Slate Plus Podcasts

Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss one of New York’s most dreaded traditions, SantaCon, and the recent indictment of its lead organizer for lying about the event’s charitable giving.. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Slate Money—you’ll also 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s bonus episode, host Kate Lindsay tells producer Vic Whitley-Berry all about the PowerPoint about Lorde and Jack Antonoff’s (suspected) relationship that broke the internet back in 2018. In Lena Dunham’s new memoir, Famesick, she reveals that not only did she also read the PowerPoint that alleged her then-partner Jack Antonoff was in a romantic relationship with musician Lorde, but she even contacted the creator. Her admission that she, too, had some doubts about the pair’s dynamicm has painted the artifact in a whole new light. This episode is for Slate Plus members. Join now to unlock it—plus other exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More infighting at the Supreme Court! But also some apologies? In the Amicus Plus bonus episode this week, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern break down the public battles between three of the nine justices. Last week was all about Sonia Sotomayor’s takedown of the “Kavanaugh Stop,” but this week she apologized for getting personal. Dahlia and Mark ask if that was a strategic move, and wonder if her apology could be a bad omen for cases still to come. Meanwhile, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the fray, with a robust rejection of Kavanaugh’s shadow docket apologia in a talk at Yale Law School. Then, in a televised speech in Texas, Justice Clarence Thomas took aim at progressivism, blaming it for Nazism, Stalinism, and basically everything bad that happened in the twentieth century. This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon talks with journalist Mark Oppenheimer about his new book Judy Blume: A Life. Oppenheimer, who spent years with Blume’s papers at Yale and conducted extensive interviews with the author herself, traces how a restless housewife in New Jersey became one of the most beloved—and most banned—writers in American history. They discuss what made Blume’s frank, funny voice so revolutionary for young readers in the 1970s, the surprisingly progressive household that shaped her, and the genius of Forever, her landmark novel in which teenage sex is depicted as pleasurable rather than catastrophic. They also dig into the scandalous adult novel Wifey, Blume’s dogged persistence through rejection, and her tireless championing of other writers’ right to be read. 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.

This week: Sneaker company Allbirds announced a pivot into A.I. infrastructure. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck explain why this absurd-sounding venture is actually a pretty clever piece of financial engineering. Then, the hosts get into the market surge that put the S&P 500 at a record high. And finally, the courts confirmed what we all knew: Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster are screwing everyone over. The hosts discuss what led to the federal jury ruling that the concert behemoth was acting as a monopoly. In the Slate Plus episode: The con behind SantaCon. This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Slate Money—you’ll also 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 Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Yahoo senior entertainment reporter Kelsey Weekman to discuss influencers at Coachella. Kelsey herself attended Coachella Weekend One, and spoke to creators and regular attendees about what the music festival has become. While the experience itself has been enshittified by brands, even those watching from home are losing interest—especially when the influencers in attendance are betraying their followers and values to do so. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hungary’s autocratic creep was turned back at the ballot box last weekend, in a stark rebuke to the forces of illiberalism and to the American conservatives who invested so heavily in former Hungarian leader Viktor Orban’s mission. It’s good news. But it’s not the end of the story. It behoves pro-democracy forces in the United States to move past the example of democratic resilience in Hungary to real, systemic change to the machinery of American democracy. On this week’s Amicus podcast, Norm Eisen, former ambassador and current democracy warrior (as founder of www.democracydefendersfund.org), tells Dahlia Lithwick that America’s response to Trumpism starts with protecting the rule of law, safeguarding elections, and strangling corruption—the three pillars of a genuine democratic recovery. The key isn’t just fixing courts or passing reforms—it's about building a democratic coalition based on simple, clear issues. As Democrats dare to dream of what may be possible in a post-Trump America, it’s time to start making concrete, workable plans. This week’s show highlights the roadmap out of autocracy, through coalitions, court reform, and corruption-busting. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As websites try to fend off bots scraping their content to feed to A.I. models, bots that are more innocuous—or even beloved—are getting caught in the purge. Guest: Kate Knibbs, senior writer at WIRED This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next TBD—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week we aired an episode about lonelygirl15, one of the first proper YouTube stars, and perhaps the most famous example of playing around with the boundaries of fiction and truth on the internet. But it was not the first. In 1995, aspiring filmmakers created the first ever soap opera on the Web, on a site called The Spot. Hollywood saw it as the future of entertainment. But a fan-led revolt showed that interactivity sometimes has a price. Evan Chung explained the rise and fall of The Spot in a 2021 episode of the Slate podcast One Year. The overlaps and echoes are so strong with lonelygirl15 we thought you’d be interested to hear it. This episode was written and reported by Evan Chung. It was edited by Laura Bennett. The host of One Year is Josh Levin. Madeline Ducharme was our assistant producer. Additional production help came from Cheyna Roth, with editorial direction by Lowen Liu and Gabriel Roth. Mixing by Merritt Jacob, our 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in the depths of the pandemic, what was an actor to do? Ben McKenzie started looking into cryptocurrency—and his research yielded both a book and a new documentary. The works are both non-fiction, which is more than McKenzie can say for crypto. Guest: Ben McKenzie, actor, director of the documentary Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, and co-author of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud. 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. Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the joint resignation of Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales after accusations of sexual misconduct became public, why powerful men make such terrible choices, and whether we live in a world where shame still matters. Annie Grayer for CNN: Swalwell and Gonzales resign from Congress under threat of expulsion Sophia Bollag for the San Francisco Chronicle: 55 ex-staffers had called for Rep. Eric Swalwell to resign after sexual assault allegations Michel Martin and Destinee Adams for NPR (Morning Edition): Why Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales chose to resign Michelle Cottle for The New York Times (Opinion): Have These People Learned Nothing? Caitlin Huey-Burns and Patrick Maguire for CBS News: A bipartisan duo helped force Reps. Swalwell and Gonzales to resign. They say other House members could be next. Melanie Mason and Jeremy B. White for Politico: The whisper network that caught up to Eric Swalwell Jeffrey Blehar for National Review: Everybody Knew About Eric Swalwell. Except You and Me David Dayen for The American Prospect: Eric Swalwell and the Death of Accountability Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Nina Porzucki Research by Emily Ditto Hosts Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park. Follow @SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Trump's Hormuz blockade and his feud with the Pope, a new oral history chronicling stark shifts inside the Department of Homeland Security during Trump's second term, and how to unwind authoritarianism after the consequential electoral defeat of Hungary's Viktor Orbán with guest Anne Applebaum. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the joint resignation of Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales after accusations of sexual misconduct became public, why powerful men make such terrible choices, and whether we live in a world where shame still matters. In the latest Gabfest Reads, 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. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Nina Porzucki Research by Emily Ditto You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here. 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. Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park. Follow @SlateGabfest on X / https://twitter.com/SlateGabfest Slate Political Gabfest on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/Gabfest/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Pope Leo XIV, Donald Trump has finally run into someone he can’t silence, threaten, or sully. He’s not taking it gracefully. Guest: Christopher Hale, author of the “Letters from Leo” Substack, “a chronicle of how Pope Leo XIV’s papacy intersects with American politics, faith, and the digital age during the presidency of Donald Trump.” 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 help a mom who has found herself in the middle of a prom dress dilemma. Her daughter fell in love with a dress. Fantastic, right? The problem? Our letter-writer hates it. Should she say something or let her daughter wear whatever she wants? But first, they share their latest triumphs and fails. This week’s roundup includes an emergency room visit, a garden in pre-bloom, and a star on stage. Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Rosemary Belson. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the latest installment of Decoder Rings Back, exclusively for Decoder Ring Plus subscribers, where our host Willa Paskin personally calls our listeners back to solve their cultural mysteries. This time, we hear from Wiliam Miller from Florida who wants to know: Why are participation trophies so polarizing? From stand-up comedians to cable news pundits, many have blamed these plastic trinkets for the supposed downfall of millennials. When did people start handing them out in the first place, and how did they become the center of such furious debate? Stefan Fatsis’ article for Slate, “We’ve Been Handing Out Participation Trophies for 100 Years,” was an invaluable source for this episode. This installment of Decoder Rings Back was produced by Katie Shepherd. Our show is also produced by Willa Paskin, Max Freedman and Evan Chung, Decoder Ring’s 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. Sources for This Episode Berdan, Berdan. “Participation Trophies Send a Dangerous Message,” The New York Times, Oct. 6, 2016. Blanchet, Ben. “North Carolina Republicans Look To Ax Participation Trophies With New Bill,” Apr. 2, 2023. Bosch, Torie. “The Exquisite Shame of the Participation Trophy,” Slate, May 23, 2018. Crelin, Joy. “Participation Trophies: Overview,” EBSCO, 2024. Curtis, Charles. “Louisville women's hoops coach goes off on participation trophies in fiery postgame rant,” USA Today, Dec. 3, 2016. Fatsis, Stefan. “We’ve Been Handing Out Participation Trophies for 100 Years,” Slate, Apr. 10, 2019. “James Harrison won’t let his sons accept participation trophies,” NBC Sports, Aug. 16, 2015. Jeffrey, Nancy Ann. “Trophy Overload,” The Wall Street Journal, Mar. 11, 2005. Latella, Meaghan. “Bryce Harper's advice to little leaguers: 'No participation trophies ... first place only',” ESPN, May 28, 2017. “Many Trophies for Tosser in State Tourney,” Evening Independent, Feb. 8, 1922. Martinez, Victor R. “Participation Trophies Don’t Mean Much,” El Paso Times, Dec. 13, 1998. “Princeton Earns Third Consecutive State Trip,” St. Cloud Times, June 3, 1993. “Soap Box Derby Prizes Listed,” The San Bernardino County Sun, June 16, 1955. Yuzdepski, Zach. “Do Participation Trophies Help or Hurt Kids in Sports?” TeamLinkt, May 21, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week’s bonus episode, Dan Kois, Dana, and Steve take a moment to salute the astronauts of the Artemis II who went farther away from Earth than any human has before and, in the process, made space travel wondrous again. After grossly capitalistic and egoist endeavors from the likes of Musk and Bezos, NASA’s Artemis II provided a rare opportunity for collective awe for the vastness of space and an appreciation for publicly-backed science. In addition to the incredible photos from their space craft, the crew of astronauts inspired a wonderfully reverent piece from Ruth Graham on the front page of The New York Times and produced a truly great internet dog video. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, Dana, Steve, and Dan Kois get into cultural topics of various scales. First, they examine The Christophers, the latest film from Steven Soderbergh. The small scale two-hander starring Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel about an aging artist and an upstart forger is intentionally intimate, but is it too slight? They discuss. Next, they pick up their cultural magnifying glasses to peep at The Miniature Wife, the new marital comedy series starring Matthew Macfadyen and Elizabeth Banks about a scientist who accidentally aims his shrink ray on his wife. Is this diminutive premise too small for its multiple episode execution? They discuss. Finally, they take up the small but mighty objects apparently floating at the bottom of many an it girl’s purse: cigarettes. They respond to a recent piece in the Ankler “Cigarettes Get a Sequel: Hollywood’s ‘Cool’ Bad Habit Is Back.” In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, the panel gazes at the vast expanse of space and talks about Artemis II’s mission to the far side of the moon. Endorsements Dan: The novel Possession by A.S. Byatt. Steve: The essay in New York Review of Books “From the Rooftops of Tehran,” an anonymous first person account of life under fire from American and Israeli bombs. Dana: The radio show Shocking Blue on New York’s WFUV from the DJ Delphine Blue— if you miss it on Saturday nights 8pm-11pm when it airs, check out at WFUV’s archives to listen to episodes after broadcast. -- Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a single weekend, JD Vance managed to flunk out of peace talks with Iran and hitch the Trump wagon to Victor Orban’s star just in time for it to implode. Like Kamala Harris before him, the vice president is getting all the hard, unpopular assignments – and also like Harris, it could cost him his political future. Guest: Asawin Suebsaeng, senior political correspondent with Zeteo, co-author of “Sinking in the Swamp: How Trump's Minions and Misfits Poisoned Washington.” 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 today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate Good Job columnist Laura Helmuth. In a recent Slate piece, Kate spoke to employees who say their bosses’ use of AI is making their work life harder. Laura and Kate discuss why bosses are using AI at such higher rates than their employees, and how employees can push back against their bosses’ attempts to shirk their responsibilities in favor of chatbots. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh join forces one last time to break down (what else?) the week’s top sports stories. Then, the panel is joined by Hang Up all-star guests from across the years (including John Wertheim, Jeff Passan, Louisa Thomas, and more) to share memories from the show’s seventeen-year run and make predictions of the sports world for the next seventeen. Finally, Lindsay closes us out with an Afterball capturing what the WNBA was like seventeen years ago. The Masters: (12:48): Rory is still great The Hang Up Guest All Stars (39:27): “This show was the perfect anti-toxin to sports radio.” Afterballs (1:11:41): One of the most thrilling WNBA Finals occurred in 2009 (not a typo!) (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.) 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.