Slate Culture

Everyone has a different birth experience. Obstetricians and midwives are well-known members of the birth team. Along with the pregnant person, they are central to labor and delivery.Doulas are lesser known, but they can provide essential support for pregnant women and their loved ones. On this week’s episode of Well, Now: What to expect when working with a doula with Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow.If you liked this episode, check out: Overcoming a Complicated PregnancyWell, Now is hosted by Maya Feller, CDN and Kavita Patel, MD.Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the stardom of the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as well as Draymond Green’s stint on TNT’s Inside the NBA. Michael McCann of Sportico also joins to break down the multibillion-dollar settlement that will likely mark the end of amateurism in college sports.Luka and Kyrie: How the Mavericks duo took over the Western Conference Finals.NCAA: Will the settlement deal actually become reality? And how will the payments work?Afterball: Stefan on Bill Walton, Jack Scott, and the FBI.Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: self-limiting.Congress is historically unpopular; it’s one of the few things that people on both sides of the aisle can agree on. But what could be done to actually fix our legislature?Term limits are often posed as a good potential start. But there are those who argue that that’s not the best way to fix our legislature — and the pool of people who feel that way isn’t exclusively career politicians, either.Charlie Hunt, a professor at Boise State University, joins us to argue against term limits.If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.comPodcast production by Maura Currie.Want more Hear Me Out? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/hearmeoutplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leo is a high-achieving high school senior on the cusp of graduation. Growing up in a rigorous school environment he faced endless pressure to follow the expected track of attending an elite university and eventually securing a good job. Yet, Leo feels slightly unfulfilled and is curious what an alternative path might look like. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace is joined by Abby Falik, founder of the The Flight School, and organization dedicate to helping students and parents rethink and reshape their education. Abby shares her insights and experience guiding students through gap years so they find their own way.If you liked this episode check out: How To Parent LessDo you have a problem that needs solving? 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.How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by 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

The dating app Bumble recently declared in advertisements that “a vow of celibacy is not the answer.” The ad campaign, which was met with a swift backlash, seemed to be responding to a prevailing notion that people are having less sex than they used to. Back in 2015, we asked our listeners why they weren’t having sex, and their reasons varied. Disability, religious beliefs, S.T.I.s, and differing libidos were all cited as factors. This week, we revisit those stories and reflect on sex and abstinence at a time when those things continue to spark debate.Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to Francesca Zambello, artistic director of the Washington National Opera. In the interview, Francesca discusses the process of creating a brand new ending for Puccini’s unfinished final opera Turandot, from recruiting a composer and librettist to deciding on the visual language of the show. She also talks about her early career working overseas, the wide range of productions at the National Opera, and the kinds of shows that attract new opera fans. After the interview, June and co-host Ronald Young Jr. talk about the ethics of changing or updating an artist’s work after their death.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, June asks Francesca if there are any other operas that she’d like to update or re-frame. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.Podcast production by Cameron Drews.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 Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s essay, John discusses Mothers’s Day, playing tennis with the Attorney General, medical scares, and more Notebook Entries:Notebook 19, page 16. April 2011Is it possible, through applied thought, to become systematic in an approach to life? If you were to do that how would you proceed? Notebook 16, page 6. July 26, 2005“I’m here with a bunch of midshipmen and wondering what there is to do around here.” - Boy trying to hit on a girl working @ The Reef in Castine, ME.Notebook 15, page 30. September 2004Head problems:Sunday 9/5 morningTuesday 9/7 eveningWednesday 9/8 before lunchNotebook 22, page 22. April 24, 2014Question: What did you want to be when you were a kid?  What do you want to be now? Why the difference? Notebook 9. 1995“That’s just the ticket the doctor ordered”Notebook 13. 2001“Free as a clam”Notebook 17, page 67. December 2006The man sitting next to me has a face on the boil and garlic and old booze on his breath. When he sleeps, he sighs. For this leg of the flight I am wrapped in his breathy gumbo.Notebook 15, page 7. April 2004“In all these there are messages for those who use their reason.” - Quran quotationNotebook 15, page 80. 2005Would like to meet her.Notebook 54. July 26, 2020“Writing requires a reader. You can’t do it alone.” - John CheeverNotebook 15, page 71. 2005In the light of sobriety not sure what this meansNotebook 13. March 2001Yesterday I played tennis with John Ashcroft the atty. general of the U.S.Notebook 13, page 108. December 11, 2001Anne just called. There is one little heartbeat beating in her today. Everything is okay for this hurdle. I must say, I was really worried.Notebook 20, page 10. December 24, 2013“Sometimes Dad says weird stuff, just ignore him” - Anne to kids about meNotebook 15, page 84.“Life goes on,” Hayawi says. “We are in the middle of a war [in Iraq] and we still smoke the water pipe.”Notebook 45, page 24. April 16, 2019Our savior lives by the manner in which we live.Notebook 19, page 23. 2011People on their mobile phones in England say goodbye a lot: “Cheers, alright then, speak to you soon, ta.” (That’s four ways of saying goodbye). Amelia tells the story of a man who thanked a ticket-taker by saying “Ta, magical, cheers.”References:Disaster on the Penobscot - John Henry Fay for Naval History MagazineOne Man’s Meat by E.B. WhiteThe House at Allen Cove I E.B. White House Tour - New England MagazineLittle Plastic Castle - Ani Defranco“Two Years of War: Taking Stock” - Anthony Shadid for the Washington Post Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.Email us at navelgazingpodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by internet culture writer and reporter Kate Lindsay whose recent Bustle article “My Therapist is a TikTok Star” explores the complicated dynamics that emerge when patients run into their therapists online.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 this episode, Dear Prudence editors Paola de Varona and Bryan Lowder join Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to deal with a spouse who says he needs friends but has already alienated yours, how to introduce a partner to religious parents, and why guests who spent a free weekend at a lake house would feel entitled to pack up all the leftovers and take them home.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.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Haiti has suffered under decades of crises, but the latest may be its most intractable. Violent criminals are now effectively in charge of the country, after years of assassinations and political instability left a power vacuum. As a new international force prepares for an intervention, A Word host Jason Johnson discusses the current troubles with Patrick Gaspard, leader of the Center for American Progress. They explore how Haiti fell into such dire circumstances, the role that American guns and policy have played, and how Haitian Americans and the U.S. government could help Haiti find stability.Guest: Patrick Gaspard, chief of the Center for American ProgressPodcast production by Kristie Taiwo-MakanjuolaWant more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices