Slate News

This episode originally aired in July 2021 Last week, the U.S. government released a new report that attempts to categorize 144 verified sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or U.A.P. They could only definitively explain one of them.  The new report signals a shift in the way we think about U.A.P. As technology has advanced and evidence of these encounters have increased, the question has b...

This episode originally aired in July 2021 Last week, the U.S. government released a new report that attempts to categorize 144 verified sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or U.A.P. They could only definitively explain one of them.  The new report signals a shift in the way we think about U.A.P. As technology has advanced and evidence of these encounters have increased, the question has b...

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in August 2021. Last week, the northern California mountain town of Greenville was wiped out by the Dixie Fire, which lasted for two months and is now the second largest wildfire in California history. As Greenville residents assess the damage to their homes and businesses, is it safe to rebuild? Is it...

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz wrap up 2021 considering life’s many conundrums—with special guest Dwayne Betts! Questions this year include: if you could eliminate one word from the English language what would it be? If you could transport the characters of one book into the time and place of another, which would you choose? If you were ONLY able to brush your teeth in the morning...

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in June 2021. The Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive end, Carl Nassib, came out in an Instagram post back in June, making him the first openly gay active player in NFL histroy. The league immediately posted in celebration of Nassib’s announcement. But given the NFL’s sorry history of standing by players on t...

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in October 2021. Colin Powell, known as a “trailblazer” and “pathbreaker” in his military career, leaves behind a complicated legacy. The four-star general became a household name during the first Gulf War as the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and later the first Black secretary of s...

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in September 2021. Who are the people seeking a religious exemption to the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate? What are their religious claims? And how do workplaces decide who has a real claim to belief versus a convenient letter from a pastor-for-hire?  Guest:  Ruth Graham , reporter for The New...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Stacy-Marie Ishmael talk all about retirement with  Teresa Ghilarducci , retirement expert and professor at the New School for Social Research. They dig into what’s wrong with the retirement system and who is currently benefiting from its brokenness, how people can get the most out of retirement investments and the role gender plays in retirement planning. ...

This episode originally aired in September. In the U.S., the PCR test is the gold standard for COVID testing. Common knowledge would have it that the test is more accurate—and therefore more effective at containing the spread of the disease—than the rapid antigen test.  What if that isn’t quite true?  Guest: Michael Mina , assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Publ...

This episode originally aired in September. In the U.S., the PCR test is the gold standard for COVID testing. Common knowledge would have it that the test is more accurate—and therefore more effective at containing the spread of the disease—than the rapid antigen test.  What if that isn’t quite true?  Guest: Michael Mina , assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Publ...

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in July 2021. 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 ed...

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the future of the Democratic party's agenda, Omicron's spread across the United States and they're joined by investigative journalist Azmat Khan to talk about the deaths of civilians overseas and the lack of accuracy from the U.S. military. Give the gift of Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membership: unlimited...

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in May 2021. A year after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, residents near the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue—now dubbed George Floyd Square—continue to keep the area closed off. The city wants to reopen the intersection, but activists say they aren’t giving in until the commun...

In the last few years, New York City’s delivery workers have become a key part of the food industry’s infrastructure, allowing restaurants to do business with customers who are too stressed to leave their desks, or too cautious to leave their homes. But a spate of violent attacks and bike thefts has shown that the people delivering your Grubhub and Seamless orders are deeply vulnerable. Why are th...

What does a massing of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border mean? And could this conflict be defused yet by diplomacy? Guest: Slate’s Fred Kaplan , author of The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War .  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slo...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Stacy-Marie Ishmael talk about the psychic weight of another COVID wave and what it means for the economy, the environmental and employee problems with fast fashion, and what to expect now that Reddit is going public. In the Plus segment: The Block vs Block fight. Mentioned In the show:  “ ’I Was Wrong’: Omicron Wrecks CEOs’ Plans for Office Return ” by Jenn...

Almost a year later, are we seeing signs of some sort of accountability for the Jan. 6 insurrection? And why is that accountability so important and yet so hard to achieve? Dahlia Lithwick is joined by  Walter Shaub , former director of the Office of Government Ethics, Shaub currently leads the Project on Government Oversight’s ethics initiative.  Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Hosted on A...

Using experimental technology to pull gigatons of carbon out of the air and bury it deep beneath the Earth sounds like a bad sci-fi plot point. If things don’t change soon, it also might be one of our only options. Guest : Clive Thompson , journalist and author of Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World Host: Lizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

Emily, John and David discuss January 6th revelations, Build Back Better and voting rights and they are joined by Slow Burn host Joel Anderson to talk about Season 6: The L.A. Riots. Give the gift of Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membership: unlimited reading, ad-free listening, bonus content, and so much more. Here are some notes and references from this week’...

After initially cooperating with the select committee investigating the events of January 6, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reversed course, deciding instead to assert executive privilege. But Meadows had already handed over documents and text messages relating to that day—painting a picture of how Trump’s inner circle reacted as the Capitol was under siege.  What happens to Meadow...

Maryland Democrats had a shot at an 8-0 gerrymander this redistricting cycle. To the frustration of the national Democratic party, they stopped just shy of that number. Should Maryland Democrats have just taken the total low road on partisan gerrymandering?  Guest: Jim Newell , senior politics reporter for Slate. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, The Surge .  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

When Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced his intent to run for reelection, he knew he was facing down a rematch with voting rights activist and former state lawmaker Stacey Abrams. What he likely didn’t expect was a challenge from the right in the form of David Perdue, a local businessman, former senator, and good friend who was encouraged to run against him by Donald Trump. Now, the question is...

Slate Money is obsessed with  Succession , HBO's wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family. So, every Monday, we'll be discussing the previous night's episode with spoiler-filled glee. For Episode 8, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Slate’s   Lizzie O’Leary  to talk about the Jeremy Strong  New Yorker profile , the botched coup, and Tom’s big move. Podcast production by...

Banning books in schools is on the rise. Around the country, parents are lobbying to banish from libraries and curriculums any work they deem to be “graphic” or “offensive,” often sweeping up books centered on queer or POC experiences in the process. Some authors say that’s no coincidence - nor is it surprising that this is happening just as the publishing industry is remaking itself to tell more...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Stacy-Marie Ishmael talk about Better.com’s CEO firing tons of employees via Zoom, DoorDash’s dark stores and increased hiring, and New York City Council passing a measure to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections. In the Plus segment: What’s going on with inflation now. Mentioned In the show:  Better.com CEO Firings “Better CEO ‘Taking Time Off Effec...