Slate Daily Feed

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s right-wing flag-flying;  David Leonhardt ’s take on  A New Centrism ; and OpenAI’s use – or not – of Scarlett Johansson’s voice.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jodi Kantor for The New York Times:  At Justice Alito’s House, a ‘Stop the Steal’ Symbol on Display ; Jodi...

On this episode: Lucy, Zak and Elizabeth answer a listener email about whether an 8 and 5 year old should still be sharing a room. The basement is a communal space, and it’s also home to some creepy crawlies… but is it worth making that work in the name of some separation? We’ll also debrief on our week in parenting with a round of Triumphs & Fails — including a postcard from a spat with a sle...

Allegations about Sean “Diddy” Combs had been circulating, but it wasn’t until surveillance footage of the mogul assaulting his then-partner Cassie began circulating on social media, that his response changed from defensive to apologetic.  Guest: Sidney Madden , reporter for NPR Music and co-host of Louder Than a Riot. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the...

In the 1970s, San Francisco became a welcoming home for tens of thousands of new gay residents—and a modern-day Sodom for the American right. With a moral panic sweeping across the United States, a Florida orange juice spokeswoman inspired an ambitious California politician to launch his own campaign against lesbians and gays—one that would change the course of U.S. history.  (If you—or anyone you...

Candice Lim is joined by Yowei Shaw (former co-host of NPR’s  Invisibilia)  to discuss her new podcast  Proxy , which takes listeners through the psychological aftermath of a layoff, starting with Shaw’s own layoff from NPR. In March 2023, the public radio institution laid off approximately 10 percent of its staff, resulting in the cancellation of  four podcasts , including  Invisibilia.  Shaw, al...

This week Christina Cauterucci returns to Outward to talk with Bryan about her experience making ‘Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs’ and diving into one of the most consequential civil rights battles in American history: the first-ever statewide vote on gay rights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, the hosts begin by reviewing Babes , Pamela Adlon’s ( Better Things , Louie ) directorial feature debut starring Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau. Through raunch-comedy and body horror, Babes explores childbirth and pregnancy through a refreshingly unromanticized lens, but does it succeed as a drama? Then, the three switch gears and turn to Interview With the Vampire , AMC’s A...

Seven months into the war in Gaza, both the international community and many Israelis are demanding to know what Benjamin Netanyahu’s “day after” plan is. Observers are also wondering whether charges from the International Criminal Court will influence Israel’s approach—and whether the death of Iran’s president and foreign minister will change how Hamas fights. Guest: Yair Rosenberg , staff writer...

In the third and final part of our How Originalism Ate the Law series, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern are joined by Justice Todd Eddins of the Hawaii Supreme Court and Madiba Dennie, author of The Originalism Trap . Being trapped by originalism is a choice, one that judges, lawyers, and the American people do not have to accede to. Our expert panel offers ideas and action points for pushing...

A fat suit is a custom-made costume with one goal: to make an actor appear fat without them actually having to be fat. It’s typically a unitard filled with mattress foam and other wiggly, jiggly bits—but it’s also so much more than that, an embodiment of all our cultural hang-ups about fatness. In today’s episode we’re going to consider the fat suit from all angles: how it’s made, how it’s changed...

Before going on a kite-skiing trip to the Chilean mountains, Jim Harris and his longtime girlfriend broke up. She wanted to settle down, and he wanted to keep adventuring. On that trip, Jim broke his back and became paralyzed. After eight months of non-stop physical therapy his progress seemed to be stalled until one night at a concert he took magic mushrooms and noticed new movement in muscles th...

Daniel Perry was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murdering Garrett Foster at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott just pardoned Perry and restored his rights, including the right to own and carry a gun.  Guest: Christopher Hooks , contributing editor at Texas Monthly. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Pacers’ and Timberwolves’ Game 7 wins in the NBA’s conference semifinals. Slate’s Alex Kirshner also joins to talk about Scottie Scheffler’s arrest at the PGA Championship. Finally, they review Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s ultra-conservative commencement speech. NBA playoffs (3:11):  Looking back at a pair of historic road victories.   Sc...

