Slate Debates
Slate Debates is a feed from the Slate podcast network that curates episodes featuring enlightening conversations, opposing viewpoints, and healthy disputes. It draws from shows like What Next, The Waves, and the Political Gabfest, offering deep discussions that go beyond simple point-counterpoint. The podcast aims to shed light on important issues through thoughtful and often contentious dialogue.
Episodes
ICYMI | Twitter Is Dead (Really, We Mean It)
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by The Atlantic staff writer and host of the Galaxy Brain podcast, Charlie Warzel. Charlie has been following the demise of Twitter, now called X, since Elon Musk took over in 2022. While many of Musk’s decisions have prompted people to declare the end of the app, the introduction of a new location feature undermines almost all of what was left of it
ICYMI | Encore: Jubilee Is Making Debating Worse
On today’s encore episode, hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Slate staff writer Aymann Ismail to discuss the controversial YouTube channel, Jubilee. A video of political commentator Mehdi Hasan debating 20 far-right republicans has gone viral, but as Ismail argues in his piece for Slate, it also crossed a line. When political disagreement becomes content and extremism is rewarded wi
ICYMI | Side-Eyeing at H Mart
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by comedian and writer Youngmi Mayer to talk about a controversy that’s divided TikTok: How should Asian people feel about white people in Asian grocery stores? That’s the question creator Madeline Qi didn’t even mean to ask when she posted her now-viral video, which resulted in call-outs, doxxing, and, ultimately, a conversation too nuanced for TikT
ICYMI | Shopping on Etsy Sucks Now
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek, Amanda Mull, to talk about how the enshittification of online shopping came for Etsy. The platform used to be a thoughtful reprieve from the cheap, mass-produced products on Amazon, but now it’s plagued by a number of the same problems. With cheap junk and AI allegations abound, where can the Shein and Te
ICYMI | Okay. Let’s Talk About "Everyone" Getting Skinny
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by culture writer Mikala Jamison to talk about the rise in online concern about celebrities’ bodies. Mikala writes the newsletter Body Type, and her forthcoming book The Forever Project details her recovery from an eating disorder. Following the premiere of movies like Wicked: For Good, fan concern and speculation about celebrity bodies has culminate
ICYMI | Everyone Online Is Going Analog
On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by creator and social media manager Carmen Vicente to chat about the rise of offline hobbies, and how crafts, DVDs, and something called an “analog bag” are being used as acts of rebellion against an overly plugged-in society. But does this really mean the beginning of the end of social media? Probably not. Instead, Carmen shares how apps as we know t
ICYMI | AI Is Changing How We Have Sex
On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by porn historian Noelle Perdue, author of the Porn World newsletter. OpenAI announced that they’d allow adult users to have erotic conversations with ChatGPT, just one more way AI and porn are becoming intertwined. As sex becomes more online, not only does it become more solitary, but also more surveilled. Both of these things are intended to divide
ICYMI | The Two Internet Villains Staging a Comeback
On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by New York Magazine feature writer, Rebecca Jennings, to discuss the two internet villains currently trying to get back in the internet’s good graces. First, there’s former Try Guy Ned Fulmer, who was ousted from the group after having an affair with an employee, and has now relaunched his YouTube channel as well as his own podcast. Then, Colleen Bal
ICYMI | Yes, Having a Boyfriend Is Embarrassing
On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer and content creator Josh Lora, who also goes by TellTheBees. Josh’s Substack essay, Boyfriendland, was cited in the viral Vogue article written by Chanté Joseph, “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?” Many women are hiding their boyfriends online, or losing followers if they hard-launch. Some go as far as to say having a boyfriend “feels
ICYMI | TwitchCon’s Sexual Harassment Problem
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer and streamer Laura Kate Dale to talk about what happened to Emiru at this year’s TwitchCon. The streamer was assaulted during a meet-and-greet, after a number of female streamers had already dropped out of the convention in fear for their safety. What is it about TwitchCon that makes creators feel unsafe, and why are female streamers, in pa
ICYMI | The Streamer and the Shock Collar
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie to talk about Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who some viewers have accused of shocking his dog on his livestream. Winkie spent time with Piker and his dog, Kaya, for Slate earlier this year, and helps debunk the misinformation currently being spread by cloutchasers and right-wing media figures alike. He also answers th
