Slate Technology

As other tech companies that rode the pandemic to success started sinking, Instacart managed to stay above water—they turned a profit and even made it to an IPO. But a stubbornly static stock price has some asking if Instacart—and the whole gig economy—hasn’t already peaked.   Guest: Erin Griffith, who reports on tech startups and venture capital for the New York Times 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Kashmir Hill to talk about her new book, Your Face Belongs to Us. They dig into the way facial recognition technology is used in unexpected (and sometimes creepy) ways. They also talk about the A.I. revolution and Rupert Murdoch’s “exit” from the Fox empire.  In the Plus segment: Kashmir talks about tracking her husband.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Alexia Fawcett, a PhD candidate in linguistics at UC Santa Barbara and Kendra Calhoun, an assistant professor of linguistic anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Calhoun and Fawcett wrote a presentation titled, “They edited out her nip-nops: Linguistic innovation as textual censorship avoidance on TikTok,” which explored both the ways in which and the reason behind why users have developed language like “unalived” and “seggs.” And while these neologisms originate on TikTok, their increasingly-wide adoption is causing concern among observers who notice a perhaps unnecessarily-broad softening of language across social media. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sword of regulation, which has been swinging over New York AirBnBs for over a decade, is falling at last. But will new laws for short-term rentals have the effect housing advocates are hoping for? And after many failed efforts, can these laws actually be enforced?  Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, Slate writer covering tech and business. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Jane Marie, the host of the award-winning podcast The Dream which recently released it’s highly-anticipated third season all about life coaches. The two discuss the rise of life coaching and it’s connection to the MLM universe, how the internet has accelerated the life coach boom and what exactly the American Dream has to do with any of this. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. With special thanks to Vic Whitley-Berry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Criminals series, the gang talks with Rebecca Jarvis, host of “The Dropout” about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. Who were the real victims of Holmes’ crimes? How did her lofty goals drift into scandal? And where does she sit on a scale of “one to evil”? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Jane Friedman, author of The Business of Being a Writer and the publisher of Hot Sheet, a newsletter about the publishing industry. The three discuss Friedman’s recent battle with AI-generated books that were being published and sold under her name on Amazon. Friedman published a blog about the saga titled “I Would Rather See My Books Get Pirated Than This (Or: Why Goodreads and Amazon are Becoming Dumpster Fires)” detailing the dangers that the increasingly prolific practice presents to authors and the publishing industry at large. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act has noble-sounding intentions, but has been called one of the most dangerous bills in years by the digital rights group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Guest: Richard Blumenthal, senior United States senator from Connecticut.  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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A trial a decade in the making has started, as the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google and its unrivaled position as the top search engine begins. Is this the beginning of the government “taking on Big Tech” and the end of Google as we know it? Guest: Leah Nylen, covering antitrust for Bloomberg. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Zak Rosen, Jamilah Lemieux, and Elizabeth Newcamp talk about parenting digital citizens.  Elizabeth sits down with author and speaker Dr. Devorah Heitner about her latest book, Growing Up in Public. The book helps guide parents through navigating social media and phone usage for their kids — and the privacy, freedom, and surveillance issues that come along with phones.  We also go over our week in parenting. And then, for Slate Plus, we’ll debrief on our conversation with Devorah — and how the hosts handle screentime and internet access in their own households. Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@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 an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton are joined by Slate business and tech writer Nitish Pahwa to describe his recent piece on the deranged world of vintage fast-food training videos. In the depths of Youtube, videos from companies like McDonald’s, Hardee’s, and Jack in the Box depict a bygone era where employees were trained by animated burgers and celebrity cameos. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Coco Krumme to discuss her book Optimal Illusions: The False Promise of Optimization.  In the Plus segment: The story in Felix’s newsletter today on why the city of Birmingham in the UK has gone bankrupt.   Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID’s still here but the public’s appetite for masking, social distancing, or remote learning is long gone. One palatable way to stop the spread: improving air circulation indoors.  Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter for the New York Times 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice field a listener question about Bloom, the green powder nutrition company that’s popping up all over TikTok. They’re joined by health and wellness writer Julia Craven to talk about Bloom’s virality and what we should know before jumping on the green powder bandwagon. But first, they break down Tinder’s latest villain: the Tabi Swiper. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Howard County signed a $27 million contract with the start-up Zum, the company promised to modernize the way schools provide transportation. But when the school year started, that’s not what happened. Guest: Daniel Zawodny, covering transportation for the Baltimore Banner and corps member of Report For America. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s rush time! Host Kat Chow is diving deep into the #BamaRush phenomenon that has taken over the internet recently. She’s joined by professor and New York Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom to talk about her recent article, “In Alabama, White Tide Rushes On” They dig into the very specific “type” of college student that joins the Alabama sorority, the race and gender implications of the Greek “Machine” and the cuteness of it all.  Fighter Reading: Our Aesthetic Categories: Zany, Cute, Interesting by Sianne Ngai HBO documentary Bama Rush (2023) directed by Rachel Fleit In Slate Plus: Unpacking Tressie’s piece The Enduring, Invisible Power of Blond, and all the internet chaos it caused. If you liked this episode, check out: How Drake Betrayed Megan Thee Stallion    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode brought to us by Slate’s The Waves, Tory Lanez has been sentenced for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, and we have THOUGHTS. Scamfluencers co-host and former BuzzFeed reporter Scaachi Koul is joined by Refinery29 deputy director Kathleen Newman-Bremang to unpack why so many people turned against Megan despite Tory Lanez being a wasteman. They explain what exactly is a “Toronto Mans” and why this dangerous subsection of man is crossing American borders in the forms of Drake, the Weeknd, and more. If you liked this episode, check out: The World Record Book of Racist Stories Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Scaachi Koul, Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon and Elizabeth Spiers speak with Tom Wright, the author of Billion Dollar Whale to discuss Malaysian fraudster Jho Low. They talk about how he used political connections to live a lavish lifestyle and buy Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.  Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It wasn’t long ago when social media was a place to go for up-to-the-minute updates in an emergency. But even as internet access is more widespread than ever—and natural disasters more frequent—Twitter and Facebook are less useful than ever. As hubs for news, that era appears over.  Guest: Will Oremus, tech reporter for the Washington Post. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by sustainable stylist and fashion educator Lakyn Carlton to discuss TikTok Shop — a new feature that lets users purchase products without ever leaving the app. TikTok Shop is a modern day QVC, where merchants can shell products they’ve made — or are authorized to resell — in live videos with products tagged on screen. In the age of Amazon Storefronts and Etsy, it’s not surprising for TikTok to enter the e-commerce space. But the crowded, merchant-filled experience has ruined the app’s appeal and made users consider quitting TikTok for good. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the state of working in the United States three years after the COVID pandemic began. They discuss the latest in the efforts in the SEC’s attempts to litigate cryptocurrencies. And finally, can you be a guilt-free investor?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.  Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Janelle Shane about her short story “The Skeleton Crew.” The House of A.I. is a next-level haunted house: In it, a suite of advanced A.I.s read visitors’ facial expressions to generate perfectly tailored scares. Or at least, that’s what the marketing materials want you to believe. It turns out, the house is actually operated by a group of underpaid gig workers, tasked with posing as spooky A.I.s as they guide visitors through the mansion. When two gunmen sneak into the house in search of a famous rock artist who’s there visiting, things go south quickly—and everyone ends up really grateful for the humans behind the house’s spooky machines. After the story, Maddie and Janelle discuss why the human workers behind A.I. are so often invisibilized—and why you should be suspicious when a company oversells its tech. Guests: Janelle Shane is a research scientist. She writes about A.I. on her blog, aiweirdness.com, and she’s also the author of You Look Like a Thing and I Love You. Story read by Kat Bohn Podcast production by Tiara Darnell You can skip all the ads in Future Tense Fiction by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/plus for just $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Dr. Orna Guralnik (host of Showtime's Couples Therapy) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about what to do when a friend is obsessed with misogynistic love and relationship podcasts, when your husband just can’t figure out birthday gifts, and when you’re wondering “Does therapy just not work for me?” If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.  Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.  Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Twitt—sorry, X—continues to go through tumult, an unlikely, long-time player is emerging as the last acceptable place to post. Guest: Sarah Frier, tech editor at Bloomberg Businessweek. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Evan Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Award-winning journalist Dashka Slater joins to talk about her new book, Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed. It’s a story of a teen sharing extremely racist memes and photos of classmates on a private instagram and what happened when the account was discovered. It led to even more hurt, protests, botched mediation, and a community-wide conversation about justice and what it means to be complicit.  Besides the interview, hosts Jamilah Lemieux, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Zak Rosen share their parenting ups and downs of the week—including a late night before the first day of kindergarten and big-kid summer camp. Then, on Slate Plus: we share lots of listener letters ranging from two player games to suggestions for handling the great bathroom conundrum of 2023.  Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@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 an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As an end of summer treat, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim dive deep into the drama that engulfed BookTok earlier this August. Over the spring and early summer, hockey-themed romance novels enjoyed a rise in the BookTok charts, a rise that led to an influx of new fans into the hockey community. One team in particular, the Seattle Krakens, became the unofficial team of BookTok, with Swedish player Alex Wennberg receiving special attention. Sexualized commentary by content creators like Kierra Lewis was both tacitly and overtly encouraged by the Kraken, who flew Lewis out to games. All of this changed when Wennberg’s wife asked fans to stop posting sexualized content about her husband, a request that sent HockeyTok into a tailspin. So, what does this all mean in an era where loud and overt female desire is not only celebrated but monetized? Is there a difference between thirsting loudly for celebrities like Chris Evans and minor stars like Wennberg? And has internet thirst perhaps gone too far? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most pet food is made from the byproducts of the meat that we, humans, eat. Recently, there’s been a rise in high-end pet food products - including things like lab-grown meat - that are touted as sustainable options for your furry friend. But a closer look raises questions about whether or not this food is actually better for the environment. Guest: Chloe Sorvino, writer for Forbes and the author of the book Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat. Special thanks to Patrick Fort and Garbanzo.  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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speak with author and academic Bjorn Lomborg about his latest book, “Best Things First”. How does Bjorn’s advice differ from effective altruism? And where should you donate your own money? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton walk through Addison Rae’s quest for Hollywood stardom. They run through her moments of flop before the release of AR, a collection of Rae’s leaked music from her “lost album.” Then, Candice and Rachelle are joined by Pitchfork associate editor Cat Zhang to break down her bold and delicious review of “I Got It Bad.” This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the spring, it looked like TikTok was on the verge of being banned in America. Since then, it’s continued operating business as usual.  But this week, it was revealed that ByteDance and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States came close to striking a deal that would allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. The negotiations give a glimpse into how social media—and by extension speech itself—could be regulated on the internet. Guest: Emily Baker-White, tech reporter and senior writer at Forbes 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie to discuss his recent profile of Critical Role’s Matthew Mercer. Launched by Mercer and his friends in 2015, Critical Role is undoubtedly a megahit, boasting over 600 million views on YouTube. As Winkie wrote in his profile, “A 2021 data leak out of Twitch confirmed that Critical Role is one of the richest channels on the platform, generating a mammoth $9.6 million in revenue between 2019 and 2021.” Hampton, Lim and Winkie discuss the appeal of Critical Role, the so-called “Mercer Effect” and whether Critical Role’s success indicates that Dungeons & Dragons is no longer just the domain of the proudly geeky. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sorting through a loved one’s things after they’ve died can be an emotional, difficult chore. But now, added to that, people have to sort through the deceased’s password-protected online presence.  Guests: Kate Lindsay, author of the internet culture newsletter Embedded and the article “My Mom Will Email Me After She Dies” in the Atlantic. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dive deep into the mystery shrouding Lil Tay, a 14-year-old influencer who went viral in 2018 for being the “youngest flexer of the century.” In the years since her arrival onto the scene, Lil Tay has been hounded by controversy concerning her parents custodial battle, allegations of abuse and suggestions of exploitation. When rumors started swirling early last week that the 14-year-old and her older brother had passed, online speculation began in earnest, speculation that was in no way stemmed by news that Lil Tay and her brother are alive. Since the dawn of social media, content created about and by children has been inescapable—and extremely profitable. As these children reach adulthood, a national reckoning similar to the one that led to the Coogan Law seems inevitable. But who will have suffered before that reckoning comes? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At first, cryptocurrency seemed like the solution to the problems sex workers have had with traditional banks. But as the US moves to regulate the crypto industry, many are finding it hasn’t worked out like they hoped.  Guests: Joel Khalili, reporter at Wired Liara Roux, sex worker, organizer, and writer You can check out Joel’s reporting in Wired here.  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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Candice Lim is joined by Slate producer Cheyna Roth to dissect the recent troubling events that happened on Below Deck: Down Under. Two crew members were fired after separate filmed incidents of sexual harassment and misconduct, and viewers have been praising several cast members for stepping up and doing the right thing. The underappreciated spinoff is now being heralded as the sea of change this outdated and repeatedly toxic franchise needs. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Zak Rosen talks with Phillip Maciak, TV critic with The New Republic, teacher at Washington University in St. Louis, and author of the book, Avidly Reads Screen Time. He explains where the concept of screen time started and how it became this marker of good (or bad) parenting.  Recommendations:  Zak: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie + The “Mouse Game” Jamilah: The Barbie movie Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@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 an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When conservative writer Richard Hanania’s old posts, originally published under a pseudonym, came to light, people were shocked at just how racist and reactionary they were. Perhaps less shocking were the tech moguls who were revealed to be supporting him.  Guest: Anil Dash, technologist and writer, and the head of Glitch 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Cardiff Garcia (host of The New Bazaar) to discuss ESPN’s big new investment in sports betting. They break down the state of a lawsuit over how much UFC fighters get paid. Finally, they talk about the increasing allure of private credit.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Candice is joined by Vivian Yoon, the writer and host of K-Pop Dreaming. They dissect the hype surrounding K-pop viral sensation NewJeans, talk about the musical influences that make them stand out, and share their own experiences growing up with K-pop. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton, Candice Lim and Daisy Rosario, with special thanks to Emily Charash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A “smart gun” is designed to only work in the hands of the gun’s proper owner. With the first smart gun potentially coming to market later this year, can the tech deliver on its promise? Guests:  Champe Barton, reporter at the Trace Kai Kloepfer, founder and CEO of Biofire 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Daisy Rosario give their takes on Doja Cat’s latest controversy: hating her fans. They trace her long-documented and problematic history with the internet, then ask how much a fandom can endure before the unstanning process begins. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a quiet spring, COVID is surging back for the fourth consecutive summer. So, is this just life now?  Guest: Katherine Wu, staff writer at the Atlantic 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mosh pit has a reputation as a violent place where (mostly) white guys vent their aggression. There’s some truth to that, but it’s also a place bound by camaraderie and—believe it or not—etiquette. In this episode, we explore the unwritten rules of this 50-year-old live-music phenomenon with punks, concertgoers, and a heavy-metal physicist. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin with Katie Shepherd. This episode was written by Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Willa Paskin and Andrea Bruce, with help from Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Thank you to Vivien Goldman, Paolo Ragusa, and Philip Moriarty, whose insights and research on moshing were crucial to this episode. You can create your own mosh pit using this simulator developed by Jesse Silverberg and his colleagues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tesla sold a vision of how electric vehicles would work: just like gas-powered cars, but cleaner, better. But as a scandal about misrepresented battery life and driving range unfolds, and the price of their cars remains high, it increasingly looks like the transition will be anything but seamless—if it happens at all.  Guest: Edward Niedermeyer, author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors. You can check out Reuters reporting on Tesla’s range scandal here.  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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Slate’s Evan Chung was a kid, he was obsessed with a mysterious advertisement that ran for decades in the scouting magazine Boys’ Life. Under the enticing headline “You Can Float on Air,” the ad assured Evan—and generations of scouts—that a personal hovercraft could be theirs for just a few bucks.  In this episode, the adult version of Evan journeys halfway across the country to wield power tools, summon his latent scouting skills, and conscript his father into a quest three decades in the making.  Will Evan float on air? Scout’s honor: You’ll just have to listen.  This episode was written by Evan Chung, who produced this episode with Decoder Ring’s Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. It was edited by Willa Paskin and Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe and rate our feed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends. If you’re a fan of the show and want to support us, consider signing up for Slate Plus. As a member, you’ll get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads—and your support is crucial to our work. Go to slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dive deep into the ethics of AI-generated music. Since the days of Alan Turing, music created by computational models has been inextricably bound up with technological process. But now that tools like Voicify.AI are going viral on TikTok and the Recording Academy has updated their rules to allow music created with AI tools to be eligible for Grammy consideration, is it already too late to consider the musicians whose work will be made obsolete by AI? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent public hearing, three government officials told Congress that not only are “unidentified anomalous phenomena” real, they’re a major national security concern. But one witness took his testimony even further, claiming the government possesses materials of “non-human origin.” How much do we really know about UAPs – or, as they’re more commonly known, UFOs? And now that Congress is involved, are we about to learn a whole lot more?  Guest: Garrett Graff, contributor at WIRED magazine; author of the forthcoming book, “UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here—and Out There” 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 the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s 2023 – and less than half of all Americans have returned to the office full time. That means U.S. downtowns from San Francisco to New York are emptier than they’ve been in decades. Offices are actually trending away from policies that mandate returning five days a week. So, how can cities get creative – and develop some new ways to boost the local economy? Guest: Henry Grabar, Slate staff writer 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 the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the tentative agreement between UPS and their unionized workers. They discuss how Goldman Sachs’ Apple credit card went bad, and a new study reveals how household income influences Ivy League admission rates. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Andrew Silverman about his short story “Furgen.” Tucker, the story’s canine protagonist, is the center of his owner Caro’s world. When Caro buys an A.I.-enabled dog trainer that promises to help both her and Tucker live their best lives, everything starts to fall into place—the A.I. takes care of Tucker when he’s sick, trains him to walk without a leash, and even helps Caro get a girlfriend. But as Tucker’s bond with the A.I. deepens, optimizing for their best lives starts to mean something much different than what Caro originally had in mind. After the story, Maddie asks Andrew about how his own experiences as a dog owner—and a pediatric neurologist—influenced the story. Plus, Maddie talks with canine behavioral scientist Clive Wynne, who wrote a response essay to Andrew’s story, about whether a dog could really fall in love with a robot. Guests: Andrew Silverman is a pediatric neurologist and the author of “Furgen.” Clive Wynne is a professor of psychology and director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University. He is also the author of Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You. Story read by Peggy O’Neal Podcast production by Tiara Darnell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice reach into the ICYMI mailbag to answer why TikTokers are pretending to be video game characters, how a city girl became an anti-feminist prairie wife, and why snacktime is getting an obnoxious rebrand. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a White House summit late last week, some of the biggest names in tech - including Meta, Google and OpenAI - signed “voluntary” commitments to safeguard artificial intelligence. In Congress, Senate Leader Chuck Schumer recently introduced a “legislative framework” for A.I. law… but as they debate and deliberate, the A.I. train continues to move full steam ahead. It’s clear the government’s paying attention, but can they keep up with the technology?   Guest: Makena Kelly, politics reporter at The Verge Don Beyer, U.S. representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district 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 the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice dive deep into the ICYMI mailbag to answer listener questions about Colleen Ballinger’s 10-minute ukulele-backed apology, the renaming of Twitter, and the disappearance of 25-year-old Carlee Russell. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the tech industry started rounds of layoffs this year, almost half of the people let go were women—even though they make up a much smaller percentage of the workforce. What does this say about women in tech, and efforts to diversify the industry overall? Guest: Emma Goldberg, a reporter who covers the future of work for the New York Times. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice meet in person for the first time! They recap the July 10 attack on fanfiction site AO3 — Archive of Our Own — which caused a site outage and a state of panic for many writers, readers and their fandoms. The site was created in 2008 as an online fanfiction archive that soon became a safe haven for women and the queer community. So what happens when that safe haven is threatened by malicious hackers? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To keep places like Phoenix habitable, we need to have air-conditioning. But to have air-conditioning, we need a functional, modern electrical grid. With America’s grid already aging—and more demand coming in the form of electric cars and more A/C for hotter weather—what will it take to keep it going as the weather gets more extreme?  Guest: Dr. Joshua Rhodes, research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin studying energy systems and how they interact with our environment, climate, and life. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by sustainable stylist and fashion educator, Lakyn Carlton. The three break down a now-infamous factory tour that the fast fashion giant Shein coordinated for a group of (un)lucky influencers. Since its founding in 2008, Shein has grown to a reported $100 billion valuation that is sustained by alleged labor violations and a cult-like following. In the Information Age, where Shein’s many controversies are well-known, how does the company manage to avoid blowback significant enough to affect its bottom line? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor Lea DeLaria knew Orange is the New Black was a hit. But Netflix made sure their paychecks didn’t reflect it. Fast forward ten years and this business model is the norm for nearly all working American actors. So now, the actors are joining the writers on strike, something that hasn’t happened in Hollywood since 1960, when television was the new, upstart technology. Today the double strike is about streaming services and artificial intelligence.  Guests: Alissa Wilkinson, Vox senior correspondent covering film and television. Lea DeLaria, comedian and an actor best known for playing Big Boo on Orange is the New Black. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pedestrian deaths in America have been rising for the last decade, while dropping in Europe and Japan. What makes the U.S. so dangerous for pedestrians? Guest: Jessie Singer, author of There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster―Who Profits and Who Pays the Price.  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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice talk all about the Emmys. This week the TV Academy announced the nominations for the 71st Emmy awards. Just a few days later, SAG-AFTRA announced that negotiations with the Academy had officially broken down and the actors’ guild was joining the writers’ guild on strike. So what does this all mean for the monthslong campaigns that actors have waged online to capture a nomination and, hopefully, a win? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about Disney’s challenges especially now that writers and actors are both on strike. They discuss the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on student loans. And finally, what to do if your bank suddenly closes your account.  In the Plus segment: Giant cruise ship!  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS broke down last week and now a strike looms. With time running out, can both sides reach a deal?  Guest: Noam Scheiber, labor reporter for the New York Times. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to dive into her piece about Spill, the latest Twitter alternative to hit the streets. But first, they parse out the chaos surrounding Keke Palmer and Jonah Hill, whose respective relationship drama entered public discourse over the past week. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Gwen applied for unemployment during the early days of the pandemic, she never thought she’d still be waiting for her benefits years later. Despite hours on the phone, countless emails and even a court appearance, Gwen is haunted by her inability to get the money she was approved for. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Marina Nitze, author of Hack Your Bureaucracy. Not only does Marina help Gwen find shortcuts in her state’s unemployment system, but she has useful advice for untangling any bureaucratic nightmare.  If you liked this episode, check out: How To Fight Outrageous Medical Bills. Do you have a problem that’s keeping you up at night? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, Kevin Bendis, and Jabari Butler. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Tate’s gross mix of self-help, toxic masculinity and misogyny captured the minds of young boys on the internet. It also led to indictments in Romania on human trafficking and rape charges.   Guest: Lisa Miller, contributing editor at New York magazine. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Slate business and tech writer Nitish Pahwa to break down the recent controversy surrounding Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. In May, Huffman announced Reddit would be charging third-party apps, bots and companies for using the site’s Data API. Redditors erupted in protest, with many popular subreddits going dark to signal their opposition to the move. The protest was effective, but where does Reddit go from here? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about Threads, the new competitor to Twitter. They also discuss Janet Yellen’s trip to China and what it means for American foreign policy. Finally, have tipping and service charges gone too far? In the plus segment: Pregnant workers now have more workplace rights. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems like with each new Musk innovation, a new Twitter replacement appears in response. But Threads is backed by Meta and available in just a few clicks for an Instagram user. Could it be the one? Guest: Mike Isaac, technology reporter for the New York Times. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the music streaming business opened the door to billions of dollars in fraud. Guest: Ashley Carman, Bloomberg News reporter covering the podcasting, music, and audio beat. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even if you like the convenience of your phone unlocking after it reads your face, there are reasons to be wary of the TSA bringing facial recognition technology to the airport.  Guest: Geoffrey Fowler, technology columnist for the Washington Post. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle dives into one of Candice’s most treasured subreddits: r/bathandbodyworks. They trace the boom of candle consumption during the pandemic, how sale culture keeps the store in business, and Candice’s definitive rules for curating your haul. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A shortage of basic chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer is jeopardizing the care of hundreds of thousands of patients. The drugs aren’t expensive, or patented—so where are they?  Guest: Ed Yong, science journalist at The Atlantic. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s special Pride Month episode, Rachelle and Candice hear from their queer listeners about finding love online. Stories come from digital spaces as far flung as Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom boards to Craigslist missed connections, from Minecraft rose gardens to couch surfing websites. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Semaglutide, better known by its brand name Ozempic, has been making headlines as a weight loss drug – despite only having FDA approval to treat diabetes. Now, some say it doesn’t just quell cravings for food – it helps quiet cravings for alcohol, drugs, and other compulsive behaviors. For years, researchers have been studying semaglutide's effectiveness as an addiction cure in animals. What have they found? And – does it actually work?  Guest: Sarah Zhang covers health and medicine for The Atlantic 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 the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim parse out this week in #OceanGate, when a 5-passenger underwater vessel heading for the Titanic went missing. The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed all five passengers are presumed dead following a “catastrophic implosion,” but the internet remains obsessed and desperate for more answers. We take a look at OceanGate the company, why someone would sign up for this voyage, and how four days of unanswered questions turned into millions of tweets, memes and TikToks. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Matt Bell about his short story “Empathy Hour.” In the story’s climate-change-ravaged future, society’s wealthiest are whisked away to luxurious, self-contained cities. Once there, they entertain themselves with a carefully crafted reality show meant to assuage their guilt about the climate refugees they’ve left behind. But then, someone breaks into their airbrushed world, lifting the lid on what hides underneath it.  After the story, Matt and Maddie discuss the promises and pitfalls of climate fiction–and why we want to feel empathy, but never too much.  Guest: Matt Bell is the author of several books, including the novel Appleseed, a New York Times Notable Book of 2021. He is a professor of creative writing at Arizona State University.  Story read by Josh Bloomberg Podcast production by Tiara Darnell You can skip all the ads in Future Tense Fiction by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/plus for just $15 for your first three months. Check out AWS Insiders here: https://link.chtbl.com/awsinsiders?sid=podcast.futuretensefiction Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon, accusing the online giant of “tricking and trapping people into recurring subscriptions.” The complaint says Amazon “knowingly duped millions of consumers into unknowingly enrolling in Amazon Prime."  With murmurs of a larger antitrust probe against Amazon just around the corner, how serious is this suit for the tech giant?  Guest: Leah Nylen, antitrust reporter at Bloomberg 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 the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Eater senior reporter Bettina Makalintal to discuss the rise of private chef content on TikTok. Specifically, the three discuss the now-yearly spectacle of chefs creating content about their summer sojourns to the Hamptons to cook for their wealthy clients. A form pioneered by Meredith Hayden, a.k.a @wishbonekitchen, Hamptons private chef content is now a phenomenon eagerly awaited by a section of TikTok viewers who call it their Super Bowl. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One son was preparing to take over George Soros’s multi-billion-dollar empire. Then, there was a falling out, and a new heir-apparent was chosen.  Who is Alex Soros? And, as he takes over for one of the most influential figures in American politics, what can we expect from him?  Guest: Gregory Zuckerman, special writer at the Wall Street Journal Host: Emily Peck 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Franchesca Ramsey, a television writer and producer, comedian, and former vlogger whose videos have amassed more than 30 million views on YouTube. The trio dive deep into the current controversy engulfing Colleen Ballinger, better known as her alter ego MirandaSings. In recent weeks, Ballinger has come under fire for the allegedly inappropriate communications she’s had with minor fans throughout her years long career. Ramsey, Hampton and Lim discuss how one of her accusers–YouTuber Adam McIntyre–has been sounding the alarm since 2020 when he was largely ignored, if not outright vilified, by the MirandaSings fandom. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across Reddit, thousands of forums have gone “private” and effectively disappeared. Users are protesting the site’s plan to capitalize on its data, which has been enjoyed for free by people making third-party apps for Reddit, as well as some of the world’s biggest companies training their A.I. Guest: Sarah Needleman, reporter for the Wall Street Journal who writes about interactive entertainment and social media Host: Emily Peck 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe explore the fandom surrounding standup comedian Matt Rife. They take it back to Rife’s breakout on Wild N’ Out and pick apart his rise on TikTok as a crowd work comic. But first, Nadira and Candice share their nominations for song of the summer. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As “deep fakes” have demonstrated, it’s getting easier and easier to swap an actor for a digital likeness—something that contributed to the Screen Actors Guild voting to authorize joining the writers on strike.  Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, Slate writer covering tech, business, and A.I. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Check out AWS Insiders here: https://link.chtbl.com/awsinsiders?sid=podcast.whatnexttbd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the SEC lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase. Then they are joined by Slate’s own Henry Grabar for a chat about his new book, Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World. In the plus segment: More conversation with Henry Grabar  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Candice and Rachelle are joined by Lindsay Lee Wallace, a culture writer who recently reviewed the second season of Netflix’s reality dating show The Ultimatum for TIME. The three discuss how the show’s unhinged conceit fares when all the contestants are queer and how the season’s reception on the internet. They dive deep into the chaos subsumed The Ultimatum subreddit, where one of the contestant’s name was briefly banned because so many critical threads were being posted about them. And they determine the show achieves of its two aims: to be messy and to show the interior lives of queer couples. This show is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the SEC sued Binance, the largest crypto exchange in the world, and Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the US. Is it a sign that the glory days of crypto are gone? Guest: Stacy-Marie Ishmael, managing editor for crypto at Bloomberg News 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dig deep into the ICYMI mailbag to answer questions about Taylor Swift’s short but controversial relationship with Matty Healy, the lead singer of the alt-rock band, The 1975. Later in the show, they discuss the politics of babies on planes. The two end on a positive note, explaining the heartwarming story of how a tweet from an anime fan account sent a four-year-old book up the Amazon sales charts.  This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Candice Lim, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Until recently, Nvidia was a company known for graphics cards—a brand name among gamers but not necessarily the general public. But as part of the A.I. boom, Nvidia’s stock has skyrocketed, putting the company in Silicon Valley’s trillion-dollar valuation class with Apple, Meta, and Alphabet—briefly, at least. Guest: Don Clark, freelance reporter specializing in chips and enterprise tech. Host: Emily Peck 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the ongoing WGA strike, the latest news on the Fed’s fight against inflation, and how CEOs are courting Chinese business while staying in America’s good graces.  In the Plus segment, movie theaters are trying everything to get you back into the cinema, including booze and gourmet food.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Jack Corbett, one of the people behind NPR’s Planet Money TikTok account. In the three years that have passed since @planetmoney was started, the account has amassed over 14.1 million likes, thanks in no small part to Corbett. Here he discusses his daily internet diet, his controversial take on deleted tweets and the dark side of becoming the face of a corporate media brand. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton, Candice Lim and Daisy Rosario, with special thanks to Emily Charash. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When someone posts a photo of you online without your consent, it should be easy to have it taken down or confront the person who posted it. But what if the poster is your parent, and it’s not just one photo, but your entire childhood that’s readily available online? And as social media algorithms evolve to push content in front of as many people as possible, what happens when a temper tantrum goes viral? Guest: Kathryn Lindsay, technology and culture writer. Host: Emily Peck 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie. The three go back in time to 2010 when a lucky few creators of Tumblr blogs like Hipster Puppies, This is Why You’re Fat and Garfield Minus Garfield were able to leverage their popularity into book deals. They discuss the blog to Urban Outfitters pipeline and the optimism that colored the memes created in that era, an optimism that starkly contrasts against the layered irony of today’s memes. And at the top of the show, Rachelle and Candice revive an age-old debate: Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the music streaming business opened the door to billions of dollars in fraud. Guest: Ashley Carman, Bloomberg News reporter covering the podcasting, music, and audio beat. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily is a successful career and executive coach in Ohio, who has done well finding clients through word-of-mouth. But in order to expand her business she knows she has to up her online marketing game. The only catch? She is terrified of social media. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Suzy Wagner, president of Brand & Buzz. Suzy has some surprising advice for creating a social media strategy that cuts through the noise while being realistic and authentic to yourself. If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Beat Hackers at Their Own Game.” Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Justina Ireland about her short story “Collateral Damage.” The story follows a group of soldiers deployed alongside TED, the Army’s first self-aware combat drone. TED is relentlessly efficient, quickly outpacing its human counterparts—and leaving them worried for their jobs. But when a wrong call from the clunky robot puts soldiers’ lives at risk, they realize just how hard it is to program for battlefield experience. After the story, Ireland shares how her own time in the military shapes her writing, and why tech dreamed up in D.C. rarely reflects the needs of soldiers on the ground. Guest: Justina Ireland, a veteran and author of books including Dread Nation, Deathless Divide, and Ophie’s Ghosts  Story read by Joanne Lichtenstein Podcast production by Tiara Darnell Check out AWS Insiders here: https://link.chtbl.com/awsinsiders?sid=podcast.futuretensefiction Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Twitter’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino finds herself on the edge of “the glass cliff”: when a woman is sent in to fix a big mess.  Guest: Vittoria Elliot, reporter for Wired, covering platforms and power 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim speak to Sidney Madden, the host of NPR’s music podcast Louder Than a Riot. The three discuss the meteoric rise of 23-year-old Bronx rapper Ice Spice and how she went from going viral for a TikTok challenge to appearing on the Met Gala red carpet as Anna Wintour’s special guest. They dive deep into the criticism levied at Ice Spice and discuss whether the scrutiny she faces is merited. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the coffee shop to the salon to the grocery store, Americans feel like they’re being prompted and prodded for tips more than ever—and they’re starting to resent it. Guest: Kelly Phillips Erb, tax and law reporter for Forbes.  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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined for the first time by ICYMI’s new co-host. Tune in to hear their first internet memory, what four subreddits they visit every single day and the time they got catfished on mileyworld.com. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Out of the smoky backrooms, Vegas and clandestine dens, and straight to your phone—how did gambling on sports go from forbidden to inescapable seemingly overnight?  Guest: John Holden, associate professor at Oklahoma State’s Spears school of business  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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Check out AWS Insiders here: https://link.chtbl.com/awsinsiders?sid=podcast.whatnexttbd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe for a sequel to their August 2022 episode “What is A Clean Girl?” The two dive deep into TikTok’s latest favorite fashion trend: quiet luxury, or stealth wealth. The aesthetic’s adherents posits that rich people don’t dress in ostentatious labels, but instead communicate their wealth through brands like Brunello Cucinell, Loro Piana and The Row. Quiet luxurists point to figures like the Roy family from HBO’s Succession and Gwyneth Paltrow at her recent trial as examples of stealth wealth. But the trend, like it’s “old money” predecessor, is built on a fundamental misunderstanding of fashion, classism and racism. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this show we explore three different AI and machine-generated music technologies; vocal emulators that allow you to deep fake a singer or rapper’s voice, AI-generated compositions and text-to-music generators like Google Music LM and Open AI’s Jukebox, and musical improvisation technologies. We listen to the variety of music these technologies generate, and two guitarists face off against an AI in improvised guitar solos.  Along the way, we talk to philosophers of music Robin James and Theodore Gracyk about what musical creativity is and whether machines are more or less creative than human musicians, and Barry gives his take on each of the technologies and what they mean for the future of musical creativity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Space might seem to be heading from the domain of big government programs to a playground for billionaires. But just below the surface, a world of start-ups are getting ready to launch.  Guest:  Ashlee Vance, business columnist and author of When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach.  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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by ICYMI favorite, Nadira Goffe to talk about the makeup meltdown that’s taken over TikTok. The two dissect a Miami F1 brand trip sponsored by Tarte Cosmetics that ended in multiple apology videos and a promise by Tarte CEO Maureen Kelly to make her brand’s creator program more equitable. They dive deep into Tarte’s less than inclusive history and explain how exactly Pyrex got involved. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence—as it already exists today—is drawing from huge troves of surveillance data and is rife with the biases built into the algorithm, in service of the huge corporations that develop and maintain the systems. The fight for the future doesn’t look like war with Skynet; it’s happening right now on the lines of the Writer’s Guild strike.  Guests:  Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation, co-founder of the AI Now Institute at NYU 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by the co-host of NPR’s Throughline podcast, Ramtin Arablouei, who recently did an episode about the history of public contrition from the Salem witch trials to the infamous notes app apology. The two discuss how the internet turbo-charged the commodification of apologies, the cynicism it’s led to and where we go from here. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curtis is setting aside a large chunk of money to donate to charity, and it is up to us to persuade him where he should donate it. Luckily, philosophers, economists, and the nonprofit world has been thinking a lot about this issue in recent years. On this episode, effective altruism’s defenders and critics try to persuade Curtis of where he should donate. Who is the most effective in persuading an ordinary person as to the right way to donate to charity? And do the recent scandals involving effective altruism’s biggest donor implicate its philosophical foundations?  We start with arguments that you should always try to save the most lives possible, no matter where they are on the planet. We then hear a critic of that view, who argues that local giving can also be a good. We then turn to the view that we should save humans from extinction from threats like pandemics, nuclear war, and AI takeover. And finally, we hear from a critic of that view, who says we should not blow future risks out of proportion.  Guests include philosophers Richard Yetter-Chappell (Miami), Savannah Pearlman (Indiana), Shakeel Hashim (Center for Effective Altruism), and Seth Lazar (Australia National University). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined this week by a star-studded lineup to discuss episode seven of HBO’s Succession. Author Taffy Brodesser-Akner, plus Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (the directors of this episode) join the gang to talk about the Roys’ election tailgate party.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta’s reached a sort of mid-life crisis. Between the layoffs, the stagnant metaverse and Facebook’s dwindling profile, does Zuckerberg have a plan here? Guests:  Naomi Nix, Washington Post reporter 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the failure of First Republic Bank, the (maybe) end of interest rate hikes, and how the shopping app Temu is shaking up e-commerce. Also, a more humane approach to chickens. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Hannah Jackson, the culture writer and reporter behind the recent Cut article “Meet the People Working Three Jobs to Afford Erewhon.” The two discuss how Erewhon transformed from a humble Boston market stall into what Jackson described as a “a luxury-wellness behemoth.” They dive deep into the culture cache that shopping at Erewhon offers to people from Hailey Bieber to a 20-something aspiring wellness content creator. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When television and screenwriters went on strike in 2007, Netflix had just started offering the option to stream content. This week, the Writer’s Guild of America went on strike to update pay structures for the streaming era—and to get ahead of A.I. and the changes it may bring.  Guests:  Michelle Dean, television writer and journalist Anousha Sakoui, entertainment industry writer for the Los Angeles Times 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Wailin Wong, Darian Woods and Adrian Ma, the hosts of NPR’s daily economics podcast The Indicator from Planet Money. They discuss The Indicator’s recent five-part series on the $15 billion influencer industry that delves into where all that money is going—and where it’s not. They dive deep into the rise of the industry and how it emerged out of the economic precarity of the 2008 recession. They also talk through the astonishing fact that according to some surveys, almost 1 out of every 4 Gen Z-er wants to be an influencer. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton. Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willy and Heidi were both gig workers for Shipt, the fast-delivery app for groceries or same-day shopping. In 2020, they both realised: the pay algorithm had changed. Now, they couldn’t tell what a job would pay, or whether it would earn or lose them money. Instead of just taking it, they decided to fight back. In the gig economy, companies like Shipt, Instacart, and UberEats all use black box pay algorithms to try and get workers to accept gigs but hide information from them to do so. Early in the pandemic, a rag tag group of gig workers tried to resist, and found someone at MIT to help them. Host Barry Lam talks to them about the steps they took, and political philosopher Daniel Halliday (University of Melbourne) talks about the differences between wage labor and freelance labor and why he thinks the biggest gig economy companies are morally suspect. Then, we talk the future of regulation and worker-owned apps and delivery platforms. Guests include Drew Ambrogi (coworker.org), Dan Calacci (MIT). This is an in-depth, longform version of a story originally done for WNYC studio’s Radiolab in their Gigaverse episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Ed Lee of the New York Times for a spoilery recap of episode six of the final season of HBO’s Succession. They talk about Waystar’s investors meeting, Roman’s attempts to fire some people, and Tom and Shiv’s new game.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two gig workers standing side-by-side can be offered the very same job and get offered two different wages. Set by an algorithm and based on calculations that are never explained to the workers themselves, this unequal pay for equal work is already subject to lawsuits that call it a form of price fixing and wage discrimination, but the tech is being tested in other industries. Guests: Veena Dubal, law professor at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco Sergio Avedian, senior contributor at The Rideshare Guy 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith to discuss his new book. They also break down Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News and the end of Buzzfeed News. In the Plus: A throwback to the olden days of blogging.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to David Iserson about “This, but Again.” The story follows Marcus, who is forced to relive his life over and over again in a never-ending computer simulation. Thanks to a glitch, Marcus already knows everything that will happen—but he can change almost nothing. That is until he meets Sara, who helps him break from the simulation’s script. But that, as you might expect, is not without consequences.After the story, Iserson and host Maddie Stone discuss what it would really be like to live in a computer simulation (and why it may actually be more hopeful than dystopian). Guest: David Iserson, film and television writer-producer and author of Firecracker, a novel Story read by David Iserson Podcast production by Tiara Darnell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Sarah Marshall, writer, critic and host of the You’re Wrong About and You Are Good podcasts. The two discuss Marshall’s recent You’re Wrong About episode about Napster, the ill-fated peer-to-peer file sharing app that helped create the internet as we know it. They dive deep into the moral and ethical quandaries around pirating content in an age where corporations can disappear content from streaming services at a second’s notice. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twitter’s “blue check” verification went from something you applied for, to something you could pay for, to something you had to pay for…to something that many celebrities wouldn’t even accept for free. Master of horror Stephen King told us he wouldn’t pay for a blue check, but he’s not going to fight it either—he just doesn’t really understand what’s going on. Does anyone at Twitter understand? Guests:  Alex Heath, deputy editor of The Verge Jon Favreau, co-founder of Crooked Media, speechwriter for President Barack Obama Stephen King, freelancer author 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Slate staff writer Nitish Pahwa for a mailbag episode. The two answer questions about Jojo Siwa’s rumored pregnancy, the fate of the music industry after an AI-generated Drake song went viral and the most recent instance of internet vigilantism. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you haven’t heard of ChatGPT, chances are you will soon. Maybe you’ve tried casually playing with the artificial intelligent chatbot. Maybe you’ve tried avoiding it. Or maybe ChatGPT is the new host of this podcast and you haven’t realized it yet. Either way, we’re on the precipice of a new, powerful technology. On this episode of How To!, co-hosts Carvell Wallace and Amanda Ripley join forces to talk through all things artificial intelligence. They bring on Kevin Roose, tech columnist for the New York Times and co-host of the Times’ podcast, Hard Fork. He will explain how A.I. chatbots work, how to use them for good, how they may be used for, well, not so good, and what you should do if it starts hitting on you.  If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Beat Hackers at Their Own Game.” Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore the lives of people who are in love with their AI chatbots. Replika is a chatbot designed to adapt to the emotional needs of its users. It is a good enough surrogate for human interaction that many people have decided that it can fulfill their romantic needs. The question is whether these kinds of romantic attachments are real, illusory, or good for the people involved. Apps like Replika represent the future of love and sex for a subpopulation of people, so we discuss the ethics of the practice.  Host Barry Lam talks to philosophers Ellie Anderson and David Pena-Guzman of the Overthink podcast about what theories of love would say about these kinds of relationships. AI lovers include Alex Stokes and Rosanna Ramos. Original scoring by Aaron Morgan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Peter Kafka of Vox. They discuss episode five of the final season of HBO’s Succession, including a drug-fueled party, a very normal trip to Norway, and why the baguette may in fact be mightier than the bagel. Also, bags of blood. Really.  Check out how the Succession timeline (kind of) works.