Slate News

This week the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong escalated, as activists effectively shut down an airport and beat up suspected imposters. Activists show no sign of letting up, even though the local government has withdrawn the extradition bill that initially sparked outcry. How could this possibly end? Guest: Yvonne Chiu , professor at the U.S. Naval War College.  Slate Plus members get bonus se...

In this episode Shannon Palus learns about personalized guns, sometimes referred to as “smart” guns. Her guest is Cassandra Crifasi, Deputy Director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy & Research. More specifically, Crifasi is an epidemiologist focused on policies, procedures, and practices that prevent injury. She says personalized firearms are great for keeping kids and thieves away f...

Another presidential primary means another trip to the Iowa State Fair. But the Democratic Party’s new rules for thinning down the field of candidates means a photo-op with a turkey leg isn’t all it used to be. Guest: Slate’s politics writer Jim Newell . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The demographics of migrants crossing the southern border of the United States have changed over the last several decades. What used to be young Mexican men seeking economic opportunity has turned into families seeking refuge from broken Central American governments.  Sonia Nazario has spent decades reporting from Honduras, a country where corruption runs rampant and gangs have become the de facto...

In the absence of new federal laws to address mass shootings, school safety has become a design problem. Guest host Henry Grabar asks: How are architects responding to an era of active shooter drills and bulletproof backpacks? Guest: Jenine Kotob , architectural designer at Hord Coplan Macht. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free po...

Don't worry, Slate Money is obsessed with Succession too. So we're going to be recapping and discussing the latest episode every week.  For the season premiere, Felix and Emily are joined by journalist Edmund Lee to talk about the real world counterparts to the characters, proper yachting attire and all the best Kendall insults.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Emily Peck is out, so How To! Host Charles Duhigg joins Felix Salmon and Anna Szymanski to discuss Chinese currency manipulation, the economics of agriculture, and instant payments. And in Slate Plus: The effective embargo on Venezuela. Follow: @felixsalmon , @Three_Guineas , @cduhigg Production by Phil Surkis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five years ago Wesley Bell watched as protests erupted across Ferguson in the wake of Michael Brown’s death. Bell, the son of a police officer, stood between the protestors and the police as he watched Ferguson descend into chaos. In an effort to make lasting change in the community he decided to run for public office. Seven months ago, he won. In our third and final episode revisiting Ferguson, w...

Emily Bazelon, David Plotz and Mike Pesca discuss white supremacist violence, Mitch McConnell’s new nicknames, and the impact of Joaquin Castro tweeting the names of Trump donors. Come see the Political Gabfest LIVE in the Twin Cities for an unforgettable yet timely show full of witty banter, in-depth analysis, and lively debate. Tickets available now! You can tweet suggestions, links, and questio...

There are two stories of what happened in Ferguson, Missouri, the day Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson: the story we heard immediately after, and the story we came to know months later. In the second part of our three-part series, we ask: If we misremember Michael Brown’s death, does that change Ferguson’s legacy? Guest: John McWhorter , writer, professor, and host...

In this episode Aaron Mak learns about all the ways China is using cyber warfare to disrupt the efforts of protesters in Hong Kong. His guest is Nick Frisch, a fellow at Yale’s Information Society Project and a scholar of media and technology in the Chinese speaking world. Frisch was recently in Hong Kong as a fellow at the Journalism and Media Studies Center at Hong Kong University.  After the in...

Its been five years since Michael Brown was shot and killed by officer Darren Wilson in the middle of Ferguson’s Canfield Drive. His death at the hands of a police officer sparked protests across the country and cemented the Black Lives Matter movement into the American consciousness. In the first of our three-part series, we ask: "On the worst night of clashes between protestors and police in Fer...

In 1993, a mass shooting in downtown San Francisco prompted a familiar debate about restricting access to guns and assault weapons. But something unusual happened. Two major gun control bills passed Congress and were signed into law. How did it happen? Guest: Harry Cheadle , senior editor at Vice. Read his piece on the 101 California Street shooting. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Le...

Capital One is only the latest victim of a massive data breach. Equifax announced millions of users were affected by its data breach back in 2017. The fallout from Equifax’s episode is still playing out today. Why is the United States so bad at defending against cyberattacks? And once the damage is done, why can’t we manage the fallout? Guest: Josephine Wolff , assistant professor of cybersecurity...

This week, the Slate Money hosts discuss Jay Powell’s announcement that the Fed is cutting interest rates for the first time in over a decade, delve into the messed up economics of generic drugs and follow up on the whole Equifax refund debacle. And in Slate Plus: The latest college scam! Follow @felixsalmon , @Three_Guineas , @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Michele Goodwin , Chancellor’s Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine, for a wide reaching conversation about race and gender and the stories America tells itself so it can sleep at night. Starting with Trump’s tweets about Baltimore, Professor Goodwin offers an expert survey of centuries of racist and sexist narratives in the legal system and the cou...

Advocate Mariame Kaba explains why the Cyntoia Brown story is compelling, complicated, and deeply frustrating -- why it's wrong to portray Cyntoia Brown as a child, why Brown’s story is deeply familiar to black women in America, and why Kaba considers Brown’s crime a radical act of “self-love.” This episode originally aired January 9th, 2019. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the Democratic primary debates, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, and whether heat waves across the globe could inspire real action on climate change. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, David, and John discuss their favorite summer games. You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet...

In just over a month, North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District will hold a special election. The Democratic candidate has been running for over two years and following the red state Democrat playbook to the letter. The new Republican candidate is running as the sensible conservative who will defend the president. Which strategy will prevail? What can that tell us about voters heading into 2020?...

This is a feature episode of a new Slate podcast, How To! With Charles Duhigg. What if Dear Abby was an investigative reporter? Each week, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg ("The Power of Habit") takes on listeners’ toughest problems and, with the help of experts, finds the answers to questions you’ve always wanted to ask, but couldn’t. Until now. Subscribe to How To! With Charles D...

In this episode Shannon Palus talks to Victoria Fu and Gloria Lu, co-founders of Chemist Confessions. Their goal is to help us all cut through the marketing buzzwords of the skincare industry, and understand some of the actual chemistry behind the products we use.  After the interview, Aaron Mak joins the show for this week’s edition of Don’t Close My Tabs.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

The Fed will cut interest rates Wednesday for the first time since the Great Recession. Why are they cutting the rate now, and what does that mean for the underlying strength of the economy? Guest: Jordan Weissmann , Senior Economic Correspondent at Slate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's how a leftist, transgender, PhD dropout is winning over white supremacists and more on YouTube.  Guest: Micah Loewinger , producer at WNYC's On The Media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Slate Money Extra, Felix sits down with Scott Kupor, managing partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Scott and Felix discusses the world of venture capital as covered in his new book, 'Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It'. They get into the complex relationship between entrepreneurs and VCs, the question of diversity in the world of startups and r...

How did a small-town eye doctor mastermind an anti-immigration movement premised on racism? Guest: Hassan Ahmad , founder of the HMA Law Firm in Virginia. He is suing the University of Michigan to unseal the complete archives of the late John Tanton. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.