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Donald Trump’s never been all that committed to the truth. But experts are warning that by firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and appointing loyalists across the judiciary, he’s taken his war on facts to another level. How long can he attempt to remake reality before the truth—someday, eventually, but inevitably—hits back? Guest: David A Graham , staff writer at the Atlantic. Want m...

It’s the most feelin’ yourself time of the year; a time for uptempo jams to make the sidewalk your runway; a time for the annual Summer Strut playlist! As per tradition, Steve, Dana, and Julia are joined by music critic and chartologist Chris Molanphy to sift through the hundreds of listener submissions to pick their favorite songs to strut to this season. They’ll also kick off the show with a dis...

Outward is going on a little summer break, in the meantime we’re leaving you with a delightfully queer episode of Slate’s Hit Parade with Chris Molanphy called Mighty Real. This is part two—catch part one in our previous episode. Little Richard was rock ‘n’ roll’s flamboyant architect. Lesley Gore sang that no one owned her. Sylvester was a gender-fluid icon who helped define disco. Freddie Mercur...

More than a thousand rabbis and Jewish leaders have signed a letter calling for Israel to end “the use and threat of starvation as a weapon of war.” This New York rabbi, who has felt a connection to Israel her whole life, explains why she signed.  Guest:  Sarah Reines , rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What...

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim discuss the latest in Labubu-land, from a TikTok blackface controversy to leaving one on an iconic anti-capitalist’s grave . Then, they dive into the growing trend of fanfiction getting a big marketing push from the publishing world. From Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis starting as Reylo fanfic to Julie Soto basing her latest novel on a Dramione ship , traditional...

Evan Osnos has spent nearly his whole life observing the habits, values, and norms of the wealthy elite, from his childhood in suburban Connecticut to the years he spent reporting on the mega-yachts and underground bunkers of the U.S.’s richest citizens.  This week, he talks to Anna about his new book The Haves and Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich , and they get specific about what the mos...

In this Money Talks: Slate ’s own Cheyna Roth joins Emily Peck to break down how HBO’s Sex and the City revival And Just Like That… has taken the fantasy of being fabulous in New York City into a whole new tax bracket. They’ll discuss the curious dimensions of the kitchen in Carrie’s Manhattan mansion among other real estate mysteries within the show, examine why it’s so annoying to watch incredib...

How Texas redrawing its election maps could set off a gerrymandering arms race across the country—a race the Republicans are likely to win.  Guest:  Ari Berman is a voting rights correspondent at Mother Jones.  Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clic...

Hosts Alex Kirshner , Ben Lindbergh , and Lindsay Gibbs talk to sportswriter Rodger Sherman about how the United States’ immigration maneuvering might affect the Olympics. They also discuss the NFL’s new multibillion dollar deal with ESPN, and how the Minnesota Twins’ massive trade-off could affect the team – and the rest of MLB.  On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members,...

In this special episode of Slate Money Travels,  Felix Salmon ,  Emily Peck  and  Elizabeth Spiers  discuss the constant question on travelers’ minds:  should you check your bag?  They dig into how to make your carry-on count, the beauty of Air Tags, and Felix offers an alternative to checking a bag that isn’t a carry on.    Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus t...

Belief in democracy was, until quite recently, taken for granted in America. But what if democracy is less a static noun, and more of a dynamic ideal we (could be) working towards? Guest:   Osita Nwanevu, contributing editor at The New Republic, columnist at The Guardian, author of “ The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding .” Want more What Next? Subscribe to Sl...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak, and Jamilah respond to a listener's question about how families handle the growing demands on kids’ time—and how working parents try to protect space for rest, school, and family connection. Then, they’ll circle up for a round of check-ins, sharing wins, struggles, and the everyday chaos of balancing life. If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you...