On this episode: Zak, Lucy and Elizabeth answer a question from our Slate Parenting Facebook group about a 7-year-old who’s at home being naked at home. It’s not really a problem right now, but with puberty around the corner… will it be? We also dole out a round of recommendations — and then, for Slate Plus, we offer suggestions for mess-free (or mess-minimal) car snacks. Zak recommends: The Daily...

Though their influence on voters seems to be between negligible and nonexistent, presidential debates are still important. And even if their past performances were sometimes hard to watch, it’s good for democracy that Trump and Biden will meet on stage this election cycle. But these debates will be a little different this time… Guest: Alan Schroeder , Professor Emeritus at the Northeastern Univers...

In theory, crowdfunding sites offer an opportunity for anyone to give to any cause, including, say, strangers facing huge medical bills. In practice, crowdfunding suffers from many of the same inequities that led to someone needing to crowdfund to begin with. Guest: Nora Kenworthy, author of Crowded Out: The True Costs of Crowdfunding Healthcare , associate professor at the University of Washingto...

Emily Bazelon talks with authors Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy, about their new book,  Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals . They discuss the evolution of animal treatment in America, moral duties to animals, and how to care about more animals than our pets.  Tweet us your questions  @SlateGabfest  or email us at  gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be qu...

In this week’s essay, John discusses the differences between moving around New York in 1991 and 2021; remembering 9/11 twenty years later; and more.    Notebook Entries: Notebook 75, page 12. September 2021 Notebooks to Garret Notebook 75, page 13. September 2021 Can you make a typo with handwriting? What’s a typo with handwriting called? Notebook 4. 1991 We have to unplug the light to run the vac...

This week, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the motivations and impacts of new tariffs plus the cultural forces behind China’s economic policy. Also: Congress is trying to figure out what to do with AI, and Melinda French Gates is getting her groove back. In the Plus segment: Rates for new mortgages suck right now, but what if you could buy out someone existing one? Also: D...

Justice Samuel Alito’s wife didn’t attend the January 6th 2021 “Stop the Steal” rally (unlike fellow SCOTUS spouse Ginni Thomas), but in January 2021, in a leafy Alexandria, Virginia cul-de-sac, the New York Times reports that the Alito household was engaged in a MAGA-infused front yard spat with the neighbors, even as the Justice was deciding  cases regarding that very election at the highest cou...

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Aisha Harris, co-host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour and author of  Wannabe:   Reckonings With the Pop Culture That Shaped Me . The two discuss  Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show , the latest venture from the comedian behind the Emmy-award winning stand-up special  Rothanial.  In contrast,  Reality Show  has been greeted with  a mixed critical reception  but bo...

Girl groups have long been underestimated—even by the producers and managers who created them. For women listeners, girl groups narrated profound emotions and expressed personal freedom—even when the singers were not so free themselves. For male listeners, girl groups provided inspiration, and a way to express matters of the heart. And for all listeners across rock and soul history, girl groups pu...

The 2021 subreddit-coordinated effort to raise the price of Gamestop stock was, in some ways, a proof of concept: the little guy can get into the market and make some noise. Because even though that “meme stock” rose and fell, the idea of the meme stock went has changed the way our stock market works. Guest: Alex Kirshner, contributing writer for Slate. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the latest New York Times presidential poll and the Maryland primary results; the presidential debates; and who’s talking inside and outside Donald Trump’s Manhattan trial courtroom.    Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Nate Cohn for The New York Times:  Trump Leads in 5 Key States, as Young and Nonwhite Vote...

On this episode: Jamilah sits down with author Ruby Russell to talk about her new book, Doing It All: The Social Power of Single Motherhood . They talk about the ways that single mothers upend the patriarchy — and why that’s a good thing. Lucy, Elizabeth, and Zak also circle up for a round of triumphs and fails — including an epic saga involving a hospital in the Philippines. Join us on Facebook a...