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Alongside life's darkest moments there often are moments of absurdity that make us laugh. In this episode, from a live San Francisco comedy festival in January, Anna and guests talk about the special kind of comedy born of something sad. Comedians Guy Branum and Carl Tart share stories of writing a sitcom about Zoom-era social relationships. Chanel Miller, author of Know My Name, talks about coping with the trauma of being a victim of a high profile sexual assault case… by doing standup. And Faith Albright, a veterinarian specializing in at-home euthanasia, explores the delicate art of finding humor while supporting grieving families through difficult goodbyes. Plus an AI chatbot and musician Matt Nathanson duke it out over who can more creatively sum up each segment. Chanel Miller’s books are the memoir Know My Name and Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All, which was recognized by the Newbury Awards this year. Faith Albright’s work at onelivingsanctuary.org. Matt Nathanson’s new album is called King of Unsimple and he’s on tour…find dates at mattnathanson.com Guy Branum has upcoming standup shows in LA, Chicago, Seattle and more…find those dates at guybranum.com Watch Carl Tart’s writing work on SNL… keep track of all his podcasts and improv shows on his instagram. 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

As video of federal agents stopping Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk on the street and taking her away to be detained circulated on social media, people kept asking, “how could this happen here?” The answer involves organizations that claim to help the federal government identify and find activists, and victims whose rights to free speech and due process can be swiftly suspended.Guest: Aymann Ismail, staff writer at Slate.Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your  other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Beall, senior writer at Golf Digest and author of *Playing Dirty*, joins to discuss the ongoing stalemate between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, shedding light on failed negotiations and the impact of Saudi influence on professional golf. The conversation also highlights the dominance of No. 1 seeds in March Madness and Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. The panel dives into the striking contrast in player dynamics and explores the Yankees' recent home run success linked to their innovative torpedo bats.

Parents unite as they tackle the notorious nap strike, sharing empathy and strategies to cope with sleep-resistant toddlers. The hosts dive into hilarious anecdotes about managing naps and maintaining sanity at home. They also explore the joys of a tech-free spring break, emphasizing family bonding without distractions. Personal stories, like the peculiar Alice in Wonderland syndrome, add a unique twist, assuring listeners they aren't alone in their parenting adventures.

In this engaging discussion, John Nichols, an expert on Wisconsin politics and media, unpacks the jaw-dropping $100 million funding in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. He highlights Elon Musk's staggering $19.3 million contribution, raising ethical questions about money's influence in nonpartisan elections. Nichols also addresses the importance of this pivotal battleground state, where the outcomes could redefine crucial issues like voting rights and abortion laws. Listeners will find a compelling analysis of how wealth impacts democracy and the shifting political landscape.

Ketamine has gone from a recreational psychedelic to an approved treatment, and it has caught on in Silicon Valley in a big way. Are the long-term effects of using ketamine—recreationally or therapeutically—sufficiently known? Are we witnessing them right now?Guest: Shayla Love, staff writer for the Atlantic.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

This week: A leaked Signal message revealed illegal use of the commercial app by the Defense Department. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain how this is a common issue in finance, where employees often defy SEC regulations on secure communication in favor of more convenient ways of communicating. Then, a recent study shows that people are leaving states with anti-abortion laws and other evidence suggests political migration in the US is on the rise. Finally, Dollar Tree is selling Family Dollar to private equity for $1 billion, 10 years after buying it for $8 billion. The hosts discuss what might have led to the end of the disastrous merger. In the Slate Plus episode: Felix joins What Next host Mary Harris to talk about the godfather of crypto, Satoshi Nakamoto. 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

The Trumpian inversion of reality was threaded into so many areas of the law and active litigation this week. Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss the apparent evaporation of judicial patience for Trump lawyers simultaneously claiming that a signal chat was not classified or subject to record preservation rules, AND the flights to El Salvador that were  filmed for posterity on arrival at a prison were in fact state secrets. Together, they also think through the likelihood of the Supreme Court stepping into the Alien Enemies Act case at this early stage by just taking the Trump administration at its word that those summary renditions were totally legal and constitutionally correct. Next, Dahlia Lithwick talks to Wendy Weiser, vice president for democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School, about another Trumpian inversion of reality: his executive order titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections”, which in fact is not about election integrity, but instead an extension of the Big Lie election theory that could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Slate senior culture editor Jenny G. Zhang to discuss @Hubs.Life, an influencer who made content about his 9-5, only to become so successful, he quit. Connor Hubbard first gained traction online for his day in the life videos which were interesting to some, depressing to others. Despite their low entertainment quality, Hubbard’s TikTok videos gained him nearly 1 million followers from people fascinated by his typical life working a corporate job. Then, Hubbard announced he had quit his job to pursue content creation full-time, going as far as renting out a co-working cubicle to continue making content for his fans. Has Hubbard fallen into social media’s relatability trap, and why did Hubs Life’s unconventional attempt at rebranding fall flat for some viewers?This podcast is produced by Olivia Briley, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think of music in the 1960s, some groundbreaking artists probably come to mind: Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and the Jefferson Airplane, for example. But the pop charts paint a very different picture of that decade, which embraced easy listening, groovy bubblegum, novelty and instrumental records—even a guitar-strumming Belgian nun. In other words, the soundtrack of the era was more like Mad Men and less like Forrest Gump.Join Chris Molanphy as he unearths forgotten hits from Bobby Vinton, Kyu Sakamoto, Jeannie C. Riley, and other unlikely chart-toppers, on a still-strange trip through the ‘60s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices