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Political Gabfest Reads: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing a President Dec 17, 2022

Show notes

John Dickerson talks with author Gautam Mukunda about his new book Picking Presidents: How to Make the Most Consequential Decision in the World. They talk about how Mukunda’s first book, Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter laid the groundwork for Picking Presidents. Later, Dickerson and Mukunda dig into why ‘intellectual brilliance’ – which goes beyond IQ - is a strong predictor of presidential performance and how the human portion of the job of president is changing.

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.

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Hit Parade: Hits of the Year Edition Part 1 Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

Sam the Sham over the Rolling Stones? The Knack over Donna Summer? Wilson Phillips over Mariah Carey? Glass Animals over Harry Styles?

On Billboard’s year-end Hot 100, upsets are quite common. Songs that seemed to dominate the chart all year are defeated by stealthily ubiquitous earworms. Sometimes the obvious song takes the prize: “Hey Jude,” “Every Breath You Take” or “I Will Always Love You.” And then sometimes it’s a one-hit wonder: Domencio Mudugno, Daniel Powter, Gotye, Glass Animals—all won the year-end Hot 100 prize.

Join Chris Molanphy as he explains the secrets behind having the hit of the year—and why it doesn’t always go to a superstar.

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis.

Sponsored by Saks.com. Check out the Holiday Gift Guide on saks.com

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A Word: HBCU Football Blues Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

Former NFL star Deion Sanders turned the struggling Jackson State University Tigers into a winning team, and brought a national spotlight to football at historically Black colleges and universities. That’s why his decision to take a coaching job at the University of Colorado sparked a debate among HBCU fans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by University of Houston Professor Billy Hawkins about why Sanders’ time at JSU had such an impact, and whether HBCUs can retain some of the momentum that Sanders helped to build.

Guest: University of Houston Professor Billy Hawkins, author of The New Plantation: Black Athletes, College Sports, and Predominantly White NCAA Institutions.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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The Waves: Tis the Hallmark Season Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, host of Slate’s ICYMI podcast Rachelle Hampton is joined by Vulture’s Rebecca Alter to talk all about those cheesy holiday movies we can’t escape this time of year. They dig into what makes a Hallmark Holiday Movie™ (inns and men who have probably been to therapy are a must), how the movies have evolved over the years and whether their attempts at diversity are just forcing other cultures to conform to their model. Plus, all the holiday vibes.

In Slate Plus: Rebecca talks about her time on a Hallmark movie set, which she wrote about for Vulture.

Recommendations:

Rachelle: The Holiday Calendar on Netflix and Lifetime’s The Spirit of Christmas.

Rebecca: Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square on Netflix and Showtime’s Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com

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Working: Write a Bad Novel! Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, host June Thomas and co-host Isaac Butler speak to Slate contributor and author of Praying with Jane Eyre, Vanessa Zoltan, about jumping into the month-long writing exercise called NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month, is when a writer commits to writing a 50,000 word novel in the span of the month of November. As Vanessa explains, this can be an exercise in creative freedom that does away with the typical structure and hang-ups that come with producing “good writing.”

Do you have a question about creative work? Call us and leave a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com.

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews.

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ICYMI: Why Did NBC’s Internet Culture Reporter Spend So Much Time on Reddit? Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is is joined by NBC’s Morgan Sung to talk about how she lives online as an internet culture reporter. They talk about early internet loves like Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfiction, who Morgan thinks you need to follow on social media, and her and Rachelle’s favorite online conspiracy theories.

This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.

Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus

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Culture Gabfest: Addams Family Outcast Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

This week, Isaac Butler and Dan Kois fill in for Stephen and Dana, joining to chat about Netflix’s new series, Wednesday. Then, they talk about the documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. Finally, they discuss what our Spotify Wrapped results tell us about ourselves.

In Slate Plus,the panel shares a fun follow-up on one of Julia’s recent endorsements.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements

Dan: I’m endorsing a delightful book called What Artists Wear by Charlie Porter. It is exactly what it sounds like. This book really reminded me that art is work and it demands respect as a result of that, but it also reminds you that artists are often total, delightful weirdos.

Julia: Somehow I didn’t yet share the song that I liked best in 2022. It’s a song I considered submitting for Summer Strut. Frankly, I’m a little bit embarrassed because it’s a song about having breasts and really enjoying having breasts. It’s “Coconuts” by Kim Petras. It’s very funny and very peppy.

Isaac: I’m endorsing Connie Willis’ wonderful novel, To Say Nothing of the Dog. It is incredibly funny. The Victorian era gets satirized brilliantly. It’s just a soup-to-nuts delight. If you’re looking to have a really fun week of reading on your hands, this book is a great bet.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama.

Outro music is "Pike Place Market" by Rockin' For Decades.

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What Next: The Magic of Messi Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

Argentina and Croatia face off in the World Cup semifinals today, and all eyes are on Lionel Messi. At 35, Messi is trying to put a cap on a legendary career and bring a World Cup championship to his home country.

How did he get to the top of the soccer world? And what will be his legacy if Argentina loses?

Guest: Jasmine Garsd Garcia, host of NPR’s soccer podcast “The Last Cup.”

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 Amicus—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.

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Decoder Ring: Cellino & Barnes, Injury Attorneys, 800-888-8888 Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

Ross Cellino and Steve Barnes were two Buffalo-based lawyers who became the literal poster-men for personal injury advertising. They poured millions of dollars into ads that did more than just bring in clients: it turned the duo into household names and faces—at least in New York. In this episode, we’re going to look at their rise and everything that happened after. It’s a bumpy ride full of ambition, accidents and tragedy and at its center are two men who, for 25 years, wanted to be at the front of our minds when we got hurt, but who we didn’t really notice until it all fell apart.

We hear from Ross Cellino, Rich Barnes, Jeremy Kutner, John Fabian Witt, Trish Rich, Ken Kaufman, Mike Breen, and David Rafailedes.

This podcast was written by Katie Shepherd. It was edited by Andrea Bruce and Willa Paskin. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Slate’s Executive Producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.

Thank you to Rachel Strom and Meryl Scheinman, host of Prank You.

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

If you’re a fan of the show and want to support us, consider signing up for Slate Plus.

Slate Plus members get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads. Their support is also crucial to our work. So please go to Slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

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Hang Up: Remembering Grant Wahl Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim to talk about journalist Grant Wahl, who died suddenly over the weekend at the age of 49. They’re also joined by the Atlantic’s Franklin Foer for a conversation about Morocco’s thrilling run to the World Cup semifinals. Finally, they discuss Brittney Griner’s long-awaited return to the United States after a prisoner swap with Russia.

Grant Wahl (6:26): The life and legacy of a great journalist, mentor, and friend.

Morocco (32:01): What their success means for soccer, Africa, and the Arab world.

Griner (49:08): How she got released and what comes next.

Afterball (1:04:31): Josh on Grant Wahl’s Sports Illustrated cover story on LeBron James.

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