Slate News

Dahlia Lithwick calls former prosecutor Mimi Rocah for an answer to a question Amicus listeners often ask. She then asks Sen.Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, if all hope is lost for the federal judiciary. Finally, she revisits emoluments with Deepak Gupta and pulls on threads that extend right into the impeachment investigation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, in impeachment inquiry news: Gordon Sondland revised his memory, Lev Parnas said he’d cooperate with inquisitors, and Donald Trump, Jr. insisted that we focus on the whistleblower. Guests: Dahlia Lithwick, Slate’s courts correspondent, and Jim Newell, Slate’s senior politics writer. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

California recently passed a law that would classify rideshare drivers across the state as employees, rather than contractors. Among many other benefits, they’d be allowed to unionize, collect overtime pay, and take sick leave. So why are so many drivers against it? Guest: Harry Campbell, former Uber driver and founder of The Rideshare Guy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

California recently passed a law that would classify rideshare drivers across the state as employees, rather than contractors. Among many other benefits, they’d be allowed to unionize, collect overtime pay, and take sick leave. So why are so many drivers against it? Guest: Harry Campbell, former Uber driver and founder of The Rideshare Guy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss new polls and election results, impeachment, and leaving the Paris climate accord.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and John discuss the “OK, Boomer” phenomenon. Get your tickets to the Gabfest’s December 18, 2019 “Conundrum” live show at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA here. And submit your conundrums at Slate.com/conundrum!You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 8chan message board has become synonymous with hate speech. It’s been a go-to forum for mass shooters’ manifestos. It courts devotees of the cultish QAnon conspiracy theory. In August, 8chan was booted from the internet, but now the forum is making a comeback, in spite of the dogged group of activists and journalists trying to take it offline permanently.Guest: Robert Evans, investigative journalist for Bellingcat and host of the podcast, Behind the Bastards. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii, has always had a maverick streak. But since launching a presidential campaign, her tactics have only become more perplexing. Guest: Lisa Lerer, political reporter for the New York Times.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the last Democratic primary debate, Elizabeth Warren refused to say that her plan for Medicare for All would require raising taxes on the middle class. Critics accused her of dishonesty. But on Friday, Warren released a plan pledging to do exactly what she promised. The problem is, the other sources of funding would require a fundamental shift of priorities in Washington. Guest: Jordan Weissmann, Slate’s senior business and economics correspondent.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Slate Money mini-series, Felix Salmon will investigate SWAG -- Silver Wine Art Gold -- and other things people invest in that don’t have any cash flows. This week, Felix sits down with Julia Halperin, Executive Editor of Artnet News to talk about when, if ever, art is a good investment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In California, thousands of people have evacuated their homes in yet another season of dangerous wildfires. Thousands of other residents have had their power shut off in an effort to help prevent incidents along power lines that could trigger yet more wildfires across the state. How has Gov. Gavin Newsom’s tone changed when it comes to talking about PG&E, the utility company responsible for many past fires and current power outages. Plus, how does California’s affordability problem factor into the state’s wildfire problem?Guest: Taryn Luna, reporter at the Los Angeles TimesSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rana Foroohar joins Slate Money to discuss her book Don’t Be Evil: How Big Tech Betrayed Its Founding Principles -- and All of Us, the Facebook vs Twitter war over political ads, NCAA players finally getting paid, and PG&E and the California wildfires. And in the Slate Plus segment: Fitbit and Google. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Alexander Vindman testified with firsthand knowledge of the Ukraine call and the House voted to formalize the impeachment inquiry. Plus, who’s the person you should be keeping your eye on heading into next week?Guest: Dahlia Lithwick and Jim Newell.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Boeing’s CEO Dennis Muilenburg appeared in front of Congress. He was there to answer questions about what his company knew, and when, before two 737 Max airplanes crashed and claimed the lives of 346 people. But beyond the planes’ technological failures is another key issue: the way pilots react when automated systems go wrong. Guest: Jon Ostrower, Editor in Chief of The Air Current Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Boeing’s CEO Dennis Muilenburg appeared in front of Congress. He was there to answer questions about what his company knew, and when, before two 737 Max airplanes crashed and claimed the lives of 346 people. But beyond the planes’ technological failures is another key issue: the way pilots react when automated systems go wrong. Guest: Jon Ostrower, Editor in Chief of The Air Current Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss the impeachment resolution, Twitter’s ban on political ads, and the downfall of Katie Hill.