Slate Daily Feed

In the French presidential election five years ago, Marine Le Pen lost badly to Emmanuel Macron. Now, Le Pen is back for a rematch—and this time, polls are pretty tight.  Guest: Henry Grabar, staff writer at 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus is joined by science journalist, Rachel E. Gross to talk all about female anatomy. They discuss Rachel’s new book, Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage and how much science has to learn when it comes to diagnosing female maladies. Then they get into ovaries and all the misconceptions about these “egg baskets.” In Slate Plus, is the term “pussy” feminist?  Articles discussed in this episode:  The Word for Anatomy That Shouldn’t Be “Vulgar”  by Zoe Mendelson  Seventeen Years of Bad Sex by Allyson Rudolph  Ovaries Are Prone to ‘Exhaustion’ and ‘Fatigue.’ Or Are They? By Rachel Gross Recommendations: Shannon: Wearing wide-legged jeans.  Rachel: Showing yourself some, ah-hem, love.    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Shannon Palus 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

Another day on the internet, another online challenge to laugh at. Even the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary is getting in on it. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison talk about the Abbott Elementary episode that so perfectly skewers all the adults posting their challenges online, the reemergence of the water cup challenge, and what’s really at the root of online challenge culture. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company are at odds over a controversial Florida law dubbed “don’t say gay,” which would limit instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. While DeSantis is a big supporter of the legislation, Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek eventually came out against it, vowing to work to repeal the law and setting up a showdown between the governor and the entertainment giant. Guest: Mary Ellen Klas, Capitol bureau chief for the Miami Herald in Tallahassee, Florida. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the panel is joined by June Thomas, co-host of Working (Slate’s podcast on the creative process). They begin by digesting HBO’s Julia Child series, Julia, starring one of June’s favorites: Sarah Lancashire. Then, the panel dives into the world of AI with After Yang. Finally, the panel answers Dana’s very important question: is Chris Pine the Robert Redford of our time?  In Slate Plus, the panel discusses their favorite Canadian cultural products. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements Dana: An audiobook which revolutionized the way Dana thinks about Virginia Woolf: Mrs. Dalloway read by Juliet Stevenson (of Truly, Madly, Deeply fame). June: The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War by Louis Menand about a wide range of ideas from World War 2 to The Cold War. Steve: An essay by general interest writer and professor Justin E. H. Smith, titled “The Punk-Prophet Philosophy of Michel Houellebecq,” for Foreign Policy, in which he writes an uninhibitedly intelligent assessment of the famed

Recently there’s been a dramatic shift in the American workforce: The “Great Resignation.” “The Big Quit.”  In one year, more than 47 millions of people left their jobs. The majority were women. “It is horrible for our economy when millions of women exit the labor force,” says economist Michelle Holder, CEO of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. While men have regained nearly all the jobs they lost since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re still missing 2 million women. So where have all the women gone? So where have all the women gone? We’ll hear Holder’s insights, as well as the stories of two working women whose thriving careers were turned upside down by the rigidity — and sexism — built into the American workplace. Guests Kari McCracken, a mother from Lexington, Kentucky. She had a job she loved, and managed close to a hundred employees. Then the pandemic hit. Kiarica Shields single mother of four in Georgia, lost her job as a hospice nurse in the early days of the pandemic, then with

Pennsylvania’s got a U.S. Senate seat up for grabs, and the primary is shaping up to be a showdown between moderate, establishment candidates and those on the fringes of each party.  Guest: Jonathan Tamari, national political writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer.  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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies. Author and algorithmic auditor Cathy O’Neil joins Felix and Emily to talk about the 1946 Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. They talk about whether Jimmy Stewart is too entitled to be this upset, the banks of the 1940s, and the finances of heaven.  Email: slatemoney@slate.com Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Mike was wracked with a series of unexplained headaches in 2017, he initially chalked it up to being a stressed out grad student. But the pain became debilitating and his symptoms only multiplied from there. His doctors are stumped and Mike doesn't know where to turn next. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Meghan O’Rourke, author of The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness. Meghan has been on her own medical journey for years and has some extremely helpful advice for finding the right doctors, regaining a sense of normalcy, and supporting those who are currently searching for answers.  If you liked this episode, check out “How To Fight Outrageous Medical Bills.”  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. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the death of quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Slate’s Jim Newell also joins to discuss Tiger Woods’ dramatic return at the Masters. Finally, they assess the Los Angeles Lakers’ terrible season.   Dwayne Haskins (1:29): How should we talk about athletes who die young?   Tiger Woods (24:57): What comes after his miraculous comeback?   Lakers (47:58): What went so horribly wrong?   Afterball (1:08:17): Stefan on major leaguers who went for 7-for-7 in a single game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the experience of living in his car years ago helped reporter Ethan Ward focus his coverage of homelessness and housing in Los Angeles.  Guest: Ethan Ward, unhoused communities reporter for KPCC and LAist. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Zak tackle a question from a listener whose child was recently diagnosed with ADHD. The letter writer’s husband, who also has ADHD, lacked support in school and it had a lasting impact on his education. They want to avoid history repeating itself for their daughter. How can they ensure she is properly supported and that she feels empowered by all the strengths that come along with ADHD.  The hosts also set intentions for the week and give recommendations that will make everyone happy. Who knew that a little water and soap could bring so much joy? Recommendations: Jamilah recommends Cheez-It Puff’d.  Elizabeth recommends the car wash.  Zak recommends C’mon C’mon.  Resources: What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew by Dr. Sharon Saline.  ADHD 2.0 by Edward M. Hallowell M.D. and John J. Ratey M.D.  Completely Matt: An ADHD Story by Justine Green.  My Whirling, Twirling Motor by Merriam Sarcia Saunders.  Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to artist and writer Lauren Redniss, whose latest piece of visual nonfiction is Oak Flat: A Fight for Sacred Land in the American West. In the interview, Lauren first explains why she uses both art and text together in her work. Then she shares her reporting process for Oak Flat and describes how she landed on the book’s narrative structure.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss Lauren’s fluid artistic style and the importance of structure in nonfiction.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Lauren talks about trying her hand at children’s books.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. 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 Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. S

