Slate Daily Feed

This week: The bond vigilantes are being summoned by Trump’s take bill. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the contents of the controversial bill and how the bond markets are reacting. Then, Julian Sanchez of the WatchCats podcast joins to discuss Elon Musk’s announcement that he’s stepping back from the government and break down what he did with DOGE. Then, has the rise of G...

Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” cleared the House this week and heads off to the Senate where…actually let’s bring in an expert to explain what happens next. Guest: Jim Newell , Slate’s senior political writer. This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next —you’ll also access ad-free listening...

OpenAI started as a non-profit dedicated to building safe A.I. Now, they’re obsessed with building artificial general intelligence by any means necessary - even if they don’t quite know what that is.  Guest: Karen Hao , reporter and author of “ Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI ” Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the huge House tax bill and its broad economic implications with Harvard economist  Jason Furman , the DOJ’s selective investigation and prosecution of officials as a method of intimidation, and the Heritage Foundation’s “Project Esther” as the Trump administration’s blueprint for shutting down dissent with accusations of antisemiti...

On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Lucy are talking about twins! Our listener just found out that the one baby she was expecting is, in fact, two babies… and she’s freaking out a little. And we did too, because none of us have twins — but when we tell you the Care and Feeding community came in clutch? We mean it.  After that, of course, we’ll circle up for a round of triumphs and fails. Join us o...

Rev. Dr. Barber II is objecting to Republicans’ budget bill on the grounds of morality as much as politics—which is why he’s been praying, protesting, and getting arrested to stick up for those who will be affected by it.  Guest: Reverend Doctor William J. Barber II , pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Goldsboro, North Carolina, professor at Yale Divinity School, and foun...

Something seems to have happened to car headlights. In the last few years, many people have become convinced that they are much brighter than they used to be—and it’s driving them to the point of rage. Headlight glare is now Americans’ number one complaint on the road. The story of how and why we got here is illuminating and confounding. It’s what happens when an incredible technological breakthro...

In this week’s show, Dana and Julia are joined by guest host Isaac Butler to go through the A24, bromance looking glass to discuss Friendship , the surreal cringe comedy starring I Think You Should Leave’s Tim Robinson and the always friend-crushable Paul Rudd. Next, they share their thoughts on Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer, the new podcast by Prologue Projects and Leon Neyfakh about the improba...

Something seems to have happened to car headlights. In the last few years, many people have become convinced that they are much brighter than they used to be—and it’s driving them to the point of rage. Headlight glare is now Americans’ number one complaint on the road. The story of how and why we got here is illuminating and confounding. It’s what happens when an incredible technological breakthro...

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim are joined by Slate staff writer Molly Olmstead to talk all things Pope Leo XIV, who made the internet go wild following a highly-covered conclave, strong Chicago ties, and a digital footprint that keeps unfurling. But another reason the Pope has seemed more exposed than ever before is because for some groups online, it’s becoming trendy to be Catholic. They break down...

One of the more surprising targets of Project 2025—and now, therefore, the Trump administration—is FEMA. How will proposed changes affect what FEMA can do, as hurricane season begins, and as a changing climate makes weather more unpredictable? Guest: Thomas Frank , editor for E&E News’ climate finance team. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole W...

In a return to a classic party policy goal, Republicans want to add “work requirements” to Medicaid to offset costs in Trump’s “one big beautiful bill.” Work requirements for health insurance have been tried before, on the state level, and the end result is a lot of people—including working people—losing their health insurance. Guest:  Leo Cuello, research professor at the Georgetown University Mc...

José Andrés is at the helm of more than a dozen restaurants and is famous for the humanitarian work that his organization World Central Kitchen does everywhere from Haiti to Gaza. But when it comes to parenting, José says he’s often felt less than confident. In this episode, he discusses his somewhat rocky upbringing in Spain, his successes and struggles as a chef and restauranteur, and his frustr...

Hosts Alex Kirshner , Lindsay Gibbs , and Ben Lindbergh discuss the surprisingly exciting NBA Conference semifinals and the downfall of the Boston Celtics’ aspiring dynasty. They also talk about Pete Rose’s newfound Hall of Fame eligibility, and the snooze-worthy PGA Championship. For Afterballs, Ben dives into Pope Leo’s sports allegiances.  On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Pl...

On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah are talking about being the place to be. This member of the Slate Parenting Facebook Group takes pride in being the place where their tween and teen girls hang out with their friends… but being the “cool parent” does come with some serious responsibility, and that’s what our writer is worried about. And then, we’ll circle up for a round of checkins… and...

In this special episode of Slate Money,  Felix Salmon  and  Emily Peck  are joined by Slate editor in chief,  Hillary Frey . They talk all things Disneyland, including why Disneyland is better than Disney World, the need to let go of the inevitable costs ahead of your trip, why it makes for a great vacation with teenagers, and more.  Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

As Donald Trump strives to deliver on his harsh immigration enforcement campaign promises, the president’s approval rating on the issue has dropped. But very public mistakes—with very real consequences—and dipping polls don’t seem to be slowing the administration down yet. Guests: Adrian Carrasquillo , author of the Huddled Masses newsletter from The Bulwark Primitiva Hernandez , executive directo...

What do you do when your likeness has been turned into A.I.-generated pornography?—it’s a problem people are already facing. But legislation moving through Congress may cause more problems than it would solve. Guests: Joanne Chew, actress and visual artist based in LA. Samantha Cole , cofounder of 404 media and author of “ How Sex Changed the Internet and How the Internet Changed Sex .” Want more...

What do you do when your likeness has been turned into A.I.-generated pornography?—it’s a problem people are already facing. But legislation moving through Congress may cause more problems than it would solve. Guests: Joanne Chew, actress and visual artist based in LA. Samantha Cole , cofounder of 404 media and author of “ How Sex Changed the Internet and How the Internet Changed Sex .” Want more...

Influencer baby-naming has become a competitive sport, with people making predictions and even locking down Instagram handles before anyone has given birth. Despite this, most influencer baby names are…the same? If they’re not going rogue with “Malibu Barbie,” they’re reinventing the wheel with names like “Laikynn.” Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay dive into platforms like r/Tragedeigh , which documen...

Emily Bazelon talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book,  The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success .   They discuss the commonalities among families that have multiple high-achieving children, what we can learn from these unique families, and more.   Tweet us your questions  @SlateGabfest  or email us at  gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be quoted by name unles...

This week: The stock market is coming back after its post Liberation Day fall. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what this does, and mostly doesn’t , signal about the economy under Trump. Then, one stock that is not doing well at all is the UnitedHealth Group. The hosts explain the perfect storm the company has found itself in, and examine if that’s actually the reason for i...

Our eyes this week were trained on the arguments over birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court on Thursday. While Solicitor General John Sauer advanced wild arguments on behalf of the Trump administration, four of the justices (hint: the women) seemed extremely suspicious of his motives. The five men? Not so much. Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia Lithwick to break down Trump v...

The story of Nevermind, Nirvana’s genre-defining breakthrough, is a familiar one. Less well known is the saga of Billboard’s Modern Rock chart—and how college-rock staples of the 1980s like R.E.M. and The Cure gave way to heavier, more commercially dominant groups of the ‘90s like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and The Smashing Pumpkins. What sparked the grungification of the charts? How...

Aging equipment and chronically understaffed air traffic control have made flying in and out of Newark’s Liberty International Airport a delay-snarled mess. And the problems there aren’t entirely unique. Will Congress and the Trump administration be the ones to fix it?  Guest: Will Guisbond , staff reporter covering air traffic control for The Air Current Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slat...