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily and John review the Founders’ meticulous efforts to establish a balance of power across the three branches of government. Subscribe today!Get your tickets to the Gabfest’s December 18, 2019 “Conundrum” live show at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA here. And submit your conundrums at Slate.com/conundrum!You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

State court rulings have ended partisan gerrymandering in North Carolina on both the state and congressional levels. The rulings could lead the way for progressive activists who’ve been shut out at the Supreme Court.This episode is a part of Slate’s Who Counts? initiative. In the run-up to the 2020 election, Slate will be investigating who counts in the voting booth, who counts as an American, whose money counts in the democratic process, and whose doesn’t. And we need your help. Your support will let us assign more stories, travel to overlooked places, commission special podcast projects, and pay for reporting we otherwise would not be able to do. To learn more about this project and how to support our work, please go to slate.com/whocounts.Guest: Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a story unfolding in the courtroom of a small town in Kansas. It’s a story about runaway medical costs, aggressive debt collectors, and jail. Guest: Lizzie Presser, reporter for ProPublicaSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, to talk about the role of intelligence and counterintelligence in the Mueller probe, the impeachment inquiry, and the damage deep state fever dreams could do to law enforcement and oversight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, the New York City Council approved a plan to close Rikers Island in 2026. The jail has become a potent symbol for those fighting to reform the criminal justice system. Where do reformers go from here? Guest: Aaron Morrison, senior reporter for The Appeal Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kentucky’s Republican Gov, Matt Bevin won a decisive victory in 2015 and has tethered himself to President Donald Trump ever since. But now, he’s up for reelection and his popularity has taken a nosedive—it doesn’t help that thousands of public school teachers have been aggressively protesting against his plan for pension reform. Can the Republican Party boost him through to a second term?Guest: Ryland Barton, statehouse reporter at Kentucky Public Radio.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Felix, Emily, and Anna discuss the latest news on WeWork, Emily's article on the so-called leadership and empowerment seminar at Ernst & Young that told women their brains were like pancakes, among other indignities, and Felix’s recent review of Darkness by Design: The Hidden Power in Global Capital Markets by Walter Mattli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Stuart Gerson of the conservative legal group Checks and Balances to talk about developments in the border-wall case he helped bring in El Paso, Texas; the view of impeachment from concerned conservatives; and the latest escalation in the Department of Justice’s investigation into the origins of the Russia investigation. Then Cyrus Habib, lieutenant governor of Washington state (and owner of the most impressive résumé of any guest ever on the show) shares a refreshingly optimistic take on the law and politics. Podcast production by Sara Burningham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We survey this week’s developments: the testimony from Ambassador Bill Taylor, a stunt at the SCIF, and what the founding fathers might have thought of our reticence to impeach. Guests: Dahlia Lithwick and Jim Newell. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last week, Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg have been under fire for declining to fact-check political ads. But a former insider says this is the wrong debate to be having—and it misses a more fundamental problem: Facebook’s business model itself. Guests: Yael Eisenstat, former head of global elections integrity operations at Facebook and Charlie Warzel, an opinion writer at the New York Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last week, Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg have been under fire for declining to fact-check political ads. But a former insider says this is the wrong debate to be having—and it misses a more fundamental problem: Facebook’s business model itself. Guests: Yael Eisenstat, former head of global elections integrity operations at Facebook and Charlie Warzel, an opinion writer at the New York Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss damning new impeachment testimony, Facebook under fire, and taking to the streets against Trump.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and John take inspiration from Christine Lagarde’s lesson on pretending to drink wine and discuss things they fake doing.Get your tickets to the Gabfest’s December 18, 2019 “Conundrum” live show at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA here. And submit your conundrums at Slate.com/conundrum!You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey If Then listeners! As of now, the new Slate podcast What Next: TBD will be taking over this feed. What Next: TBD is a weekly analysis with host Lizzie O’Leary of how technology is impacting our lives, and where we’re headed. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, we’ll be examining the often hidden forces shaping our world, and we’ll talk to the people who are studying those forces, impacted by them, and creating them. What Next: TBD is a spinoff from the Slate daily news show What Next. If you’re not already subscribed, go find it in your podcast app: there you’ll find the brilliant Mary Harris every Monday through Thursday to help you make sense of the news, sifting through the frenetic cascade of headlines to go deep on one story at a time. Then you’ll get this show, What Next: TBD, on Fridays. So listen here, or get all of Slate’s morning news in the What Next feed, starting tomorrow, October 25th. See you then! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Syria is in the midst of a civil war, a refugee crisis, a war on terror, and a massive demographic shift. Why does Russia want a piece of it? Guest: Deb Amos, international correspondent for NPR. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gabriel Zucman and his co-authors have become known for releasing these charts that go megaviral. In a new book, Zucman claims to have found that the 400 richest Americans now pay a lower tax rate than the bottom 50 percent of the country. This finding sparked outrage among the public, disagreement within the economics community, and debate among the democratic candidates for president last week.What do you need to know about Gabriel Zucman? And how does he envision fixing taxes in America?Guest: Jordan Weissmann is Slate’s senior business and economics correspondent.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Thursday, in the city of Culiacán, a massive gun battle between Mexican government forces and the Sinaloa cartel erupted in broad daylight. It was captured on cameras by residents across the city. For hours, residents took shelter as the Mexican forces detained the son of El Chapo, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, and tried to hold off the cartel. When it ended, El Chapo’s son was released. So why did the Mexican government give into the Sinaloa cartel’s demands? And what can be done on both sides of the border to stop such brutal violence?Guest: León Krauze, journalist at Univision and Slate columnistPodcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode with spoiler-filled glee. In this extra special bonus episode, J. Smith-Cameron, aka Queen Gerri herself, and the New York Times Magazine’s Taffy Brodesser-Akner join Felix and Emily to discuss which of her lines were actually improvised, how she reacted to the Roman/Gerri storyline, what kinds of storylines and scenes were cut from the season, and more insights and hilarious tidbits from the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest: Alex Thompson, covers the Elizabeth Warren campaign for Politico.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Felix, Emily and Anna discuss the threat of robots taking our jobs, TurboTax and the Vanity Fair piece on Wall Street supposedly making money on the chaos of Trump.And in the Slate Plus segment: D.E. Shaw. Email: [email protected]: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @EmilyRPeck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Plotz, Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson discuss the US abandonment of the Kurds, the Democratic presidential debates, and guest Daniel Markovits’s new book The Meritocracy Trap.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David and Emily discuss the season finale of Succession. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds.You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One week ago, the White House released a letter effectively stating to House Democrats: no more witnesses, no more documents. This week, witnesses in the impeachment inquiry lined up to testify on Capitol Hill, and a cascade of revelations ensued. How much damage did they do to the president? And how will the White House counterpunch?Guest: Jeremy Stahl, senior editor at SlateSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There have been indications of discord at Fox News -- tension between the news division and the more opinion-driven shows on the network. Shepard Smith and Tucker Carlson hashed out their differences on air. And then, Smith submitted his resignation to the network. Is the impeachment inquiry changing the message coming from Fox News?Guest: Justin Peters, writer for Slate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the US abandoned its Kurdish allies, it not only left the Kurds vulnerable to devastating attacks from Turkey, but it also abandoned Rojava, the Kurdish autonomous region that lies in the northeast of Syria. Right now, the Kurds are fighting to preserve what they can of this unique political arrangement, but it might already be too late. And, maybe, it was always destined to fall.Guest: Jenna Krajeski, reporter at the Fuller ProjectSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The impeachment inquiry has crowded out all but the most urgent news about the 2020 presidential election. In doing so, it’s frozen the Democratic primary in ways that have helped Sen. Elizabeth Warren at the expense of almost every other candidate. How long will the freeze-frame last?Guest: Amy Walter, National Editor of the Cook Political Report and Friday host of WNYC’s The Takeaway.