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Hosts Alex Kirshner , and Ben Lindbergh are joined by Matt Brown of Extra Points for a discussion of how unified Republican control of the government could allow the NCAA to roll back college athletes’ newly won empowerment. They also talk about the NFL’s international aspirations, possible MLB off-season moves, plus a baseball-crosswords Afterballs. On the Bonus episode, available exclusively for...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak help a member of the Slate Parenting Facebook group whose toddlers are at each other… Constantly. We’re just glad they don’t have cartoon hammers. We’ll also check in on where the hosts are this week – and then, if you’re coming to hang out on the Slate Plus Playground, we’re talking about the long history of making stuff with your kids. If you’re not part...

How are politicians and civil society leaders preparing to meet the challenges of President Trump’s second term? For starters, they’re gaming out the worst-case scenarios. Guest: Barton Gellman , senior advisor at the Brennan Center. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on...

Many folks were surprised at how soundly Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the election, especially since they thought the polls made it seem like a coin flip. The problem is, that’s not quite what the polls were saying. Guest: Tatishe M. Nteta, Provost Professor of Political Science, Director of UMass Poll Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the wh...

Many folks were surprised at how soundly Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the election, especially since they thought the polls made it seem like a coin flip. The problem is, that’s not quite what the polls were saying. Guest: Tatishe M. Nteta, Provost Professor of Political Science, Director of UMass Poll Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the wh...

The fear that the Earth could be destroyed by a killer asteroid is an anxiety that pops up all the time in fiction and is grounded in fact. But funnily enough—actually being pancaked by a giant space rock? Not something you need to spend a whole lot of time worrying about! And that’s because a bunch of NASA scientists and engineers are already worried about it for us. In this episode, science jour...

This week: The markets had a big reaction to Trump’s win. Emily Peck , Elizabeth Spiers , and Anna Szymanski discuss what traders are actually betting on and how a Trump economy will affect consumers. Then, Anna breaks down the collapse of Germany’s government and what it means for Europe’s economy. Also: Reddit stock is doing great. But why is it still so popular? The hosts discuss the refreshing...

We are, most of us, still very much in the post-election fog. It’s early days and while the fog persists, some of the shape of the future is very clear: despite his felonies, his lies, his promised mass deportations and threats of vengeance, President Donald J Trump will re-enter the White House in 2025 better organized, with a clearer mandate, and with the seal of approval of the popular vote. On...

Candice Lim is joined by Slate’s business and tech writer Nitish Pahwa, to discuss the internet history of Derek Guy, better known as @DieWorkwear on Twitter. Back in 2022, Elon Musk acquired Twitter, leading to major consequences for everyone’s timelines. One of those consequences was the unexpected boosting of Derek Guy, which led to his Twitter account reaching more than 1 million followers. Pa...

As Elon Musk channeled his considerable resources towards Donald Trump’s campaign, there was talk about what his role in the new Trump administration would be. If his stint leading Twitter is any indication, the federal government could be in for a bumpy ride. Guest: Zoë Schiffer , incoming director of business and industry at Wired, author of Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter . Want...

As Elon Musk channeled his considerable resources towards Donald Trump’s campaign, there was talk about what his role in the new Trump administration would be. If his stint leading Twitter is any indication, the federal government could be in for a bumpy ride. Guest: Zoë Schiffer , incoming director of business and industry at Wired, author of Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter . Want...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the big wins of Donald Trump and Senate Republicans; the what-next of the second Trump presidency; and the electoral victories and possible setbacks for abortion rights. Join us on December 4 for Political Gabfest Live in Brooklyn!  Tickets are on sale now . And send us your Conundrums at  slate.com/conundrum . Email your chatters,...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak crack open our mailbag. You’ve been sending a ton of emails about everything from Zionism to the Red Light District to Lucy’s Impala impulses… so today, we’re sharing all that and more.  And then, of course, we’ll share some triumphs and fails. Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought...

