Slate Daily Feed

With the release of Wicked: For Good, spectacle is back in theaters and back on the press circuit: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are again “holding space” along with each other’s individual fingers and other quirks they picked up along the way. This is, apparently, how movies are promoted now.Guest: Michael Schulman, staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears.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 clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by I <3 Mess writer Emily Kirkpatrick to discuss the influx of celebrities joining Substack. As two long-time Substack newsletter writers themselves, the pair dive into all of these new celebrity publications…including the parts they may not know readers can see. What does it say about the state of celebrity that so many are becoming writers—and do they even have anything to say?This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something Wicked this way comes as Dana, Steve, and guest host Dan Kois gather round their proverbial cauldrons for an all-movie edition of the Gabfest. First up, of course, is Wicked: For Good the green/pink-hued conclusion to the alternative history of Oz. This sequel, which reunites Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as witch besties/mortal enemies, goes to surprisingly dark places.Next, they discuss Train Dreams, the contemplative and grandeur-filled adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella directed by Clint Bentley. Finally, they sit down for a long, rich conversation between friends in Peter Hujar’s Day, a chamber piece by Ira Sachs about art, friendship, and how much can happen in a single day.In our bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, Julia hops on the call to continue our recap series of Pluribus. The hosts get into all the details of Pluribus episode 5 “Got Milk.”We’re still taking submissions for our call-in show. If you’ve got a burning cultural question or topic you’d like our hosts to tackle, ca

In this Money Talks: The Wall Street Journal’s Heather Haddon joins Emily Peck to unpack her recent reporting on the fast food industry, including the reason we’re seeing the “Value Wars” play out at places like McDonalds and Chili’s, Starbuck’s strategies to revive sales, and the intense drive-thru operations research being done by Chik-fil-A.Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the Metropolitan Community Church was founded in the late sixties, it was one of the first gay positive churches in America. When AIDS hit, it became a refuge for people who were sick and those who were mourning them. In this episode, Anna talks to researcher Lynne Gerber, about finding boxes of cassettes under the church floor in an MCC church in San Francisco, and how those recordings of sermons and songs became a podcast about finding community and comfort during a crisis. Lynne Gerber is the host of the 10-episode series When We All Get to Heaven.Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new

The Trump administration has announced a 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine that involves ceding territory, giving up on joining NATO and reducing its military—in essence an extremely, even suspiciously, friendly deal for Russia and Russian demands.How does Ukraine play this without losing a powerful ally or the war?Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s War Stories correspondent.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 clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh speak with the Athletic’s Paul Tenorio on why Apple TV and MLS revised their deal and removed the paywall for viewers. They’re then joined by Massachusetts state senator John Keenan about his proposal to regulate online sports betting and why he’s changed his views on the issue. Finally, they wrap with a discussion of Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, the young hockey phenoms leading the NHL in scoring. Lindsay has an Afterball on the one New York team that is actually good: Gotham FC.On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel discusses the abysmal football on display from both the New York Jets and Giants.Apple and MLS (6:00): Tear down the wallRegulating Big Gaming (25:41): Mass. state senator John Keenan wants to rein in sports bettingHockey’s Young Guns (51:36): Shooting it out for the Art Ross trophyAfterballs (1:07:04): The Bats win it(Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.)

If you’ve got a cultural question or topic you’d like our hosts to tackle, now is your chance because we’re preparing for our annual call-in show! Call and leave us a message with your cultural query at:  347-201-2397On this week’s show, Julia, Dana, Steve are off to the dystopian races with Edgar Wright’s adaptation of The Running Man. Based on a novel by Stephen King and starring movie-star-to-be Glenn Powell, the film is chockfull of adrenaline and stylish wit but does it overcome its own authoritarian bleakness? They discuss with Slate’s own Sam Adams.Next, they take a look at the oft-forgotten presidency and assassination of James A. Garfield in the Netflix limited series Death By Lightning, starring Michael Shannon, Matthew Macfadyen, and a whole lot of period accurate beards. Finally, they look to the heavens with the loftily ambitious, operatic, and polyglottal new album LUX by Rosalía. In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, they continue their recap series and get into the twists a

On this episode: Lucy Lopez, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Zak Rosen are trying to take some of the holiday stress off your shoulders. They have gift recommendations for every type of kid, from the sports obsessed (tickets to a game are always a win) to the young scientist (science kits like those from Kiwi Co. are sure to be a hit), they have ideas to help you make all the kiddos happy this season.  But first: A listener has a very important question - how do they end the yearly (exhausting) tradition of the Elf on the Shelf. Is it possible to “kill” the elf while keeping holiday magic? Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Video production by Micah Phillips. Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@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. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on th