ICYMI | Stop Trying To Make A.I. Trendy
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay get into tech’s latest effort to turn A.I. into a status symbol. Anthropic has been pushing “Thinking” caps into the trendy streets of New York. OpenAI has been handing out awards for power users akin to YouTube subscriber plaques. But one of the worst offenders is Friend, a $129 wearable necklace that spent a million dollars to infiltrate subway stations and bus stops
ICYMI | Podcaster Theo Von Is A Manosphere Mystery
On today’s episode, hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by culture writer Aja Romano to try to make sense of Theo Von. Von was one of the podcasters credited with helping Donald Trump win the election, but in recent months, he’s deviated from the administration when it comes to his views on ICE raids and the war in Gaza. Who is Theo Von, really? What does it mean that influencers like hi
ICYMI | Taylor Swift Is Rewriting Her Internet History
Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim wade through the negative reactions to Taylor Swift’s album The Life of a Showgirl. From outdated meme references to clunky shots at other female artists, Swift’s album indicates an oddly distant relationship with the internet. However, is she a devious online mastermind or a blundering millennial? Plus, why it’s important that this album’s backlash has gone largely un
ICYMI | Jimmy Kimmel & The Death Of Free Speech Online
On today’s episode, hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Spitfire News writer Kat Tenbarge to discuss how reactions to Charlie Kirk’s death are prompting us to reexamine free speech. In her piece, “Is anyone going to defend free speech online?” she explains how this right has long been under threat. From legal challenges to biased algorithms, the internet is being censored right before
ICYMI | Hank Green Started a War With Knitters
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay break down the drama between Vlogbrothers star Hank Green and the online knitting community. Earlier this month, Green posted an educational SciShow episode about the knitting community’s contribution to physics. What the SciShow team didn’t expect were almost 30-minute long reaction videos and accusations of belittling and misogyny. This saga has spurred apology TikTo
ICYMI | Nobody Wants To Party Anymore
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by sociologist and content creator Josh Lora, who goes by @tellthebeees on TikTok and Substack. In his viral piece, “The Mainstreaming of Loserdom,” Lora explores how a generation of people is becoming proudly anti-social, often in favor of staying home on their phones. While less and less people may be partying, they’re not exactly happy about it. A
ICYMI | Does SNL Need Internet Comedians?
Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim dive into the online conversations surrounding recent Saturday Night Live cast announcements. With departing fan favorites (such as Heidi Gardner) come the arrival of new talent, and for the past few years, SNL has been sourcing their talent from your For You Page. From TikTok-prominent comedian Veronika Slowikowska to Dropout regular Jeremy Culhane, what does it mean
ICYMI | Gavin Newsom’s Sh*tposting
On today’s episode, hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie, whose piece “Is This What It Takes to Beat Trump?” examines Gavin Newsom’s latest social media strategy: shitposting. The California governor has started tweeting in the style of Donald Trump to ridicule the president and promote his new redistricting effort in California. It’s also paving the way
ICYMI | The Summer That Broke BookTok
On today’s episode, host Candice Lim tells Kate Lindsay about two recent BookTok conventions that went off the rails. While the first convention become known as the “Fyre Fest” of BookTok, the other faced troubling allegations of sexual assault against an employee. Is BookTok or social media to blame for how often attempts to bring a fandom together end up shattering the community apart?
Get mor
ICYMI | ChatGPT Has Ruined the Em Dash
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay get into the war between em dashes and artificial intelligence. Back in 2024, what started as a developer question became an all-out grammar war, with the use of em dashes becoming a possible indicator that something was written using ChatGPT. In the past week alone, several writers have published their defenses of the em dash and how we shouldn’t let ChatGPT ruin our
ICYMI | Kendra Fell In Love With Her Psychiatrist—Then She Met TikTok
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario to talk about Kendra, the woman whose 25-part TikTok series about falling in love with her psychiatrist has captivated the internet. However, what viewers thought would be the next Reesa Teesa “Who The Fuck Did I Marry?” series turned out to be something much more complicated, as Kendra’s story went from s
ICYMI | Viral Debates: Crossing the Aisle or Clickbait?
On today’s episode, hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Slate staff writer Aymann Ismail to discuss the controversial YouTube channel, Jubilee. A video of political commentator Mehdi Hasan debating 20 far-right republicans has gone viral, but as Ismail argues in his piece for Slate, it also crossed a line. When political disagreement becomes content and extremism is rewarded with clic
ICYMI | Your Next Favorite Book Will Be Fanfiction
Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim discuss the latest in Labubu-land, from a TikTok blackface controversy to leaving one on an iconic anti-capitalist’s grave. Then, they dive into the growing trend of fanfiction getting a big marketing push from the publishing world. From Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis starting as Reylo fanfic to Julie Soto basing her latest novel on a Dramione ship, traditional pu
ICYMI | Calico Critters Are Beefing Thanks To TikTok
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay investigate the disappearance of SylvanianDrama. The creator behind the account gained millions of followers for role-playing salacious narratives with the fuzzy Calico Critters children’s toys, but a copyright lawsuit from the brand itself has threatened the future of the account. Fans of SylvanianDrama are in an uproar, but the story isn’t black and white. Instead, i
ICYMI | “Gen-Z Stare” and the Log-In Epidemic
Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim parse through the annoying practice of logging in and downloading apps. From hiking in the woods to brushing our teeth, it seems like we can’t do anything online these days without being prompted to make an account or download an app. Why do tech companies pressure us to log in all the time? And if we log out, why do they shame us into downloading apps for fast food pl
ICYMI | Encore: Is ChatGPT Your Therapist?
Candice Lim is joined by Dazed senior writer Laura Pitcher to discuss her piece, “Meet the people using ChatGPT as their therapist.” Since ChatGPT’s public release in late 2022, there has been a growing reliance on the artificially intelligent chatbot in people’s everyday lives. TikTok users are talking about the way they use ChatGPT as their therapist, their best friend, their life organizer, and
ICYMI | Not Even Lawsuits Can Stop AI
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Slate senior tech editor Tony Ho Tran to parse through what Meta’s victory in a recent AI lawsuit means for its users. Tools like ChatGPT are becoming more common at home and at work, but without protections, they could threaten not just the creativity of artists, but anyone who posts online. As regulation lags behind, how can we protect ourselves? And ho
ICYMI | The Most Famous Facelift on TikTok
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay discuss an American woman in her 50s who is going viral for her plastic surgery journey. Michelle Wood is a mom who traveled to Guadalajara to undergo several procedures, including a facelift and a chin implant. She documented her journey before and after the procedure, creating intrigue, curiosity, and surprisingly positive responses online. TikTok reacted similarly w
ICYMI | Is Partiful Cancelled?
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay start off with two sounds of the summer from a divisive Love Island USA contestant and a popstar “standing on business.” Then, they explain the controversy brewing behind Partiful, the hip event invite app that was a rising star in the tech world, until an NYC Noise blog post brought up that Partiful’s co-founders used to work at Palantir Technologies. Palantir is a da
Amicus | Sneak Preview: Unanimous Opinions Out Front, Desperate Dealmaking Out Back
This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)Also! Sign up for Slate’s Legal Brief: the latest coverage of the courts and the law straight to your inbox. Delivered every Tuesday.
Dahlia Lithwick hosts an 'Opin
ICYMI: Kate Mackz Can’t Outrun Politics
Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim check in with the “Caveman Skincare” method and they pour one out for Skype. Then, they dive into the internet controversy surrounding a TikTok running influencer and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Kate Mackz is the host of a TikTok series called The Running Interview Show where she jogs with celebrities. Last week, Mackz — who up until this point, did n
Culture Gabfest | Seth Rogen’s Love/Hate Letter to Hollywood
On this week’s show, the hosts discuss Apple TV’s latest ode (tragic comedy?) to the movie industry with The Studio. Then, they step up to the plate and take a swing at the baseball film Eephus. Finally, they invite Slate’s Rebecca Onion to discuss the new edition to Panem’s dystopia: Suzanne Collin’s Sunrise on the Reaping.
