Slate News

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Juliette Kayyem discuss the Mar-a-Lago search; the Inflation Reduction Act; and Caitlin Dickerson’s article investigating how separating families at the border became U.S. policy.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “An American Catastrophe: The Secret History of Family Separation”Juliette Kayyem for The Atlantic: “The Bad and Good News About Trump’s Violent Supporters”Curated Decay: Heritage Beyond Saving, by Caitlin DeSilvey Serena Williams and Rob Haskell for Vogue: “Serena Williams Says Farewell to Tennis On Her Own Terms—And In Her Own Words”Claudia Rankine for The New York Times Magazine: “The Meaning of Serena Williams”King RichardHere are this week’s chatters:Emily: “Downbad” by PJ Frantz Juliette: Jim Farber for The New York Times: “Olivia Newton-John, Pop Singer and ‘Grease’ Star, Dies at 73”David: Jack Fitzpatrick for Bloomberg Government: “Old Capitol Stones to Be Stored Away After Decades Piled in Park”Listener chatter from Sebastian Cray: The Bingham CupFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, Juliette, and David discuss Serena Williams’ retirement from tennis. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New abortion restrictions following the repeal of Roe v. Wade have turned some reproductive care into a criminal liability. After a traumatic ectopic pregnancy, one Texas woman is wondering whether state laws delayed her diagnosis and treatment, ultimately leaving her with a ruptured fallopian tube. Guest: Fatima Abdelwahab of Houston, Texas.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.

After decades of dragging their feet on action to slow climate change, the Senate passed what is modeled to be the most impactful climate policy yet. What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act, and how did Democrats finally get the mercurial Joe Manchin on board?Guest: Robinson Meyer, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the newsletter The Weekly Planet.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.

Afghan women and LGBTQ+ people immediately felt the impact of the Taliban’s return to power last year. But journalists trying to tell their stories could face intense and even violent backlash from the extremist group—like what happened to Lynne O’Donnell. Guest: Lynne O’Donnell, columnist at Foreign Policy and former Afghanistan bureau chief for Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press.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.

With an ongoing labor shortage, companies turn to third-party labor brokers to fill jobs. But with little oversight and a surge of immigrants, the line between “ recruiter” and “ trafficker” gets blurred as vulnerable children are sent to work in dangerous conditions. Guest: Mica Rosenberg, national immigration reporter for Reuters.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.

It makes intuitive sense for companies that develop a technology to hold its intellectual property rights. But in the case of vaccines and medical treatments, IP laws slow down manufacturing and distribution and give private companies the power to make huge decisions that affect public health globally.Guest: Zain Rizvi, researcher for advocacy group Public Citizen, specializing in pharmaceutical innovation and access to medicine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the merging of HBOMax and Discovery+, a new study on the effect of abortion restrictions on women’s wages, and people paying to be on podcasts. In the Plus segment: Lobster rolls. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US has been in a housing shortage for decades. Can it ever be fixed?Guest: Conor DoughertyHost: Emily Peck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and Heather McGhee discuss the primaries and Kansan voters’ defense of abortion; Alex Jones on trial; and Annie Lowrey’s story of surviving pregnancy in the United States. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Sam Adler-Bell for The New York Times: “The Violent Fantasies of Blake Masters”Jason Beeferman for The Texas Tribune: “How Sandy Hook Lies and the Jan. 6 Inquiry Threaten to Undo Alex Jones”Annie Lowrey for The Atlantic: “American Motherhood”Annie Lowrey for The Atlantic: “The Most Important Study in the Abortion Debate”The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGheeThe Sum of Us podcastCharged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, by Emily BazelonBlack Reconstruction in America, by W. E. B. Du Bois Forbidden City, by Vanessa HuaHere are this week’s chatters:Emily: The Law & Justice Journalism ProjectHeather: A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. MaasDavid: Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke; Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke; Testament of Youth, by Vera BrittainListener chatter from Mohamed El-Sheik: Adriana E. Ramírez for The Atlantic: “Everyone Loses on Jeopardy Eventually” Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the primaries of purple states like Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, Trump-backed, far-right candidates have been getting a boost from a surprising source: the Democrats. Calculating that it will give their party the edge in general elections, local and national Dems have spent thousands elevating extremists. But will the strategy pay off? Guest: Jim Newell, senior politics writer for SlateIf 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.

Known as the “Merchant of Death,” Viktor Bout illegally ferried weapons, diamonds, and even UN peacekeepers around the world. The man who wrote the book on Bout thinks it’s time to send him home, if it can free Brittney Griner.Guest: Douglas Farah, co-author of Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes and the Man Who Makes War Possible.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.

Following a 2017 state supreme court decision, the right to an abortion is recognized by Kansas’s state constitution. But with some suspect scheduling and seemingly deliberately confusing language, citizens of Kansas are voting today on whether to return control over reproductive healthcare to the state’s deeply Republican legislature. Guest: Stephen R. McAllister, former U.S. district attorney and University of Kansas law professor.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.

Like many families during the Trump years, the Reffitts fought about politics. But not many families had a son calling the FBI on his father. Now Guy Reffitt is facing a 15-year sentence for domestic terrorism for his actions on Jan. 6 while his loved ones pick up the pieces.Guest: Ilya Marritz, senior reporter at WNYC, co-host of the Wondery podcast “Will be Wild”.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.

Researchers have untangled a world of illicit trade that threatens ecosystems and endangers species.Guest: Dr. Alice Hughes, Richard StewartHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second of Amicus’ Summer Series of interviews that step out of the day to day of jurisprudence to look at justice and the Supreme Court through a wide-angle lens, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by actor and playwright Heidi Schreck. Schreck created and starred in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award - nominated “What the Constitution Means to Me” and is a fierce advocate for abortion rights. Together, they try to locate the spot at the intersection of politics, law, culture, media and art that might provide a space to adequately describe the impacts of the Dobbs decision. And that is where they find the galvanizing forces and creative feats of imagination that have served previous generations in the fight for equal rights, and that will fuel the fight to come. Sign up for Slate Plus now to support our show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the merits of the Inflation Reduction Act and Larry Summers’ role in moving it along, the low GDP numbers, and a listener question about corporate landlords. In the Plus segment: This week’s Slate piece on the sham that is college financial aid. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In buying One Medical, Amazon is primed to be your doctor. Are they disrupting health care, or just collecting more data?Guest: Rebecca PiferHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the surprise deal for climate legislation, new January 6th revelations, and the deadliest road in America. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Carol D. Leonnig, Devlin Barrett, Josh Dawsey and Spencer S. Hsu for The Washington Post: “Justice Dept. Investigating Trump’s Actions In Jan. 6 Criminal Probe”Carol D. Leonnig and Maria Sacchetti for The Washington Post: “Secret Service Watchdog Knew in February That Texts Had Been Purged”Forbidden City, by Vanessa HuaDan Kaufman for The New Yorker: “Will Wisconsin’s Republicans Make Voting Meaningless, or Just Difficult?”Richard L. Hasen for Slate: “What the Critics Get Incredibly Wrong about the Collins-Manchin Election Bill”Marin Cogan for Vox: “The Deadliest Road In America”Robert James Schneider, Rebecca Sanders, Frank Proulx, Hamideh Moayyed for the Journal of Transport and Land Use: “United States Fatal Pedestrian Crash Hot Spot Locations And Characteristics”Unsafe At Any Speed, by Ralph NaderStrong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity, by Charles L. Marohn Jr. Allison Russell’s Outside ChildJohn Dickerson for Slate: “Getting Naked Every Night: Girlyman and the Pursuit of Creative Risk.”Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: Jonathan Bernstein for Rolling Stone: “‘She Schooled Us All’: Inside Joni Mitchell’s Stunning Return to Newport Folk Festival”; David McCabe and Mike Isaac for The New York Times: “F.T.C. Sues to Block Meta’s Virtual Reality Deal as It Confronts Big Tech”John: Oliver Whang for The New York Times: “‘Parentese’ Is Truly a Lingua Franca, Global Study Finds”David: April Rubin and Jesus Jiménez for The New York Times: “4,000 Mistreated Beagles Need Homes. These Folks Stepped Up.”Listener chatter from Mark Allender: The Dollop #283: “James Clark McReynolds, the Worst Supreme Court Justice Ever”Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adoption is often invoked as an alternative to abortion. But looking back at how adoption worked before Roe v. Wade—and looking at how it works now—the option is cold comfort for many people facing unintended pregnancies. Guest: Ann Fessler, author of The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade.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 “Respect for Marriage Act” protects same-sex marriages nationwide and already has bipartisan support. If put to a vote in the Senate, it seems likely to pass. So why aren’t Democrats making it a priority?Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior 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 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.

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.

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.

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 [email protected]. (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.

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.

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 Athletics: “Patterson Takes Surprise High Jump Gold In Oregon”Listener chatter from Mark Wegener: Gamaliel Bradford for the January 1930 issue of The Atlantic: “The Genius of the Average: Calvin Coolidge” Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. 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.

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.

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.

Joe Biden broke through the Democratic primaries as the safe choice, the one to beat Trump and get stuff done by reaching across the aisle. But two years into his presidency, his approval rating has plunged, his own party has stymied most of his agenda, and the most effective political body in Washington is the conservative-majority Supreme Court. What’s Biden’s plan here?Guest: Perry Bacon Jr., columnist for the Washington Post.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.

Thenmozhi Soundararajan was scheduled to give a talk at Google for Dalit History Month. It led to vicious attacks against her from some of its employees.Guest: Thenmozhi SoundararajanHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by former Attorney General Eric Holder as Amicus begins its summer season while the Supreme Court is in recess. General Holder describes his feelings when, as President Barack Obama’s Attorney General, he realized he could not in good conscience take part in the long-held tradition of the AG arguing an “easy case” before the Supreme Court. The issue? That same court had just eviscerated the Voting Rights Act in a case that will forever bear his name: Shelby County v Holder. General Holder wants us to take the steps beyond anger at the assault on voting rights, and move forward with joy toward action. His book, Our Unfinished March, is both a history of how voting rights became broken, and an action plan for delivering the promise of democracy: that the people pick their leaders.Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Elon Musk vs Twitter, the big banks getting big texting fines, and the ethically questionable academic study funded by Uber. In the Plus segment: The Gates Foundation Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dysfunction is nothing new to Twitter. But Elon Musk pulling his offer to buy the company adds a new layer of chaos.Guest: Alex KantrowitzHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Mark Leibovich discuss Biden’s 2024 plans, the establishment Republicans who stand by Trump, and Herschel Walker’s alarming Senate campaign.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission, by Mark LeibovichAnne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “History Will Judge The Complicit”Mark Leibovich for the New York Times Magazine: “Donald Trump Is Not Going Anywhere”Mark Leibovich for the New York Times: “Kevin McCarthy, Four Months After Jan. 6, Still on Defensive Over Trump”Here are this week’s chatters:John: The New York Times: “168 Writing Prompts to Spark Discussion and Reflection”Mark: Mark shared his thoughts on whether life was better before cell phones.David: City Cast DC’s July 12, 2022 newsletter.Listener chatter from Josie Beyer: Julia Medina for Sleepopolis: “Sleeping While Rowing in the Great Pacific Race”; Lat 35 Racing Team on Instagram Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Proud Boys started as a loose coalition of men who filtered misogyny and racism through an ironic, “just joking” veneer. But once Donald Trump told them to “stand back and stand by” from the debate stage, it became clear that something more serious was happening. After taking part in the Jan. 6 insurrection, the Proud Boys have become even more active in GOP politics, choosing candidates, and even running candidates from their own ranks.Guest: Andy Campbell, Senior Editor at HuffPost and author of upcoming book We Are Proud Boys.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.

Doctors feel confident they can deal with the ongoing monkeypox outbreak. But, once again, our public health agencies have been stumbling to get a hold of this virus before it spreads widely.Guests: Matt Ford and Shannon Palus, Slate senior editor.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.

