Cut Through the Noise

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News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated weekly
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Politics

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Relationships

Relationships

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Management

Updated 08/07/2025
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News

Updated daily
News

News

Updated daily
TV Reviews

TV Reviews

Updated 29/12/2020

23 Jun

What Next - The Return of the Firing Squad

With lethal injection drugs getting harder and harder to procure, states are legalizing death by firing squad. It may seem like a return to a more barbaric time, but there’s reason to believe that execution methods like lethal injection or nitrogen gas are even less humane. But even moreso, it may force us to confront our feelings about the death penalty as a nation. Guests: Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood, Catholic priest and founder of the Execution Intervention Project. Maurice Chammah, staff writer for the Marshall Project and author of “Let the Lord Sort Them Out, The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty.” 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 Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort. Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01/06/2023

What Next: After They Testified: The Trans Pharmacist Who Went Viral

As the fight for trans rights, including gender-affirming medical care, heads through state legislation, activists and medical providers are stepping up to testify. While explaining her perspective as a medical professional, a Little Rock pharmacist, who is trans, was asked about her genitalia in the middle of the Arkansas general assembly. This is the first installment in What Next’s Pride Month series. “After They Testified” is about the Americans who’ve shown up in the last year to speak out against anti-queer legislation, how it felt to do so, and what came next. Guest: Gwen Herzig, owner and pharmacist at Park West Pharmacy in Little Rock, Arkansas, president and executive director of The Prism Foundation. 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. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18/10/2024

Snitch Nation

While conservatives win elections, the popularity of their policies on abortion access, LGBTQ rights, and racial equity remains low in many parts of the country. But conservative political leaders are finding ways to enforce those laws, and encouraging ordinary citizens to inform on each other is a major tactic. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Adam Serwer, the award-winning political essayist at The Atlantic, about how he explored the phenomenon in his recent article “The Rise of the Right Wing Tattletale." Guest: Adam Serwer, staff writer for The Atlantic and author of The Cruelty is the Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump’s America. Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
17/04/2022

He Wanted to Die Holding Hands

David Plotz talks with author Amy Bloom about her journey to support the death, by suicide, of her husband, chronicled in her new book In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
22/10/2022

Tracy Flick Returns

David Plotz talks with with author Tom Perrotta about why Tracy Flick doesn’t have the life she dreamed of in his new novel, Tracy Flick Can’t Win. A sequel to Perrotta’s 1998 novel Election, Tracy Flick Can’t Win meets up with Tracy Flick decades later where she’s a single mother and assistant principal of a New Jersey high school. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
21/08/2022

Life on Europa Looks Too Much Like America

David Plotz talks with author Mat Johnson about his new novel Invisible Things. Johnson’s novel tells the story of a group of astronauts that land in a bubble colony on Jupiter's biggest moon. They talk about the challenges of writing satire when reality feels fake, how mediocre people rise up by sucking up, and why we need to look at the invisible things in our daily lives. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26/06/2022

Corrections in Ink

Emily Bazelon talks with author Keri Blakinger about her new memoir, Corrections in Ink which recounts Blakinger’s path from Olympic ambitions, to heroin addiction, to prison, and ultimately a return to life on the outside. Blakinger launched a program to deliver her memoir to currently incarcerated readers. You can learn more here: https://800ceoread.com/coupons/redeem/donationcorrectionsinink Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
05/02/2025

Culture Gabfest: Noah Wyle Lures Us Into The Pitt

On this week’s show, the hosts discuss Max’s new medical drama The Pitt – a show that we legally can’t call an ER reboot but does have Noah Wyle donning scrubs and handling the next bodily emergency yet again. Our regular hosts also discuss an article from the Intelligencer, The Cruel Kids’ Table about how young Republicans now feel empowered to bring cruelty back into public discourse. Finally, we welcome LA Film Critic Amy Nicholson to discuss the Oscar-nominated film September 5 about the hostage crisis during the 1972 Munich Olympics. Also, we’re looking for a new Production Assistant! To apply, send us an email introducing yourself and give two ideas for segments to culturegabfestassistant@gmail.com. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel tackles the biggest luminary question of the year: Do you use ‘The Big Light’? Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Dana: Just sort of a beautiful moment: Live wolf howls in Manitoba, Canada Julia: Branded in Memory | Signs.com / Draw Logos From Memory – Test your recall and see if you can recreate popular brand logos Steve: The Wired Starter Pack on bsky and Subscribe to Wired Podcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
01/09/2023

After Jacksonville, Is Antifa the Answer?

The racist murders of three Black Americans in Jacksonville renewed fears of a rising tide of violent white supremacists. At the same time, fascist movements are successfully recruiting more diverse members. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Daryle Lamont Jenkins, an activist who has devoted his career to tracking and confronting extremists, and even to helping people escape white supremacist groups. Jenkins proudly embraces the maligned “antifa” label, and is encouraging followers to find ways every day to stand up to organized extremists, from neighborhoods to the national government. Guest: Daryle Lamont Jenkins, Executive Director of the One People’s Project Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
11/08/2023

Haiti on the Brink

According to the United Nations, more civilians died in Haiti than died in Ukraine during the first few months of 2023. Institutions have collapsed; violent gangs control the capital, and kidnappers are terrorizing citizens. What’s left of the Haitian government has pleaded for international help, but historically, foreign interventions in Haiti have harmed, exploited, and even killed many Haitians. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Patrick Gaspard, chief of the Center for American Progress think tank, who argues the U.S. has a moral obligation to intervene. Gaspard is also the former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, and a Haitian-American. Guest: Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hear Me Out is Slate's destination for tough, topical discussions with integrity, and without cliches. Join host Celeste Headlee and a guest each week for a smart, fair debate on issues that matter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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News Commentary
Slate's premier advice column, featuring Jenée Desmond-Harris, helps you navigate the thorniest questions of relationships, work, and life.Want more Dear Prudence? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive advice. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Dear Prudence show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/prudie-plus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Relationships
The problem with the news right now? It’s everywhere. And each day, it can feel like we’re all just mindlessly scrolling. It’s why we created What Next. This short daily show is here to help you make sense of things. When the news feels overwhelming, we’re here to help you answer: What next? Look for new episodes every weekday morning. Get more of What Next with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of What Next and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit slate.com/whatnextplus for access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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News
The Law According to Trump is an extensive exploration of Donald Trump's tumultuous relationship with the courts and legal system, focusing on Trump's use of lawyers and lawsuits to enhance his brand, wealth, and power. In 2024, attention has rightly been on several blockbuster federal cases involving former President Trump, all the way up to and including his immunity case at the Supreme Court, but Trump’s history with the law goes back much further and is much broader than the election subversion cases.Slate is very lucky to have award-winning investigative journalist Andrea Bernstein in the host chair. Andrea has covered five trials against Trump or his company for NPR, is the author of American Oligarchs: the Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power, and she has also hosted three podcasts that touch on Trump and the law, including, most recently “We Don’t Talk About Leonard.”Want more of The Law According to Trump? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock the full season. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/thelawplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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News
Represent is a space for discussion, highlighting movies, TV, and online shows created by and/or about women, people of color, people with disabilities, and those in the LGBTQ community. Join Aisha Harris as she dives deep into conversations with critics about the latest pop cultural news, and filmmakers about what they do and how they do it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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TV & Film
After Hotel Rwanda tells the story of Paul Rusesabagina, a human rights activist who in 2020 was lured from his home in San Antonio, Texas, to his former country of Rwanda, where he was tried on terrorism charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Rusesabagina had been a national hero in Rwanda for saving the lives of more than twelve hundred people during the 1994 genocide there. A decade later, his story was told in the Oscar-nominated movie Hotel Rwanda. Our four-part series describes how Rusesabagina went from hero to dissident in Rwanda—and how a team of supporters in Washington and elsewhere managed eventually to bring him home. The story is reported by Foreign Policy staff writer Robbie Gramer. Join Slate Plus to unlock all seasons of Slate Presents, including After Hotel Rwanda—plus ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from our show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit slate.com/podcastplus for access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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History

Cut through the noise with Slate Podcasts. You'll get thought-provoking analysis, storytelling, and commentary on everything from news and politics to culture, technology, and entertainment. Catch up with old favorites and discover new shows you never knew you were missing, from the voices of Slate.

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What Next - The Return of the Firing Squad

What Next: After They Testified: The Trans Pharmacist Who Went Viral

Snitch Nation

He Wanted to Die Holding Hands

Tracy Flick Returns

Life on Europa Looks Too Much Like America

Corrections in Ink

Culture Gabfest: Noah Wyle Lures Us Into The Pitt

After Jacksonville, Is Antifa the Answer?

Haiti on the Brink

Unlock full, ad-free access to Slate's podcasts

A Mother of a Crisis

Assessing the 2026 Super Bowl Ads

An Incredible Con

Her Film Is an Oscar Nominee. It Almost Didn’t Make it to the U.S.

3. How to Have the Hardest Conversations

The Animal Farm Abomination

Bonus: Are Med Spas Taking Over?

Selling Out (Encore)

Memorials

Redemption in Solitary | Crime and Punishment

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