Between the drastic budget cuts and provisions in the Big Beautiful Bill, the Trump administration has found a way to drain Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health centers and cut off access to abortion services—as well as any other health care those clinics provided. Guests:  Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter at The 19th, author of Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America.George Hill, President and CEO of Maine Family Planning.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 clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tracking a license plate across the country has never been easier, which is good news if your car has been stolen, but in an era of ICE and Border Patrol raids, these warrantless searches feel increasingly invasive—and unconstitutional.Guest: Joseph Cox, co-founder of 404 Media and host of the 404 Media podcast.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 clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by former federal prosecutor Mimi Rocah, who brings her extensive experience trying and supervising federal criminal cases to a discussion of what the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse can teach us about justice. She suggests that the Trump administration’s eleventh-hour switchback tactic of calling for investigations of only Democrats speaks volumes about how the Justice Department is functioning these days, proving that vindictive prosecutions are the only game in town, bonus if they also have the effect of power-washing the president’s shadow from the scandal. Next, they turn to the extraordinary scenes in a Virginia courtroom this week, as the DOJ’s case against former FBI director and Trump foe James Comey seemed ready  to fall apart at the seams. As this administration’s practice of political interference in legal proceedings is supercharged by dear leader’s “Dear Pam”  posts to “his” AG Pam Bondi, this conversation highlights why judicial integrity and the ever-expan

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by porn historian Noelle Perdue, author of the Porn World newsletter. OpenAI announced that they’d allow adult users to have erotic conversations with ChatGPT, just one more way AI and porn are becoming intertwined. As sex becomes more online, not only does it become more solitary, but also more surveilled. Both of these things are intended to divide us, but Noelle is confident that AI’s attempted sex-takeover will fail. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Larry Summers has stepped down from his public positions following the release of unsavory emails he exchanged with Jeffrey Epstein. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss Summers’ correspondence with the infamous sex trafficker, the veracity of his “genius” reputation, and his beef with Felix. Then, Meta has won its anti-trust case, highlighting the current struggle to regulate Big Tech. The hosts examine the landscape of anti-trust efforts in the US and whether it is the correct tool for regulating tech behemoths. Then, everyone is talking about the “AI bubble” right now, but what does that actually mean? The hosts break down the state of the AI market and whether or not calling it a “bubble” is the right way to think about it. In the Slate Plus episode: Thanksgiving Hot Takes!Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe direc

You can have enough ICE recruits or you can have standards for the shape that they’re in, but you can’t have both—this was just one lesson Donald Trump could have learned this week, in between hosting a summit of McDonald’s franchise owners and calling a reporter “piggie.”Guest: Rebecca Onion, Slate senior staff writer.This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump promised to stop the “persecution” of the cryptocurrency industry. He did call off the SEC investigations that began under Biden, and pardoned Binance cofounder and ex-CEO Changpeng Zhao. But is the crypto industry ultimately better off because of that? Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany, tech reporter for the New York Times.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 clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss a new oral history of President Trump’s Department of Justice, the complex transactional nationalism of this week’s visit from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with guest Jake Sullivan, former National Security Advisor and co-host of the new podcast The Long Game, and what is likely to happen now that Trump has signed the bill to release the Justice Department’s Epstein files.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the sordid scandal around the tangled relationships of political reporter Olivia Nuzzi and the complex questions it raises about relationships between journalists and their sources. In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with journalist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin about his new book, 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation — the story of speculation, debt, and the human drives that fueled the Wall Street crash that changed everything. Email your ch

People have been talking about how the penny is more trouble than it’s worth for 50 years—so why drop it now? And—other than having nothing to put in our loafers—will it be missed? Guest: Caity Weaver, writer at The Atlantic.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 clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode: Lucy Lopez, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Zak Rosen are joined by mother-daughter writing team Leslie and Lindsey Glass. They share their estrangement and reconnection that led to their book The Mother Daughter Relationship Makeover. They give advice for how to deal with toxic personalities around the dinner table and at parties, talk about when estrangement might be the answer, and more.But first, they share their latest Triumphs and Fails. Lucy has an explosion (literally), Elizabeth is in a new country, and Zak learns the local bus routes.This podcast is produced by Rosemary Belson and Cheyna Roth. Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@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. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole

Americans are currently besotted with protein. It’s touted as being good for muscle growth, weight loss, skincare, mental acuity, longevity, and much else besides. It’s sold to men, women, children, the elderly— you can even buy protein for your pets. The protein supplement market alone is worth $21 billion and growing—and extra protein is being added to coffee, cereal, pasta, beer, ice cream, and popcorn.But as frenzied as we currently are about protein, this is not the first protein boom—or even the second. Protein has been promoted as a charismatic, cure-all nutrient for nearly two centuries. In this episode, with the help of Samantha King and Gavin Weedon, the authors of Protein: The Making of a Nutritional Superstar, we look closely at all our protein crazes and their associated protein products—from beef tea to whey powder—and see what they can tell us about our current protein mania. This episode was produced by Max Freedman. Decoder Ring is also produced by Willa Paskin, Katie Shepherd, and Evan Chung