Persistent Russian missile strikes since February and an ongoing blockade have silenced Odesa’s normally busy port—but not its 19th century opera house. Performances now end with a singing of the Ukrainian national anthem.Guest: Ekaterina Tsymbalyuk, a soloist at the Odesa Opera.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.

As anti-gay and anti-trans politics become more mainstream, the Trevor Project has a unique perspective. They run a hotline where queer kids are talking about how Republican rhetoric is meeting reality. Bullying once thought to be confined to high schools has made its way to mainstream politics. Guest: Sam Ames, civil rights lawyer and director of advocacy and governmental affairs at The Trevor Project. 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.

There's still a lot unknown about COVID's new wonder drug.Guest: Rachel Gutman-WeiHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia L​​ithwick hosts Amicus’ annual term-ending breakfast table conversation, featuring Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern, Professor Katherine Franke and Professor Nikolas Bowie. They dig into the biggest decisions of the term, and step back to survey where the court is headed, and where it’s already been. Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss this week’s good jobs report versus the bad economic vibes, Boris Johnson’s ousting as Prime Minister, and the stark decline in the quality of air travel. In the Plus segment: What are the odds that two former FBI directors would be audited? Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Climate change is causing unprecedented severe weather. Is the agency prepared for it to get worse?Guest: Craig Fugate and Ashley NerbovigHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the Supreme Court’s gutting of administrative authority in West Virginia v. EPA, the case coming next term that could upend U.S. elections, and the Highland Park shooting.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Julian Davis Mortenson and Nicholas Bagley for The Atlantic: “The Nondelegation Doctrine Is A Fable” Julian Davis Mortenson and Nicholas Bagley for The Columbia Law Review: "Delegation at the Founding"Here are this week’s chatters:Emily: Susan Elizabeth Shepard for Willamette Week: “A Student at an Oregon Community College Says Instructors Flunked Her for Being a Porn Actress. She’s Suing.”John: How Normal Am I?David: Twitter thread about: Jaroszewicz, et al: “How Effective Is (More) Money? Randomizing Unconditional Cash Transfer Amounts in the US”Listener chatter from Jocelyn Frank: “Humanity’s First Cosmic Gallery of Children’s Art: What the Youngest Members of Our Young Species Most Cherish About Life on Earth”Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, inflation hit a new 40-year high. Americans are feeling it in their grocery bills, at the gas pump, in airline tickets, electrical bills, and rental costs. What can be done to combat rising prices in the current economy – and at what price? Guest: Jordan Weissmann, senior editor and writer at Slate focused on economics, politics, and public policy.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 Supreme Court treated its most recent term like the opening salvo in a conservative revolution, approving prayer in schools, establishing a constitutional right to conceal and carry a firearm, and eliminating the constitutional right to abortion. What options do President Biden and Congress have to check the power of this co-equal branch of government? Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate senior writer. 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.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the question of abortion rights became a state issue. Although Arizona was one of 26 states with so-called “zombie laws” that banned abortion when Roe was struck down, it’s also one of three states that lets its citizens write l amend the state’s constitution. Now, abortion rights activists are racing to collect more than 350,000 signatures by July 7 to put the question of abortion rights in the hands of Arizona voters.Guest: Shasta McManus, activist and treasurer of Arizonans For Reproductive Freedom.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.

Harry Blackmun wasn’t Richard Nixon’s first choice to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. But after Blackmun was confirmed, he got the assignment of a lifetime: writing the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade. His approach to that case would have consequences he never imagined.Season 7 of Slow Burn is produced by Susan Matthews, Samira Tazari, Sophie Summergrad, and Sol Werthan.Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts.Editorial direction by Josh Levin, Derek John, and Johanna Zorn. Merritt Jacob is our Technical Director.Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Derreck Johnson based on a photo provided by Robert Wheeler.The season’s reporting was supported by a grant from the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to the Justice Department, there’s a right way — and a wrong way — to be a hacker.Guest: Josephine WolffHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.