elegy. Now, he’s a rhetorical bomb-thrower running for the Republican nomination for Senate in Ohio. But underneath Vance’s transformation is a relatively consistent appreciation for a new strain of conservatism still in the process of defining itself. Could Vance’s candidacy advance this intellectual movement on the...

Elmo has been filling up the TikTok and Twitter feeds these past few weeks with his unique pronunciations and feud with a pet rock. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison try to chart the arc of this recent virality, and explain why Elmo is a member of the Black community. They also watched Hype House on Netflix so you don’t have to. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Hosted...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Stacy-Marie Ishmael talk about the split verdict in the trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, the short supply (and high prices) of COVID rapid tests, and whether restaurants should be allowed to sell cocktails to-go. Plus, we say goodbye to Stacy during her last episode of Slate Money.  In the Plus segment:  The   New York Times’  purchase of  The Ath...

Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty of defrauding investors this week in federal court. The former CEO, wunderkind, and blood mogul has been the subject of intense legal interest and public fascination ever since her company, Theranos, was beset by scandal in 2015. Today on What Next: TBD we follow-up with Rebecca Jarvis, host of “The Dropout” podcast and ABC News Chief Business, Technology & Ec...

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Jan. 6, with guest Jamelle Bouie and what to make of omicron's impact on schools, and the Theranos case. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Matt Levine for Bloomberg: “ Slaying the Blood Unicorn ” Wall Street Journal: Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes: History of the WSJ Investigation   Emily Bazelon for the New York Times Ma...

On this week’s episode: Zak, Jamilah, and Elizabeth help a mom understand her new step-daughter’s personal boundaries and love language.  Then they have some wonderful tips for a mom of twins who has quite the conundrum. One of her daughters has needed a lot of medical care and procedures, including brain surgery. Now her other daughter, who is non-medically complex, is jealous of all the attentio...

Back in March of 2020, a scientist working at MIT developed a rapid test for the novel coronavirus. It wasn’t quite as accurate as a PCR, but would have gone a long way in detecting infectious cases during the emerging pandemic. But her test was never approved—and today, the U.S. is still behind other developed countries in our mass testing scheme. Guest: Lydia Depillis , reporter for ProPublica....

Huge Ma, founder of the website TurboVax, a.k.a. “Vax Daddy,” is running for office, and Taylor Swift has claimed 2022 as her own. On the show today, Madison and Allegra talk about how branding queen Taylor Swift is feeling 2022, and then Madison interviews Huge about creating TurboVax, how his online experiences have informed his campaign, and which Taylor Swift track is the theme of his campaign...

This week, the panel begins by breaking down just what makes HBO’s pandemic series Station Eleven so successful with Slate’s senior managing producer of podcasts and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast, June Thomas. Next, the panel appreciates the legacy that writer Joan Didion left behind. Finally, the panel rehashes the 2021 edition of Slate’s Movie Club (including Dana’s list of the year’s best...

It's easy to look at the latest pandemic-related disruptions and assume we're careening into another full-blown COVID crisis. But in many ways, we’re getting better at combating this coronavirus.  Guest: Dan Diamond , national health reporter 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 podca...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the College Football Playoff and bowl game opt-outs. ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel also joins for a conversation about Becky Hammon, who chose to leave the NBA to become the head coach of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. Finally, they talk about the life and legacy of John Madden.   College football (3:33):  What are the sport’s real issues and what problems...

Months before the attack on the Capitol, Bart Gellman predicted that the 2020 election would usher in a make-or-break year for American democracy. He was correct. Now, he’s trying to sound the alarm again. This time he says American democratic institutions and systems are being broken before our eyes, and the people in power aren’t doing enough to stop it. Guest: Barton Gellman , staff writer at T...

The Justice Department’s criminal investigation into the January 6th insurrection is unprecedented. More than 700 rioters face charges, and federal prosecutors are still adding names to the pile. As cases work their way through the courts, judges are sparring over the proper approach to sentencing rioters. How do you hold an individual responsible for a collective event?  Guest: Zoe Tillman , seni...

From “woke bae” to “woke-a-cola,” the word  woke  has taken the internet and mainstream media by storm. But how many people who use the word actually know what it means? On today’s episode, Rachelle  and  Madison  (but, really, mostly Rachelle) explain the decades-old origins of the word, and how its meaning has evolved as it’s gone from being sung as a call to “stay woke” by the likes of Erykah B...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Stacy-Marie Ishmael are joined by  Joe Weisentahl  of the  Bloomberg podcast Odd Lots. They discuss this past very long year in markets – from labor to crypto to supply chains; what’s up and what’s making them go ‘huh?’ and how we should maybe be grateful to Steve Mnuchin.  In the Plus segment: How the lumber supply chain issue had very little to do with lum...

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, to reflect on the past year and her time at the head of the legendary civil rights organization as she prepares to step down in spring 2022.  In our Slate Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern for the “Amicus Plus 2021 Hangover Edition,” in which they...

In part 2 of this holiday episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy dives deep into radio, streaming and Billboard chart data of some your favorite holiday hitmakers to compare their long legacies to the majority-merry ways they are consumed today. And none has been more condensed by Christmas than another artist who was once famous enough to go by her first name: Brenda. A ’60s chart dominator and do...

This episode originally aired in July 2021 Last week, the U.S. government released a new report that attempts to categorize 144 verified sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or U.A.P. They could only definitively explain one of them.  The new report signals a shift in the way we think about U.A.P. As technology has advanced and evidence of these encounters have increased, the question has b...

This episode originally aired in July 2021 Last week, the U.S. government released a new report that attempts to categorize 144 verified sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or U.A.P. They could only definitively explain one of them.  The new report signals a shift in the way we think about U.A.P. As technology has advanced and evidence of these encounters have increased, the question has b...

On this week’s episode: Our favorite Plus segments of 2021. We revisit one of the funniest—yet most horrifying—bathroom discoveries. We uncover the soundtracks to our parenting and brainstorm the School House Rock songs we need right now. We also gripe about Yes Day and hide from our kids.  Don't miss the member-exclusive segment on MADAF every week. Sign up for Slate Plus now at slate.com/momandd...

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in August 2021. Last week, the northern California mountain town of Greenville was wiped out by the Dixie Fire, which lasted for two months and is now the second largest wildfire in California history. As Greenville residents assess the damage to their homes and businesses, is it safe to rebuild? Is it...

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz wrap up 2021 considering life’s many conundrums—with special guest Dwayne Betts! Questions this year include: if you could eliminate one word from the English language what would it be? If you could transport the characters of one book into the time and place of another, which would you choose? If you were ONLY able to brush your teeth in the morning...

"I want it, so I take it." A serial shoplifter explains why she steals, and how—and we hear about what's happened in her life since we first talked four years ago.  Thanks to Tasbeeh Herwees for her help with this story. You can find Tasbeeh's article for  GOOD Magazine  about the shoplifting community on Tumblr  here . To listen to our 2017 episode featuring your responses to Alice's story, click...

It’s the final episode of the year, and a chance to look back at all the ways the internet has gone wrong in 2021. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison invite Tracy Clayton and Josh Gwynn , hosts of the podcast Back Issue , to join them as they discuss all the trends, memes, and moments of 2021 internet that have no place cropping back up in 2022. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek...

This week, Steve, Dana, and Julia tackle some listener questions in our annual call-in show. Topics include: favorite pieces of art, culture their children introduced them to, and previous years’ endorsements that have become staples in the panel’s lives. In Slate Plus, the panel continues to field some stellar listener questions.  Email us at culturefest@slate.com . There are no endorsements this...