Slate News

The fires raging across the American West are like the climate crisis itself: Too big and too extreme to understand all at once. So today, we’re zooming in on some of the people fighting those fires: crews of incarcerated women. In California, they risk their lives for abysmal pay, and officials are just starting to realize how essential they are to the state’s fire response.  Guest: Jaime Lowe, a...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Stacy-Marie Ishmael discuss the billionaire space race we saw this week, Johnson & Johnson’s “Texas two-step” plan, and two big workplace issues -- expenses and meetings.  In the Plus segment: Private markets.  Mentioned in the show: “ Are You a Bezos? ” by Jacob Bernstein for the New York Times “ Emergency Skin ” by N. K. Jemisin ‘ Just Expense It’ is...

This week, Amnesty International and a French journalism nonprofit named Forbidden Stories revealed that technology from a spyware firm called NSO Group is being deployed on a massive scale. The spyware, called Pegasus, gives the user access to every part of a victim’s smartphone -- notes, messages, photos, and recordings.  What’s it like for security researchers to see their worst fears about dig...

This week, Amnesty International and a French journalism nonprofit named Forbidden Stories revealed that technology from a spyware firm called NSO Group is being deployed on a massive scale. The spyware, called Pegasus, gives the user access to every part of a victim’s smartphone -- notes, messages, photos, and recordings.  What’s it like for security researchers to see their worst fears about dig...

Emily, John and David discuss the Delta variant and the vaccination decline, the bipartisan infrastructure plan living another day, and the pandemic Olympics. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: David Leonhardt for The New York Times: “ Why Aren’t the Vaccines Approved? ” Matthew Yglesias for Slow Boring: “ Let's Get More People Vaccinated ” Ross Douthat for The New York Time...

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has a problem. She’s ready to get beamed up to national political stardom, but she’s polling near the bottom among 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls. What issues can she use to raise her political profile? The answer came swiftly this year: anything and everything.  Guest: Joe Sneve , political reporter for the Argus Leader in South Dakota. If you enjoy this show, pl...

Six months after the Capitol riot, plea deals from cases against the rioters have begun to trickle in. Will the courts be able to do what Congress couldn’t, and insist on a shared version of events on January 6th?  Guest: Zoe Tillman , senior legal reporter at BuzzFeed News. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slat...

It’s becoming harder to get all Americans vaccinated. While millions of people still get the shots each week, some conservatives are becoming more difficult to convince, and some politicians are increasingly hostile towards the public health departments tasked with helping fight COVID-19.  Guests: Michelle Fiscus, former medical director for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programs a...

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies.  Dodai Stewart of The New York Times joins Emily and Felix to discuss the stunning winner of the 2020 Best Picture Oscar, Parasite . They discuss class solidarity (or lack thereof), how the film’s themes translate to America, and why onl...

At the height of the pandemic, New York city put up some of its homeless population in the city’s empty hotels. Now, as the city comes back to life, the program is ending -- but the city’s unhoused population doesn’t want to go “back to normal” Guest: Jacquelyn Simone, Senior Policy Analyst for the Coalition for the Homeless. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate...

In the first of Amicus ’ summer season of conversations, Dahlia Lithwick tackles one of the major challenges of this moment: how to fix American democracy.  Dahlia is joined  by the Nation’s Elie Mystal and former chief of staff for Sen. Harry Reid and author of Kill Switch , Adam Jentleson . In a discussion that was taped as part of the Crosscut Festival , they discuss the filibuster, voting righ...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Stacy-Marie Ishmael discuss the inflation spike, Felix’s favorite solution to the deadly deer problem , and Netflix getting into video games.  In the Plus segment: French pastry.  Mentioned in the show: “ How Do You Measure Inflation? ” on The Indicator by Planet Money “ How to Solve America’s Wild Deer Problem? Eat Them ” by Frank Hyman for the Wall Street...

Over the last month, North Americans have seen record-breaking heat, droughts, wildfires, and floods. The science is clear: we are living through the effects of climate change. Now scientists are trying to answer: is this the new normal? Guest: Daniel Swain , climate scientist at UCLA  Host Lizzie O’Leary   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last month, North Americans have seen record-breaking heat, droughts, wildfires, and floods. The science is clear: we are living through the effects of climate change. Now scientists are trying to answer: is this the new normal? Guest: Daniel Swain , climate scientist at UCLA  Host Lizzie O’Leary   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John, David and Josie discuss the escalating threats to democratic elections, minors’ rights to vaccination, and Josh Levin on the podcast One Year: 1977. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Slate’s One Year: 1977 The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth , by Josh Levin  Citizen Kan e Ulysses , by James Joyce Here’s this week’s chatter: John: Gaia Pianigiani and...

Brittany Hogan worked in diversity and inclusion for the Rockwood School District for eight years. As public debate intensified over the way race is discussed in schools, and threats were made against her, Hogan eventually was pushed to resign. Guest: Brittany Hogan , former director of educational equity and diversity for the Rockwood School District in St. Louis County. If you enjoy this show, p...

Texas Dems are on the lam. After walking out of their regularly scheduled legislative session to block an extremely restrictive election security bill, they’ve decided to go bigger. At the start of the special session called by Governor Greg Abbott to get that bill passed, 51 of 67 House Democrats broke quorum and fled to DC in a last-ditch effort to thwart the bill and spur national Democrats int...

Oil-giant Exxon says publicly that it supports initiatives to fight climate change. But a new undercover investigation reveals the company’s quiet lobbying effort to stymie environmental protection legislation.  Guest: Lawrence Carter , Senior Reporter & Special Projects Editor at Unearthed, a journalism project from Greenpeace U.K.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate...

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies.  Michael Bierut, graphic designer and self-described “recovering Ayn Rand fan”, joins Felix and Emily to discuss the 1949 film adaptation of The Fountainhead . They cover the film’s remarkable architecture, the clunky, long-winded dialog...

Olympics officials have created an anti-doping system to crack down on cheaters. We have no idea if it’s working. And it’s ensnaring athletes for seemingly bizarre infractions.  Guest: Lindsay Crouse , writer and producer for the New York Times Opinion section.  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...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Stacy-Marie Ishmael discuss Biden’s wide reaching new executive order, regulatory arbitrage in fintech, and China’s crackdown on Didi.   In the Plus segment: The four-day work week.  Mentioned in the show: “ Owning Chinese Companies Is Complicated ,” by Matt Levine for Bloomberg.  Email: slatemoney@slate.com Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Twitter: @...

For many white-collar workers, the full-time work from home era is coming to an end. Some are going back into offices five days a week. Many others will be expected to split the week between home and the office.  As the new rules are laid down, office workers are asking themselves: do we want work to go back to the way it was? Or is it time, finally, to try something different?  Guest: Brigid Schu...

For many white-collar workers, the full-time work from home era is coming to an end. Some are going back into offices five days a week. Many others will be expected to split the week between home and the office.  As the new rules are laid down, office workers are asking themselves: do we want work to go back to the way it was? Or is it time, finally, to try something different?  Guest: Brigid Schu...

Emily, John and David discuss New York City’s primary election, J.D. Vance’s Senate run, and injustice illuminated by Britney Spears. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis , by J.D. Vance Molly Ball for Time: “ Breakfast with J.D. Vance, Anti-Trump Author Turned Pro-Trump Candidate ” Ronan Farrow and Jia Tolentino for...

Last year, UNC Chapel Hill began courting Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones to come teach at the Hussman School of Journalism. But when her tenure recommendation landed in front of the school’s board of trustees, they refused to take a vote, leaving her application in limbo. After months of public pressure and lobbying by students and faculty, Hannah-Jones was offered tenure -...