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What do we lose if we lose the mall? 70 years into their existence, these hulking temples to commerce are surprisingly resilient and filled with contradictions. In this episode, Alexandra Lange, the author of the new book Meet Me at the Fountain: an Inside History of the Mall walks us through the atriums, escalators, and food courts of this singular suburban space. We also hear from mall-goers whose personal experiences help us make sense of this disdained yet beloved, disappearing yet surviving place.This episode of Decoder Ring was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our Technical Director.If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.comIf you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you get ad-free podcasts, bonus episodes, and total access to all of Slate’s journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The American southwest is in a megadrought. Water levels in lakes are dropping, threatening the local environment as well as agriculture, hydroelectric power, and the people living there. As global temperatures rise, it could be a preview of worse things to come. Guest: Dr. Jason Smerdon, ocean and climate physicist, and Lamont research professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and co-director at the Earth Institute Faculty. 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 Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Levin and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham are joined by Tim Layden to discuss the record breakers of the world track and field championships; by Abe Riesman to talk about Vince McMahon’s scandal-laden retirement from WWE; and by Sarah Larson for a conversation about her New Yorker feature on pickleball. Track and field (1:30): What’s next for Sydney McLaughlin, Noah Lyles, and the sport as a whole? Vince McMahon (25:24): Why did he retire now? What’s next for WWE? Pickleball (47:23): Why is it so popular? Is a billionaire ruining it? Afterball (1:05:40): Josh on Carl Lewis’ mythical 30-foot long jump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode: Elizabeth and Zak are joined by Stephanie Ryan, author, education consultant, and creator of Let’s Learn about Science. Stephanie shows them some kid-friendly science experiments that are fun for the entire family. Elizabeth’s husband, Jeff, also joins to answer a listener question addressed to him! The listener is wondering if they should keep their small four-door car or trade up to a minivan. Zak recommends joining an adult league, club, or class.Stephanie recommends Osmo.Elizabeth recommends Endlessly Ever After by Laurel Snyder. Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liz Cheney rose through Republican leadership based on her conservative bona fides, but thanks to her prominent role in the Jan 6th committee, she’s gained donors and admirers from across the aisle. Her constituents back in Wyoming aren’t so enthusiastic though, throwing her future in Congress into doubt.  Guest: Bob Beck, news director of Wyoming Public Radio.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 Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon talks with author Vanessa Hua about her new historical fiction book, Forbidden City. The novel tells the story of sixteen-year-old revolutionary Mei who becomes a dancer in Chairman Mao’s inner circle. Emily and Vanessa talk about Vanessa’s inspiration for the novel, the complicated dynamics between Mei and Chairman Mao, and whether we’ll hear more from Mei. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Toronto’s Quayside project is a telling example of how smart cities have failed. Could it also show how to make them better?Guest: Ben Green, Jennifer KeesmaatHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Amazon’s acquisition of One Medical, the complications of start-ups offering loans to employees against their stock options, and Evan Osnos’ New Yorker article on the rise of the superyacht. In the Plus segment: Why are Facebook and Instagram so bad now? Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been a great run, but Madison is leaving ICYMI for new ventures. On today’s show, Rachelle interviews Madison about her time working on ICYMI, her own internet habits, and her first online scams. Plus, they’ve got a round of High Speed Downloads, perhaps the greatest one ever recorded, so get ready to be shocked and astonished in the best way.This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The continent's deadly heat wave is only the tip of the melting iceberg.Guest: Henry GrabarHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Josie Duffy Rice discuss Europe’s deadly heat wave, Joe Manchin’s balk at climate legislation, and the inevitable tragedies already happening post-Roe.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Lindsay Whitehurst, Camille Fassett, and Jasen Lo for the Associated Press: “Social Programs Weak in Many States With Tough Abortion Laws”The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness, by Meghan O'RourkeForbidden City, by Vanessa HuaHomesick and Happy: How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow, by Michael Thompson John Dickerson for Slate: “My Daughter Went Away to Camp and Changed”Here are this week’s chatters:John: Carol D. Leonnig and Maria Sacchetti for The Washington Post: “Secret Service Watchdog Knew in February That Texts Had Been Purged”Josie: Zak Cheney-Rice for New York Magazine: “Larry Wilmore Knows No Bounds”; David: Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps; Elias Esquivel for World

On this episode: Elizabeth and Zak are joined by Stephanie Ryan, author, education consultant, and creator of Let’s Learn about Science. They help a mom whose kid is pretty introverted and has some anxiety when in new, busy places. The letter writer doesn’t want her daughter to think there’s anything wrong with being a homebody. But she does need to be able to leave the house sometimes. What can be done to help the daughter feel secure and comfortable?On Slate Plus, they discuss How to Raise Kids Who Are Good at Getting Angry by Catherine Pearson. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work. Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is there any climate-saving legislation that could win the vote of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin? Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer at Slate.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 Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Starbucks union is having a moment. We talked to three workers in three different states about the victories and the very real consequences of going up against a multi-billion dollar company.Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for the Death, Sex & Money community? Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox, and updates from the show. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter, and follow the show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.Got a story to share? Email us at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle open up the mailbag to answer some more listener questions. They’ve got people wondering about a giant frog army on TikTok, Christy Carlson Romano doing sponcon cameos, dubious hygienic practices, and more.This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, author, poet, and host of the podcast This Is Good for You, Nichole Perkins, fills in for Julia as the panel begins by digging into Apple TV+’s new series Loot. Then, the panel explores sex and sexuality in the film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande. Finally, the panel is joined by science writer and editor, Jaime Green, to break down the meaning of NASA’s new Webb Telescope images—her new book The Possibility of Life title comes out in April.In Slate Plus, the panel discusses their relationship to plot.Email us at culturefest@slate.com.EndorsementsDana: A supplement to the segment on the Webb Telescope: a simple website that takes the images and places them in context to each other for scale.Nichole: The 2012 romance novel A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant, which centers a recent widow who needs to provide an heir to keep her wealth.Steve: Kris Kristofferson’s song “Help Me Make It Through the Night”: including the covers by John Doe and The Sadies and Sammi Smith.Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Pr

Animals navigate the world using echolocation, ultraviolet vision, and a sensitivity to sounds and scents that humans can only imagine. That means things like light pollution or the noise of a highway can impact them in ways we might not readily consider. But with an empathic ear—and eye, and nose—we can make small changes to be much better neighbors to our fellow species.Guest: Ed Yong, science writer at the Atlantic and author of An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us.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 Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder talk about two very different health stories. First, in the Thots & Queries segment, they respond to a listener who has questions about the ethics of moving to another country in an age of Supreme uncertainty. Then they talk with Harun Tulunay, a London-based sexual-health advocate, about his experience with monkeypox. He has been sharing his experiences with the disease, including the challenges of receiving a correct diagnosis. In New York City, the rollout of the monkeypox vaccine program was a disaster. Then they are joined by journalist Io Dodds to discuss her recent piece for the Independent: “ ‘Never Ask Permission’: How Two Trans Women Ran a Legendary Underground Surgical Clinic in a Rural Tractor Barn.” (Note, Jules was interviewed for the piece.)Items discussed in the show:Conjuring Kesha, on Discovery +“ ‘Never Ask Permission’: How Two Trans Women Ran a Legendary Underground Surgical Clinic in a Rural Tractor Barn,” by Io D

Decoder Ring is coming back with a new season featuring a whole new set of questions.... Like, is the shopping mall really dying? How did a poet who sold millions of books and records 50 years ago, come to be completely forgotten? And what does a century old Broadway scandal involving Mae West have to tell us about the creation of celebrity?You can hear these episodes and more on the new season of Decoder Ring. Launching July 26, 2022. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abortion is now illegal in eight states, and more trigger laws banning the procedure are expected. The new state policies usher in an era of criminalized abortion. In Missouri, one liberal prosecutor is still struggling to predict how strictly these laws will be enforced.Guest: Jean Peters Baker, elected prosecutor of Jackson County, Missouri.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 Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.