Slate News

A medicine meant to treat parasites is the latest unproven COVID treatment craze. With warnings from the FDA, and prescribers clamping down, some are going to extreme lengths to get their hands on the drug. What’s behind Ivermectin’s sudden rise? Guest: Brandy Zadrozny , senior reporter for NBC News  Host: Lizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

U.S. officials announced the end of the American military presence in Afghanistan this week, but thousands of people desperate to leave — American citizens and Afghans alike — remain in the country. A loose collection of volunteers is working to get them out.  Guest: Matt Pelak , soldier in the Army National Guard and veteran of the war in Iraq. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

The United States is the only rich industrialized nation without a universal paid family leave policy. But as child and home care costs balloon, and the pandemic continues to leave families in precarious work situations, many caretakers have hit a wall. Congress might finally be ready to do something about it. Guest: Chabeli Carrazana , economy reporter for the 19th. If you enjoy this show, please...

Flying has been a drag for years now. But there’s an extra level of stress on commercial flights this summer. Why is flying so terrible at this moment? And what’s a traveler to do?  Guest: Scott McCartney , the Middle Seat columnist for the Wall Street Journal.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bo...

On Friday, in the midst of the effort to evacuate thousands of people from Kabul, two suicide bombers attacked the Kabul airport, killing about 160 people. A jihadi group ISIS Khorasan, or ISIS-K, claimed responsibility. Who are these extremists? And how do they impact the Taliban’s plans to govern after the U.S. completely pulls out of Afghanistan?  Guest: Colin Clarke , a Senior Research Fellow...

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by My Name Is Pauli Murray directors, Betsy West and Julie Cohen, and by Professor Patricia Bell-Scott, a consulting producer on the film and professor emerita of women’s studies and human development and family science at the University of Georgia. Professor Bell-Scott’s biography,  The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Rooseve...

Eliot Brown of the Wall Street Journal joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Stacy-Marie Ishmael to talk about his book The Cult of We about the wild rise of WeWork under its eccentric founder Adam Neumann, attempting to answer their many questions such as, “Why?”. They talk blitzscaling, founder control, and why we keep giving white men with good hair so much money.  In the Plus segment: Unpublishe...

Elizabeth Holmes convinced countless people that her company would change the world. Can she convince 12 jurors that she didn’t intend to deceive her company’s patients and investors? Guest: Rebecca Jarvis , host of “The Dropout” podcast and ABC News Chief Business, Technology & Economics Correspondent  Host: Lizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth Holmes convinced countless people that her company would change the world. Can she convince 12 jurors that she didn’t intend to deceive her company’s patients and investors? Guest: Rebecca Jarvis , host of “The Dropout” podcast and ABC News Chief Business, Technology & Economics Correspondent  Host: Lizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jamelle, Emily and David discuss the Afghanistan evacuation, starting school during delta, and the path forward for infrastructure. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jamelle Bouie for the New York Times: “ $1 Trillion Isn’t as Much as It Sounds ”  Here’s this week’s chatter: Jamelle: Godzilla: The Album Emily: Jessica Stoya for Slate: “ What We Can Really Learn From the Onl...

OnlyFans, a website famous for empowering sex workers, decided to ban -- and then unban-- sexual content. According to Charlotte Shane, sex workers find this story all too familiar.  Guest: Charlotte Shane, co-founder of the TigerBee Press. Author of the memoir, Prostitute Laundry . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The compounding crises in Haiti aren’t a product of bad luck. They are the result of hundreds of years of international interference and poorly-designed aid programs.  Guest: Jonathan M. Katz, author of the forthcoming book, Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America’s Empire . Check out his Substack newsletter, The Long Version .  Hosted on Acast....

Celebrated R&B star R. Kelly is accused of using his music empire to sexually exploit women and minors for decades. Currently on trial in New York, the singer also faces federal charges in Illinois, and state charges in both Illinois and Minnesota. But will Kelly finally be brought to justice? And if he is, what took so long? Guest: Jim DeRogatis , co-host of Sound Opinions and the author of S...

