

Slate Daily Feed
Slate Podcasts
The Slate Daily feed includes new episodes from more than 30 shows in the Slate Podcast Network. You'll get thought provoking analysis, storytelling, and commentary on everything from news and politics to arts, culture, technology, and entertainment. Discover new shows you never knew you were missing.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 21, 2025 • 1h 7min
Political Gabfest | Is This Martial Law?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Trump’s deepening takeover of Washington D.C. as National Guard troops from red states arrive, what if anything was accomplished in the whirlwind of Putin-Trump-Zelensky diplomacy, and this week’s launch of the new liberal publication The Argument with its Editor-in-Chief Jerusalem Demsas.
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss escalations of the retribution campaigns against Trump’s rivals, spearheaded by Department of Justice officials Pam Bondi and Ed Martin.
In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Jonathan Mahler about his new book, The Gods of New York. They discuss the unraveling of Mayor Ed Koch’s New York City; how the city’s current mayoral race is mirroring the past; and more.
Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Research by Emily Ditto
You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 21, 2025 • 30min
What Next | D.C’s Senator Knew This Would Happen
Donald Trump was able to take over the Metropolitan Police Department and send in National Guard troops and federal agents to patrol the streets due to Washington D.C.’s strange, not-a-state status. One of the district’s (non-voting) Congressional representatives believes D.C. statehood could come in the backlash.
Guest: Ankit Jain, U.S. Senator for Washington, D.C. since 2024.
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 Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 21, 2025 • 38min
Care & Feeding | When Your Kid Hates Mornings
This week on Care and Feeding, Zak, Lucy, and Elizabeth tackle a letter from a parent whose mornings are a nonstop battleground. What do you do when your kid just isn’t a morning person, and every transition out the door spirals into crankiness and chaos? The hosts share strategies for smoother starts to the day, and in triumphs and fails: a birthday party pulled off without a hitch, the joys (and wobbles) of re-learning to ride a bike, and back-to-school prep that actually went right.
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.
Listen to Opportunity Gap wherever you get your podcasts: https://lnk.to/opportunitygapPS!careandfeeding Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 20, 2025 • 28min
What Next | Can Trump Kill Mail-In Ballots?
Donald Trump returned from his meeting with Vladimir Putin convinced that mail-in voting is how he was cheated from winning the 2020 election. Though he’s come to this conclusion without evidence, how much damage can he do to American democracy?
Guest: Rick Hasen, UCLA School of Law, Director, Safeguarding Democracy Project, Election Law blog Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 20, 2025 • 43min
ICYMI | Ethel Cain, Lana Del Rey, and the Lorax Girl
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay explain what’s going on between the internet’s favorite sad girls, Ethel Cain and Lana Del Rey. Where did their beef start and why is Peter Griffin involved? Then, they dive into a new TikTokker who dresses up as the Lorax, does spot-on Ariana Grande impressions, and could be our next big comedian. But first, our favorite TikTok dolls may finally start posting again.
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

Aug 20, 2025 • 1h 2min
Culture Gabfest: Alien is Back Now With More Aliens Edition
This week’s episode journeys to dystopian corporate hellscapes present and future as Julia, Dana, and Steve dissect the horror and philosophical underpinnings of Alien: Earth, Noah Hawley’s new series adapting the Ridley Scott sci-fi masterpiece.
Next, they set their course to Arlen, Texas where they’ll assess the return of Hank, Peggy, and Bobby in Mike Judge’s rebooted King of the Hill. Finally, they venture to Hollywood and greet its “new face” and the medical specialists who reconstructed it in their discussion of the Hollywood Reporter’s special issue on cosmetic surgery.
In an exclusive Slate Plus bonus episode, it’s time for lunch as they chat about Lauren Collins’s recent New Yorker piece “The Case for Lunch.”
Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com.
Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch.
Endorsements:
Dana: A request seeking a good book about the cultural impact of Napoleon.
Steve: The poem “Empathy and New Year” by James Schuyler.Julia: Crate diving into your own ancestry and visiting places significant to your family's history—Ancestry proves to be a useful tool to track down public records. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 19, 2025 • 26min
What Next | Zelensky Brings a Posse to Washington
After visiting with Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders, where does Donald Trump stand on the Ukraine-Russia war—and where does that leave Ukraine?
Guest: Tim Mak, editor of the Kyiv-based publication The Counteroffensive.
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

Aug 19, 2025 • 27min
Slate Money | Money Talks: Fixing A Broken Monetary System
In this Money Talks: Elizabeth Spiers is joined by professors Matt Sekerke and Steve H. Hanke, coauthors of Making Money Work: How to Rewrite the Rules of Our Financial System. They’ll lay out how the money supply in the US is misunderstood and underweighted in monetary policy, how that flawed system contributed to the global financial crisis, and what policymakers can do to fix it all.
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 Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 19, 2025 • 37min
How To! | Declutter Your Digital Life
Safiya is one clumsy coffee spill away from catastrophe. A Gen Xer who hasn’t yet embraced the cloud, she stores thousands of digital files, documents, and photos on devices with maxed-out storage limits. On today’s episode, Carvell Wallace brings on Caitlin McGarry, senior editor at Wirecutter. Caitlin talks with Safiya about practical ways to delete and organize—and how we can all build healthier habits in our digital lives.
Ready to dive even deeper? Explore these resources:
How to Organize Your Digital Files
Digital Clutter Can Be Overwhelming. Here’s How to Clean Up.
Your Phone’s Camera Roll Is a Mess. Here’s How to Clean It Up.
How to Organize Desktop Apps
Don’t Be a Digital Hoarder
If you liked this episode, check out How To Be a Lazy Genius and How To Rethink Screen Time
Do 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.
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

10 snips
Aug 19, 2025 • 55min
Death, Sex & Money | The Internet Taught Me to Diet, Then Saved Me With Weightlifting
Casey Johnston, author of 'Physical Education' and writer behind the Substack, She’s a Beast, shares her inspiring journey from diet culture to strength training. She reveals how a Reddit post changed her perspective on fitness and body image. Casey discusses navigating familial pressures around food and her transformative experiences in weightlifting, emphasizing community support in fitness. She also reflects on personal challenges, including loss and self-discovery, showcasing how empowerment through strength transformed her relationship with her body.