Endorsements:
Dana: A French Village Podcast
Steve: “Personal Responsibi
Culture Gabfest: Netflix’s Incel Tragedy Adolescence
On this week’s show, Slate’s Rebecca Onion sits in for Julia. The team discusses Netflix’s current number 1 program Adolescence and what it says about how the descent into incel culture starts young. They then invite Chris Molanphy to talk about Lady Gaga’s new album, MAYHEM. They close out with a discussion on Trump's continued assault against DEI, this time holding funding over the heads of publ
Culture Gabfest: Cate Blanchett Is a Sexy Super Spy
On this week’s show, Slate’s Dan Kois sits in for Stephen Metcaff. The hosts discuss the new Mr. & Mrs. Smith-like film Black Bag, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. Then they dive into the “inconvenient” Hulu show Deli Boys. They end by discussing the legacy of Dave Eggers’ phenomenal memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.
Endorsements:
Dana: The television show A French
Culture Gabfest: Meghan Markle Sprinkles Potpourri on You
On this week’s show, we throw a flower-sprinkled dinner party for a space clone (personal beehive not included).
Slate culture staff writer Nadira Goffe sits in for Dana, and the hosts discuss the new Bong Joon Ho film Mickey 17, followed by Meghan Markle's uncanny homemaking show With Love, Meghan on Netflix.
Finally, we invite Slate writer Dan Kois to discuss his new cover story “How Giant Whit
Culture Gabfest: Zero Day Makes Robert De Niro a Befuddled President
On this week’s show, no amount of star power can save a “screamingly stupid show.” (Sorry, Robert De Niro et al.)
With Sam Adams—Slate Senior Editor and Staff Writer—sitting in for Dana, the team talks about the Netflix political thriller series Zero Day. Then they remember the career of Gene Hackman and end with their thoughts about this Atlantic article on navigating optimism during times of cr
Culture Gabfest: The Oscars Go Streaming
On this week’s show, we preview the Oscars and Trump’s demolition throughout renowned institutions of art.
Isaac Butler — author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act and host of the new Criterion Channel series, The Craft of Acting — sits in for Stephen Metcalf.
First, the hosts discuss I’m Still Here and the continued addition of non-English speaking films getting some of the b
Culture Gabfest: Congratulations! You Finally Got Your Severance.
On this week’s show, Slate Business and Tech reporter Nitish Pahwa sits in for Julia. The panel discusses Severance season 2 from Apple TV+. They then talk about the Oscar-nominated film No Other Land – a Palestinian documentary following a young activist fighting his community's mass expulsion by Israeli occupation. They end by discussing Nitish’s recent reporting on Buzzfeed’s upcoming AI-infuse
Culture Gabfest: The SNL 50th Anniversary Industrial Complex
On this week’s show, the hosts reflect on 50 years of music, culture, and comedy with the 50th anniversary of SNL and QuestLove’s new documentary Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music. For that, the team is joined by Jason Zinoman, critic at large for culture at The New York Times.
Then they discuss the Oscar-nominated animated film Flow – where we follow the adventures of an unlikely group of
Culture Gabfest: Noah Wyle Lures Us Into The Pitt
On this week’s show, the hosts discuss Max’s new medical drama The Pitt – a show that we legally can’t call an ER reboot but does have Noah Wyle donning scrubs and handling the next bodily emergency yet again. Our regular hosts also discuss an article from the Intelligencer, The Cruel Kids’ Table about how young Republicans now feel empowered to bring cruelty back into public discourse. Finally, w
Culture Gabfest: One of Them Movies About Women That Stuns Hollywood by Being a Hit
On this week’s show, Dan Kois sits in for Dana Stevens. First, the hosts discuss One of Them Days, a new buddy comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA that’s quickly becoming a critical darling — and a box office success. Then, they dive into Asura, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Netflix show that’s about the dynamics between three sisters and is “totally uninterested in the rhythms of a TV sho
Culture Gabfest: Chalamet Goes Electric
On this week’s show, the hosts dive into A Complete Unknown, director James Mangold’s surprisingly charming Bob Dylan biopic that’s all about fame and what it looks like to be adjacent to it. Then, the three explore Dick Wolf’s latest project: On Call, a half-hour cop procedural set in Long Beach, California that’s streaming on Prime Video. Finally, the trio remembers David Lynch, the iconic, sing
Culture Gabfest: Babygirls and Nickel Boys
On this week’s show, Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe sits in for Stephen. First, the panel explores Babygirl and its kinks. The latest feature from Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn stars Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, and is fascinated by sex (mostly, as a concept.) Then, the three puzzle over Nickel Boys and the film’s audacious use of first-person point-of-view in filmmaker RaMell Ross’ a
Well, Now: The Future of Wellness
After a year of nuanced conversations on wellness, we say goodbye by reflecting on how these discussions expanded what it means to live a full, well-balanced life.
