Slate News

Virginia’s gubernatorial election is just weeks away, with former Virginia governor, Democrat Terry McAuliffe, vying against newcomer Republican Glenn Youngkin. Many polls show a slim margin between the two candidates, as they spar over issues like critical race theory and Trump’s legacy in an election seen as a bellwether for the upcoming midterm elections.Guest: Ben Paviour, state politics reporter at VPM. 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.

Colin Powell, known as a “trailblazer” and “pathbreaker” in his military career, leaves behind a complicated legacy. The four-star general became a household name during the first Gulf War as the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and later the first Black secretary of state. Thirty years after his rise to national prominence, Powell’s death has prompted reflections on the Iraq War and his role in using false intelligence to justify the U.S. invasion.  Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s War Stories columnist. 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.

Democrats spent months fretting last year about the Postal Service and the fate of democracy. Now the Democrats are in charge. So why is the mail slowing down? And could planned changes fix what ails the Postal Service?Guest: Jacob Bogage, business reporter 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.

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. For the series premier, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Janine Gibson, assistant editor of Financial Times to talk about Geri's glass cliff promotion, who might be going to jail, and all the best one liners.Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Stacy-Marie Ishmael talk about spoiled customers acting out, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and the scandal plaguing her job position, and a new poll finding that a third of households making less than $50,000 in the U.S. lost or spent their savings during the pandemic. In the Plus segment: The Coinbase proposal for an entirely new regulation system for cryptocurrency.Mentioned In the show: “Almost 20% of U.S. Households Lost Entire Savings During Covid” by Simone Silvan“Unruly customers threaten economic recovery” by Hope King“IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva survives China scandal: What you need to know” by Bjarke Smith-Meyer “Policy goals for crypto market regulation” by FTX Research“Operational Framework of the Digital Asset Policy Proposal” by GitHubPodcast production by Cheyna Roth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last month, the domain company Epik and the streaming service Twitch have fallen prey to massive-scale hacks. The hackers revealed not just email addresses, but detailed personal information too. For Twitch, it was the entire source code for their site. But the attackers aren’t holding this data for ransom. In fact, they don’t seem to want much of anything. What’s motivating this new wave of activist hacks? And who suffers?Guest: Drew Harwell, tech reporter at the Washington PostHost: Lizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last month, the domain company Epik and the streaming service Twitch have fallen prey to massive-scale hacks. The hackers revealed not just email addresses, but detailed personal information too. For Twitch, it was the entire source code for their site. But the attackers aren’t holding this data for ransom. In fact, they don’t seem to want much of anything. What’s motivating this new wave of activist hacks? And who suffers?Guest: Drew Harwell, tech reporter at the Washington PostHost: Lizzie O’Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily, John and David discuss the ways that U.S. democracy is in peril, the Democrats‘ strategy woes, and they are joined by author Andrea Elliott to talk about her new book Invisible Child.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Ezra Klein for The New York Times: “David Shor Is Telling Democrats What They Don’t Want to Hear”Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “Bill Clinton, Race and the Politics of the 1990s”The Ezra Klein Show. “Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews Heather McGhee About the Cost of Racism”The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGhee Simon Bazelon and David Shor for Slow Boring: “A Permanent CTC Expansion With a Sharper Means-Test Would Protect Poor Kids Better and be More Popular”Matt Yglesias for Slow Boring: “If You Want To Talk About Racism, Talk About Racism”Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City, by Andrea ElliottAndrea Elliot for The New York Times Magazine: “When Dasani Left Home”Andrea Elliot for The New York Times: 2013 Invisible Child seriesHere’s this week’s chatter:David: Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide, by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras John: John’s donation page for the Covenant House Sleep Out; Gurwinder @G_S_Bhogal’s Twitter thread about the 40 powerful concepts for understanding the world. Emily: Jan Ransom, Jonah E. Bromwich and Rebecca Davis O’Brien for The New York Times: “Inside Rikers: Dysfunction, Lawlessness and Detainees in Control”Listener chatter from Nettie Hendricks: The Fetler Family Band on YouTubeFor this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment John, Emily, and David discuss what they’d do with their days if they didn’t need to work.  Visit www.slate.com/gabfestplus to become a member today!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 Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For as glamorous as Hollywood often seems, the workers behind the scenes rarely experience the star treatment. They do everything from sound design and makeup to cinematography and lighting, and they’ve had enough with the industry’s dizzying production pace and long hours that stretch into the early morning. Motivated by shifts in the industry due to the pandemic, workers from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union are gearing up for a strike that could halt movie and show productions alike.Guest: Anousha Sakoui, entertainment industry writer for the Los Angeles Times. 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 Havana Syndrome sounds like something straight out of a spy novel: microwaves are being directed towards U.S. embassies, causing hearing loss, headaches, and in some cases, permanent brain damage. The Biden administration is taking these “anomalous health incidents” very seriously. Should we?Guest: Michael Wilner, a Senior National Security and White House Correspondent for McClatchy. 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.