Episodes

  • Donald Trump’s position on abortion was opaque enough that even states that passed protections for abortion rights still voted for him by a large margin. But even if a national abortion ban—something JD Vance has spoken in favor of—is probably untenable politically, how else could the incoming administration restrict access to abortion across the country? 

    Guest: Caroline Kitchener, national reporter covering abortion for the Washington Post. 

    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.
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  • Hosts Alex Kirshner, and Ben Lindbergh are joined by Matt Brown of Extra Points for a discussion of how unified Republican control of the government could allow the NCAA to roll back college athletes’ newly won empowerment. They also talk about the NFL’s international aspirations, possible MLB off-season moves, plus a baseball-crosswords Afterballs. On the Bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, Ben and Alex chat about MLS and Lionel Messi’s first playoffs.

    Trump and the NCAA (2:49): How college sports may welcome more conservative legislation.

    The NFL Abroad (27:33): How much does the rest of the world really love Football?

    The Juan Soto Sweepstakes (46:49): Where will the generational hitter land?

    Afterballs (1:08:03): Ben Lindbergh on the prevalence of baseball in crosswords.


    (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.)

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  • As Elon Musk channeled his considerable resources towards Donald Trump’s campaign, there was talk about what his role in the new Trump administration would be. If his stint leading Twitter is any indication, the federal government could be in for a bumpy ride.

    Guest: Zoë Schiffer, incoming director of business and industry at Wired, author of Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter.

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    Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, Cheyna Roth and Alyssa Jeong Perry.
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  • How are politicians and civil society leaders preparing to meet the challenges of President Trump’s second term? For starters, they’re gaming out the worst-case scenarios.

    Guest: Barton Gellman, senior advisor at the Brennan Center.

    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.
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  • Hormones influence everything from mood and energy levels to fertility and long-term health. 
    Yet for many, hormonal health remains shrouded in mystery.
    When women do seek guidance from their OBGYNs, they’re often told birth control is the only option for treating hormone-related issues like PCOS and endometriosis.
    But that wasn’t going to cut it for Alisa Vitti.
    On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya tackle hormonal health with the FLO Living CEO and see what other options are available when treating hormone imbalances.
    Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.
    Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.
    Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to [email protected].
    Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. 
    Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • Many folks were surprised at how soundly Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the election, especially since they thought the polls made it seem like a coin flip. The problem is, that’s not quite what the polls were saying.

    Guest: Tatishe M. Nteta, Provost Professor of Political Science, Director of UMass Poll

    Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and 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.
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  • We are, most of us, still very much in the post-election fog. It’s early days and while the fog persists, some of the shape of the future is very clear: despite his felonies, his lies, his promised mass deportations and threats of vengeance, President Donald J Trump will re-enter the White House in 2025 better organized, with a clearer mandate, and with the seal of approval of the popular vote. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Protect Democracy’s Ian Bassin to discuss navigating the challenges that lie ahead for American democracy, as we collectively struggle to make sense of this pivotal moment and to emerge from the fog with a flicker of hope.  
    Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • In the wake of Vice President Kamala Harris’s decisive loss left Democrats despondent, and locked in a cycle of finger-pointing. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson surveys the wreckage with professor and political analyst Niambi Carter. They discuss why so many Democratic operatives failed to read the trends properly, how white women and Latino men supported Trump, and where Black activists and voters go from here.

    Guest: Niambi Carter, political analyst and author of American While Black: African Americans, Immigration, and the Limits of Citizenship.


    Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

    Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the big wins of Donald Trump and Senate Republicans; the what-next of the second Trump presidency; and the electoral victories and possible setbacks for abortion rights. Join us on December 4 for Political Gabfest Live in Brooklyn! Tickets are on sale now. And send us your Conundrums at slate.com/conundrum.
    For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David give a few more thoughts on the 2024 elections. 
     
    In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with Dan Harris about his book, 10% Happier 10th Anniversary Edition: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works – A True Story. 
     
    Email your chatters, questions, and comments to [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
     
    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth
    Research by Julie Huygen
     
    Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • It’s not 2016 all over again. With a party now shaped in his image, and a Supreme Court that already gave him immunity, how will a vengeful Donald Trump’s second term go down?

    Guest: David A. Graham, staff writer at the Atlantic who wrote “What Trump Understood, and Harris Did Not.”

    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.
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  • In this extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern wade through the immediate aftermath of the election. Will splitting the ticket on abortion protect abortion rights nationally? (No) What will the federal government look like at 12:02 pm on January 20th, 2025? (very different than at 11:58 am that day) Are all of Brett Kavanaugh’s wildest unitary executive dreams about to come true? (looks likely!)

