Slate Business

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 FranciscoHost: Lizzie O’LearyIf 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 Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss how the avian flu has skyrocketed egg prices, even as inflation continues to plateau. They also talk about the ongoing controversy over gas stoves and scrutinize a recent article about Columbia Business School’s new campus. In the plus segment: Noma, an extravagant restaurant in Copenhagen hailed as the world’s best restaurant, is closing. What does that say about that status of “fine dining”? Podcast production by Anna Phillips. 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 CommissionHost: Lizzie O’LearyIf 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, Slate Money co-host Emily Peck is joined by New York Times writer, Amy Larocca to discuss, as Amy says, the “menopause gold rush.” They dig into when exactly menopause starts, how younger women embracing their bodies has trickled up to their moms, and the companies that have started aggressively targeting menopausal women - for better and for worse.  In Slate Plus, how telehealth and online medicine have changed the menopause game. Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by 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

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 PeckIf 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, 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

Challenging times are inevitable — but they're not impossible to overcome. This episode explores the core skills we can build to help us power through tough moments in business and in life.First, Jacqui Brassey, co-leader at the McKinsey Health Institute, draws on her expertise in business and neuroscience to share the core skills leaders need to succeed: adaptability, learning agility, self-awareness, and emotional self-regulation.Then, Tony Geraci, broker and owner of the CENTURY 21 HomeStar, discusses how moments of uncertainty can actually be a blessing in disguise for leaders and entrepreneurs alike.GuestsJacqui Brassey: Co-leader at the McKinsey Health Institute, Senior Expert in People & Organizational PerformanceTony Geraci: Broker & Owner of CENTURY 21 HomeStar 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. CurtisIf 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

In this New Year’s Eve special, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Ritholtz Wealth Management CEO Josh Brown to discuss all things markets. Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the proposed changes to retirement plans in Congress’s 2023 spending bill. They also talk about the current boom in cocaine production and debate whether or not nepotism is as bad as everyone says. In the Plus segment: Felix, Emily, and Elizabeth admit what they each got wrong about 2022. Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices