Slate News

Up against one of the world's most effective propaganda operations, Ukraine has taken control of the online narrative. With Russian troops closing in, how important is winning the information war? Guest: Casey Newton , writer at Platformer Host: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Ukraine's resistance, the State of the Union, and an increasing backlash against reformer prosecutors. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Thomas L. Friedman for The New York Times: “ I See Three Scenarios for How This War Ends ” Anne Appelbaum for the Atlantic: “ The Bad Guys Are Winning ” Gal Beckerman for The Atlantic:...

As hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee to safety in neighboring countries and beyond, the UN says this may become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century. But it’s hard not to notice the stark difference between how the EU is welcoming Ukrainian refugees versus the non-European refugees who came before them. Guest: Serena Parekh , professor at Northeastern University in Boston and the di...

No one knows what’s going on in Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s head – and while that’s a worrisome idea during the best of times, it’s an especially grim one during a war of his own creation. Putin is increasingly isolated, away from his inner circle and the oligarchs who once had some influence with him.  Guest: Ben Judah is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and the author of This Is Londo...

Texas’s Republican governor and attorney general are pursuing a new crackdown on trans kids and their families. Their directive compelling Child Protective Services to treat gender-affirming care as child abuse is raising alarms among trans rights advocates, who say the order, if enforced, will prove dangerous for a vulnerable population. Why did Republican leaders pick this moment to trumpet an a...

President Biden has nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill Justice Breyer’s seat on the Supreme Court. If confirmed, she would be the first Black woman to hold a seat on the court. What does her backstory say about her as a jurist?  Guest: Mark Joseph Stern , senior writer for Slate.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zer...

Russia went all in last week, sending troops across the border with Ukraine and raining shells on the country. Experts are saying Putin’s brash invasion of his neighbor is shifting the world order in significant ways. In the face of this aggression, how should NATO respond? Can history serve as a guide? Guest : Fred Kaplan , Slate’s War Stories correspondent. If you enjoy this show, please conside...

Peter Thiel spent the better part of two decades molding the tech industry in his image. Now, he's leaving Facebook behind and turning his attention to politics. Is Thiel the next kingmaker for the populist right? Max Chafkin , writer for Bloomberg and is the author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week,  Felix Salmon  and  Emily Peck  are joined by  Wall Street Journal  reporter,  Nick Timiraos . They discuss the evolving crisis in the Ukraine and what impact (if any) sanctions would have on Russia, all the problems with inflation and how the fed deals with inflation, and Timiraos’s upcoming book,  Trillion Dollar Triage .  In the Plus segment: Money markets and the feds as firefighter...

As President Joe Biden announces his pick to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Olivia Warren, a former clerk of nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern to discuss Judge Jackson’s character, her qualifications, and the qualities she’ll bring to the highest court in the land if confirmed.  In our Slate Plus segment, membe...

Stanford Law professor Nathaniel Persily joins David and Emily to discuss President Biden’s nomination for associate justice of the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson. You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest . Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) The...

For seven years, Ukraine has served as a virtual testing ground for a generation of cyber weaponry capable of taking down power grids, networks, and supply chains. With an invasion of Ukraine underway, will these weapons come into play? Guest: Andy Greenberg , senior writer at WIRED and the author of the book  Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers  H...

Emily and David are joined by guest host Jane Coaston. The three discuss Putin's war with guest Julia Ioffe and also the GOP attacks on transgender children, and Democrats’ “hack gap.” Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Julia Ioffe for Puck News: “ Will Putin Get His World War III? ” Anne Appelbaum for The Atlantic: “ The Reason Putin Would Risk War ” The Handmaid’s Tale , b...

Earlier this month in Northern California, a militia-backed anti-government group won a recall vote that will effectively give it control over a county’s local government. The recall ousted a Republican politician from his supervisor seat and was preceded by two years of threats and contentious county meetings stemming from pandemic precautions. Could this style of government takeover become a blu...

President Vladimir Putin has begun sending Russian soldiers into Ukraine after spending months massing troops on the country’s borders. Why is Putin risking so much to take the Donbas region? And does this latest incursion signal a failure of the west’s foreign policy approach to Russia?  Guest: Josh Keating , global security reporter at Grid . If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up fo...

Last week, the Remington Arms Company reached a $73 million dollar settlement with the families of nine victims killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre—the largest payout by a gun manufacturer in a mass shooting case.  Federal law protects manufacturers from a broad swath of liability in civilian shootings, so the families’ legal team took an interesting tack: they sued under Connecticut’s consumer...

Over two years into the pandemic, much of the world remains either unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or lacking access to mRNA vaccines entirely. How did the leading effort to vaccinate the world go so wrong? Guest: Achal Prabhala, coordinator of the AccessIBSA project and a fellow of the Shuttleworth Foundation, in Bangalore. Host: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Over two years into the pandemic, much of the world remains either unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or lacking access to mRNA vaccines entirely. How did the leading effort to vaccinate the world go so wrong? Guest: Achal Prabhala, coordinator of the AccessIBSA project and a fellow of the Shuttleworth Foundation, in Bangalore. Host: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Gabfest reads is a new monthly series from the hosts of the Political Gabfest. This month David Plotz talks with author Florence Williams about divorce, affection, good friendships, and her new book Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey .   Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Pod...

This week,  Felix Salmon  and  Emily Peck  are joined by  Alexandra Roberts , professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, for an all trademark episode of Slate Money. They talk about everything from social media to rights of publicity to counterfeits and parodies.  In the Plus segment: Can Felix continue to use Felix the Cat as his Twitter avatar?  Mentioned In the...

Last week, California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued Tesla. It accuses the electric vehicle maker of fostering a workplace rife with racism and discrimination. What's happening inside Tesla's Fremont plant? Guest: Dana Hull , reporter for Bloomberg Host: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josie Duffy Rice, David Plotz and John Dickerson discuss America's radicalized parents; what the midterms may bring; and the Sandy Hook families’ victory. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show : Clara Jeffrey for Mother Jones: “ What Pundits Don’t Understand About the San Francisco Recall ” Jasper Scherer and Benjamin Wermund for The Houston Chronicle: “ We Asked All 143 Texas G...

Olympic athletes and commentators were stunned this week to learn that 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will be allowed to compete in Beijing’s Winter Games, despite testing positive in December for a banned substance. The controversy has kicked up raw feelings about Russia’s history of doping and the fecklessness of Olympics officials to apply rules evenly across countries.    Gue...

Florida governor, Ron DeSantis has been on a tear promoting hyper-conservative policies – from his “Stop Woke Act” to gerrymandering, he’s shocking even fellow Republicans. Is this his way of preparing for a 2024 presidential run? Guest: Mary Ellen Klas is the Miami Herald Capitol Bureau Chief. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like...

For decades, the press has enjoyed a wide latitude when writing about public figures. But the high legal standard for defamation may be coming in for some scrutiny in the libel suit of Sarah Palin versus the New York Times.  Guest: Slate contributor Seth Stevenson . Read his latest coverage of the trial of Sarah Palin v. New York Times .  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slat...