Slate Daily Feed

Political Gabfest host John Dickerson has been a journalist for more than three decades, reporting about presidential campaigns, political scandals, the evolving state of our democracy. Along the way, he’s also been recording his observations in notebooks he has carried in his back pocket. On the Navel Gazing podcast, John Dickerson invites you to join him in figuring out what these thirty years o...

For National Poetry Month Bryan and Jules talk to multi-hyphenate writer and performer Brontez Purnell about his new book Ten Bridges I've Burnt: A Memoir in Verse . They dig into the influence of astrophysics and forgiveness on his work, and his essay on Black Gay Pornstar Gene Lamar.  Podcast production by Palace Shaw. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, the panel is first joined by Slate culture writer (and the Gabfest’s Senior Beyoncé Correspondent) Nadira Goffe to dissect Beyoncé’s latest album, Cowboy Carter . Released on March 29th, Cowboy Carter is a 27-track behemoth with a country soul, packed with archival footage and songs that span multiple genres. To call it a country album would be too simplistic, so we’ll stick w...

Sports betting is now mostly legal, and, if you watch sports, its advertisements are inescapable. Now, a series of scandals has rocked the professional leagues. When everyone bets, odds are – someone will cross a line.   Guest: Jay Caspian Kang, staff writer for “The New Yorker” and author of The Loneliest Americans . Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the...

On today’s Internet Diary, Rachelle is joined by Rebecca Jennings, Vox’s senior correspondent covering social platforms and the creator economy. The two discuss Jennings’ recent pieces on why everyone loves  NYT Connections  and how  self-promotion became the internet’s lingua franca . This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Aca...

For this edition of Money Talks: Are you feeling trapped in Zoom/Teams/Slack purgatory? Author Cal Newport’s book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout has a way forward. Host Emily Peck speaks with him about how the digital office became an “invisible factory” and how you can take back control of your working life. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for...

Democrat Marilyn Lands will be sworn in to the Alabama House of Representatives this week, having won a special election in the deep-red state by 25 points. How did Lands do it—and what can the national Democrats learn from her victory? Guest: Marilyn Lands, Alabama lawmaker who won a special election for the state’s House of Representatives. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access...

Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis are joined by USA Today’s Lindsay Schnell to talk about the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament and by Buzzer’s Eamonn Brennan to discuss the men’s tournament. Finally, the Washington Post’s Kent Babb joins for a conversation about his profile of Kim Mulkey. NCAA women (5:55):  Can anyone beat South Carolina? NCAA men (23:02):  Why everyone loves North Caroli...

On this episode: Zak, Jamilah and Elizabeth help a listener who’s having trouble securing a babysitter for their toddler… and starting to resign themselves to just not going anywhere. We’ll talk about what might be causing the end of the teenage babysitter , and some childcare solutions that might be worth trying instead. We’ll also share a round of recommendations — and then, for Slate Plus, we’l...

The group that brought the case that overturned Roe v. Wade is back before the Supreme Court arguing for more restrictions on mifepristone, the “abortion pill.” Who are Alliance Defending Freedom, and what are their goals? Guest: David Kirkpatrick , staff writer for The New Yorker. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all...

From science fiction writers to American presidents to Elon Musk, everyone’s eager to send people to Mars. But, even if you could nail the physical aspects, are Earthlings cut out for life on Mars mentally?  Guest: Nathaniel Rich , contributing writer for New York Times magazine.  Kate Greene, author and poet Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole...

Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim ask their most pressing questions about the bipartisan bill that would require TikTok’s parent company to sell the app or face a ban on all devices in the U.S. While the bill is not expected to become law anytime soon, it’s led to children crying on voicemails to their senators and TikTok creators preparing for the loss of their businesses, communities and collecti...

It’s not quite red-yarn-on-a-corkboard, but given how often we’ve been thinking about the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) over the years, it may as well be. The group has become a vital component of the conservative legal movement, with pay-to-play access afforded to corporate donors to boot. Despite all the money changing hands and obvious conflicts of interest, few have heard of...

This week: Truth Social is the latest meme stock, and buying it could win favor with a president. Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss what Truth Social means for Trump, whether Sam Bankman-Fried’s 25-year sentence is too harsh, and a Visa/Mastercard antitrust settlement that could change credit card fees as we know them. (Platinum holders beware.) In the plus segment: Why a gl...

Cover songs once had a simple playbook: Artists would faithfully rerecord a song—note for note and word for word. They might modernize the instrumentation. If they were feeling radical, they’d punch up the vocals a bit. Now it’s hard to say what a cover is anymore. If Ariana Grande turns “My Favorite Things” into “7 Rings,” does that qualify? When Drake says he’s “Way 2 Sexy,” is he covering Right...

How supply chains, the pandemic, and a steady stream of Wall Street money led to a crisis at Boeing. Guest: Jon Ostrower , editor-in-chief of the website the Air Current . Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show pag...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz are live in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Supreme Court (again) and abortion (again); Donald Trump’s ups and downs in New York courtrooms and Ronna McDaniel’s rise and fall on NBC; and Gallup’s  World Happiness Report 2024 .   Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Ann E. Marimow and Caroline Kitchener for The Washingto...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah and Zak help a member of the Slate Parenting Facebook group who’s getting ready to have their 10-year-old walk home from school. Communication without a phone is one thing… but what about tracking and other bells and whistles? We’ll also debrief with a round of triumphs and fails — including a hotly-anticipated update about Red Lobster. Join us on Facebook and e...

A new documentary, “Quiet On Set,” looks back at Nickelodeon’s heyday, and the culture of abuse that many of its child stars were subjected to. Guest: Kate Taylor, reporter for Business Insider and producer of “Quiet on Set.”  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 Apple...

On this week's show, Slate’s Dan Kois (author of Vintage Contemporaries , How to Be a Family , The World Only Spins Forward , and Facing Future ) sits in for Julia Turner. The panel first begins with a reboot: In 1999, when Jon Stewart took over, rather indifferently, the helm of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show , he changed the media landscape with his comedic chops, serious outrage, and penchant...

In 1986, Andrew Wyeth was the most famous painter in America. He was a household name, on the cover of magazines and tapped to paint presidents. And then he revealed a secret cache of 240 pieces of artwork, many provocative, all featuring the same nude female model. This collection, called The Helga Pictures, had been completed over 15 years and hidden from his wife, until they were revealed and w...

In this episode, Trace Lysette ( Transparent , Hustlers ) talks about her critically acclaimed film Monica , with Jules. The film tells the story of a trans woman returning home after decades of estrangement from her dying mother, and was the first-ever film led by an out trans actor to debut at the Venice Film Festival. Jules talks to Trace about the layers of her performance and the rollercoaste...

In 1986, Andrew Wyeth was the most famous painter in America. He was a household name, on the cover of magazines and tapped to paint presidents. And then he revealed a secret cache of 240 pieces of artwork, many provocative, all featuring the same nude female model. This collection, called The Helga Pictures, had been completed over 15 years and hidden from his wife, until they were revealed and w...

Nominated by Biden for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Adeel Mangi has a Harvard education and years as a prominent corporate litigator under his belt. But during his Senate confirmation hearing, the main thing Republican lawmakers wanted to talk about were Hamas’s October 7th attacks. Now, Democrats are weighing filling a seat in the federal judiciary against giving in to Islamophobia. Guest:...

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by  writer and reporter Gaby Del Valle  to discuss the rapid, contested rise of model-turned-influencer Nara Smith.  Described by Rolling Stone as the  “hot, young tradwife making everyone on the internet mad”, Nara’s elaborate homemade meals, hot husband and two young children are sending spectators into a tizzy as they debate whether or not she’s trying to con...