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weather apps can be frustrating. And with how much we rely on them to know if we should wear pants or shorts, they'll still leave you in the rain. But as the climate gets wilder, the questions of how to tell people what they need to know—and quickly—can be an issue of life or death. Guest: Charlie Warzel, staff writer at the Atlantic Daniel Swain, UCLA climate scientist   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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Alex Sujong Laughlin, a supervising producer and co-owner of Defector Media where she makes the podcast, Normal Gossip. Alex and Rachelle dive deep into the age-old debate over concert spoilers, a debate that’s been turbo-charged by TikTok where over 80 million people watched the first two nights of Taylor Swift's "Eras" The ease of finding a livestream of some of the most expensive concerts in the world raises the question: why go to a concert when you can go on TikTok? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the biggest business, tech and finance stories of the week. This week, Fox News settles with Dominion, Elon’s rocketship blows up, and Apple has a savings account now.  In the plus: Quantifying the value of domestic labor.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As laughter ricocheted around the Supreme Court chamber Wednesday, Professor Mary Anne Franks wondered if she could quite believe her ears. The matter of some hilarity, it seems, were messages sent by a convicted stalker to his victim. Individual messages that were among what one detective estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands - possibly as many as one million messages - sent by Billy Raymond Counterman to singer Coles Whalen. Counterman’s campaign of harassment drove Whalen away from performing, indeed drove her away from her home state. She moved across the country to get away. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Professor Mary Anne Franks to discuss Counterman v Colorado and how the details of a cyber-stalking case were lost to free speech concerns about trigger warnings and "sensitivity". You can read Prof. Franks’ powerful piece on this here.  In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern to discuss the big fat settlement Dominion got in its defamation case against Fox News, and why it feels so unsatisfying, the religious liberty case you probably missed at the court this week, Groff v DeJoy. They also talk about how Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s continued absence from the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Democrats’ workarounds for it, are like bringing a bubble blower to a knife fight.  Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reddit announced it will start charging companies to use its huge, ever-growing trove of text to train A.I. chatbots. It’s another expense for the fledgling tech and another knock against the “open internet” ideals that Reddit once embodied.  Guest: Mike Isaac, tech reporter for the New York Times. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Jonquilyn Hill, reporter and host of Vox’s politics and policy show The Weeds. The two take a deep dive into the most recent season of the Netflix reality dating show Love is Blind and how the internet has become the show’s shadow producer. They discuss Netflix’s attempt to muscle its way into the live-streaming market and the spectacular failure of the highly-anticipated live Love is Blind reunion on Sunday night. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by graphic designer Michael Bierut to recap the fourth episode of the last season of HBO’s Succession. The family attends Logan’s wake where big moves are made. Someone gets a surprising phone call. And where did that piece of paper come from? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new law in Utah that goes into effect next year states that anyone under 18 needs parental permission to use social media. Is it a necessary step to protect children from harms associated with social media, or are we blunting a tool of expression for the youth?  Guest: Dr. Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at American Psychological Association 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers go over China’s expanding role in the international debt market. They discuss a new problem with the American mortgage system, and dive into the wild world of the collectibles market. In the Plus segment, Rupert Murdoch’s email divorce. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the third installment of Internet Diaries, Rachelle is joined by 21-year-old cultural critic and internet essayist Rayne Fisher-Quann, who has amassed a devoted following on TikTok, Substack, Instagram and Twitter. The two discuss Fisher-Quann’s online work around leftism, feminism, mental illness, along with her ethics of posting and how she resists brandification even as her star continues to rise. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discord is a place to share a community online. Most often, it's for gaming. So why did classified intelligence from the Pentagon end up on a small server whose main interests seem to be video games, military equipment and memes? And how? Guest: Shane Harris, national security 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 Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Alex Kantrowitz, the writer behind the Big Technology newsletter and podcast. The two discuss the recent changes to Twitter Blue and how paying for Twitter might be a joke, it won’t be for other platforms like Instagram and TikTok. As paid verification models become de rigueur in a bid to woo content creators, what will that mean for the average social media user? Is this all just a giant protection racket? Or is it platforms catering to the people who actually create content for them? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Justin’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, he knew he wanted to keep talking to her after she died. So together they made an AI version of her, training it on her speech patterns and memories. Now he is scaling his findings so that anyone can continue their relationships with loved ones after their deaths. Justin even believes this can one day lead to digital immortality. Grief experts are only now dealing with bereaved people who create digital versions of their loved ones. We look at what they say about the phenomenon, and what philosophers think about whether the best AI version of a person can actually be them. Guests include Alexandra Salmon, Justin Harrison, CEO of You, Only Virtual, Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor, and Dr. Debra Bassett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Slate’s Lizzie O’Leary to go over the shocking third episode of the last season of HBO’s Succession. Are Tom and Shiv going to get back together? What was in the “Logistics” folder? And was Connor’s wedding actually nice?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort and Ben Richmond.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. air travel is being strained on all sides—travel demand is back to 2019 levels, but the number of pilots and planes and ground crew hasn’t caught back up, and a rash of close calls are raising safety concerns about America’s aging flying infrastructure. Guest: Jon Ostrower, editor in chief of The Air Current. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Terry Nguyen, a culture writer and critic and staff writer for the digital culture newsletter Dirt. The two discuss Angela White, better known as Blac Chyna, who has taken to Instagram to document the process of her cosmetic surgery reversal. She’s been met with near universal praise which raises the question: are we entering a new plastic surgery era where less is more? If we are, what does that mean for the IG baddie of yore? And what does it mean for the increasing amounts of Americans who are receiving cosmetic surgery? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slate Money hosts Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the podcasting economy and if the bubble has burst—or if it will soon. They also talk about Anthony Scaramucci’s hedge fund troubles, and a story about how to win at roulette.  In the Plus segment: The implications of Supreme Court Justice Thomas’ ties to a billionaire, and the broader politicization of the American judicial system. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort, with technical assistance from Ben Richmond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, is fighting to keep its flagship app from being banned in the United States, it’s also pushing a new app into the marketplace—Lemon8. One part Pinterest, one part Instagram and a dash of its sister app, Lemon8 is most likely saddled with the same security concerns that led lawmakers to consider banning TikTok. Guest: Sapna Maheshwari, business reporter for the New York Times. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming April 11, 2023, Season 6 of Hi-Phi Nation will look at the future; of work, of love and sex, life and death, our relationship with animals, creativity in music, and philanthropy. Stories include people trying to create digital avatars of dead loved ones, people in exclusive relationships with AI chatbots, animals who are seeking legal protection in courts, the gig economy, AI music, and effective altruism. The episodes will draw out the most interesting moral and philosophical issues from the current path of artificial intelligence technology, data science, and cultural and legal trends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Justin Richmond, co-host of the music podcast Broken Record and host of the new podcast Started From the Bottom. The two discuss what, if anything, has changed with the online ticketing giant Ticketmaster since ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dominated headlines. How did Ticketmaster come to account for 70% of the ticketing and live event market? Now that it does, what responsibility do artists have to their fans to keep ticket prices accessible? Can real lasting change be made to system that most agree is broken? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Daniel Schroeder and Rachelle Hampton. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily is a successful career and executive coach in Ohio, who has done well finding clients through word-of-mouth. But in order to expand her business she knows she has to up her online marketing game. The only catch? She is terrified of social media. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Suzy Wagner, president of Brand & Buzz. Suzy has some surprising advice for creating a social media strategy that cuts through the noise while being realistic and authentic to yourself. If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Beat Hackers at Their Own Game.” Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by The New Yorker’s Clare Malone to recap the latest episode of HBO’s Succession. Will Kerry get on ATN? Will the Kids squash the GoJo deal? Is anyone going to come to Connor’s wedding?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort and Ben Richmond.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CBP One, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's app that is supposed to make crossing the border more efficient, is littered with bugs. But even a perfectly functional smartphone app would pose problems for people seeking asylum on the southern U.S. border.  Guest: Arelis Hernández, Washington Post reporter Gia Del Pino, director of communications at the Kino Border Initiative Felicia Rangel Samponaro, director of the Sidewalk School 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined once again by BuzzFeed internet culture report Kelsey Weekman. The two discuss the fandom surrounding Succession’s Kendall Roy, the second son of billionaire Logan Roy, played by Jeremy Strong. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Kevin Delaney, co-founder of Charter. They discuss the layoffs that have swept across multiple industries, and if letting workers go actually solve the issues CEOs say they are. They also take a look at how work has changed during the pandemic, digging into how middle managers have the worst jobs, and how having too many meetings sucks.  In the Plus segment: Who does the radical candor system actually help?  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.  Podcast production by Anna Phillips and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Medicare Advantage plans have increased their reliance on software to determine what their customers require—and, therefore, receive—elderly patients are being denied coverage for care they need. What happens when an algorithm — not a doctor — decides how much care you need and it’s not enough? Guest: Casey Ross, national technology correspondent at STAT Host: Emily Peck 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, ICYMI goes international! Rachelle Hampton is joined by Lucia Odoom of Poptillægget, a Danish podcast about pop culture. On stage at CPH:DOX, the two discuss growing up online as black women in predominately white environments, the joys of fandom and answer the question of whether you can keep up with internet culture without being on TikTok. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a recent workday, Pauline woke up and logged into her computer from home … only to find an email saying she was being laid off — effective immediately. She and her entire team, many of them working remotely, instantly lost access to all of their company accounts. Pauline was shell-shocked, hurt, and wondering what to do next. In the wake of massive tech layoffs, it’s a story that’s now all-too familiar. On this episode of How To!, host Carvell Wallace brings in Susan Peppercorn, a career coach who writes for the Harvard Business Review and is the author of ​​Ditch Your Inner Critic At Work. She has some tried-and-true tactical tips for making the most of a sudden job loss.  If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Make the Leap to Your Dream Job.” Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, and Kevin Bendis. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by author and journalist Jim Stewart to recap episode one, season four of HBO’s Succession. They talk architecture, business deals, and parallels between the television drama and real-life media moguls. Podcast production by Anna Phillips and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk has been promising fully self-driving Teslas to the public for years and the beta version of Full Self-Driving is already in over 300,000 cars. But as a recent recall attests, the software still isn’t ready to take the wheel—and Musk himself may be a big reason why.  Guest: Faiz Siddiqui, 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 Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Kate Lindsay of the Embedded newsletter to talk about the latest in diet discourse. They discuss Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent interview and the flak she got for revealing she drank bone broth most days for lunch, the recent rise of weight loss drugs like Ozempic, and how the ways people are talking about them sound all too familiar. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Annalee Newitz about “When Robot and Crow Saved East St. Louis.” Annalee’s short story follows a disease-fighting robot—and its companions, both human and crow—on a quest to track an outbreak and develop a vaccine before it's too late. The story was published in December 2018, but now, three years after the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, it offers a look at how public health responses could better reflect the needs of the communities they serve. Plus, Annalee shares how they learned to speak crow language.  Guest: Annalee Newitz, author of the Terraformers, the Future of Another Timeline, and Autonomous. Story read by Gin Hammond Podcast production by Tiara Darnell You can skip all the ads in Future Tense Fiction by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/plus for just $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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 benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re revisiting one of our early favorite episodes from August 2021 about selling bones on TikTok. In the episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher try to figure out if it’s legal to buy and sell human remains. They’re joined by Tanya Marsh, a professor at Wake Forest who specializes in funeral and cemetery law, to find out what the legal system says about the human bone market, the ethical questions surrounding such a market, and why we still have rights even after we die. If you’d like to know more about the history of the human bone trade, check out this video, “Can You Legally Buy a Real Human Skeleton?” Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Madeline Ducharme to talk about the internet’s thirst for Pedro Pascal. They discuss how he started edging into the role of Internet Daddy with Game of Thrones, his recent turns in The Mandalorian, and The Last of Us, and why his own surprise as this online adoration makes people love him even more. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Phillips and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you imagine how science and technology will reshape our future, does it excite you, or scare you, or both? Each month, the Future Tense Fiction podcast will introduce you to a short work of science fiction, one that will challenge, surprise and intrigue you. Then host Maddie Stone will talk with the author to explore how their own experiences with technology—from smart weapons, to electronic pets, to virtual reality—informed their writing and their vision. That’s every month on Future Tense Fiction, a podcast from Slate, Arizona State University, and New America. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. See you in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Dickerson talks with author Chris Miller about his new book, Chip War: The Fight for The World’s Most Critical Technology. They discuss how semiconductor chips became so important, why everyone is so dependent on Taiwan for chips, and what lessons China can glean from what’s happening in Ukraine. 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 Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re bringing you an episode of the recently relaunched Dear Prudence podcast hosted by Jenée Desmond-Harris. In this episode, Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) is tackling questions about text etiquette, whether or not to allow children at a wedding, and weighing the heavy decision of surrogacy for a sibling. Slate’s own Rachelle Hampton (host of ICYMI) joins dole out some words of wisdom. Podcast production by Kayla Lattimore and Daisy Rosario. Production help from Se’era Spragley Ricks. Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Deepti Sahrawat, the host of Pop Culture Prisoner, to discuss a shocking cheating scandal within the cast of the Bravo reality series Vanderpump Rules, and why it blew up on the internet in such a big way. They talk about how the history of the show led us up to this point, the ways it’s so different from the usual cycle of reality scandals, and where the show can go from here. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by American Banker national editor Kevin Wack to discuss all things banking, including retail banking, why it’s so difficult to switch banks and why neobanks aren’t more successful. They also discuss the Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal.   In the Plus segment: the lead up to the Silicon Valley Bank downfall.   Podcast production by Anna Phillips and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just weeks before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a Nebraska woman and her daughter were charged with performing an illegal abortion, thanks to information that law enforcement uncovered by going through their Facebook accounts.  Guest: Johana Bhuiyan, senior reporter on tech and surveillance for The Guardian 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Daisy Rosario is joined by Nitish Pahwa and they’re talking about the places they go to when they need online comfort. They discuss cute cartoon affirmations, the need for satisfaction, and hear from a few Slate colleagues about their own comforting online enclaves. Some of our recommendations: @unclogging_drains on TikTok @catsofyore on Instagram @itslennie, an animated blob sharing affirmations on TikTok @Jesssoweird, the baby that tries on wigs on TikTok ASMR rug cleaning Florian Gadsby, a ceramicist on Instagram and YouTube @cosmetic_repair on TikTok Lady Gaga’s music video for, “Marry the Night” Girl With the Dogs on YouTube This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The diabetes medication Ozempic has exploded in popularity, particularly amongst those in Hollywood looking to lose a few extra pounds. But a silver bullet for weight loss leads to a number of questions: Is “buying weight loss” via injection somehow worse than diet and exercise? Are so many people buying and using this drug that people who need it for its intended purpose are missing out? What happened to body positivity?  Guest: Matthew Schneier, feature writer for New York Magazine. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Gita Jackson to talk about a video game that has stirred up anger across the internet, Hogwarts Legacy. They discuss the controversy surrounding it, how the game reveals so many holes in JK Rowling’s world building, and why it’s not even fun to play. Instead of playing Hogwarts Legacy, Gita’s got some recommendations. Books: Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer Vita Nostra, by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko Magic for Liars, by Sarah Gailey Games: Persona 5 Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side Magical Diary Life Is Strange The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Elden Ring This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss a stipulation in the CHIPS Act that requires companies who take federal funding from the CHIPS Act to provide child care options for their employees. They also discuss the political controversy over ESG investing, and the confusion over a new partnership that will allow Amazon employees to pay for their mortgage with Amazon stock. In the Plus segment: restaurant ordering etiquette. Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was reported this week that the U.S. Department of Energy now believes, “with low confidence,” that the COVID-19 virus came from a lab. But is there enough evidence for the “lab leak theory” to convince those who believe the virus emerged from animals in a wet market? Guest: Angela Rasmussen, virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Time’s Moises Mendez II to talk about Selena Gomez’s internet history. They look at her early days on YouTube, discuss her tumultuous relationship with Justin Bieber, and explain why TikTok has blown up with commentary on the recent feud between Gomez and Justin’s wife, Hailey Bieber. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New understandings of how our brains develop are changing how the law considers who is mature and who isn’t. But If our brains are still developing, when can the law treat us like adults?  Guest: Jane C. Hu, independent science journalist. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by WAMU’s Aja Drain to discuss North West’s TikTok presence. They talk about how North got started on the app like going live without her mother’s permission, the controversies that’ve bubbled up around her TikTok account, and what makes her so different from the other kids posting online. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For every person screaming about Section 230 (looking at you, Ted Cruz), there are approximately 0.0000001 Danielle Citrons, i.e. folks who actually understand it, what it does, and how it might be tweaked or interpreted to do better. Luckily, we have a whole Professor Danielle Citron on this week’s show. Professor Citron not only manages to make sense of Section 230 for us, she also takes us through this week's internet cases involving Twitter and Google, and content moderation and liability. She explains how eight out of nine justices apparently failed to read the briefs, instead deciding on an "it's so hard" shruggy head-scratch strategy instead. Danielle Citron’s latest book is The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age. In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern to look ahead to next week’s arguments about the Biden administration’s student debt forgiveness program, and to romp through some of the decisions that came down from the Supreme Court this week. Finally, Mark and Dahlia reflect on the results of the primaries in the race to elect a new Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice. Could it be a Mark and Dahlia Amicus plus segment that is not all bad news?  Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show.  Dahlia’s book Lady Justice: Women, the Law and the Battle to Save America, is also available as an audiobook, and Amicus listeners can get a 25 percent discount by entering the code “AMICUS” at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft has been testing out their new artificial intelligence on their long-ridiculed search engine Bing. The results? A chatbot that lies brazenly and confidently, and has a penchant for manipulation. What are the risks and rewards of letting bots loose on the world? Guest: Drew Harwell, Washington Post tech reporter covering artificial intelligence  Host: Emily Peck 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode Rachelle Hampton is joined by journalist and podcaster Wil Williams to discuss the podcast Welcome to Night Vale, and how its faceless narrator just won the poll as top “Tumblr Sexyman.” They talk about the show’s origins and importance in the early 2010s podcasting scene, the ways it deftly navigated queerness, and its impact on the audio fiction space. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The tech-laden, luxury bassinet “Snoo” has been presented as preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, helping babies sleep longer, and a totally reasonable way to spend $1,700. Is any of that true? Guest: Kate Taylor, senior features correspondent for Business Insider John Collins, Lizzie’s husband. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by NPR’s Candice Lim to discuss the online rise of Emma Chamberlain. They discuss her origins as a YouTuber in 2017, how she kept evolving her brand so it never got stale, and why she’s so different from her fellow it girls. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Come to think of it, a giant balloon seems like a pretty conspicuous way to spy on another country. So what was that Chinese spy balloon doing above the U.S.—and what have American planes been shooting down since? Guest: Shane Harris, Washington Post reporter covering intelligence and national security.  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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Nadira Goffe to discuss Rihanna and Paramore. First, they talk about the Super Bowl halftime show and the discourse that Rihanna sparked, and what she does or doesn’t owe her fans. Then, they look at the new album from Paramore, This Is Why, discusses how the band respects and embraces Black culture, and why Black people feel so connected to the pop punk genre. And don’t miss Rachelle and Nadira’s roundtable discussion with Allegra Frank about Paramore’s latest album. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s hard to put a number on it but judging from the number of videos emerging online, there are more and more contraband cell phones finding their way into the hands of people in prison, who use them to record TikTok dances, take online courses, and alert the outside world to what’s happening on the inside. Guest: Keri Blakinger, criminal justice reporter at the Los Angeles Times, author of Corrections in Ink. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle speaks with writer and cultural critic Casey Johnston about weight lifting. They discuss what led Casey to pick up the barbell, how she found her way into the online weight lifting space and the following she built there, and the ways weight lifting might be able to break us out of diet culture’s torturous cycle. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder and Rachelle Hampton. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Microsoft’s attempt to break into artificial intelligence assisted search with a revamp of their Bing search engine. They also talk about record high profits for oil companies and Bed Bath & Beyond’s financial shenanigans.   In the Plus segment: Tether.   Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TikTok was banned on government agency devices in December; several schools and universities have banned it on their devices and wifi networks, and the governor of Texas unveiled a plan to ban it in the state. Can “Project Texas” stem the anti-TikTok tide? And would banning the app actually achieve…anything? Guest: Louise Matsakis, reporter for Semafor covering tech and China 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined again by Slate’s Nitish Pahwa, this time to open up the mailbag. They answer questions about a child named Topher whose loud presence has swept across TikTok, Twitter’s bad bot decisions, and recent drama surrounding TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JP Morgan Chase is getting an education on FAFSA and financial aid–which would’ve been helpful before they acquired a now, quite dubious seeming start-up. Guest: Ron Lieber, New York Times journalist, author of the “Your Money” column. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Nitish Pahwa to discuss a major cheating scandal in the chess world this past fall between Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann, and how the story just keeps going. They talk about Niemann’s rise on Chess.com, ways people have tried to cheat in the past, and why anal beads entered the conversation. Plus, they talk about Mittens, the evil chess bot cat. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last fall it seemed like everyone got sick—not just with COVID, but from a slew of respiratory diseases, from the mild to the severe. Researchers are trying to untangle how our immune systems have changed in the COVID era, and if we’re paying back an “immunity debt” or are victims of “immunity theft.”  Guest: Tim Requarth, contributing writer to 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Jamilah Lemieux, one of the columnists for Slate’s Care and Feeding advice column, and the host of Mom and Dad Are Fighting. They open up Jamilah’s internet diary, discussing how she got her career started online, what changed for her online after becoming a parent, and what sorts of online advice parents need right now. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The proliferation of chatbots and A.I.-generated art has consumers and tech companies alike convinced that artificial intelligence is ready to be integrated into consumer electronics, products, homes, and across industry. In fact, it’s already in progress. What’s the worst that can happen? Guest: Will Oremus, technology 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 Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Chris Miller joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss his new book, Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. They discuss the crucial role of microchips, the global dynamics of microchip design and manufacturing, and how chips factor into US-China relations.   In the Plus segment: Moore’s Law.   Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by journalist and author Cory Doctorow to discuss his latest piece, “The Enshittification of TikTok,” in Wired. They talk about the life cycles of online platforms, why nobody on the platforms have any understanding of the rules of the game, and why we’re in dire need of better regulations. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that it is suing Google over its ad technology. What do they contend Google has been doing? And does this mean Alphabet is headed for a Bell Telecom-style bust-up? Guest: Leah Nylen, reporter covering antitrust for Bloomberg News 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by NPR’s Aisha Harris to talk about the return of the discourse about Addy Walker, the first Black American Girl doll. They discuss Aisha’s great piece from 2016, “The Making of an American Girl,” their own histories with the doll, and why this discourse pops up so frequently. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It can feel very personal to have your Facebook or Instagram page hacked—they’re your pictures and your friends after all. But Meta, the social media parent company, handles hacks with anything but a personal touch.  Guest: Kirstin Grind, investigative reporter for the Wall Street Journal. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Nadira Goffe to talk about Austin Butler and Kerrygold butter. First, High Speed Downloads return so Rachelle can explain why everybody was melting down about Irish butter online, and Nadira takes us through Austin Butler’s persistent Elvis accent. Then, they discuss the fact that Vanessa Hudgens’ online fans won’t let Austin Butler forget his ex-girlfriend so quickly. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Gillette joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to talk about his new book It's Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO and discuss the state of streaming, the relationship between sports and advertisers, and the decline of the movie theater industry.   In the Plus segment: YouTube.   Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The idea that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to sudden deaths among young people has no scientific support, but the theory nevertheless has a lot of traction on social media.  How can public health officials educate the public—especially on subject like vaccines, where their effectiveness renders them effectively invisible?  Guest: Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist and data scientist 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by BuzzFeed’s Kelsey Weekman for a crash course in the history and significance of YouTuber MrBeast. Kelsey tells Rachelle all about how he first got started counting numbers to camera, his wild philanthropic stunts, and why his blandness is so arresting and unnerving at the same time. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk was promising an “epic” Q4 at Tesla last year. But 2022 ended closer to what might be considered an “epic fail,” with the stock price down 65 percent. In an uncertain economic environment like this one, how much blame goes to Musk for unloading $40 billion worth of stock and focusing on his shiny new social media network? Or are these just growing pains that every company goes through as they mature?  Guest: Dana Hull, automotive and technology reporter for Bloomberg News in San Francisco 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about the premiere of season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. They talk about how the season seems to understand more than ever how the pandemic has affected the lives of its contestants, how the series’ relationship with the internet has changed over the years, and if this is the real way forward for the show. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might think of noncompete agreements as mostly limited to highly skilled, highly paid tech workers to protect trade secrets. But one-third of workers bound by noncompetes make $13/hour or less: fast-food workers, security guards, and the like. Noncompete clauses not only give employers leverage over their employees—both during and after their employment—but studies have shown the agreements are a weight on the economy, which is why the FTC is angling for a federal ban.  Guest: Elizabeth Wilkins, director of the Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is back in the host chair. She’s joined by Daisy Rosario as they open up the mailbag to answer listener questions about Greta Thunberg’s involvement in the arrest of Andrew Tate, the rise of the corecore aesthetic, and TikTok drama about hair oil. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roughly 95 percent of advanced semiconductor chip manufacturing happens in Taiwan, leaving the U.S. vulnerable to supply chain shocks and national security threats. Is the Biden administration’s $280 billion bill, signed in August last year, enough to boost domestic chip manufacturing? Guest: Don Clark, freelance reporter specializing on chips and enterprise tech. Host: Emily Peck 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Daniel Schroeder is joined by Vox’s Alex Abad-Santos to talk about the gay scammers that emerged at the end of the year. First we answer a listener’s question about some gay drama on Twitter, then we discuss the wild rise of Congressman George Santos. We also cover the darker side of gay scams both on Grindr and in real life. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the FTC’s proposed non-compete ban, the bank run at Silvergate, and the cause of Southwest’s absolute meltdown this holiday season.   In the Plus segment: E-bikes.   Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the holidays, thousands of passengers were left stranded or delayed when Southwest Airline’s outdated re-booking software broke down. Who can be held accountable, and why don’t airlines invest more in their own infrastructure?  Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, business and technology reporter for Slate. Host: Mary C. Curtis 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Nadira Goffe and Daisy Rosario are in the host chairs ready to talk all things fandom. They discuss the important moments like the Swifties’ battle with Ticketmaster, and John Fetterman’s wildly successful online campaign. Then, they get into the darker side of fandom where people like Elon Musk and Kanye reside. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re revisiting our episode from April 16, 2022 when we interviewed BYU’s Black Menaces. The Black Menaces are a group at Brigham Young University who have recently gained popularity on TikTok for their videos in which they ask their fellow students about political and social issues. On this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher talk to Rachel Weaver and Nate Byrd, two members of the Black Menaces, about what it’s like to film these interviews, how they’ve been received on campus and online, and what it’s like to be a Black student at BYU. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re revisiting our episode from March 9, 2022 on the Liver King, his philosophy, and his online presence. Brian Johnson, aka the Liver King, has amassed millions of followers with his bizarre yet addictive workout and raw-meat-diet videos. On this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher comb through the king’s core tenets, his obsession with explosives, and of course his taste for liver with a side of maple syrup. Later in the show, science communicator Jonathan Jarry joins for a discussion of why we look to people like the Liver King, and why we can’t look away. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, Jasmine Ellis, and Kevin Bendis. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the beginning of World War II, the greatest threat to the American war effort wasn’t the Nazis or the Japanese—it was runaway inflation. The man in charge of stopping it was the country’s “price czar,” Leon Henderson. In 1942, he controlled how much coffee ordinary people could drink and how many tires they could buy. Those rules made him a nationwide villain. But would they save the country? One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Josh Levin. Derek John is senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director. Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re excited to share an episode from Slate’s Decoder Ring that we think you’re going to love. For this episode, a story from Slate senior producer Evan Chung about how Yanni, John Tesh and a number of other surprising acts made it big in the 1990s. It’s a throwback to a simpler time— when musicians struggled to find their big break, but discovered it was possible with a telephone, a television, and our undivided attention. This story originally aired in 2019 on Studio 360 from PRX. We hear from George Veras, Pat Callahan, and John Tesh. This episode was written and produced by Slate’s Evan Chung. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Slate’s Executive Producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Food and Drug Administration gave an important thumbs up to lab-grown chicken, which means we could start seeing it in stores as soon as next year. While billions of dollars have been spent developing lab-grown meat, important questions remain: Is the production of it actually greener than raising livestock? Can it be made affordably? Is it healthy? And will anyone eat it? Guest: Chloe Sorvino, staff writer on food and agriculture at Forbes, and the author of Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed and the Fight for the Future of Meat. Host: Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, a group of nurses were fired after posting a TikTok where they shared their complaints or “icks” about their patients. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by health and wellness journalist Julia Craven to talk about this recent news, the proliferation of “ick” content on TikTok, and why healthcare workers (and everybody else) should keep their work complaints in the group chat. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario, and Derek John. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Sponsored by Saks.com. Check out the Holiday Gift Guide on saks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain what the Fed’s interest rate dot plot means. They also talk about Microsoft’s attempted acquisition of video game developer Activision, and the latest details of the SBF scandal.   In the Plus segment: the revival of the office holiday party.   Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even in a crazy year for crypto, Sam Bankman-Fried’s story is undeniably the most bananas. And even in the context of the implosion of FTX, getting arrested has got to make this week his worst yet. What charges does SBF face? Guest: Stacy-Marie Ishmael, managing editor on crypto for Bloomberg News Host: Lizzie O’Leary Sponsored by Saks.com. Check out the Holiday Gift Guide on saks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is is joined by NBC’s Morgan Sung to talk about how she lives online as an internet culture reporter. They talk about early internet loves like Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfiction, who Morgan thinks you need to follow on social media, and her and Rachelle’s favorite online conspiracy theories. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-driving cars and robotaxis are starting to appear on the streets of San Francisco. While we have a whole regulatory system in place for drivers, who’s making sure these new cars are safe? Guest: David Zipper, Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Taubman Center for State and Local Government 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The internet has been as wild as ever this year, delivering stories like West Elm Caleb, the Liver King, the Bridgerton musical and its legal woes, and more. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Time’s Moises Mendez II and BuzzFeed’s Kelsey Weekman to talk about everything they lived through online in 2022, discussing the good, the bad, and the truly cursed. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the Trump Organization’s tax fraud conviction, why workers at The New York Times went on strike and ChatGPT, a shockingly articulate AI chatbot.   In the Plus segment: How to tackle holiday gifting.   Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence is growing in leaps and bounds, and everywhere from Big Tech companies like Google to small teams like OpenAI are developing more and more convincing chatbots. Is the world ready for convincing, talking computers?  Guest: Alex Kantrowitz, host of the Big Technology podcast. Host: Emily Peck 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined yet again by Nadira Goffe, this time to unpack the mailbag. First they discuss the convoluted mess over a guy on TikTok named Kevin who may or may not understand what the female gaze is. Then, they talk about chili, a Brazilian puppet, and inflation in TikTok’s doubloons economy. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Biden administration’s Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are both staffed with accomplished progressives who are proving more aggressive than their predecessors in either the Trump or Obama eras. But can Big Tech be tamed? Guest: Leah Nylen, reporter for Bloomberg News  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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by one of our favorites, Slate associate culture writer Nadira Goffe, and they’re talking all about the holidays online. They discuss Christmas movies like the Lindsay Lohan vehicle Falling for Christmas, Mariah Carey’s genius business sense, and the importance of family both online and off. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many years, tech professionals dismissed the threat of disinformation. Christopher Bouzy was one of them, until the 2016 election changed his mind. Bouzy founded and leads the organization Bot Sentinel to fight online disinformation. On today’s episode of A Word, he talks with host Jason Johnson about how best to detect lies and false narratives in social media, and how Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter complicates his mission.  Guest: Christopher Bouzy, founder and C.E.O. of Bot Sentinel Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dating back to the Arab Spring, Twitter’s potential for real-time organizing has been a selling point. But trying to find information on China’s “Zero COVID” protests reveals just how vulnerable the now-understaffed platform is to manipulation. Guest: Joseph Menn, cybersecurity 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 Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few weeks, Tumblr has been filled to the brim with content about the Martin Scorsese film Goncharov, but the best part is the film never existed. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario explain the wild and weird way Tumblr invented this film, how committed Tumblr users are to this bit, and what Marty thinks about it, too. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The option to “buy now and pay later” over installments exploded over the past two years, thanks to people being flush with stimulus cash and shopping online during the pandemic. But is this new, underregulated industry a useful line of credit or another path into debt? Guest: Paulina Cachero, personal finance reporter for Bloomberg. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, we’re excited to share an episode from Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast that we think you’re going to love. In the history of viral images, #TheDress has got to be in the top 10. This unassuming photo of a party dress kicked off a global debate when people realized they were seeing it completely differently. Is it black and blue, or white and gold? In today’s episode, we’ll talk to someone who was there when the photo was first taken, and the BuzzFeed writer whose post briefly broke the internet. Then we go down the optical rabbit hole with a neuroscientist who’s been studying the The Dress for years. What does it reveal about the nature of truth? This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrew Adam Newman. Derek John is Slate’s senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director. We’ll hear from Paul Jinks, Cates Holderness, Pascal Wallisch, and David McRaney author of the book How Minds Change. Here’s the optical illusion of the strawberries mentioned in the episode and created by Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://late.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the future of Twitter, the ghoulish World Cup, and a minister’s allegation that Justice Alito leaked the outcome of the Hobby Lobby case. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jodi Kantor and Jo Becker for The New York Times: “Former Anti-Abortion Leader Alleges Another Supreme Court Breach” Jodi Kantor for The New York Times: “Allegation of Supreme Court Breach Prompts Calls for Inquiry and Ethics Code” Rob Schenck for The New York Times: “I Was an Anti-Abortion Crusader. Now I Support Roe v. Wade” Kara Voght and Tim Dickinson for Rolling Stone: “SCOTUS Justices ‘Prayed With’ Her — Then Cited Her Bosses to End Roe” Here are this week’s chatters: John: Variety: “Bob Dylan Fans Who Bought $600 ‘Hand-Signed’ Books With Replica Autographs Will Receive Refunds From Publisher” Emily: Rozina Ali for The New York Times Magazine: “‘How Did This Man Think He Had the Right to Adopt This Baby?’”  David: Politics and Prose: City Cast DC Live Taping with Michael Schaffer, David Plotz, and Anton Bogomazov - at Union Market; Slate’s One Year, Season 4: 1942 Listener chatter from Laurent Dugois: In Broad Daylight: A Murder in Skidmore, Missouri, by Harry N MacLean; All That's Interesting: “The Story Of Ken McElroy — The Vicious Bully Killed By His Town” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John contemplate the conundrum of what they would like to tell their younger selves but wouldn’t be able to convince them of. Submit your conundrums for the 2022 conundrum episode at slate.com/conundrum.    Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we all prepare to gather around the Thanksgiving table with our friends and families, we thought it was a great time for our second annual Friendsgiving special. On today’s show, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin of Normal Gossip to share in the online riches of 2022. They discuss the first memes they encountered this year, the internet jokes they’re most thankful for, and so much more. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After decades as America’s booming industry, tens of thousands of tech workers have been laid off in November alone. Is the venture-capital, low-interest-rate wind leaving the sails temporary or is this the end of the hunt for “the next big thing?” Guest: Timothy B. Lee, reporter for Full Stack Economics covering labor markets, technology, and housing. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Lizzie O’Leary, the host of Slate’s tech podcast What Next: TBD. The two discuss Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, whether or not Musk has broken any laws and what the future of the platform might look like. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario, Emily Charash and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At this year’s annual UN conference on climate change, they are discussing “climate reparations,” wherein the rich countries that grew their wealth burning fossil fuels pay money to poorer and more vulnerable countries. It sounds sensible, but is the UN capable of administering something like this? And how much money are we talking here? Guest: Vijay Vaitheeswaran, global energy and climate innovation editor at The Economist. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is once again joined by Daisy. The pair dive deep into the digital etymology of the phrase “invited to the cookout” which, in the past few years, has been applied to figures from Bill Nye the Science Guy to Justin Timberlake. They discuss the phrase’s roots in African American Vernacular English and the future of The Cookout. This podcast is produced by Kevin Bendis, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario and Daniel Schroeder Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the history of viral images, #TheDress has got to be in the top 10. This unassuming photo of a party dress kicked off a global debate when people realized they were seeing it completely differently. Is it black and blue, or white and gold? In today’s episode, we’ll talk to someone who was there when the photo was first taken, and the BuzzFeed writer whose post briefly broke the internet. Then we go down the optical rabbit hole with a neuroscientist who’s been studying the The Dress for years. What does it reveal about the nature of truth? This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrew Adam Newman. Derek John is Slate’s senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director. We’ll hear from Paul Jinks, Cates Holderness, Pascal Wallisch, and David McRaney author of the book How Minds Change. Here’s the optical illusion of the strawberries mentioned in the episode and created by Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka. If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends. If you’re a fan of the show, I’d love for you to sign up for Slate Plus.    Slate Plus members get to listen to Decoder Ring — and every other Slate podcast — ad-free. Their support is also crucial to our work. So please go to Slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today. Check out Remote Works here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The (once) second-largest cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, collapsed in stunning fashion this week, highlighting why consumers really do want regulation, and why old financial institutions remain wary of crypto.   Guest: Felix Salmon, host of Slate Money, chief financial correspondent for Axios. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode Rachelle interviews Vice senior editor Samantha Cole about her forthcoming book How Sex Changed the Internet. The two talk about the role of sex in internet technology like videoconferencing, affiliate links and online credit card transactions. Cole also explains how lifecaster Jennifer Ringley is a predecessor to modern vloggers and livestreamers. This podcast is produced by Kevin Bendis, Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second largest investor in Twitter, after Elon Musk, is the Saudis, which raises questions about what kinds of “free speech” Musk is really committed to. But it also raises questions around national security in the U.S.  Guest: Chris Murphy, U.S. Senator from Connecticut 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is back with Daisy to read your letters and answer all your burning questions. They get into everything from Johnny Depp’s rumored appearance in Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty show to why hundreds of people turned out to abandoned Philadelphia dock to watch a man eat a rotisserie chicken. This podcast is produced by Kevin Bendis, Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a rough autumn for parents of little kids, as non-COVID respiratory diseases are taking advantage of the first fall since 2019 where schools and daycares are full again, and America’s strained pediatric health care system is once again put to the test.  Guest: Katherine Wu, science writer for The Atlantic. Host: Lizzie O’Leary. Podcast production by Madeline Ducharme. 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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Daisy is sitting in the host chair and she’s joined by Slate’s own Nitish Pahwa, who covers business and tech for the site, and has written a lot about these upcoming elections. They’ll be talking about which candidates are and aren’t using TikTok well, how easy it is to encounter election misinformation, Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, and the state of right wing social media platforms. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One week in as head honcho of Twitter and Elon Musk is in a tight spot: how do you balance the desires of advertisers with your ostensible zeal for free speech? How do you make something for which you’ve already overpaid turn a profit? How do you convince Stephen King to pony up for a blue check? Guest: Alex Kirshner, contributing writer 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Madeline Ducharme. Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and star of Big Brother in the UK, was deplatformed earlier this year because of his offensive and misogynistic talking points, but that didn’t stop him from spreading his message. On today’s episode, Rachelle speaks with journalist Ikran Dahir who recently wrote, “Andrew Tate’s Hustlers University 2.0 Has Made at Least $11 Million in Just One Month,” in BuzzFeed. Ikran discusses what it was like being on the platform, the quality of the classes being offered, and the vibes of the user base, revealing Tate might be savvier than anybody wants to admit. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are some 400 million surveillance cameras installed in China, one for every three to four civilians. Built with the help of American tech companies, the surveillance state was pitched to the public as a way to make society safer and more efficient. But after severe lockdowns during COVID, the public has been objecting out of the eye of the camera lens. Protests are being written on bathroom walls. Guest: Josh Chin, deputy bureau chief, China, for the Wall Street Journal Host: Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all spend so much of our lives online these days, and so we figured we’d start interviewing people about theirs. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by health and wellness journalist Julia Craven to talk about Julia’s past online, how she would curate her feeds if she could only follow three people, and the best and worst wellness trends she’s currently seeing. And, of course, we continue to wonder, was Jesus hot? This podcast was produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Matt Levine to talk about his Bloomberg Businessweek article The Crypto Story. They also discuss Elon Musk finally closing his Twitter deal and restructuring at Credit Suisse.   In the Plus segment: more crypto!   Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twitter has been a lot of things—where you posted your lunch, where you met your people, where you were subjected to a harassment campaign. Now, as Elon Musk prepares to take the reins, where is it headed? Guest: Will Oremus, technology 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 Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One TikTok famous emu was allegedly struggling with avian flu last week, but the story is a bit more complicated when it comes to public health. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about Emmanuel the emu, the racist past of his owner Taylor Blake, and the confusing and risky tale she spun online about her bird’s illness. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alzheimer’s treatment hasn’t changed much in the past two decades, and the way researchers have been thinking about and approaching the disease may be to blame.  Guest: Damian Garde, reporter for Stat covering the biotech industry. Host: Lizzie O’Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot has been happening around Twitch, a platform that really seems to live in its own world on the internet. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Gita Jackson who explains exactly why Twitch can feel so insular even though the audience is enormous. They also talk about the poorly planned TwitchCon, and the horrible things that have led streamer Amouranth to take a break from the site. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at https://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One company’s software is helping set prices for apartments across the country. But when does an algorithm telling landlords how much to charge—by drawing on property data—cross the line from “handy tool” to “illegal price-fixing”?  Guest: Heather Vogell, reporter with ProPublica 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Daisy Rosario to discuss what’s been happening online. First they scrape heaps of butter off their cutting boards, and then Daisy explains all the drama surrounding actor Sara Porkalob’s recent interview in Vulture where they tear into their own production. And then Rachelle gets powered up to tell Daisy exactly what a linewife and a bucket bunny are, and why they’ve taken over TikTok. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The idea of composting a human body may seem unsettling—or even gross—and it runs counter to the normal American funeral rites of embalming and internment, which preserve the body. But advocates say it’s a greener and more peaceful way to return our bodies to the Earth.  Guest: Eleanor Cummins, science journalist 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the show today, Rachelle is joined by Slate’s Dear Prudence, Jenée Desmond-Harris to talk all about online advice. They discuss what her online life was like before she took over as Dear Prudence, how she decides what sort of advice to give out, and why she really enjoys being on Twitter. And Rachelle continues to wonder, was Jesus hot? This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emily Peck, Elizabeth Spiers and guest host Ed Lee discuss inflation, the first policymaker to win an economics Nobel Prize, and begrudgingly, updates in the Elon Musk Twitter saga.   In the Plus segment: introducing a new anti-woke bank.   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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.   Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Ferguson to Minneapolis, protests against racist policing have been catalyzed by videos of the brutality being spread on social media. On today’s A Word, Jason Johnson sits down with Dr. Ruha Benjamin to talk about her book, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want, and where social sciences and technology intersect.  Guest: Ruha Benjamin You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following their victory in Staten Island, the Amazon Labor Union is still facing an uphill battle. Both the company and the union are closely watching the organizing vote at a warehouse outside of Albany, NY. Guest: Noam Scheiber, labor reporter for the New York Times. 