Political Gabfest

4.4 (8.1K)
POLITICS
UPDATED WEEKLY

Unlock weekly bonus episodes + ad-free listening

$9.99/mo or $99.99/yr after trial

Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says "Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest." The Gabfest, featuring Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, is the kind of informal and irreverent discussion Washington journalists have after hours over drinks. Want more Political Gabfest? 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 Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen.

See All (725)

A show about the law and the nine Supreme Court justices who interpret it for the rest of America. 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.

4.6 (3171)

NEWS COMMENTARY
Slow Burn illuminates America’s most consequential moments, making sense of the past to better understand the present. Through archival tape and first-person interviews, the series uncovers the surprising events and little-known characters lurking within the biggest stories of our time. Want more Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Slow Burn and your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slow Burn show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen. Season 10: The Rise of Fox News How a cable news channel became a cultural and political force—and how a whole bunch of people rose up to try and stop it. Season 9: Gays Against Briggs A nationwide moral panic, a California legislator who rode the anti-gay wave, and the LGBTQ+ people who stepped up and came out to try and stop him. Season 8: Becoming Justice Thomas Where Clarence Thomas came from, how he rose to power, and how he’s brought the rest of us along with him, whether we like it or not. Winner of the Podcast of the Year at the 2024 Ambies Awards. Season 7: Roe v. Wade The women who fought for legal abortion, the activists who pushed back, and the justices who thought they could solve the issue for good. Winner of Apple Podcasts Show of the Year in 2022. Season 6: The L.A. Riots How decades of police brutality, a broken justice system, and a video tape set off six days of unrest in Los Angeles. Season 5: The Road to the Iraq War Eighteen months after 9/11, the United States invaded a country that had nothing to do with the attacks. Who’s to blame? And was there any way to stop it? Season 4: David Duke America’s most famous white supremacist came within a runoff of controlling Louisiana. How did David Duke rise to power? And what did it take to stop him? Season 3: Biggie and Tupac How is it that two of the most famous performers in the world were murdered within a year of each other—and their killings were never solved? Season 2: The Clinton Impeachment A reexamination of the scandals that nearly destroyed the 42nd president and forever changed the life of a former White House intern. Season 1: Watergate What did it feel like to live through the scandal that brought down President Nixon?

4.6 (23758)

HISTORY
A weekly roundup of the most important stories from the worlds of business and finance, hosted by Felix Salmon. Want more Slate Money? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit https://slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.

4.1 (977)

INVESTING
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.

4.3 (2287)

DAILY NEWS
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.

4.6 (7334)

RELATIONSHIPS
Decoder Ring is the show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters.

4.6 (1948)

DOCUMENTARY
You’ve got questions. Together, we get answers. We all need advice, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to turn. Each week, Courtney Martin and Carvell Wallace bring a listener on to the show to solve their toughest problems with the help of world-class experts. It’s free therapy, and you’re invited.

4.3 (1919)

HOW TO
New York Times critic Dwight Garner says “The Slate Culture Gabfest is one of the highlights of my week.” The award-winning Culturefest features critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner debating the week in culture, from highbrow to pop. For more of Slate’s culture podcasts, check out the Slate Culture feed. Want more Culture Gabfest? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Culture Gabfest show page. Or, visit slate.com/cultureplus to get access wherever you listen.

4.5 (412)

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
What makes a song a smash? Talent? Luck? Timing? All that—and more. Chris Molanphy, pop-chart analyst and author of Slate’s “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series, tells tales from a half-century of chart history. Through storytelling, trivia and song snippets, Chris dissects how that song you love—or hate—dominated the airwaves, made its way to the top of the charts and shaped your memories forever. Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Hit Parade show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen.

4.8 (1980)

MUSIC HISTORY
Join Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay twice a week as we gaze deep into the online abyss—and tell you what’s gazing back.

3.9 (662)

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
In 1992, hundreds of armed federal agents surrounded a family of white separatists in a ramshackle mountaintop cabin. Eleven days later, three people were dead—and the story of Ruby Ridge was just beginning. Journalist Ruth Graham explores a tragedy that’s become a foundational myth for the modern right, and finds some frightening lessons about power and paranoia. Get full access to Standoff: What Happened at Ruby Ridge with Slate Plus. Join to unlock the full season—plus ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Standoff show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit slate.com/standoffplus for access wherever you listen.

5.0 (1)

TRUE CRIME
Linda Taylor was a con artist, a kidnapper, maybe even a murderer. She was also America’s original “welfare queen,” the villain Ronald Reagan needed to create a vision of a country being taken advantage of by its poorest citizens. In The Queen, Josh Levin reveals the never-before-told story of a woman whose singular life was forgotten in the rush to create a vicious American stereotype. Want more of The Queen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access all episodes of The Queen (and your other favorite Slate podcasts) completely ad-free. Plus, you’ll unlock subscriber-exclusive bonus episodes that bring you behind-the-scenes on the making of the show. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/thequeenplus to get access wherever you listen.

4.3 (6)

HISTORY
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.

3.6 (209)

RELATIONSHIPS
Jamilah Lemieux, Zak Rosen, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Lucy Lopez share triumphs and fails and offer advice on parenting kids from toddler to teens. Want more Care and Feeding? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive advice. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Care and Feeding show page. Or, visit slate.com/careplus to get access wherever you listen.

4.4 (1018)

PARENTING
The people and struggles that changed America—one year at a time. In each episode, host Josh Levin explores a story you may have forgotten, or one you’ve never heard of before. What were the moments that transformed politics, culture, science, religion, and more? And how does the nation’s past shape our present?

4.2 (1191)

HISTORY

View Subscription FAQs

4.4

out of 5

8,134 Ratings

My favorite

Mar 13

zeejg

Look forward to it every week! One of my main sources for understanding what’s going on in politics.
3.27.25

Mar 28

midwestBlue

David Plotz, correct yourself you said stupid musk was an engineer and you are 100% wrong!! musk does not have an engineering degree! that’s the point. he didn’t create tesla, a couple of men did all musk did was buy the company. i thought you were smart enough to have read that but i guess not! you lied, retract it.
Wimpy & going downhill

Mar 18

bgyvju7osdn5cqz1wp4k6xt80f3i2a

Podcast has gotten super wimpy about the Trump coup and out of touch because THESE HOSTS ARE RICH. John plays it safe because he's the CBS anchor now. Emily continues to live in a gilded academic tower out of touch but "really trying to relate to normal Americans." And David has never evidenced good popular instincts. Garbage. Folks, you can't understand America if you don't shop at Walmart. I've been saying this to silver spoons for 30 years. Mensans are all over this country Emily. 🇺🇸💙
Love this show!

Feb 14

joharri3

I always learn something!
Emily is insufferable!

Mar 9

peoniesandsnowballs

Why is Emily so hung up on learning loss during covid? She sounds like a weirdo living in an ivy league bubble. Yes, preventing death is more important than not learning math for a year! She is as unbearable now as she was in 2020.
🤡

Feb 28

Christina1832

“Changing the op-ed section of WashPo isn’t anticipatory compliance” are you serious??? Bezos JUST RANDOMLY decided to make this change? So dumb
I can’t anymore

Feb 18

masecase84

What happened to this show? Since the election I feel like the gabfest is stuck in the summer of 2024. The president and DOGE are ripping the wires out of our government and these three are debating if public research universities get too much funding? I don’t need their recommendation for the latest Atlantic article—I need some urgency. I can’t anymore.
February 2025

Feb 6

Norwich42

What's with David Leonhart, whose analysis I've admired, saying he "doesn't think" immigrants are a net positive? The data is widely available. Is this because NYT has not honestly covered it? Surprised and disheartened.
Essential listening in this 2.0 era

Jan 25

KCHNC

Always appreciate the hosts’ insights. I especially appreciate David mentioning the cruelty of zoos at the end of this week’s episode.
VichyFest?

Jan 24

Fred Bermuda

Cooperate and normalize the actions of the dementia addled Felon47 seem to now be the order of the day at what used to be a decent political gabfest. Plots disgustingly suggests that Jan 6 investigations were ill advised. Bazelon suggests Biden were unnecessary while admitting she never thought 1500 Jan6ers were pardoned, no matter what they did. Dickerson is still restrained by the notion of access. Vichy politics has taken hold at the Gabfest!