Slate Culture

From the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate Bridge, and places in between like Yellowstone and the site of the Battle of Gettysburg, the National Park Service has been a point of American pride since its inception. And with a small budget and actually generating revenue, even fiscal hawks had no reason to complain.  So why is the Trump administration cutting their budget?  Guests: Jon B. Jarvis,18th director of the National Parks and executive director for the Institute for Parks, People and Biodiversity at UC Berkeley. Kevin Heatley, former superintendent of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.   Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth, Zak, and Lucy respond to a parent whose 7-year-old has developed intense separation anxiety—panicking anytime they’re apart, even with another parent nearby. The fears center around monsters the kid hasn’t seen, but hears about at school. So what do you do when reassurance stops working and fear takes over the routine? But first, we’ll circle up for a round of check-ins: Elizabeth recounts a fireworks fiasco, Lucy faces down her daughter’s back-to-school worries, and Zak’s planning a very special birthday. And on Slate Plus recommendations  for parents and kids alike, everything we turn to when anxiety hits. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an extra weekly grab-bag of content on the Plus Playground, an ad-free experience across the network, and support the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus — or try it out on Apple Podcasts. Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask questions, share feedback, and suggest future topics. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of Slate Money Travels, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers discuss whether traveling can really “broaden your mind.” They dig into the distinction between ‘traveling’ and actually living somewhere; why you need to do more than tick places to see off a list to really have an experience; and how you can travel within the US and still have a mind-bending experience. Plus, Emily builds an army of Straw Men and somehow Elizabeth and Felix agree on something?   Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.  Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s hard to make money in the music industry. But if you could flood every streamer with hundreds of “original” songs without having to, you know, write or produce it yourself, there’s money there—and less for everyone else.  Guests:  Chris Molanphy, host of Slate’s Hit Parade podcast. Kate Knibbs, senior writer at Wired Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Slate staff writer Aymann Ismail to discuss the controversial YouTube channel, Jubilee. A video of political commentator Mehdi Hasan debating 20 far-right republicans has gone viral, but as Ismail argues in his piece for Slate, it also crossed a line. When political disagreement becomes content and extremism is rewarded with clicks, everybody loses.  Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Lucy, Zak, and Elizabeth respond to a letter from a parent who wants their six-year-old to be more helpful, but every small request turns into a debate. How can caregivers encourage a spirit of contribution without forcing it? But first, we’ll circle up for a round of check-ins—bras, birthdays, and babysitter drama. And on Slate Plus, we’re talking about what to do when a child’s nature rubs up against a parent’s values. If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep reading to learn how. Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask questions, share feedback, and suggest future topics. 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 extra weekly grab-bag of content on the Plus Playground, an ad-free experience across the network, and support the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus — or try it out on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim discuss the latest in Labubu-land, from a TikTok blackface controversy to leaving one on an iconic anti-capitalist’s grave. Then, they dive into the growing trend of fanfiction getting a big marketing push from the publishing world. From Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis starting as Reylo fanfic to Julie Soto basing her latest novel on a Dramione ship, traditional publishing is reaching into the channels of AO3, Tumblr, and Wattpad to find their next big hit. But what do we lose when our favorite fanfictions get taken mainstream? And is it good or bad for the community they originated from? Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the most feelin’ yourself time of the year; a time for uptempo jams to make the sidewalk your runway; a time for the annual Summer Strut playlist! As per tradition, Steve, Dana, and Julia are joined by music critic and chartologist Chris Molanphy to sift through the hundreds of listener submissions to pick their favorite songs to strut to this season. They’ll also kick off the show with a discussion of the song of the summer.  You can find the panel’s collective favorites here, at the Summer Strut ‘25 Shortlist. In addition, Dana, Julia, Steven, and Chris, have also published their personal best-of lists. Intrepid listeners are welcome to explore the gigantic original playlist here. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel does two rapid fire rounds to discuss eight more songs for all your strutting needs.  Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com.  Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outward is going on a little summer break, in the meantime we’re leaving you with a delightfully queer episode of Slate’s Hit Parade with Chris Molanphy called Mighty Real. This is part two—catch part one in our previous episode. Little Richard was rock ‘n’ roll’s flamboyant architect. Lesley Gore sang that no one owned her. Sylvester was a gender-fluid icon who helped define disco. Freddie Mercury made rock operatic, and George Michael demanded freedom. What all of these LGBTQ artists had in common was bold hitmaking—and fear of being fully out of the closet. For decades, queer acts topped the charts while cloaking their true identities and paving the way for today’s more openly queer stars. For Pride Month, join Chris Molanphy as he traces the hidden history of queer hitmakers on the charts—including those that managed to be both out and No. 1, right up through our modern age of Lil Nas X and Chappell Roan. It’s a celebration of these artists’ quest to feel… mighty real. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessi navigates life with ADHD using a complex web of coping strategies. She used to strive for absolute perfection, but feels overwhelming guilt when she forgets something or loses focus at work or at home. On this episode, How To! co-host Carvell Wallace introduces Jessi to Dr. Sarah Wheeler, an educational psychologist who specializes in ADHD. Dr. Wheeler shares her own experience with ADHD and helps Jessi chart a sustainable path forward to self-acceptance, minus the anxiety and shame. Dr. Wheeler’s Resources and Recommendations Sarah’s ADHD story Sarah’s Substack and podcast More about Sarah and her work Joan Wilder’s site Help for Women with ADHD Salif Muhamane’s Ted Talk, “ADHD Sucks, But Not Really” Kate Weber’s Women & ADHD podcast You’ve Always Been This Way: “Hello, I’m New Here,” by McSweeney’s columnist Taylor Harris Check out: How To Navigate Adult Autism and our discussion of ADHD and organizing in How To Do Housework (and Not Hate It) How can How To! help you?? 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. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sophie Summergrad. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer. Get more of How To! with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of How To! and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the How To! show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/howtoplus for access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices