Slate News

A father took a photo of his son for their doctor. He wound up being investigated by the police.Guest: Kashmir HillHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Trump’s strange legal maneuvering in the obstruction investigation; what Trump’s second term would do to U.S. democracy; and what voters deserve to know about a candidate’s health.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Jonathan Rauch for The Atlantic “Trump’s Second Term Would Look Like This”Age of Innocence, by Edith WhartonPortrait of a Lady, by Henry JamesHeart of Darkness, by Joseph ConradLord Jim, by Joseph ConradWorking: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, by Studs Terkel This Is Chance!: The Shaking of an All-American City, a Voice That Held It Together, by Jon MooallemThe Way We Live Now, by Anthony TrollopeHere are this week’s chatters:John: Ella Koeze, Denise Lu and Charlie Smart for The New York Times: “Can You Gerrymander Your Party to Power?”Emily: Aaron Byrd, Weiyi Cai, Geoff Macdonald, Emily Rhyne, Noah Throop, Joe Ward and Jeremy White for The New York Times: “The Toss”David: CityCast DC; Bad SistersListener chatter from Michael Koehler: Christo Grozev for Bellingcat: “Socialite, Widow, Jeweller, Spy: How a GRU Agent Charmed Her Way Into NATO Circles in Italy”For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the non-political books that most influenced their understanding of politics. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (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.

Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow went viral in April for striking back at an extreme characterization made by a Republican colleague. The video of McMorrow’s speech—viewed over 14 million times—tells a bigger story about how national political rhetoric is affecting local political debates. But is the senator really demonstrating how to reset the terms of debate? Or is she just one more person who went viral for speaking to her echo chamber?As summer winds down, we're replaying some of our favorite episodes from this year. This episode originally aired on May 3, 2022.Guest: Mallory McMorrow, Michigan state senator representing Grand Oak and the suburbs north of Detroit. 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.

Banning books in schools is on the rise. Around the country, parents are lobbying to banish from libraries and curriculums any work they deem to be “graphic” or “offensive,” often sweeping up books centered on queer or POC experiences in the process. Some authors say that’s no coincidence - nor is it surprising that this is happening just as the publishing industry is remaking itself to tell more diverse stories. The question is, what’s the best way to respond to the outrage?This week as we wind down the summer, we're replaying some of our favorite episodes of this year. This episode originally aired on February 13, 2022.Guest: Ashley Hope Pérez, author of three YA novels, including Out of Darkness, and professor of literature at Ohio State University.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.

Until last month, Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and one of only three Black head coaches among the NFL’s 32 teams. That number has since dropped to one. On Tuesday, Flores announced he was suing the NFL, alleging that the league's hiring practices are racist. His suit comes almost 20 years after the creation of the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for senior positions, and eight years after Colin Kaepernick was black-balled from the sport for kneeling during the national anthem—begging the question of how much has really changed in that time. This week as we ease out of summer, we are replaying some of our favorite episodes from the last year. This episode originally aired February 7, 2022.Guest: LZ Granderson, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of ABC News’ “Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson.”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.

Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is a fervent right-wing activist. She was also a supporter of the attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, as evidenced by a batch of texts shared with the congressional committee investigating January 6th. The Ginni Thomas texts create a conflict of interest for Justice Clarence Thomas as he hears cases pertaining to the insurrection. But the Supreme Court is not expected to do much to dispel notions of bias. Why?Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer covering courts and the law for Slate.This week as we ease out of summer, we are replaying some of our favorite episodes from the last year. This episode originally aired March 30, 2022.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.

Shows are disappearing. Staff are getting axed. Is It greed, or necessary for the networks' survival?Guest: Julia AlexanderHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Law Professor and former journalist Amy Gajda joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss her latest book, Seek and Hide: The Tangled History of the Right to Privacy. They chart a course through early conceptions of privacy to today’s fraught battles over privacy and dignity in the age of surveillance capitalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the Biden administration student loan debt forgiveness plan, the cancellation saga of Dan Price, and AMC’s “APE units”. In the Plus segment: More on student loan debt forgiveness. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legendary hacker Peiter "Mudge" Zatko’s reputation in the cybersecurity world is unmatched. His allegations against Twitter’s security are all the more damning because of it.Guest: Joseph MennHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.