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Why a number of Congressional Democrats are skipping tonight’s State of the Union address—and why some are still going.Guest:  Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, representing Texas's 16th Congressional District in El Paso.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Helena de Groot got married she didn't want children, but her husband did. For eight years, love was enough to paper over their differences. Then an unplanned pregnancy forced them to finally choose.Listen to her terrific new podcast Creation Myth, out now from the CBC.This episode was produced by Andrew Dunn. 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 [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh relive the dual wins for Team USA's women's and men’s hockey teams and examine how MAGA has co-opted the victory. Then, they’re joined by journalist Chris Dalby, author of the Sports and Crime newsletter, goes deep on why Trump seems to love pardoning athletes. Next, the hosts get into the alarming expansion of sports betting via prediction markets. And finally, Ben brings us an Afterball on the demise of the European Super League.On the bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts share their highs and lows of watching the Winter Olympics. Olympics Hockey: (--): Team USA brings home gold.Trump Pardons (--): Chris Dalby breaks down what’s really going on.Prediction Markets (--): Who will reign in this new way of betting?European Super League (--): Ben eulogizes the failed league. Episode Notes:Alex in Slate on America’s reckless, brilliant strategy to beat Canada.This New York Times breakdown of the move that beat Chloe

Counter to claims that immigrants just need to come to America “the right way,” DHS has begun using the department that administers legal immigration to arrest, detain, and deport people—including those who are following the law.Guest: Jonathan Blitzer, staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode: Lucy Lopez and Elizabeth Newcamp help Slate senior producer, Cheyna Roth, prepare to bring home her second child. They talk about everything from preventing sibling jealousy to handling two crying children at once. Then they answer a question from a prospective parent who is worried they’ll never sleep well again. This week on the Plus Playground: Life-changing baby gear vs the gear you should NOT buy. Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Rosemary Belson. Video production by Micah Phillips. Follow us on YouTube! Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 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 to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free exp

You might not think you need artificial intelligence added to your shopping experience. Store employees might not see the point either. So why is it there anyway?Guest: Mia Sato, reporter at The Verge who covers tech companies, platforms, and users.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.Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Friday, ruling 6–3 that they vastly exceed anything federal law allows a President to do. It was a massive loss for a signature component of Trump’s economic agenda, and a coalition of liberals and conservatives on the court agreed that the statute invoked to impose these tariffs was never intended to be wielded in this fashion. The 6 disagreed emphatically as to the reasoning. The dissenters were Big Mad. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern unpack the rationale behind the decision, and the implications for those seeking a remedy. And they ask what to make of this massive loss from a court that has yet to truly tell this President “no.”  Then, the press clause of the First Amendment, a once-cherished constitutional right, has fallen victim to neglect and sabotage in recent years, taking a back seat to the more vaunted love affair with individual “free speech.” But, as recent developments—including the arrest of

John Dickerson talks with Father James Martin about his new book, Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest. They discuss the spiritual lessons learned through eight different jobs, Martin's controversial LGBTQ ministry that made him a target of criticism within the Catholic Church, and what the Gospels demand about welcoming strangers and caring for the marginalized.Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at [email protected]. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)Podcast production by Nina Porzucki. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer Charlie Sosnick to break down “looksmaxxing.” While the trend—which involves things like jaw surgery and “bone smashing” to achieve mathematically-determined levels of attractiveness—has existed for some time in incel forums, creators like Clavicular have brought it mainstream. Now, teenage boys are growing up with their own kind of beauty standard, one that insists their success in life is determined by arbitrary factors like the width of their clavicles or tilt of their eyes. Rooted in racism and eugenics, the movement risks normalizing a new kind of masculinity that’s barely even human. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Beloved NPR podcast Planet Money is now a book too! Author and Planet Money contributor Alex Mayyasi joins Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck to give us a peek into the upcoming Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life. Pulling from their favorite chapters of the book, the hosts get into how Argentina’s attempt to foster manufacturing mirrors Trump’s recent efforts, why the Argentinian Blackberry just didn’t cut it, the hidden forces of market design, the reverse-robin hood effect of high credit card fees and more.In the Slate Plus episode: Childcare and Baumol's Cost DiseaseWant 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. H

Tech companies proudly touting that the imminent artificial intelligence revolution are pushing the stock market to ever higher heights, even as workers wonder what their role will be in this brave new world. But outside of the big A.I. players, the rest of the market seems to be wondering the same thing.Guest: Emily Peck, co-host of Slate Money and national correspondent at Axios.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.Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the public figures being shamed and punished for their associations with Jeffrey Epstein while others remain unscathed, the insights and lessons revealed by a new oral history archive and interview with former President Obama, and the meaning of the Trump administration’s efforts to whitewash history.For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss this week’s dust-up between Stephen Colbert and CBS amid FCC threats over an interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily Bazelon talks with author Curtis Sittenfeld about her short story collection, “Show Don’t Tell.” They discuss the recurring themes of the book from troubled marriages and middle age to the passage of time, and characters who are navigating moments of racial privilege and prejudice. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was arrested after a release of Epstein files revealed he had allegedly shared confidential trade reports with the financier. Guest: Imogen West-Knights, Slate contributing writer.This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your 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, and Rob Gunther. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the hundreds of Washington Post staffers fired, to Anderson Cooper leaving 60 Minutes, to Stephen Colbert and his own network fighting in public, Trump’s return to the White House is transforming legacy media into something less antagonistic to power—but also less capable of fulfilling its own self-described mission.Guest: Oliver Darcy, journalist behind the Status substack.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode: Lucy Lopez, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth are talking the first few weeks and months of having a newborn. Let’s face it, those first few weeks and months of having a new baby are both busy…and can be incredibly boring. How can you make the most of the postpartum period? We’ve got scheduling tips, plus a little treat for you to make for yourself to enjoy when you get home! But first, they share their latest triumphs and fails. Cheyna had a full day of pregnancy hormone rage, Elizabeth lost her kid’s bike, and Lucy’s daughters are learning R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. Video production by Micah Phillips. Follow us on YouTube! Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for

This week, Dana is joined by Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times film critic and host of the podcast Unspooled, as well as Jamelle Bouie, New York Times columnist and host of the podcast Unclear and Present Danger. They discuss love affairs, lustful, glamorous, and interspecies.First up, it’s the lustful as they take up Emerald Fennell’s bodice-ripping adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.” Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as the doomed duo Cathy and Heathcliff, the adaptation promises an over-the-top, camp spin on the Gothic tale but does it offer enough depravity to really deliver?Next, it’s on to the glamorous with the Ryan Murphy-produced, CK One-scented limited series Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette about the tragic love story of the political scion and New York fashion It Girl.Finally, they discuss all the interspecies hijinks and backstage chaos in the delightful revival of The Muppet Show.In an exclusive bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, the trio of cinephiles celebrate recent reporti

Trump’s “Board of Peace” emerged from last year’s ceasefire negotiations to govern Gaza after the war. But since then, the board has evolved into a motley group of countries that are willing to pay a billion dollars to join a body that has Donald Trump as its chairman for life. They also have mostly stopped talking about Gaza.Guest:  Gregg Carlstom, Middle East Correspondent at The Economist. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Jenna Ryu, a lifestyle writer at SELF whose piece, “Meet the ‘Finger Princess’: The Annoying Friend Everyone Has,” introduced the term for a persistent pet peeve. “Finger princess,” the English translation of the Korean phrase ping-peu, applies to those in the group chat who ask questions instead of Googling, and refuse to scroll up to see if their question has already been answered. But by calling out finger princesses, are we actually being the finger police?This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh examine the NBA’s growing tanking problem and the league’s ongoing struggle to make the All-Star Game competitive. Then they’re joined by sportswriter, Neil Paine, to discuss the rise of Connor Zilisch, a young NASCAR driver drawing comparisons to Jeff Gordon. To close, Hang Up vet, Josh Levin, returns to talk all things Winter Olympics and what he’s looking forward to in its last week.Ben also has an Afterball on the Snoop Dogg-ification of the Olympics and sports in general.On the bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel talks about the NCAA's messy player eligibility lawsuits.NBA (2:39): The race to the bottomNASCAR (20:40): A new young phenom racing to the topOlympics with Josh (37:38): Levin crosses the hog line!Afterballs (01:00:14): Ben drops it like it's hot(Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.)Get more Hang Up and Listen with Slate Plus! Join for weekly bonus episodes of Hang

Here at DSM, we’ve been enjoying Heated Rivalry, the HBO series about two pro hockey players who begin a secret love affair. The show is steamy, but it also highlights some persistent problems in male sports culture, namely, that same-sex relationships are still extremely taboo. But one TikTok account is trying to change that culture for the better. Sex Ed for Guys was started by athletes at Colby College in Maine, and their videos promote emotional vulnerability and openness, strong male friendships, safe sex, and lots more. This week, Anna talks to three of those athletes (Chris Maichin, Jack Gatjanis, and Mitch Humphrey) and to Adam Howard, their faculty mentor.   This episode was produced by Cameron Drews.Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Death, Sex & Money show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/dsmplus to get access wherever you