There is a prominent bird in the 2000 film Charlie’s Angels that makes absolutely no sense. This so-called Pygmy Nuthatch doesn’t look or sound like it should, or live where the characters say it does. The bird is so elaborately wrong that it has haunted the birding community, including Slate’s very own Forrest Wickman, for almost a quarter of a century. In this episode, Forrest embarks on a wild...

It’s not 2016 all over again. With a party now shaped in his image, and a Supreme Court that already gave him immunity, how will a vengeful Donald Trump’s second term go down? Guest: David A. Graham , staff writer at the Atlantic who wrote “ What Trump Understood, and Harris Did Not .” Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across...

In this extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern wade through the immediate aftermath of the election. Will splitting the ticket on abortion protect abortion rights nationally? (No) What will the federal government look like at 12:02 pm on January 20th, 2025? (very different than at 11:58 am that day) Are all of Brett Kavanaugh’s wildest unitary executive dreams about to come...

Trump has just about done it again—and the country’s largely swinging further to the right on down-ballot candidates and even some ballot initiatives. Why couldn’t the Harris campaign pull it off, and what do other key losses for the Democrats say about what Americans want? Guest: David Faris , politics professor at Roosevelt University and contributing writer for Slate . Want more What Next? Subs...

On this week’s show, Extremely Musical Friend of the Pod (EMFOP)‌ Chris Molanphy joins to memorialize pop’s Renaissance Man, Quincy Jones, who passed away on November 3, 2024. The legendary producer worked with every star under the sun, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Chaka Khan, and created the best-selling album in history. (“Thriller,” maybe you’ve heard of it?) Then, the trio mulls...

On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to share their favorite TikToks, tweets, and internet icons of late. They’ll discuss construction workers going viral and the newest Abbott Elementary guest star to inspire fan edits galore. But first, they discuss the peculiarity of People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive rollout and which categories caused the most confus...

In this episode, historian Ben Miller chats with Bryan Lowder about the surprising ways white gay men have romanticized the idea of the 'primitive' in their search for utopia. Ben shares stories about key figures like Harry Hay and the radical gay activism of the 70s that centered a 'back to the land' fantasy that relied on racialized fantasies of the past. Together, they explore how these fantasi...

From an early age, Alynda Segarra saw the people they loved grind it out in an American system that offered them little reward. Their father, a musician and Vietnam War veteran, suffered from PTSD, and their aunt and uncle, with whom they lived, were stretched beyond their means. Alynda decided they would take a different path: drop out of school, hop trains, and form a band. "I just thought I sho...

It’s been a strange election—Trump being shot at on stage; Biden dropping out—but also a very familiar one, with the same issues, same rhetoric, and same deadlocked, dysfunctional Congress waiting on the other side. How long will the political Groundhog Day last—and what will it take to break this cycle? Guests: Osita Nwanevu , contributing editor at the New Republic and columnist at The Guardian...

Hosts Alex Kirshner , Lindsay Gibbs , and Ben Lindbergh talk about the dominant Dodgers, why NCAA coaches are hiring lobbyists, election gambling, and the return of Afterballs! On the Bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts get into esports, and gaming star FAKER's fifth League of Legends World Championship. World Series (4:47): The Dodgers were good. The Yankees were bad. Olym...

Whatever happened to selling out? The defining concern of Generation X has become a relic from another era. How that happened is best illustrated by one of the idea’s last gasps, when in 2001, Oprah Winfrey invited author Jonathan Franzen to come on her show to discuss his new novel The Corrections . A month later, she withdrew the invitation, kicking off a media firestorm. The Oprah-Franzen Book...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak share how they’re talking to the kids about tomorrow’s election. We’ll offer tips for cutting through the noise to talk civics… and also how to address the serious, nasty, and scary.  Elizabeth’s book recommendations:  V is for Voting by Kate Farrell Equality’s Call: the Story of Voting Rights in America by Deborah Diesen Usborne: Politics for Beginners  Th...