Slate Daily Feed

The Biden administration’s new pandemic rules and countermeasures intend to bring us into a “new phase of the pandemic.” The CDC also released new guidelines for masking, and now about 70% of Americans can go mask free. What do these new guidelines actually say about what stage of the pandemic we’re in? Guest: Megan Ranney, emergency room doctor at Brown Emergency Medicine. 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.

Second Sight restored partial vision to hundreds of patients around the world through retinal implants. Then, on the verge of bankruptcy, they abandoned the project. Now, over 300 patients with Second Sight technology in their bodies are asking: what will happen to us?Guest: Eliza Strickland, senior editor at IEEE SpectrumHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this bonus episode from our friends at Slate's How To! podcast: Janey is the very definition of a woman trying to “have it all.” She’s an occupational therapist by day, a ghost writer for influencers by night and in between co-hosts a podcast. On top of that, she has two sons who play travel sports and a husband who works long hours. It’s left Janey wondering if she’ll ever catch her breath. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Amy Westervelt, who’s no slouch herself. She’s a journalist, host of the award-winning podcast Drilled, a busy mom and author of the book Forget “Having It All”: How America Messed Up Motherhood, and How to Fix It. She shares with Janey how trying to “have it all” almost left her with nothing. It’s advice that all of us can use to rebalance our lives and reprioritize what’s important. Check out Amy’s invisible labor calculator. If you liked this episode, check out “How To Advance Your Career By Quitting Your Job.” Do you have a question with no easy answers? Send us a note at how

Nepotism is everywhere, and it’s always funny when a new generation realizes that. On today’s show, Madison is joined by Nichole Perkins to talk about the recent online conversation about nepotism babies that got started when people realized Lexi from Euphoria, played by Maude Apatow, is the daughter of two famous people. Madison and Nichole discuss the unending list of entertainment nepotism babies, why nepotism is a fact of daily life, and how privilege factors into it all. Plus, they share a few tips about being online during a global crisis.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Election denialism and disinformation threaten the integrity of U.S. elections, but what can we do about this growing crisis? In this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick talks to election-law professor Rick Hasen about his new book Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics–and How to Cure It.Slate Plus members have access to an extended version of this interview. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show.Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by the New York Times’ “On Tech” columnist Shira Ovide for an all-tech deep dive. Starting with the war in Ukraine, they explore the tech giants’ grappling with Russian restrictions, Amazon’s inflated image as the omnipotent retailer, and the United States’ flagging broadband access.In the Plus segment: The bill banning forced arbitrationEmail: slatemoney@slate.comPodcast production by Kevin Bendis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 PlatformerHost: 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: “How Zelensky Gave the World a Jewish Hero”Rebecca Davis O’Brien for The New York Times: “How This ‘Progressive Prosecutor’ Balances Politics and Public Safety”Heart of Darkness, by Joseph ConradCharged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, by Emily BazelonHere’s this week’s chatter:David: The Postman, by David Brin Emily: In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss, by Amy Bloom; Away, by Amy BloomJohn: New York Times, Feb. 22, 1862: “The Execution of Nathaniel Gordon”Listener chatter from Leslie Camp: Phil Davison for The Washington Post: “Monique Hanotte, Belgian resistance member who resc

On this week’s episode: Dan is back from book leave and has an announcement. Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth answer a wild question about a teen asking if her mom has “vanilla sex.” How should the parent respond to an intensely personal question like that? Then Elizabeth and Jamilah pepper Dan with questions about his time on the show, including his biggest regret. On Slate Plus, if you could swap bodies w/ your kid for a day—Freaky Friday style—would you? Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends When Stars are Scattered by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson. Dan recommends Turning Red. Jamilah recommends season two of Love Is Blind. 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.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. Se

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 director of its politics, philosophy and economics program.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 metaverse wants to convince us it’s the future of retail, even for buying marijuana. On the show today, Madison is joined by Slate’s Shannon Palus to talk about Shannon’s recent journey into the metaverse to buy weed gummies. They discuss what it’s like to enter the metaverse, the mediocre graphics on display there, and if it really is the future of retail—or just a misguided lark from Big Tech.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the panel begins by discussing the Norwegian Oscar contenderThe Worst Person in the World. Then, they're joined by Slate’s TV critic and host of the Decoder Ring podcast, Willa Paskin, to digest the New York Time’s latest hit podcast The Trojan Horse Affair. Finally, the panel is joined by screenwriter, director, and journalist Michael Idov to discuss Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s pivot from the entertainment industry to president of Ukraine.In Slate Plus, the panel answers a question from a listener about their most divisive feelings about certain directors and writers.Email us at culturefest@slate.com.EndorsementsDana: The band She Wants Revenge from the early 2000s, especially their self-titled album from 2006—even more specifically, the single “These Things.”Julia: A late endorsement for the 2000s show Veronica Mars which is currently on Hulu.Steve: The original version of the Swedish/Danish show The Bridge, which also had an American remake.Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by

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 London and Fragile Empire: How Russia Fell In and Out of Love With Vladimir Putin.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.

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 anti-trans effort? How does it fit into a wider culture war—or perhaps a larger effort to drive trans people from public life?Guest: Katelyn Burns, columnist at MSNBC and co-host of the podcast Cancel Me, Daddy.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.

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham discuss the sports world’s reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They also talk about LeBron James’ plan to play alongside his son Bronny. And ESPN’s Katie Barnes joins Stefan and Josh for a conversation about trans swimmer Lia Thomas. Russia (2:33): What’s happened so far and what should come next. Bronny (24:25): Is LeBron putting too much pressure on his son? How good is Bronny anyway? Lia Thomas (49:47): The UPenn swimmer is setting records amid controversy over whether she should be eligible to compete against other women. Afterball (1:14:00): Josh on yet another basketball problem that the Elam Ending fixes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

Millie Bobby Brown turned 18 last week, so of course those creepy “legal age” countdown clocks popped up as that day approached. On the show today, Madison is joined by Nichole Perkins to talk about the phenomenon of counting down to a celebrity’s 18th birthday, the history of their online and offline ickiness, and why girls of color always seem to be left out of this discussion.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, members will hear more from Mark and Dahlia on the other big news of the week: the Supreme Court’s decision to take up a First Amendment case next term that could have sweeping implications for LGBTQ people—and for a lot of other folks besides. They also dig into Florida’s deeply disturbing “don’t say gay” legislation and Texas’ new vigilante directive targeting trans youth and their loved ones. Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.