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This week Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by the New York Times’ “On Tech” columnist Shira Ovide for an all-tech deep dive. Starting with the war in Ukraine, they explore the tech giants’ grappling with Russian restrictions, Amazon’s inflated image as the omnipotent retailer, and the United States’ flagging broadband access.In the Plus segment: The bill banning forced arbitrationEmail: slatemoney@slate.comPodcast production by Kevin Bendis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up against one of the world's most effective propaganda operations, Ukraine has taken control of the online narrative. With Russian troops closing in, how important is winning the information war?Guest: Casey Newton, writer at PlatformerHost: Lizzie O'Leary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson and David Plotz discuss Ukraine's resistance, the State of the Union, and an increasing backlash against reformer prosecutors.Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:Thomas L. Friedman for The New York Times: “I See Three Scenarios for How This War Ends”Anne Appelbaum for the Atlantic: “The Bad Guys Are Winning”Gal Beckerman for The Atlantic: “How Zelensky Gave the World a Jewish Hero”Rebecca Davis O’Brien for The New York Times: “How This ‘Progressive Prosecutor’ Balances Politics and Public Safety”Heart of Darkness, by Joseph ConradCharged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, by Emily BazelonHere’s this week’s chatter:David: The Postman, by David Brin Emily: In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss, by Amy Bloom; Away, by Amy BloomJohn: New York Times, Feb. 22, 1862: “The Execution of Nathaniel Gordon”Listener chatter from Leslie Camp: Phil Davison for The Washington Post: “Monique Hanotte, Belgian resistance member who rescued 135 downed Allied airmen in World War II, dies at 101” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment John, Emily and David discuss what they do to find and boost their courage. 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 Jocelyn Frank.Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee to safety in neighboring countries and beyond, the UN says this may become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century. But it’s hard not to notice the stark difference between how the EU is welcoming Ukrainian refugees versus the non-European refugees who came before them.Guest: Serena Parekh, professor at Northeastern University in Boston and the director of its politics, philosophy and economics program.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No one knows what’s going on in Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s head – and while that’s a worrisome idea during the best of times, it’s an especially grim one during a war of his own creation. Putin is increasingly isolated, away from his inner circle and the oligarchs who once had some influence with him. Guest: Ben Judah is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and the author of This Is London and Fragile Empire: How Russia Fell In and Out of Love With Vladimir Putin.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Texas’s Republican governor and attorney general are pursuing a new crackdown on trans kids and their families. Their directive compelling Child Protective Services to treat gender-affirming care as child abuse is raising alarms among trans rights advocates, who say the order, if enforced, will prove dangerous for a vulnerable population.Why did Republican leaders pick this moment to trumpet an anti-trans effort? How does it fit into a wider culture war—or perhaps a larger effort to drive trans people from public life?Guest: Katelyn Burns, columnist at MSNBC and co-host of the podcast Cancel Me, Daddy.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden has nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill Justice Breyer’s seat on the Supreme Court. If confirmed, she would be the first Black woman to hold a seat on the court. What does her backstory say about her as a jurist? Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer for Slate. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia went all in last week, sending troops across the border with Ukraine and raining shells on the country. Experts are saying Putin’s brash invasion of his neighbor is shifting the world order in significant ways. In the face of this aggression, how should NATO respond? Can history serve as a guide?Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s War Stories correspondent.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Thiel spent the better part of two decades molding the tech industry in his image. Now, he's leaving Facebook behind and turning his attention to politics. Is Thiel the next kingmaker for the populist right?Max Chafkin, writer for Bloomberg and is the author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Wall Street Journal reporter, Nick Timiraos. They discuss the evolving crisis in the Ukraine and what impact (if any) sanctions would have on Russia, all the problems with inflation and how the fed deals with inflation, and Timiraos’s upcoming book, Trillion Dollar Triage. In the Plus segment: Money markets and the feds as firefighters Email: slatemoney@slate.comPodcast production by Cheyna Roth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.