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Last week, the U.S. government released a new report that attempts to categorize 144 verified sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP. They could only definitively explain one of them.  The new report signals a shift in the way we think about UAP. As technology has advanced and evidence of these encounters has increased, the question has become more urgent: What exactly is happening in...

Last week, the U.S. government released a new report that attempts to categorize 144 verified sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP. They could only definitively explain one of them.  The new report signals a shift in the way we think about UAP. As technology has advanced and evidence of these encounters has increased, the question has become more urgent: What exactly is happening in...

Emily Bazelon is joined by Ruth Marcus and Jamelle Bouie to discuss the infrastructure negotiations, alarming Supreme Court decisions and Bill Cosby’s release. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Catherine Rampell for The Washington Post: “ Three Things That Could Still Blow Up The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal ” Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in A...

On this week’s episode: Elizabeth, Dan, and Jamilah answer a question from a parent who is wondering how to help her 10-year-old who struggled to learn during this last year of school. What can she do to help her daughter catch up this summer?  Then, they advise a hard-working architect who really wants some architect-mom role models to look up to when trying to figure out work-life balance. Stepp...

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema has become a constant source of consternation for the left wing of the Democratic party. But early in her career, she was a vocal proponent of progressive ideals. How did she turn into one of the party’s staunchest defenders of bipartisan compromise?  Guest: Amanda Becker , Washington Correspondent for the 19th. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for...

This week Dana and Steve are joined by Slate staff writer Karen Han. First, the panel discusses the movie Zola . Next, they talk about the British sitcom We Are Lady Parts . Finally, the panel is joined by Seth Stevenson, the host of Slate’s Thrilling Tales of Modern Capitalism, to discuss the past, present, and future of HBO.  In Slate Plus, the panel talks about Conan O'Brien's departure from la...

The Champlain Tower South building in Surfside Florida collapsed early last Thursday morning, seemingly out of the blue. But reporting shows that the condo board members were aware the building was structurally unsound for years. Right now the death toll stands at 12, with 149 people still unaccounted for. How did such a preventable tragedy take place? Guest: Daniel Rivero , reporter for WLRN in M...

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison are joined by Buzzfeed’s Scaachi Koul to discuss her recent piece, “ Why Bo Burnham, Jenna Marbles, and Shane Dawson All Logged Off. ” They talk about the cesspool that is YouTube fandom, how precisely Bo Burnham articulates the problems of constant internet consumption, and the three ways logging off may be possible: deleting your content, apologizing a lo...

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies.  Shane Ferro, former economics journalist and current public defender, stops by to talk about how Magic Mike is a film about the gig economy and the precarity of freelance work in a post Great Recession world.  Email: slatemoney@slate.co...

Pop star Britney Spears spoke out in court last week about the conservatorship she’s been under for 13 years, shedding light on all the restrictions she’s lived under. In doing so, Spears opened up a world rarely-seen outside of courtrooms and the reality for an estimated 1.3 million people living under a court-ordered guardianship. Guest: Sara Luterman , freelance journalist covering disability p...

If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you can binge the whole season of Decoder Ring right now, plus ad free podcasts, bonus episodes, and much more. On this episode, we explore the misunderstood history of Muzak, formerly the world’s foremost producers of elevator music. Out of the technological innovations of World War I, Muzak emerged as one o...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss NFL player Carl Nassib’s historic announcement. They also talk about the key players and storylines in the NBA conference finals. Finally, they assess the Week in Sports Idiocy.   Nassib (1:55):  The significance of an active NFL player coming out.   NBA (24:09):  What Giannis Antetokounmpo and Trae Young have in common.   Week in Sports Idiocy ...