With just a month left, the California recall election is looking a little too close for comfort for Democrats. Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval rating is doing alright at the moment, but because of the way California conducts its recalls, if more than 50% of voters vote to oust Newsom, he loses his office, and whichever candidate garners even a small plurality of votes becomes his replacement. Ho...

This week, cryptocurrency expert Maya Zehavi joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Stacy-Marie Ishmael to answer all their questions about the world of crypto. (And they have a lot.)  In the Plus segment: CBDCs. Email: slatemoney@slate.com Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Twitter: @felixsalmon , @s_m_i , @EmilyRPeck  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden administration says a third dose of vaccines for all American adults will end the pandemic faster. And experts say there is evidence of waning vaccine effectiveness against mild-to-moderate disease. But globally, what’s the best use of the next available dose?  Guest: Saad Omer , director of the Yale Institute for Global Health.  Host: Lizzie O’Leary This episode was produced by Alyssa E...

The Biden administration says a third dose of vaccines for all American adults will end the pandemic faster. And experts say there is evidence of waning vaccine effectiveness against mild-to-moderate disease. But globally, what’s the best use of the next available dose?  Guest: Saad Omer , director of the Yale Institute for Global Health.  Host: Lizzie O’Leary This episode was produced by Alyssa E...

Emily, David and Alexandra Petri discuss the Afghanistan withdrawal, with guest Annie Pforzheimer; California’s recall election; and personal pandemic ethics. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Annie Pforzheimer for the Washington Post, “ Leaving Afghanistan Will Lead to Yet Another Civil War There ” Annie Pforzheimer for the Washington Post, “ In Afghanistan, a Summer of Pa...

The rapid collapse of the Afghan government has left tens of thousands of people struggling to leave their country. Afghans who helped U.S. forces were promised a life in the states, but many of them have been mired in paperwork as they try to obtain their visas. What hope do they have now that they’ll be able to leave before an expected Taliban crackdown? Guest: Ahmadullah Sediqi of No One Left B...

The Texas state legislature is at a standstill. A month ago, House Democrats fled to DC to prevent the passage of a restrictive voting law but as time ticks by it’s becoming clear that they might have to go back to the drawing board -- and back to Texas.  Guest: Ashley Lopez , Senior Reporter at KUT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American forces are leaving Afghanistan after 20 years of fighting the country’s longest war. Following a hasty withdrawal of U.S. forces, the Taliban now controls most of the country, including the capital of Kabul. The U.S.-backed government has fled, leaving many civilians desperate to find a way out. How did things get so bad so quickly? Guest: Fred Kaplan , Slate’s War Stories columnist. Kapl...

Masks were uncontroversial for many state leaders at the onset of the pandemic last year. But now, masks have become politicized, and in Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves has reversed his previous stance, refusing to order a mask mandate and leaving local school districts to fend for themselves during a massive surge in COVID cases. Guest: Nick Judin , reporter for the Mississippi Free Press.  If...

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Professor Michael Heller, one of the authors of Mine! How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives , for the latest installment of Amicus’ summer season of episodes exploring books and films about the law.  Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Stacy-Marie Ishmael discuss the effects of the Delta variant, rising gas prices, and the rise of ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ fintech.  In the Plus segment: Mr. White Hat. Mentioned in the Show: “ How the Pandemic Now Ends ’,” by Ed Yong for the Atlantic  “ Biden’s OPEC Plea Is Really Directed at Anxious Drivers ,” by Liam Denning for Bloomberg “ How Sweden Became t...

Experts say that a “fully approved” designation for the vaccines could have sweeping effects. Broader vaccination mandates, inclusion for new age groups, and reassurance for those hesitant to take a vaccine without the designation. As calls for approval grow louder and more urgent, the Food and Drug Administration is yet to give its blessing. What’s happening inside the FDA as they work toward thi...