OpenAI’s Sam Altman, flanked by President Trump and Softbank’s Masayoshi Son, announced a hugely ambitious investment in data centers across America to support all the artificial intelligence we’re going to be using. Months in, the project has been scaled back to a single, power-hungry data center in Ohio. Guest: Berber Jin , reporter covering A.I. for the Wall Street Journal Want more What Next T...

Some disputes resist an easy “good vs. evil” dynamic, but when one side calls their plans “Operation Satanique,” it’s not too hard to figure who “the baddies” are. Guest: Dan Kois , Slate writer. Articles mentioned in this piece: The Last Days of the Rainbow Warrior Why We Keep Putting Up With Martin Short Who Killed the Segway   This Is the Correct Way to Divide Public Bathrooms Who Won the World...

It’s easy to give up on the courts right now. SCOTUS is throwing down unreasoned decisions expanding Donald Trump’s authority, and Senate Republicans keep confirming the president’s cronies to lifetime judgeships, tarnishing the entire judiciary with their corruption.  But there are judges—courageous, hard-working men and women—who have chosen a different path and are fighting to protect democracy...

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by writer and senior editor at Playboy Magazine, Magdalene Taylor , to talk about Tea . The app for women to crowdsource any “red flags” about the men they’re dating was hacked shortly after it hit #1 on the Apple Lifestyle app chart. Now, the private information of thousands of women has been shared across 4Chan and Twitter, all thanks to a platform that wa...

This week: Trump’s big trade deal deadline expired. Felix Salmon , Elizabeth Spiers , and Emily Peck discuss where the global tariffs stand now, how they relate to the abysmal jobs report, and the Federal Court of Appeals’ challenge on the tariffs’ legality. Then, Nathan Bomey of Axios joins to break down the ways the sports betting boom could be threatening the integrity of major leagues sports a...

A shadow app for the dating world had its data hacked and exposed, and it laid bare the perils of creating safe spaces for women online — and of relying on tech companies. Guest: Kate Lindsay, host of Slate’s ICYMI Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by cli...

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the international condemnations of Israel’s actions. They also examine how the Trump administration is gaining control of both universities and the judiciary—through settlements with Ivy League institutions and a controversial judicial confirmation. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episod...

How an Obama-era decision to invest in space capitalism handed Elon Musk a monopoly on space.  Guest:  Franklin Foer , staff writer at the Atlantic, author of “ The Last Politician ” and “ World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech .” Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subsc...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak, and Jamilah respond to a letter from a parent of young kids who’s worried that when it really matters—her children just won’t listen. How do you teach safety, boundaries, and urgency to kids under 5... without fear or yelling? The hosts talk about authority, instinct, and what actually works in high-stakes parenting moments. But first, we’ll circle up for a round o...

From The Simpsons ’ Big Book of British Smiles to Austin Powers’ ochre-tinged grin, American culture can’t stop bad-mouthing English teeth. But why? Are they worse than any other nation’s? June Thomas drills down into the origins of the stereotype, and discovers that the different approaches to dentistry on each side of the Atlantic have a lot to say about our national values. In this episode, you...

On this week’s show, Dana, Steve and guest host Nitish Pahwa summon their critical superpowers to assess Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps . Can the charms of Pedro Pascal and company mixed with a Jetsons -style retrofuturism energize this long-troubled comic book IP? They discuss. Next, they’re joined by Euny Hong, author of The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Thro...

As Trump came back to the presidency, one of the first warnings liberals began repeating was “Do not obey in advance.” But from government-agency heads to university presidents to news organizations, people are opting to simply leave their jobs, rather than do the uncomfortable work of standing up to authoritarianism.  Guest:  Jonathan Last , editor of The Bulwark. Want more What Next? Subscribe t...

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim run through some updates following the Coldplay concert cheating scandal, and why Astronomer’s latest PR stunt is hitting them differently. Then, they surprise each other with two stories from different sides of the internet. First, what’s going on with this fake TikTok cult that possibly involves animal sacrifices, skin carvings, and questionable leadership? And who i...