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New York Times writer Binyamin Appelbaum joins Slate Money to discuss his new book The Economists' Hour,the concept of putting a dollar value on a human life and the NBA’s whole thing with China. And in the Slate Plus segment: The latest from the Fed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by all-star SCOTUS experts to walk us through this week’s biggest legal and constitutional developments. First, Laurence Tribe answers the questions Amicus listeners have been asking about the next steps in the impeachment process. Next, Pamela Karlan takes us inside the chamber for Tuesday’s oral arguments in a trio of Title VII cases at the high court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the impeachment inquiry rolls on, it’s easy to get lost in the paperwork and characters surfacing each week. We’re here to help sort through it all and tell you what you really need to know. Today: the White House’s letter to Congress and what it says about the fight that’s only going to heat up on Capitol Hill.Guests: Dahlia Lithwick, who covers the courts and the law at Slate. And Jim Newell, a politics writer at Slate.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss obstruction of impeachment investigations, the new Supreme Court term, and Bernie Sanders’ health.You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) The email address for the Political Gabfest is [email protected]. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap.Correction 10/10/2019: When first published, this episode referenced a Tweet in which Ivanka Trump was quoted criticizing Hunter Biden for getting a position through nepotism. The quote was fabricated and has been removed from our episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Growing up in D.C. during the civil rights era made the fight for D.C. statehood deeply personal for civil rights advocate Wade Henderson. He’s said that being unable to secure a voting representative in Congress is one of his greatest disappointments. Christina Cauterucci speaks with Henderson about the fight for statehood and why he still has hope for the movement.This episode is a part of Slate’s Who Counts initiative. In the run-up to the 2020 election, Slate will be investigating who counts in the voting booth, who counts as an American, whose money counts in the democratic process, and whose doesn’t. And we need your help. Your support will let us assign more stories, travel to overlooked places, commission special podcast projects, and pay for reporting we otherwise would not be able to do. To learn more about this project and how to support our work, please go to slate.com/whocounts.Guest: Wade Henderson, former head of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human RightsPodcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Election Commission was designed to prevent the parties from going rogue with overly punitive campaign finance regulations. But what’s paralyzed FEC is something less partisan, and more principled: Democrats think the government should enforce campaign spending laws. Republicans don’t.Guest: Ellen Weintraub, Federal Election Commission Chair.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court embarks on its new term with a solidly conservative majority and a sense of urgency when it comes to settling legal questions that keep cropping up. Will Chief Justice John Roberts continue to strike centrist compromises in the interest of preserving the court’s legitimacy? Or will the country feel the court’s rightward shift?Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, legal reporter for Slate.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, a contentious affirmative action case came to a temporary resolution. In a lawsuit filed against Harvard by Asian American students and conservative opponents of affirmative action, a judge ruled in favor of the university’s race-conscious admissions process. The selection process, she says, helps create a diverse student body and does not discriminate against Asian American applicants. But here’s the catch: there are examples of bias in the application process. And this case is probably far from over.Guest: Elie Mystal, executive editor of Above The Law and contributing writer at The Nation.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode with spoiler-filled glee. This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Lizzie O’Leary and John Collins to speculate on the “blood sacrifice”, analyze Roman’s newfound competency and reveal which Roy Family member they are.‘Shiv Roy’s Turtlenecks Will Destroy You’ by Emilia Petrarca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.