Slate News

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the rescue of Credit Suisse. They also break down the politics behind federal deposit insurance, and what will come out of this week’s Congressional hearings about TikTok. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by New Yorker editor Jessica Winter to talk all about postpartum psychosis. They dig into how the medical world is failing new moms during one of the “worst psychiatric emergencies” and why we need to talk about it more. After the break, Cheyna and Jessica talk about how movies and television have depicted postpartum depression and psychosis. In Slate Plus, are “influencer parents” really new? Articles Mentioned...

On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick talks with Andrew Weissmann, former lead prosecutor in Robert S. Mueller’s Special Counsel’s Office and former Chief of the Fraud Section in the Department of Justice from 2015 - 2019. Together, they tackle the tangled web of investigations into the former President, and the trajectory of possible indictments. And Andrew helps us hone in on some crucial details we may have missed in the fog of building barricades outside the Manhattan Criminal...

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss Trump’s announcement he expects to be arrested; what ChatGPT means for the world; and interview Rachel Donadio, contributing writer for The Atlantic, about the unrest in France. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Rachel Donadio for The New York Times: “Macron May Keep the Presidency, But Le Pen Has Already Won” Annie Gowen for The Washington Post: “Iowa’s Sharp Right Turn: From Centrist State To ‘Florida...

To most of its 150 million American consumers, TikTok is a fun app. To some creators, TikTok is a job and their platform. But to members of the US government, TikTok is a national security risk. As the fight over TikTok’s future comes to Capitol Hill this week, what’s next for the embattled social media platform? Guest: Emily Baker-White, senior writer, tech reporter at Forbes Host: Lizzie O’Leary If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get...

Despite his campaign promises, President Biden has signed off on the Willow Project, an $8 billion plan to extract 600 million barrels of oil from public lands in Alaska. But how useful might this 30-year project be with the country continually prioritizing electric energy? Guest: Ben Lefebvre, energy reporter at Politico. 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...

Since last summer, it’s been difficult to fill an Adderall prescription. The shortage is driving some people to try other ADHD medications—causing shortages of those medications too—while others are sourcing their medication on the “gray market.” Why is such a common drug nowhere to be found?And why has the FDA been so mum on the subject? Guests: Ike Swetlitz, health journalist for Bloomberg News Sheila McClear, writer for Los Angeles magazine If you enjoy this show, please consider signing...

The Atlanta Police Foundation’s $90 million police training facility, a mock-urban space with a nightclub, convenience store, and even homes, has drawn the ire of police reform activists, environmentalists, and even advocates for the homeless. The months-long effort by forest-dwelling protesters to prevent the construction of this facility has left an advocate dead, a state trooper shot, 35 individuals facing terrorism charges, and a community divided. Guest: Madeline Thigpen, criminal...

This weekend, former President Trump warned supporters on Truth Social he could be arrested on Tuesday, and called for them to “TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” Although it’s unclear whether Trump is facing imminent arrest, many observers believe legal proceedings focused on Trump’s “hush money” payment to Stormy Daniels suggest an indictment is coming soon. How strong is this case, and how likely is it that Trump will face real legal consequences? Guests: Dahlia Lithwick, host of Slate’s Amicus, and...

For decades, there has been a stigma attached to remaining unmarried and childless in the Black community, particularly for women. But a growing part of the Black middle class is single, childfree adults. Does the trend threaten the future of the Black family, or is it time to recognize a different model for family life? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by sociologist Kris Marsh, author of “The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class.” Guest:...

Using just what you’ve posted to social media, generative A.I. can create a “puppet version” of your voice—one that’s close enough to scam your family into paying thousands in, say, bail money. And imitating public officials to create “deep fakes” who say whatever they’re told is even easier. Guest: Pranshu Verma, tech reporter for the Washington Post. Host: Lizzie O’Leary If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any...

David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the Silicon Valley Bank bailout with David Leonhardt; Ron DeSantis coming out against aid to Ukraine; and free speech fights at elite law schools. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: William Saletan for The Bulwark: “The Ukraine Untruths of Disingenuous DeSantis” Ken White for The Popehat Report: “Hating Everyone Everywhere All At Once At Stanford” David Lat for Original Jurisdiction: “Yale Law Is No Longer #1—For...

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers dive into the drama in the banking world. They discuss the fallout of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and its subsequent government takeover. They also take some listener questions about SVB! Felix, Emily and Elizabeth also discuss Credit Suisse, and how government policy may change for banks that are “too big to fail”. In the Plus segment: What was it like to have an SVB bank account in the last week? Podcast production by Anna...

The economy is doing well almost every but in tech, where headlines about layoffs have been replaced with news about Silicon Valley Bank’s demise. The collapse of “the central artery for the tech industry” looks like the end of an era. Where do venture capitalists, start-ups—and the industry writ large—go now? Guest: Priya Anand, reporter at Bloomberg covering venture capital and start-ups. Host: Lizzie O’Leary If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus...

Colleges are dropping the SAT as a requirement in their admissions process, citing studies that what the test measures best is simply how well you’ve prepared for the test. But the question at the heart of the matter remains: how do you create a fair and equitable college admissions process? And can a test-optional system help foster a more equal playing field when there’s still so much inequality built into our school systems? Guest: Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, senior reporter at Higher Ed Dive. If...

Slate’s political and discussion podcast, Hear Me Out, launches March 21. Join host Celeste Headlee and a guest each week for a smart, fair debate on issues that matter. In a nation where many of us have forgotten how to talk to each other, veteran journalist Celeste Headlee has devoted years to reinvigorating the art of civil conversation and debate. Each week on Hear Me Out, she'll invite a thoughtful guest to discuss their controversial perspective on a current issue, and engage in a...

The downfall of Silicon Valley Bank marks the second largest bank collapse in American history. Why and how did SVBgo under? Where were the regulators? And how do we stop this from happening again? Guest: Annie Lowery,staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Give People Money. 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 Amicus—and you’ll be supporting...

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has made anti-trans legislation a trademark of her term, but singling out trans people—and those who provide them medical care—comes at a cost to the state and its residents. It left the tiny rural town of Webster with only one physician. Guest: Mayson Bedient, a family medicine and gender-affirming care specialist in Fargo, North Dakota If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate...

Judy Heumann devoted her life to advocating for Americans with disabilities and was a fixture at protests, sit-ins, and activist meetings, eventually becoming a presidential advisor. After passing away at 75, her work continues through her friends and those she fought for. Guest: Sandy Ho, founder of Disability and Intersectionality Summit and disability policy researcher. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any...

The online dating world can be brutal and repetitive—just the kind of thing you might want to automate. But, in one tech writer’s experience, artificial intelligence isn’t ready to make real connections—at least, not without a lot of help. Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, covers business and technology at Slate Host: Lizzie O’Leary 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...