Slate Daily Feed

This week, Steve and Dana are joined by Slate senior editor Allegra Frank. First, senior producer of Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast, Benjamin Frisch, chimes in to review the sci-fi megafilm Dune . Next, the panel discusses Netflix’s Maid . Finally, the panel dives into the IATSE strike, and the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust , involving the actor Alec Baldwin. In...

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds many, if not most, of the world’s global health initiatives, so much so that the Foundation has become one of the most influential deciders of global health policy. With the distribution of vaccines to developing countries all but completely failing, how do we assess the Gates’ culpability? And is it time to imagine another model for global health cooper...

We’re debuting our new segment, “Wormhole,” with this fascinating look into the phenomenon of the viral mukbang YouTuber and drama magnet, Nikocado Avocado . On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison invite their internet obsessive colleague and senior producer of Slate’s Decoder Ring, Benjamin Frisch , to discuss who this infamous extreme eating content creator is, and why the internet is convince...

In 1992, a jury failed to convict the four Los Angeles police officers who'd been captured on videotape beating Rodney King. The city erupted into fire and chaos – the culmination of decades of unchecked police abuse and racial injustice. For the sixth season of Slate’s Slow Burn, Joel Anderson returns to explore the people and events behind the biggest civil disturbance in American history – a st...

Sharifa Abbasi knows exactly what it’s like to board a plane to a new country. She immigrated from Afghanistan to the U.S. with her family in 1993. Now, she’s helping other Afghans navigate the complicated red tape of American immigration law after the Taliban takeover. For these immigrants, coming to America wasn’t easy -- being able to stay here might prove even harder. Guest: Sharifa Abbasi , i...

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Defector’s Drew Magary talk about the seeming decline of the Kansas City Chiefs. They also discuss who to root for in the World Series, the Houston Astros or the Atlanta Braves. Finally, they speak with Drew about his book  The Night the Lights Went Out: A Memoir of Life After Brain Damage .   Chiefs (3:54):  What’s wrong with Patrick Mahomes and the former champs?  ...

Slate Money is obsessed with  Succession , HBO's wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family. So, every Monday, we'll be discussing the previous night's episode with spoiler-filled glee. For Episode 2, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by author and rich people expert  Kurt Anderson , to talk about and whether Logan is in a decline, Kendal’s big speech, and those doughnuts.   ...

Last weekend, 17 foreign missionaries living in Haiti were taken hostage by a criminal gang demanding million-dollar ransom payments. Kidnappings have become routine in Haiti over the past two years, as the national government has weakened in the wake of years of foreign influence, corruption, persistent poverty, natural disasters, and political upheaval. But the latest mass abduction of so many A...

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Dean Erwin Chemerinsky of Berkeley Law School at the University of California to discuss a pair of brief opinions from the Supreme Court on qualified immunity for the police that came down this week. They hint that the high court may be ready to expand police immunity from lawsuits. Dean Chemerinsky’s new book, Presumed Guilty: How the Supreme Court Empowered the Polic...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Stacy-Marie Ishmael talk about ad tracking and big changes at Apple, what’s going on with tuna bonds, and big businesses buying up real estate. In the Plus segment: Legacy admissions.  Mentioned In the show: “ Snap’s Stock Plummets as It Blames Apple’s Privacy Changes for Hurting Its Ad Business ” by Sarah E. Needleman “ Zillow pauses homebuying as tech-powe...

Why have so many young women developed tic disorders during the course of the pandemic? Well, apart from the obvious pandemic-related stressors, TikTok could be a big part of it. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk to science journalist Maddie Bender about her report for Vice unpacking this medical mystery. They discuss the correlation between exposure to Tic Tok, a subculture on TikTok...

Between April and June of this year, Zillow bought nearly 4,000 homes. And they had no intention of holding onto them. The plan was to flip houses, often and at scale, joining the ranks of companies like Opendoor and Offerpad, also known as iBuyers.  So, why did Zillow put their plans on pause last weekend? Can online middlemen really change the way we buy and sell houses? Guests :  Tony Santos, h...