We’re also joined again by longevity expert Dr. Darshan Shah to discuss what needs to change to make wellness more accessible for everyone.
Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.
Edit
Well, Now: Is Longer Life Really Possible?
For eons, humans have been trying to find ways to live longer.
It’s a quest that’s inspired legends and myths across cultures and continues to fuel controversy in the health and wellness industry today.
On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with Dr. Darshan Shah to better understand longevity science and hear about his journey from performing surgery to creating the longevity clinic Next
Well, Now: Staying Sober This Holiday Season
For many, the holiday season is both a joyful time with friends and family and a period of high stress with dangerous ways to cope. This can be especially challenging for people with substance use disorder.
On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita discuss addiction and recovery with Zac Clark. Reality TV fans may remember him as a contestant on The Bachelorette, where he opened up about
Well, Now: Getting to the Heart of Hormonal Health
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, No
Well, Now: Weed’s Growing (and Alarming) Side Effects
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
Well, Now: Can Kids Be Healthy at Any Size?
We live in a weight-obsessed world, and children are not immune.
From the moment a child is born, their weight and height are tracked and recorded. Then throughout their development, these metrics are used as one of the main factors to determine their health.
But as the Health at Every Size (HAES) philosophy continues to gain traction for some adults, is there use for it as a part of growing child
Well, Now: What It’s Really Like to Take Ozempic
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, WeGovy, Mounjaro and others revolutionized weight loss and chronic weight management. But what does it feel like for the patients who take them?
On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya talk with journalist and author Johann Hari. Over the course of a year, Johann dived into the research and history behind GLP-1 drugs and how they became the latest and most eff
Care & Feeding: My Mom’s Obsessed With My Baby
On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak help a member of the Slate Parenting Facebook group who’s struggling with wrangling her new baby… and the baby’s very clingy new grandma. Grandma’s struggled with loneliness and is-over-the-moon about the baby. But is it time to set some boundaries? And how many photos is too many?
We also check in on what’s happening in the hosts’ lives right now. And the
Hear Me Out: Podcasting Is Dead
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: a fond farewell.
This is the last episode of Hear Me Out. And it comes at a volatile, strange time in the world of podcasting. Networks’ priorities have shifted, the money has shifted, and “success” means different things to different people.
Nick Hilton of Podot and Future Proof joins us for a discussion about the future of podcasting… whether we’re in it or
What Next | Should Parents Face Charges for Kids’ Crimes?
After the school shooting in Georgia last week, charges were brought against the 14-year-old alleged gunman—and also against his father. Who’s really responsible?
Guest: Josie Duffy Rice, journalist focused on prosecutors, prisons, and other criminal justice issues and host of What A Day.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and a
Hear Me Out: Presidential Pardons Need Reform
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: pardon interruption.
What’s the purpose of the presidential pardon? Well, depends on who you ask — hypothetically, it’s meant for course-correction and honoring restorative justice. But presidents on both ends of the spectrum have used it for purposes that are distinctly not that. So do we need the pardon or do we need to get rid of it… and either way, what’s ne
Hear Me Out: There’s No Lesser-Evil Candidate
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: PSL (not the drink).
Claudia de la Cruz cannot, mathematically, win the presidency. But she’s running anyway… because the two-party system doesn’t lend itself to real representation or the public interest.
Claudia joins us to make the case for voting socialist, because the parties with all the power aren’t as different as they want you to think.
We’ll also sha
Hear Me Out: Schools Do Too Much (Often Badly)
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: sharpen up.