    This special episode of Amicus is possible thanks to the support of our Slate Plus subscribers. If you’re not a member but you’d like to access weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis and to access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts, you can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • Trump has just about done it again—and the country’s largely swinging further to the right on down-ballot candidates and even some ballot initiatives. Why couldn’t the Harris campaign pull it off, and what do other key losses for the Democrats say about what Americans want?

    Guest: David Faris, politics professor at Roosevelt University and contributing writer for Slate.

    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. 
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  • It’s been a strange election—Trump being shot at on stage; Biden dropping out—but also a very familiar one, with the same issues, same rhetoric, and same deadlocked, dysfunctional Congress waiting on the other side.

    How long will the political Groundhog Day last—and what will it take to break this cycle?

    Guests: Jamelle Bouie, New York Times opinion columnist.
    Osita Nwanevu, contributing editor at the New Republic and columnist at The Guardian.

    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.
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  • The worst part about the election being tomorrow is knowing that we (almost definitely) won’t know the results tomorrow.

    Guests:
    Ari Berman, voting rights reporter for Mother Jones
    Kadia Goba, political reporter for Semafor
    Isaac Saul, founder of the Tangle newsletter

    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.

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    Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.
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  • Nearly half of states – 24 and Washington, D.C – have legalized recreational marijuana. As more people report regularly using it, physicians are seeing patients with alarming side effects related to their cannabis use.
    On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya sit down with internist and pediatrician Dr. Brittany Tayler to better understand these conditions and who could most likely get them.
    If you liked this episode, check out: Psychedelics’ Long Strange Trip to the Doctor’s Office
    Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.
    Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.
    Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to [email protected].
    Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. 
    Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellnowplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • Voters in swing states are being subjected to constant political messages—on billboards, commercials and, increasingly, via text messages. But are dozens of “make a plan to vote” texts you’re receiving going to make a difference?

    Guest: Jacob Neiheisel, political science professor at the University at Buffalo 

    Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and 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.

    Disclosure in Podcast Description: A Bond Account is a self-directed brokerage account with Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Deposits into this account are used to purchase 10 investment-grade and high-yield bonds. As of 9/26/24, the average, annualized yield to worst (YTW) across the Bond Account is greater than 6%. A bond’s yield is a function of its market price, which can fluctuate; therefore, a bond’s YTW is not “locked in” until the bond is purchased, and your yield at time of purchase may be different from the yield shown here. The “locked in” YTW is not guaranteed; you may receive less than the YTW of the bonds in the Bond Account if you sell any of the bonds before maturity or if the issuer defaults on the bond. Public Investing charges a markup on each bond trade. See our Fee Schedule. Bond Accounts are not recommendations of individual bonds or default allocations. The bonds in the Bond Account have not been selected based on your needs or risk profile. See https://public.com/disclosures/bond-account to learn more.
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  • Neil deGrasse Tyson’s life-long love of science led him to astrophysics and a career as the nation’s premiere voice on making science accessible for all. On today’s episode of A Word, he joins host Jason Johnson for a conversation about the new edition of his book, Merlin’s Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: A Traveler’s Guide to Blue Moons and Black Holes, Mars, Stars, and Everything Far. They also discuss the science in pop culture, the political history of space flight, and why he’s still proud to have led the effort to remove Pluto’s status as a planet.

    Guest: Astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson

    Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

    Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • This week: Readers aren’t buying Jeff Bezos’ claim that killing the Washington Posts’ presidential endorsement wasn’t from his own business interests. Emily Peck, Elizabeth Spiers, and Anna Szymanski weigh in on how the move may or may not help Bezos and what the WaPo boycott can actually accomplish. Also: How would a trump victory affect the economy? Badly, economists say. Finally: Facebook laid off two dozen workers for abusing their free GrubHub vouchers as companies crack down on perk abuse.
    In the Plus segment: The New York Times took a sympathetic look at the parents of Sam Bankman-Fried and other jailed FTX execs. Our hosts found it to be pandering to the anxieties of the paper’s white, suburban readers. How much sympathy do the parents of 30-something corporate crooks really deserve? 
    Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.
    Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth.
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  • This week’s show is unapologetically long, deep, and hopeful. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Yale history professor Timothy Snyder to talk about his new book, On Freedom, and to have the audacity to re-imagine freedom on the precipice of an election that could turn the United States hard right into tyranny. Next, Dahlia is joined by Rick Hasen, Director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA Law School, for a gut-check about how the election might go, legally speaking, and a reminder that “too early to call” is a pro-democracy posture on election night—even as the former guy almost certainly claims victory before the clock strikes midnight—regardless of the actual results. 

    Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.
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  • How did Elon Musk go from a poster to someone pumping millions of dollars towards Donald Trump? And what’s he hoping to get for doing so?

    Guest: Max Chafkin, Bloomberg Businessweek columnist. 

    Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and 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.
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