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For over a century, fans of Sherlock Holmes have been analyzing, debating, and creating new texts with Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters. But when a fan theory emerged about the BBC TV show Sherlock that posited the inevitability of a gay romance between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson—it wreaked havoc on the community. In this episode, which originally aired in 2018, we explore the Johnlock Conspiracy, with help from historians, journalists, and the fans at the heart of the controversial idea. It’s almost a Holmesian tale itself, full of brilliant theories, false leads and mysterious motives—except for the ending, which, unlike in a Holmes story, isn’t very neat.This episode was written by Willa Paskin. It was produced and edited by Benjamin Frisch, who also created the episode art. Shasha Leonárd provided production assistance, and Danielle Hewitt helped us fact check the episode. Decoder Ring is also produced by Katie Shepherd, Max Freedman, and Evan Chung, our supervising producer.  Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com or leave a message on our hotline at (347) 460-7281.Get more of Decoder Ring with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of Decoder Ring and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Decoder Ring show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus for access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kristi Noem is out, and Senator Markwayne Mullin is in (in theory) as the new DHS secretary. Mullin tried to strike a softer tone during his confirmation hearing, nodding towards rolling back controversial policies like entering homes without a judicial warrant—but his reputation as a Senate-floor brawler raises questions about whether that’s just rhetoric. Meanwhile, the partial government shutdown, ongoing since February 14, continues to affect the department, including causing disruptions to airport services.What do all these developments signal about the direction that DHS is heading?Guest: Nick Miroff, staff writer for The Atlantic covering immigration.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.

Welcome to a very special Money On Film miniseries!Over three episodes, Slate Money’s Felix Salmon and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe revisit three films at the intersection of culture and finance. On this episode, Felix and Nadira discuss dating and money in Celine Song’s 2025 romantic comedy Materialists, which centers on a love triangle between a millionaire matchmaker (Dakota Johnson), a hunky financier (Pedro Pascal), and an old flame and out-of-work actor (Chris Evans). While not particularly romantic or comedic, the film raises questions about the role money plays in modern dating, how we select partners based on financial viability, and whether romance itself might be a bit overrated.Next time on Money On Film: Spirited Away. See you then! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Career pivots can be terrifying. How do you know when the time is right? Is it ever too late to switch jobs? What if the next thing is worse? This week, we’ve assembled a panel of career change experts to answer your questions about whether and when to make big moves. Sophia Chang is a former hip-hop talent agent who started a mentorship nonprofit. Ed Zitron launched his own PR firm but then branched out and started writing and podcasting about the tech industry. Luke Peterson is a Minnesota farmer, who pivoted to agriculture even though he didn’t own any equipment or land. This episode was produced by Zoe Azulay and Cameron Drews. Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Death, Sex & Money show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/dsmplus to get access wherever you listen.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 email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a very special Money On Film miniseries!Over three episodes, Slate Money’s Felix Salmon and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe revisit three films at the intersection of culture and finance. On this episode, Felix and Nadira discuss dating and money in Celine Song’s 2025 romantic comedy Materialists, which centers on a love triangle between a millionaire matchmaker (Dakota Johnson), a hunky financier (Pedro Pascal), and an old flame and out-of-work actor (Chris Evans). While not particularly romantic or comedic, the film raises questions about the role money plays in modern dating, how we select partners based on financial viability, and whether romance itself might be a bit overrated.Next time on Money On Film: Spirited Away. See you then! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh discuss the WNBA's new CBA, which contains massive salary increases, revenue sharing, and historic precedents for all women’s sports. Then host Alex Kirshner arrives for a conversation with Ben and his Effectively Wild co-host Meg Rowley to recap the World Baseball Classic and preview the MLB season.In this week’s bonus episode for Slate Plus members, the hosts chat about the abundance of athlete-hosted podcasts –is anyone listening?WNBA CBA: (8:18): From $66K to millionsMLB (29:34): Are the Pirates playoff material?(Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.)Get more Hang Up and Listen with Slate Plus! Join for weekly bonus episodes of Hang Up and Listen and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Hang Up and Listen show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit slate.com/hangupplus for access wherever you listen.You can email us at hangup@slate.com.Podcast production and editing by Kevin Bendis, with production assistance from Patrick Fort Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The argument against counting mail-in ballots that arrive after election day is going to involve Supreme Court-pleasing “originalist” language, but is the case really just another way to say that Trump should have beaten Joe Biden in 2020? Guest: Jay Willis, editor-in-chief of Balls & Strikes.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 give parents a primer on Roblox, the online gaming platform that is immensely popular with kids. They then share an interview from Slate’s What Next TBD. Host Lizzie O’Leary sat down with Mike Hilgers, the Nebraska Attorney General suing Roblox. Episodes mentioned: Are Your Kids Safe on Roblox?Is Gaming Taking Over Boys’ Lives?Managing Screen Time Without Losing Your MindThis week on the Plus Playground: Zak, Lucy, and Elizabeth reminisce on nostalgic games from their childhood and share the games their families have been loving. Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Rosemary Belson. Video production by Micah Phillips. Follow us on YouTube! 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 additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jacob Silverman, journalist and author of Gilded Rage who covers Silicon Valley and politics, unpacks Palantir and its CEO Alex Karp. He describes Palantir’s battlefield roots, on-site engineer model, and role in Ukraine. He traces how the company became a defense-tech powerhouse and explores Karp’s persona, politics, and vision for AI and power.

David Plotz talks with journalist Gabriel Sherman about his new book Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty Broke a Family—and the World. Sherman, who also wrote the bestselling biography of Fox News chief Roger Ailes, spent 15 years reporting on the Murdoch empire. In this book he turns his lens on the family itself — the rivalries, the wounds, and the secret Nevada courtroom battle that finally forced Rupert's hand.Sherman sketches each of the three main Murdoch children: the shrewd and overlooked Elisabeth, the conservative golden child Lachlan, and the restless, brittle James. He explains how Rupert pitted each of his children against each other to consolidate his own power. He and Plotz explore the parallels between the Murdoch and Trump dynasties, debate whether a James-led Fox News could ever have been tethered to reality, and ask what happens to the empire once Rupert is gone. Sherman's prediction: Lachlan sells.Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Nina Porzucki. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.