Last week, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end, Carl Nassib, came out in an Instagram post, making him the first openly gay active player in NFL histroy. The league immediately posted in in celebration of Nassib’s announcement. But given the NFL’s sorry history of standing by players on the vanguard, will the league really put its money where its mouth is this time?  Guest: LZ Granderson , LA Times op...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Stacy-Marie Ishmael discuss the apparently abusive conservatorship of Britney Spears, the failures of COVAX and worldwide vaccine distribution, and Peter Thiel’s shocking Roth IRA.  In the Plus segment: Small businesses in the pandemic. Mentioned in the show: “ The Darker Story Just Outside the Lens of Framing Britney Spears ,” by Sara Luterman for the New...

On Wednesday, Britney Spears spoke in court against her current conservatorship, which began in 2008. In recent years, fans have speculated that Spears was being controlled against her will by her father through this conservatorship, and started the #FreeBritney movement in an attempt to break her out of it. On today’s episode,  Madison and Rachelle break down the history of Spears’ conservatorshi...

For nearly two years, an unprecedented experiment has been taking place in the town of El Zonte in El Salvador. Funded by a mysterious donor, the town’s residents built a Bitcoin economy, using the cryptocurrency to purchase just about anything.  Now, El Slavador has passed a new law making it the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Can they replicate El Zonte’s success at a national s...

For nearly two years, an unprecedented experiment has been taking place in the town of El Zonte in El Salvador. Funded by a mysterious donor, the town’s residents built a Bitcoin economy, using the cryptocurrency to purchase just about anything.  Now, El Slavador has passed a new law making it the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Can they replicate El Zonte’s success at a national s...

Emily, John and David discuss the post-pandemic workforce, Tucker Carlson, and student wins at the Supreme Court. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Ben Smith for the New York Times: “ Tucker Carlson Calls Journalists ‘Animals.’ He’s Also Their Best Source. ” Slate: “ David Plotz and Tucker Carlson Debate Scott Brown, Health Care, and More ” Andrew Van Dam for the Washington...

On this week’s episode: Jamilah is joined by former Mom and Dad are Fighting co-host, Rebecca Lavoie. They weigh in on whether or not an older stepchild should be forced to babysit their stepsiblings. They also counsel a mom who is concerned about her husband’s theatrical and rather upsetting behavior.  As mentioned in the show, our second question does contain discussion of suicide and suicidal i...

COVID’s Delta variant is on the rise in the U.S. The data suggest we have room for optimism -- so why are we seeing dire messages from public health experts?  Guest: Dr. Monica Gandhi , infectious diseases and HIV doctor at UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bon...

Miguel Llapa's mother was told her son wouldn't live past age 2 because of a health condition. Now, he's going to college — and yearns for independence on his own terms.  Support Death, Sex & Money today at  deathsexmoney.org/donate . Check out our Game Changer series conversation with BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe here .  If you're new here, check out our  starter kit  of some of our favorite episo...

This week Dana and Steve are joined by Slate staff writer Karen Han. First, the panel discusses the Pixar movie Luca. Next, they talk about the first two episodes of Marvel’s TV show Loki. Finally, the panel is joined by Willa Paskin and Benjamin Frisch, the host and producer of Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast, to discuss the making of the new season. In Slate Plus, the panel talks about whether seei...

Senate Democrats tried to open up debate on sweeping voting rights legislation Tuesday but were stopped by a lack of support from their Republican counterparts. Would a more incremental approach have succeeded?  Guest: Rick Hasen , professor of law and political science at the University of California–Irvine School of Law and the author of Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat...

What do Chloe Bailey, Nina Simone, and Vice President Kamala Harris have to do with one another? We’re here to help you figure that out. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about how a cover of Simone’s “Feeling Good” turned into a story that ultimately felt anything but . But first, they examine Rachel Lindsay’s recent comments about the Bachelor franchise .  Podcast production by Danie...

America has gone soft on monopolies. A small number of businesses control an ever-increasing market share with only muted protests from the Federal Trade Commission, the supposed antitrust watchdog of the U.S. government. But that all might be about to change with Lina Khan’s appointment as FTC chair. Guest: Matt Stoller , director of research at the American Economic Liberties Project and the aut...