Between April and June of this year, Zillow bought nearly 4,000 homes. And they had no intention of holding onto them. The plan was to flip houses, often and at scale, joining the ranks of companies like Opendoor and Offerpad, also known as iBuyers.  So, why did Zillow put their plans on pause last weekend? Can online middlemen really change the way we buy and sell houses? Guests :  Tony Santos, h...

Emily, John and David discuss Steve Bannon’s contempt of Congress, supply chain woes, and Americans pro-actively leaving their jobs. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jordan Weissmann for Slate: “ The Absolute Simplest Explanation for America’s Supply Chain Woes ” David J. Lynch for The Washington Post: “ Inside America’s Broken Supply Chain ” Derek Thompson for The Atlanti...

On this week’s episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Aymann hotly debate a question about a kid who is vegan but decides to eat meat at their friend’s house. Is 13 mature enough to make their own dietary decisions or should the kid’s parents be told? Then, Jamilah talks with Lauren Linder, mom and attorney for a cannabis company, about how they incorporate cannabis into their parenting. In Slate Plus:...

Once an obscure legal doctrine, the practice of qualified immunity for police has drawn widespread public scrutiny in the past year. But as mainstream support for ending qualified immunity grows, police unions are amping up their opposition.  Guest: Kimberly Kindy , national investigative reporter for The Washington Post. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plu...

Christina and Bryan take us into Queer History Month with thoughts on Reba McEntire and queer inclusion in historically misogynistic places. They welcome Adam Zmith, author of Deep Sniff , a book on the queer history of poppers, and writer Jude Doyle, who talks about what we missed in the recent documentary about transmasculine Black feminist icon Pauli Murray. Finally, our guests add supersmart,...

I talk with the  Succession  actor over egg creams and omelets in New York City. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, sign up! Every Wednesday, we send out podcast listening recommendations, your stories from our inbox, and behind-the-scenes updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org.  Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See a...

Is it a bones day or a no bones day? That’s the question that’s swept across TikTok, thanks to Noodle the pug. Each morning, owner Jonathan Graziano wakes up and checks if his geriatric pug has bones or not, a helpful way of predicting what sort of day we’re all going to have. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle interview Jonathan (and Noodle) about his sudden viral fame, how Noodle is handli...

This week, Steve and Dana are joined by Karen Han. First, Slate’s music critic Carl Wilson chimes in to discuss Todd Haynes’s new The Velvet Underground documentary, which he wrote beautifully about for Slate . Next, the panel (minus Dana) is joined by Slate staff writer Rebecca Onion to review Mike Flanagan’s newest Netflix horror series, Midnight Mass —which she also wrote lovingly about . Final...

Virginia’s gubernatorial election is just weeks away, with former Virginia governor, Democrat Terry McAuliffe, vying against newcomer Republican Glenn Youngkin. Many polls show a slim margin between the two candidates, as they spar over issues like critical race theory and Trump’s legacy in an election seen as a bellwether for the upcoming midterm elections. Guest: Ben Paviour , state politics rep...

Colin Powell, known as a “trailblazer” and “pathbreaker” in his military career, leaves behind a complicated legacy. The four-star general became a household name during the first Gulf War as the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and later the first Black secretary of state. Thirty years after his rise to national prominence, Powell’s death has prompted reflections on the Iraq War...

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin talk with Slate’s Alex Kirshner about the split between LSU and its coach Ed Orgeron. They’re also joined by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports for a preview of the 2021-22 NBA season. Finally, Stefan Fatsis speaks with Dave Zirin about his book  The Kaepernick Effect .   Orgeron (4:20):  Why did LSU part ways with a championship-winning coach?   NBA (29:53):  What to ex...

Slate Money is obsessed with Succession , HBO's wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family. So, every Monday, we'll be discussing the previous night's episode with spoiler-filled glee. For the series premier, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Janine Gibson , assistant editor of Financial Times to talk about Geri's glass cliff promotion, who might be going to jail, and all...

Democrats spent months fretting last year about the Postal Service and the fate of democracy. Now the Democrats are in charge. So why is the mail slowing down? And could planned changes fix what ails the Postal Service? Guest: Jacob Bogage , business 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 o...