The rideshare company's founder once called taxis “evil.” Now, Uber might need them to survive. Guest: Preetika Rana Host: Lizzie O'Leary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In February, Etsy emailed its sellers to announce that it would be taking a larger cut of their money, even while announcing in the same email that the company’s profits were up. A group of sellers reacted to this increase by starting a movement for sellers to strike on April 11-April 18, 2022. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison explain how we got to this standoff and what the strikers’ demands are, and then speak with an Etsy seller about the news, the experience of banding together with other sellers, and whether or not she’ll even be returning to the site once the strike is finished. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers talk about Elon Musk taking a board seat on Twitter, a Staten Island Amazon warehouse’s successful unionization, and whether individuals sending money to Ukraine is helpful.   In the Plus segment: Felix is bad at hotdesking.  Mentioned In the Show:  “Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace” by Jodi Kantor and David Streitfeld “Worker-to-Worker Organizing May Finally Have Its Moment” by Steven Greenhouse “Jamie Dimon to Work-From-Homers: You Win” by Holden Walter-Warner “Amazon Workers’ Union Victory is Turbocharging a New Labor Movement” by Emily Peck “How Governments Are Multiplying Aid to Ukraine” by Felix Salmon Email: slatemoney@slate.com Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the great legal history episode of Amicus, host Dahlia Lithwick is joined first by David Gans, director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Citizenship Program at the Constitutional Accountability Center. While GOP Senators used the Ketanji Brown Jackson hearings to take potshots at important ideas like unenumerated rights and substantive due process to score points with their base, the talking points became entrenched in political discourse. Does it matter? Of course it does. Later in the show, Dahlia is joined by Rund Abdelfatah co-host and producer of NPR’s podcast Throughline. The podcast explores the history behind current events. Dahlia and Rund talk about Throughline’s episode Pirates of the Senate to take a closer look at the history behind the filibuster, and explore why so many of our ideas about the filibuster are just plain wrong.  In our Slate Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Mark Joseph Stern on the Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation, a case creating a new constitutional bar again

With 9.1% ownership of Twitter—and a board seat—Elon Musk is the new master of Twitter's future. Why did the wealthiest man in the world just take over the world's most influential platform? Guest: Ranjan Roy, writer of the Margins newsletter Host: Lizzie O'Leary  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s tax season, a stressful time for millions of Americans. But for many Black Americans, financial issues are complicated year-round by the “Black Tax;” that’s the complex web of structural bias in finance, banking, and housing policy that can make it harder for African Americans to build wealth. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by financial advice author Lynnette Khalfani-Cox to discuss the biggest tax and financial hurdles for African Americans, and how to overcome them. Guest: Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, a personal finance expert and author of several books on financial planning and strategy. Podcast production by Sam Kim and Jasmine Ellis  You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily, John and David discuss Russia’s war crimes; Disney’s reaction to “don’t say gay”; and Amazon’s first union. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Andrew Exum for The Atlantic: “The Russian Military Has Descended Into Inhumanity” Noam Scheiber for The New York Times: “Amazon Workers Who Won a Union Their Way Open Labor Leaders’ Eyes” Microsoft: “The Rise of the Triple Peak Day” When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, by Daniel H. Pink  Here are this week’s chatters: David: Jessica Contrera for The Washington Post: “The Remarkable Brain of a Carpet Cleaner Who Speaks 24 Languages”; The Wedding Party; Smithsonian National Museum of African Art: “Iké Udé: Nollywood Portraits” John: Jill Lawless for The Associated Press: “Darwin Notebooks Missing For 20 Years Returned to Cambridge”; Darwin Correspondence Project: “Fanny Owen” Emily: Twitter thread by Manvir Singh @mnvrsngh on time spent “doing nothing” in small-scale, non-industrial societies.  Listener chatter from Ka