Public schooling in this country has had a lot of champions — including some that you might not expect. But did we ever actually agree on what we wanted schools to do for society?
Elizabeth Newcamp of Slate’s Care & Feeding joins us to argue for a reappraisal of the whole system… and what it means to educate.
If you have thoughts you want to share,
Hear Me Out: Fact-Checks Make Audiences Suspicious
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: pants on fire.
The fact-check is a critical tool in the journalist’s toolbox – and now more than ever, it’s a key part of the job. The problem is that it’s already hard to make the case that definitive “true and false” designations exist anymore… and, it turns out, audiences might be made more suspicious of journalists who fact check, not less.
Randy Stein of C
Well, Now: No, Netflix Isn’t Forcing You to Go Vegan
Research going back decades shows adding more fruits, vegetables, and non-animal sources of protein helps us live longer, healthier lives.
A study featured in the Netflix docuseries You Are What You Eat: A Twin Study took that to the next level.
Stanford researchers asked 22 sets of identical twins to go 8 weeks eating a healthy, varied diet and regularly exercising. One twin ate an omnivore die
Hear Me Out: The Olympics Are a Tool of Oppression
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: opening ceremonies (and a can of worms).
We come to you midway through the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. But amid the patriotism, athletic prowess, and sheer spectacle of these games — the most watched and streamed to date, by some measures — there’s also concerns about geopolitical power, human rights abuses, and the facilitation of facism.
MacIntosh Ross of
Hear Me Out: Pop Stars Run Politics Now
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: who runs the world?
Kamala Harris is having a brat summer, which means that you’re likely seeing lots of questions about what brat summer is and why anyone cares. But the meme being co-opted by the Harris campaign is just a small piece of the bigger puzzle.
Writer and podcast host H. Alan Scott joins Hear Me Out to argue that pop stars have a huge amount of pol
Hear Me Out: You Don’t Need A BFF
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: make the friendship bracelets. Or don’t.
Like all relationships, friendships can grow, change… and, yes, end. Sometimes for good reason. But we romanticize the BFF as the goal – to find your person – and that might not be realistic.
Author and podcast host Kristen Meinzer joins us to make the case for not needing a best friend forever.
If you have thoughts
Hear Me Out: AI’s Threat to Democracy Flopped
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: tried and Turing tested.
Coming into the 2024 election cycle, generative AI was one of the main concerns for democracy watchdogs; its power to create deceptive text, images and sounds at a rapid, unfettered pace seems ripe to spread misinformation. But of all the controversies and current events that have shaped the election thus far… AI, somehow, might not be o
Well, Now: The Full Truth About Ozempic
Few drugs in the last century have changed the landscape of healthcare and weight management like GLP-1 agonist drugs — drugs like Ozempic and WeGovy.
On this week’s episode of Well, Now we talk with Harvard professor and clinician Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford.
Her research revolutionized obesity medicine and helped pave the way to get a diabetes drug approved for treating a condition millions have i
Hear Me Out: Jeff Bezos Could Save The Post (Again)
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: Bezos vs. the British invasion.
The Washington Post, like most legacy media outlets, can’t seem to catch a break. Right now, the newsroom is reeling under leadership changeups — and an editor who’s part of what appears to be a British invasion into American media leadership.
It’s hard to imagine Jeff Bezos, a soon-to-be trillionaire, as anyone’s folk hero. Whe
Hear Me Out: Federal Job Training Doesn’t Work
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: get back to work.
When your job becomes obsolete, is it the government’s job to teach you to do something else?
That’s the theory behind federal workforce training programs – which have existed, in various forms, for a long time. The problem is that studies are starting to show that these programs don’t provide much of an edge to workers… and that the jobs the
Well, Now: Psychedelics' Long Strange Trip to the Doctor's Office
For years, psychiatrists have been researching new methods to help people with treatment-resistant mental illness. These include severe cases of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other debilitating diagnoses.
One type of drug has seen some positive results in clinical trials: psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, and LSD.
In professional medical settings, they’re used as a pa
Hear Me Out: Tradwives Show Us Feminism’s Failures
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: aprons off.
Has there ever been a better time to be a woman in America? Probably not… but that’s a low bar. Modern feminism is having trouble making a case for itself, in the face of a challenging economy and backslides in reproductive rights. So when women on social media present themselves as traditional wives and homemakers, achieving the self-actualization o
Hear Me Out: Pride Is For Everyone (Except Cops and Politicians)
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: all aren’t welcome.
Pride Month festivities have a complicated legacy. On the one hand, being out, proud and supportive in public has been a game-changing force for the LGBTQ+ community; on the other hand, pride began as a protest, and the movement has been, and is, at odds with the status quo and acceptability politics.
So, should uniformed cops be welcome at
Hear Me Out: Biden Is Courting Voters Who Don’t Exist
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: base instincts.
Democratic strategists are reportedly freaking out about Joe Biden. Despite his opponent’s felony convictions, Biden remains unpopular and isn’t polling well in swing states. Young voters are mad about his handling of the war in Gaza; many Americans remain convinced that the economy is bad and the president is to blame for it.
So if strategists’
Hear Me Out: Election Betting Should Be Legal
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: placing bets.
Betting on the results of elections is illegal in the United States – though that hasn’t stopped sportsbooks overseas from cashing in. And that doesn’t mean that Americans haven’t placed bets on election results in the U.S., either; that’s a tradition that dates back centuries.
There’s a push now to make elections betting legal on American soil —
Hear Me Out: Term Limits Could Ruin Congress
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: self-limiting.
Congress is historically unpopular; it’s one of the few things that people on both sides of the aisle can agree on. But what could be done to actually fix our legislature?
Term limits are often posed as a good potential start. But there are those who argue that that’s not the best way to fix our legislature — and the pool of people who feel that
Well, Now | “As Little Regulation as Guns”: How Social Media Hurts Youth Mental Health
Youth mental health has hit a crisis point.
Just last year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory connecting young people’s use of social media with adverse mental health outcomes.
But Murthy and other public health leaders are fighting back, including New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan. He’s leading the charge against social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snapch
Hear Me Out: Colonialism Never Ended
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: don’t scare me like that, colonizer.
Understanding the legacy of colonialism is a project relatively few Americans have undertaken — and most have done so only relatively recently, at that.
But understanding the forces that led to the foundation of this country, and the creation of modern racism as we know it, is an important project. And it’s one that is also
Hear Me Out: Trump Isn’t a Bug. He's a Feature.
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: live from Seattle.
Hear Me Out had its first-ever live show on May 4, 2024 — and it was such a great conversation that we wanted to make sure our podcast listeners heard it, too.
The Cascade PBS Ideas Festival was full of smart, unconventional thinkers on the biggest issues facing this country… so what better place to have a conversation about Donald Trump, an
Hear Me Out: Punishing A Shooter’s Parents Misses The Point
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: prosecuting parents.
Ethan Crumbley’s parents didn’t pull the trigger that killed 4 students in 2021 — but they’ve been sentenced to prison time for it all the same.
School shootings are devastatingly common in this country, but punishing the parents of the killer is a new tactic of handling the aftermath. Even if you think the Crumbleys were bad parents, thou
Hear Me Out: Student Protests Can Backfire (Badly)
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: solidarity?
College campuses across the country are grappling with protests and occupations in the name of a free Palestine. Many hundreds of students, faculty, and outside community members have been arrested in tense clashes with police — called onto campuses by the universities themselves.
Student protestors have shaped public discourse on matters like war
What Next: The Jewish Case for Protest
As some members of Congress call for crackdowns, how do college administrators ensure the safety of their entire student body – while also respecting its right to free speech?
Guest: Peter Beinart, Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents and the author of “The Beinart Notebook” on Substack.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and acr
What Next: Columbia Calls the Cops
Protests at Columbia University have become a talking point across national media, but does the situation on campus actually resemble the one in the press?
Guest: Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer.
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
Hear Me Out: Third Parties Are Saving Democracy
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: nobody wins with two parties.
A competitive presidential election draws closer every day – and as ever, every vote will count. So is it fair to accuse third-party voters of wasting a vote, as often happens? Or are third-party candidates actually preserving what little we have left of a competitive democracy?
Bernard Tamas of Valdosta State University joins us
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