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 Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Kia Miakka Natisse and Yowei Shaw, the hosts of NPR’s Invisibilia podcast. They discuss how they found themselves in the hosting chairs, the ways they spend their own time online, and the places podcasting and influencing intersect. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Churches are using accountability apps to keep tabs on their members' behavior. But if your pastor wants to monitor your phone, can you truly consent? Guest: Dhruv Mehrotra Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The early years of social media were a wild place where people weren’t really thinking about what they were posting, which is something the teenagers of the Bling Ring took advantage of when they started using celebrity gossip sites, Facebook, MySpace and Google Maps to target their famous victims. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Moises Mendez II to talk about the new Netflix documentary The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist, which details this group’s tactics, crimes, and conflicting stories. Rachelle and Moises discuss how the internet played such an important role in these crimes, the chaos in the courtroom, and the desperation for attention these teens had. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twenty-six words defined the internet as we know it today. What happens if they’re deleted? Guest: Jeff Kosseff Host: Lizzie O'Leary The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Miami Boys Choir is currently having a moment on TikTok with videos of their performances going viral on the platform. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Daisy explain who the Miami Boys Choir is, why they’re based in Brooklyn and not Miami, and what’s so appealing about their songs. They also talk about Lena Dunham’s latest wild tweet, and why the revelation of anonymous YouTuber Dream’s face was such a big deal online. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Longtermism, the idea that positively influencing the future is a key moral priority of our time, is hot in Silicon Valley. But does it miss the bigger picture? Guests: William MacAskill, Robert Wright Host: Lizzie O'Leary Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The internet has been abuzz with news that the Try Guys have ended their relationship with Ned Fulmer after it was revealed earlier this week that he cheated on his wife with a work colleague. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Devin Lytle, a director, producer, and former BuzzFeed colleague of the Try Guys who appeared in BuzzFeed’s Ladylike series. She and Rachelle discuss the heyday of BuzzFeed’s video department, the ways the Try Guys and Ladylike were treated differently, and how BuzzFeed created and trapped these performers in their online personalities. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With disaster relief funds from Hurricane Harvey, Houston's Harris County instituted a mandatory buyout program for residents in flood-prone areas. But some residents didn't want to leave. Guest: Amal Ahmed, Dolores Mendoza Host: Mary C. Curtis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of stuff has been happening online so we figured it was a perfect time for another mailbag. On today’s episode, Nadira is back with Rachelle to read your letters and answer your burning questions. They get into everything from Jojo Siwa’s lesbian TikTok drama, to why we’re all laughing about Adam Levine’s sexts, and whether or not influencers are allowed to complain about being influencers. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nuclear technology has become more important than ever, thanks to a global energy crisis and climate change. But it also has a complicated history. Guest: Joshua Keating Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2015, Serial launched the case against Adnan Syed for the murder of Hae Min Lee in to the national conversation, but over the years the mistakes that show made continued to add up. Adnan Syed’s release from prison earlier this week would have been a great chance for the Serial team to admit their wrongs, but that was not the case. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to talk about the impact Serial had on the culture, and the case itself. They speak with Rebecca Lavoie, a writer and host of Crime Writers On…, about what's missing from the podcast, the New York Times continuing to ignore its journalistic responsibilities, and how Serial is responsible for the current state of true crime culture. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conservative lawmakers in Florida and Texas are taking aim at content moderation on social media, with implications that go far beyond just the platforms. Guest: Mark Joseph Stern Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was impossible to get anything done the day the Queen died because Twitter was just too lively. All sorts of takes were had including the sympathetic, the critical, and the just plain funny. One specific strain of opinion criticized those who were laughing or rejoicing because they weren’t respecting the grief of the royal family. On today’s show, Nadira is back to talk to Rachelle about exactly what the trouble is with that train of thought. They discuss why people are so quick to jump to the dead’s defense, and how that gets in the way of really remembering the full picture of a person’s life. This podcast is produced by Ahyiana Angel, Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Victims of a new and high tech kind of human trafficking are forced to scam people all around the world. Guest: Cezary Podkul Host: Lizzie O'Leary Human Trafficking’s Newest Abuse: Forcing Victims Into Cyberscamming Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachelle knows a lot about internet culture, but tech…not so much. On today’s episode, Rachelle asks Lizzie O’Leary (host of What Next, TBD) about the latest developments in art created by artificial intelligence and whether or not TikTok is listening, before helping clear up a question about a popular video trope. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A small parish in Louisiana tried to get affordable, fast internet. An incumbent ISP stopped them. Guest: Issie Lapowsky, Wanda Manning Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry Styles has recently been in the news for saying some silly things and allegedly spitting on Chris Pine. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe to talk through Harry’s wild history as an online character, what led us to recent events surrounding the new film Don’t Worry Darling, and why he might want to just stop talking and get back to work. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An inside look at the rise of YouTube into a social media behemoth. Guests: Mark Bergen and Claire Stapleton Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle gets into the world of cooking videos. She speaks with Eater’s Bettina Makalintal about how online food content has changed over the years, taking something that we all do for ourselves and turning into a consumable performance. They discuss how this has changed our own approach to food offline and online, the expectations these videos engender in their viewers, and why everything is content. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technology is transforming the creative economy and ideas about what "art" even is. Guest: Drew Harwell Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Broadway musical Hamilton did not originally contain much of a Christian message, but then the Door McAllen Church in McAllen, Texas got a hold of it. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about the latest TikTok sensation known as “Scamilton,” an unauthorized production of Hamilton staged by the Door McAllen Church and livestreamed on Youtube in early August. They get into copyright law, how the Church lied about its right to perform the musical, and the tragically tone-deaf cast. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second of a two-part episode on reimagining the news we continue our conversation with Nicole Lewis, Senior Editor of Jurisprudence at Slate, and a longtime reporter on the criminal justice beat; and David Bornstein, co-founder/CEO of the Solutions Journalism Network, and former contributor to the New York Times’ Fixes column. The discussion picks up where we left off on how journalists can regain the trust of their audience, and how news consumers can find stories that inspire hope, agency and dignity — our democracy may depend on it. Resources:  https://trustingnews.org https://wearehearken.com https://results.org If you liked this episode, check out Part 1: “How To Unbreak the News” Do you have a burning question? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, and Kevin Bendis.   Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LYMErix, the first vaccine against Lyme, was pulled from the market amid poor sales and pressure from the public. Now, over 20 years later, a new vaccine is in late-stage trials. Guest: Cassandra Willyard Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Instagram has seen a recent influx of college “virginity club” accounts featuring sharp, funny memes about remaining chaste. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle put these accounts under the microscope. Is anything about these accounts real, or are they just a grift for merchandise and music promotion? After some internet sleuthing, they track down the creator of the most popular account, for “Brigham Young Virginity Club,” and put him on the spot. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. This episode originally aired on July 21, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A father took a photo of his son for their doctor. He wound up being investigated by the police. Guest: Kashmir Hill Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle have a short discussion of the recent beekeeper drama on TikTok. Then, they’re joined by Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber, hosts of the Who Weekly? podcast, to discuss Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez getting back together. They talk about what it was like when the pair first got together in the early 2000s, and why it feels so exciting to see these two stars indulge again in their past romance, and how Bennifer 3.0 will play in a new era of social media gossip. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. This episode originally aired on June 5, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About five or six years ago, host Amanda Ripley started noticing that her normal news diet left her feeling depleted and depressed. She tried mixing up her news habits, even avoiding it for awhile, but nothing helped. It felt like a shameful secret. Shouldn’t journalists love consuming the news? She began to wonder, is it me....or is it the news itself? On this episode of How To!, the first of two parts, we’ll hear from several of our listeners who feel the same way. We’ll also talk with Nicole Lewis, Senior Editor of Jurisprudence at Slate, and a longtime reporter on the criminal justice beat; and David Bornstein, co-founder/CEO of the Solutions Journalism Network, and former contributor to the New York Times’ Fixes column. Together they’ll discuss how the news became so broken, and how we can put it back together again.  Resources:  Solutions Story Tracker® Fear of Rampant Crime Is Derailing New York City’s Recovery by Fola Akinnibi and Raeedah Wahid I stopped reading the news. Is the problem me — or the product? by Amanda Ripley Do you have a burning question? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, and Kevin Bendis.   Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shows are disappearing. Staff are getting axed. Is It greed, or necessary for the networks' survival? Guest: Julia Alexander Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While authorities searched for missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito, she was everywhere to be found on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram. Content creators, some well-intentioned and others simply chasing clout and clicks, turned the story of Gabby’s apparent death into the latest in true crime drama. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk about the murkiness of the true crime internet and the ethics of using tragedy for clicks. They’re joined later in the show by Haley Toumaian, a TikTok creator and novice true crime podcast host who says the rapid pace of the news genre means sometimes getting things wrong in front of an audience of millions and willfully sharing misinformation.* Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. This episode originally aired on September 22, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legendary hacker Peiter "Mudge" Zatko’s reputation in the cybersecurity world is unmatched. His allegations against Twitter’s security are all the more damning because of it. Guest: Joseph Menn Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Evan Chung tells the story of the American teachers who competed for an unprecedented prize: a spot on the January 1986 launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Three of the finalists describe the grueling selection process and the tragedy that killed one of their own. One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin.  Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts and Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director. Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The realm of fan fiction is a wild, magical place to be, especially if that fan fiction is set at Hogwarts. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about All the Young Dudes, an extensive Harry Potter fan fiction that has inspired a fandom all its own, and just how that fandom came to be. But first, they chat about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and spend time listening to the first line of some listeners’ NaNoWriMo novels. Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis, Daniel Schroeder, and Derek John. This episode originally ran on November 20, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's no way to remove politics from public health. Guest: Tim Requarth Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Maya Cade, the creator and curator of the Black Film Archive tweeted about how Tumblr, specifically screengrabs and gifsets, has changed the way we watch movies. On today’s show, Daisy Rosario is back with Rachelle and they decided to give Maya a call. They ended up talking about the communal nature of encountering film through social media screenshots, how Maya was inspired to create the Black Film Archive, and why Tumblr might be the best current online archive tool. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Inflation Reduction Act is spurring progress towards new climate technology that, at times, sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. Will it make a dent in the fight against climate change? Guest: Pranshu Verma Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three lifestyle trends with surprisingly retrograde ideas have been popping up on TikTok. On today’s show, Nadira Goffe is back with Rachelle to discuss what’s going on. They talk about the problems with the “clean girl” aesthetic, people who shouldn’t be trying to imitate the Kennedys and the like, and why being a housewife isn’t the “soft life” TikTokkers might want you to believe it is. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During his presidency, Donald Trump demonstrated the power that social media can have in politics. Now, influencers are taking money to spread messages from across the spectrum. Unlike political ads in older media, though, influencers don’t have to disclose who is paying them—or even that they’re being paid at all. Guest: Ben Wofford, writer based at Stanford Law School, contributor to Wired.  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 Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The psychedelic renaissance is here. But not everyone’s on board. Guest: John Semley Host: Sonari Glinton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exclusively Black spaces online have faded away as platforms with wider audiences have taken over, but what, if anything, has been lost with those spaces? On today’s show, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe to discuss their own experiences growing up online as Black women, and they speak with Dr. Meredith D. Clark, a professor at Northeastern University who studies Black online spaces, about Black online history, how and why we interact the way we do, and what it means to know that non-Black people are watching. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crypto mining is booming in Texas. Will the power grid be able to handle it? Guest: Russell Gold Host: Sonari Glinton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everybody loves indulging in thirst online. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Slate’s Nadira Goffe to discuss exactly what makes internet thirst so much fun. They talk about the qualities of a good internet boyfriend, when thirsting can go wrong, and how much these thirst objects really owe us. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It makes intuitive sense for companies that develop a technology to hold its intellectual property rights. But in the case of vaccines and medical treatments, IP laws slow down manufacturing and distribution and give private companies the power to make huge decisions that affect public health globally. Guest: Zain Rizvi, researcher for advocacy group Public Citizen, specializing in pharmaceutical innovation and access to medicine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to open up the mailbag for another session of Read Receipts. They get into drama surrounding Nicki Minaj’s alleged former assistant airing the rapper’s alleged dirty laundry, Diane Warren stirring up trouble with Beyoncé, satisfying restocking videos, and an explanation of Ana Mardoll. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US has been in a housing shortage for decades. Can it ever be fixed? Guest: Conor Dougherty Host: Emily Peck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On was a viral sensation when he first popped up on the internet in 2010, and now he’s back in a major motion picture. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to discuss Will Smith’s sneaky news dump, do some High Speed Downloads on the Pink Sauce, and the Little Miss meme, and get into why Netflix is suing the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. Then, Rachelle speaks to Marcel the Shell With Shoes On director and co-writer Dean Fleischer-Camp to discuss what it’s been like translating an internet character to the big screen, what gets lost when things go viral, and how the internet virality to mainstream success pipeline has changed over the years. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers have untangled a world of illicit trade that threatens ecosystems and endangers species. Guest: Dr. Alice Hughes, Richard Stewart Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everybody loves to gossip, especially when it comes to celebrities. On the show today, Rachelle is joined by Normal Gossip host Kelsey McKinney to talk about the state of internet gossip. They discuss the early days of online gossip from Gawker, Perez Hilton, and Reality Steve, how social media changed the gossip landscape, and why those changes have made it so we all have the chance to be the subject of online gossip. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In buying One Medical, Amazon is primed to be your doctor. Are they disrupting health care, or just collecting more data? Guest: Rebecca Pifer Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show: more scams! Rachelle is joined by Daily Beast entertainment editor and former Slatester Allegra Frank; the two discuss the launch and social media rollout of the new multi-level marketing company Elomir. Later in the episode they examine how, despite the abundance of information on MLMs predatory nature, they still manage to pull people in. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario and Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto’s Quayside project is a telling example of how smart cities have failed. Could it also show how to make them better? Guest: Ben Green, Jennifer Keesmaat Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a great run, but Madison is leaving ICYMI for new ventures. On today’s show, Rachelle interviews Madison about her time working on ICYMI, her own internet habits, and her first online scams. Plus, they’ve got a round of High Speed Downloads, perhaps the greatest one ever recorded, so get ready to be shocked and astonished in the best way. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The continent's deadly heat wave is only the tip of the melting iceberg. Guest: Henry Grabar Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle open up the mailbag to answer some more listener questions. They’ve got people wondering about a giant frog army on TikTok, Christy Carlson Romano doing sponcon cameos, dubious hygienic practices, and more. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thenmozhi Soundararajan was scheduled to give a talk at Google for Dalit History Month. It led to vicious attacks against her from some of its employees. Guest: Thenmozhi Soundararajan Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently, it seems like our phones won’t stop buzzing with texts and phone calls about our expired car warranties or supposed IRS delinquency. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison discuss their own recent brushes with scams, a recent piece in the Washington Post about how scams take more than an economic toll on us, and why none of us should feel bad if we get taken in by them. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dysfunction is nothing new to Twitter. But Elon Musk pulling his offer to buy the company adds a new layer of chaos. Guest: Alex Kantrowitz Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past week Doja Cat started fighting with Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp, and Cardi B beefed with the gossip blog the Shade Room. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle break down what’s really going on in these two fights, and how the Shade Room became a toxic behemoth of internet gossip. Plus, they talk about Beanie Feldstein bowing out of Funny Girl on Broadway, and what it means now that Lea Michele is taking the stage. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's still a lot unknown about COVID's new wonder drug. Guest: Rachel Gutman-Wei Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last weekend, Minions: The Rise of Gru premiered and a bunch of teens showed up to see it dressed up in suits, launching the #Gentleminions trend across TikTok. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about why teens are putting on suits to go to the movies, and how the minions became such a dominant cultural and capitalistic force. Then, they’re joined by Vox’s Rebecca Jennings to discuss her latest piece on what the minions reveal about labor exploitation. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate change is causing unprecedented severe weather. Is the agency prepared for it to get worse? Guest: Craig Fugate and Ashley Nerbovig Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Instagram account No White Saviors presented itself as an organization that exposed missionaries, aide workers, and influencers who were actively harming the communities they were in, but the story is much darker and more confusing than that. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison are joined once again by journalist Jessica Lucas to talk about her latest piece for Input magazine on the dubious nature and recent implosion of No White Saviors. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to the Justice Department, there’s a right way — and a wrong way — to be a hacker. Guest: Josephine Wolff Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past month, customers of the meal delivery service Daily Harvest have been suffering from gastrointestinal distress after eating the company’s French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, and some have even required surgery. The company is currently investigating the cause of these medical issues but has yet to find anything conclusive. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison speak to Luke Pearson, an influencer who received the product in a PR package from Daily Harvest and has since had to have his gallbladder removed. They discuss his medical journey, what it was like finding a community online that was also suffering from these problems, and how it’s affected his future plans for brand partnerships. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social media makes mental health information accessible. But it's not a perfect solution. Guest: Lindsay Lee Wallace Host: Mary C. Curtis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode, Rachelle and Madison decided that, because of the recent Supreme Court news, it was time to take respite in some good online fun. They talk about the Olsen twins making pizza, Adam Lambert’s stellar vocals, plastic bags, musicals, and plenty more. Make sure to check out our Twitter for a thread with all the things mentioned in today’s episode. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fidelity made headlines when they announced you could invest your retirement savings in Bitcoin. Then the crypto market crashed. Guest: Anthony Lee Zhang Host: Sonari Glinton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Log onto any social app and you’ll quickly find content that’s been ported over from another platform. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison talk about the homogenization of internet humor and how every platform is trying to copy its competition. Then they discuss the return of anonymous online spaces with the new app NGL, an app that allows people to solicit anonymous comments and questions from Instagram, and why these anonymous spaces always tend toward toxicity. Make sure to check out our episode on period trackers, and the newest season of Slow Burn. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The openness of the internet is its greatest strength. Or a glaring weakness, depending on who you ask. Does something need to change? Guest: Jared Schroeder Host: Sonari Glinton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lesbians on dating and hookup apps aren’t looking for men, but that’s what platforms like Bumble and Tinder are serving them. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle speak to some queer women who’ve had this problem and what sorts of issues it creates. Then they discuss the women-focused apps that’ve tried to fill that space, and why it’s so difficult to find safe queer dates online. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher, and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode originally aired in July 2021. Last year, North Americans saw record-breaking heat, droughts, wildfires, and floods. The science is clear: we are living through the effects of climate change. Now scientists are trying to answer: is this the new normal? Guest: Daniel Swain, climate scientist at UCLA  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, the American Girl Doll Instagram account announced the return of the classic Molly doll, and because it was announced during Pride month everybody started wondering, “Is Molly gay?” On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison discuss the recent gay panic of the conservative American Doll Instagram community, the online life of American Girl memes, and their own histories with these beloved childhood treasures. Plus, they discuss the drama around Lizzo’s “GRRRLS” and why she’s one of the few celebrities to nail the Notes app apology. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher, and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One state wants to stop people from buying one. But can electric vehicles be stopped?  Guest: Ryan Cornell Host: Sonari Glinton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout the 2010s, the One Direction fandom was inescapable online. On today’s show, Atlantic writer Kaitlyn Tiffany is here to discuss her new book all about that subject, Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It. Rachelle and Madison talk to Kaitlyn about why she chose One Direction, how fan theories get out of hand, and why neither she nor Rachelle would ever want to meet Harry Styles. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She wanted to be an icon for working women. What went wrong? Guest: Sheera Frenkel Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk isn't wrong that Twitter has a bot problem. But he's kind of missing the point. Guest: Samuel Woolley Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The market for cryptocurrency crashed in May, losing billions of investor dollars. That’s a special concern for African Americans, who are twice as likely as white people to invest in crypto. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by economist Darrick Hamilton to discuss the unique appeal of cryptocurrency among Black Americans, and whether the potential rewards outweigh the risks. Guest: Darrick Hamilton, the founding director of the Institute for the Study of Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School. Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis and Eric Aaron You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few months, musicians have been posting on TikTok about how their record labels are forcing them to make TikTok videos to promote their new music. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison look at what all these famous musicians like Charli XCX, Florence Welch, and Ed Sheeran are posting, why the music industry is so desperate for viral hits, and who we should feel sorry for in all of this. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some call him revolutionary. Others call him a hack. Is his success warranted? Guest: Ashlee Vance Host: Lizzie O'Leary Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mormon moms on TikTok are accused of “soft swinging,” or engaging in sexual acts with people other than their spouses while their spouses are in the room, and people cannot stop asking about it. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about Liam Payne’s recent comments about his former One Direction bandmates, and then they’re back with High Speed Downloads about the Early American Youtube channel, and the drama surrounding the Mormon moms of TikTok. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like so much of pop culture, online culture is largely rooted in the work of Black and other marginalized people. Writer and activist Bridget Todd celebrates their stories on her podcast There Are No Girls on the Internet. On today’s episode of A Word, she joins Jason Johnson to talk about the challenge of preserving that history, and building communities for women, LGBTQ people, and Black folks in an increasingly hostile online world.  Guest: Bridget Todd, host of the “There Are No Girls on the Internet” podcast. Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Schools have spent millions to detect threats online. It mostly doesn’t work. Guest: Arijit Sen Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since it started over six weeks ago, the court battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has been impossible to escape online. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison look at the troubling ways people are discussing the trial, the cottage industry of lawyers reacting to the trial, and the stakes that have been lost in the breathless coverage and endless meme-ing of Heard and Depp. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What can current surveillance infrastructure tell us about online privacy after the fall of Roe?  Guest: Lily Hay Newman Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, Bobbi Brown’s new foundation line blew up on TikTok thanks to some rather ungenerous videos from beauty influencers. In an effort to defend her new Jones Road line, Brown took to TikTok and filmed her own response, rocketing the drama into the TikTok mainstream. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle dig through the drama to explain why this isn’t just a story about one makeup company, and what it reveals about the state of the influencer industry. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is El Salvador heading for default after going all in on crypto? Guest: Anna-Cat Brigida Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, it’s mailbag time!  Rachelle and Madison answer listener questions on a very important Haley Kiyoko relationship status update, if the Apple Health app is also selling your biological data, and – shudder – whether there is a new Couch Guy. Plus, Madison herself has a very important question about resizing your jeans.     Mentioned in the Show: “I’m the TikTok Couch Guy. Here’s What It Was Like Being Investigated on the Internet” by Robert McCoy   Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Cheyna Roth and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season of Better Life Lab, we’ve been taking a close look at work stress and the future of work and wellbeing.  Parts of the American economy are looking tough for many workers — even “dystopian. People are quitting their jobs at record rates. We know what many of the problems are. Yet the fixes are not so simple. So on this closing episode of our fourth season, we ask: Are bad jobs an inherent part of the workplace — or can we actually do what it takes to make the jobs of the future good jobs, big enough to support real human life for all of us? Guests Rep. Jim Himes, D-Ct, chair of the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth Zeynep Ton, founder, Good Jobs Institute Warren Valdmanis, private equity investor and partner with Two Sigma Impact, who will only invest in companies that provide good jobs Resources What if Progress meant Wellbeing for All?, The Metropolitan Group Making wellbeing a policy priority. Lessons from the 2021 World Happiness Report, Carol Graham, Brookings, 2021 The Business Roundtable Redefines the Purpose of a Corporation to Promote an Economy that Serves All, 2019 Hearing Recap: Our Changing Economy: The Effects of Technological Innovation, Automation and the Future of Work, House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, Nov. 2021 Economists pin more blame on tech for inequality, New York Times, January 2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They’ve stolen billions of dollars. Is the U.S. ready to crack down? Guest: Jason Bartlett, research associate in the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While TikTok’s “For You” page is designed to get inside users’ heads—and only show them videos about their niche interests—certain trends and sounds on the app can become too big to avoid. On this week’s episode, Madison and guest host Moises Mendes II break down the disturbing ubiquity of TikToks making fun of the Depp v. Heard defamation trial. Then, they offer insight into the app’s newest dance craze and our strongest contender for 2022 song of the summer, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time.” Finally, they trace the origins of TikTok’s strangest earworm, the “Jiggle Jiggle” rap. Podcast production by Madeline Ducharme and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The shooting in Buffalo raises questions about the effectiveness of content moderation. Is the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism the answer to how social media can moderate extremist content? Guest: Emma Llansó, director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology Host: Ray Suarez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher speak with Dion Beary, a writer and online community builder who founded the Tumblr blog This Is White Privilege. They talk with Beary about where that blog began, its impact on online discourse, and why he stepped away. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump's Truth Social network was supposed to be the right's answer to Twitter. What happens to the company if Elon takes over? Guest: Drew Harwell, reporter for the Washington Post Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “troubled teen” industry, which refers to a network of private wilderness youth programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and residential treatment centers has recently come under scrutiny thanks to TikTok. Survivors of this industry have taken to the app to post stories of their traumatic experiences. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk to Kendee and Daniel, two TikTokkers who’ve become voices of the “troubled teen” industry survivor movement. They take us through what they refer to as “legal kidnapping”, the harsh conditions and manual labor they were subjected to, what life’s been like since they got out, and how TikTok has helped them heal. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Companies are developing and selling A.I. products intended to tell your boss or your teacher how you're feeling. Guest: Kate Kaye, reporter for Protocol Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In light of the threat to Roe v. Wade, abortion rights advocates are asking many companies –including in the tech industry– to take a stand. But many industry leaders are silent, and could be poised to profit from data that tracks abortion providers, advocates, and patients. On this week’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Bärí Williams, an expert on diversity in tech and artificial intelligence. They talk about the political, financial, and social priorities that may be keeping tech leaders quiet about the abortion issue.  Guest: Bärí Williams, an expert on diversity in tech and AI. She’s also the COO of Bandwagon Fan Club, Inc., a data and identity analytics tech company focused on sports and entertainment.  Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Am I the asshole?” The provocative question lies at the heart of a wildly popular subreddit whose reach has spread far beyond the platform. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison dig into the history and legacy of the 4-million-subscriber-strong advice forum that is the “Am I the Asshole” subreddit. They speak with Mallola Khalidi, a TikTokker who’s blown up on the platform after she started filming herself reading AITA posts. They discuss how she got started, how her videos have been received, and some of the wildest stories she’s ever read aloud. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A conversation with one of the smartest First Amendment lawyers in the country. Guest: Jameel Jaffer Host: Lizzie O'Leary Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Supreme Court opinion dismantling Roe v. Wade was leaked earlier this week, social media has been flooded with people telling you to delete your period tracker apps. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison talk about their own experiences using period tracking apps, the ways your personal data can be purchased and used against you, and why data privacy in this country is nothing but a joke. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic changed the way abortion care could be provided online. So what happens now? Guest: Dr. Mai Fleming, family medicine physician and Fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health. Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show: Can Starlink ever fulfill its promise of connecting the world, especially places left behind by traditional internet? Or will it be just another toy for the rich?  Guest: Meaghan Tobin, reporter at Rest of World Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twitter is the platform of choice for politicians, journalists, academics, and many other agenda-setters. Twitter influences conversations that take place in newsrooms and statehouses. What happens if the company’s placed in the hands of a pugnacious, provocative plutocrat like Elon Musk? Guest: Will Oremus, tech reporter for the Washington Post Host: Seth Stevenson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia is uncovering new wartime applications for facial recognition technology. Guest: Aric Toler, director of research and training at Bellingcat Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are we facing down yet another COVID wave right now? Does it matter? Guest: Katherine Wu, staff writer for The Atlantic Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did Intuit build its TurboTax empire? Guest: Justin Elliott, reporter for ProPublica Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Musk's bid to take Twitter private a genuine attempt to mold the social network in his image? Or is he just going to have some fun, make some money, and walk away? Guest: Felix Salmon, host of Slate Money and chief financial correspondent for Axios Host: Lizzie O'Leary Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/TBD - Enter promo code TBD for 83% off and 3 extra months free!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices