TopPodcast.com
Menu
  • Home
  • Top Charts
  • Top Networks
  • Top Apps
  • Top Independents
  • Top Podfluencers
  • Top Picks
    • Top Business Podcasts
    • Top True Crime Podcasts
    • Top Finance Podcasts
    • Top Comedy Podcasts
    • Top Music Podcasts
    • Top Womens Podcasts
    • Top Kids Podcasts
    • Top Sports Podcasts
    • Top News Podcasts
    • Top Tech Podcasts
    • Top Crypto Podcasts
    • Top Entrepreneurial Podcasts
    • Top Fantasy Sports Podcasts
    • Top Political Podcasts
    • Top Science Podcasts
    • Top Self Help Podcasts
    • Top Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Top Stocks Podcasts
  • Podcast News
  • About Us
  • Podcast Advertising
  • Contact
Not in our directory?
Add Show Here
Podcast Equipment
Center

toppodcastlogoOur TOPPODCAST Picks

  • Comedy
  • Crypto
  • Sports
  • News
  • Politics
  • True Crime
  • Business
  • Finance

Follow Us

toppodcastlogoStay Connected

    View Top 200 Chart
    Back to Rankings Page
    History

    Slate History

    A feed with the best history coverage from Slate’s wide range of podcasts. From narrative shows like Slow Burn, One Year, and Decoder Ring, to timely analysis from ICYMI and What Next, you’ll get the fascinating stories and vital context you need to understand where we came from and where we’re going. 

    Advertise

    Copyright: © Slate Magazine

    • Apple Podcasts
    • Google Play
    • Spotify

    Latest Episodes:
    Gabfest Reads: Zadie Smith Knows You're a Fraud Sep 23, 2023

    Emily Bazelon talks with author Zadie Smith about her new book, The Fraud. They discuss what happens when justice comes through an unjust symbol, how much Zadie does and doesn’t know about her characters, and more.


    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


    A Word: School of Destruction Sep 22, 2023

    Against the odds, a tight-knit group of Black families created the community of Shoe Lane in Newport News, Virginia in the early 20th century. Residents bought land, and often built their homes, expecting to hand down a thriving African American neighborhood to future generations. Then Christopher Newport University systematically took the land over, pushing out all but a handful of now-elderly residents. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Brandi Kellam, who helped bring the story to light. She co-reported Erasing the “Black Spot”: How a Virginia College Expanded by Uprooting a Black Neighborhood for ProPublica and the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO.


    Guest: Journalist Brandi Kellam


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year: 1955 - Siberia, USA Sep 21, 2023

    When Alaskans wanted their own mental-health facility, a rumor took hold all over America. This week, Evan Chung traces the origins of that far-right conspiracy theory: that the government was building a concentration camp where Americans would get imprisoned for their political beliefs. Get ready for a strange tale that involves a brainwashing manual, Scientology, and a vast network of Communist-hunting housewives.


    Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.


    This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Sophie Summergrad.


    It was edited by Josh Levin, Joel Meyer, and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.


    Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.


    Join Slate Plus to get a bonus 1955 story at the end of the season. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads. Sign up now to support One Year.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Hear Me Out: Bring Back The Draft Sep 19, 2023

    On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… the conscription question.


    The U.S. military is having trouble meeting recruitment goals — and for the first time in recent history, the Army has actually failed to meet its minimum.


    Joe Plenzler, a writer, consultant and Marine Corps veteran, joins us to argue that it’s time to bring back the draft; more specifically, a partial one. It’d help address recruiting shortfalls, but more importantly, it might also change how Americans feel about public service… and how politicians feel about endless war.



    If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com


    Podcast production by Maura Currie


    You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: Wrong from the Beginning Sep 15, 2023

    The teaching of Black history has been under increasing political attack in recent years. But the version of African American history taught –even to Black people– has always been incomplete. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by columnist Michael Harriot to discuss his new book, Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America. They discuss the inspiration for the book, the most persistent myths of race and racism, and fighting the backlash against Black history.


    Guest: Michael Harriot, author of Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year: 1955 - The Weather Girls Sep 14, 2023

    In the early days of television, women struggled to find their place. In 1955, they got it: forecasting the weather, on stations all across the country. But as these “weather girls” transformed the airwaves, a group of powerful men hatched a plan—one that had the potential to push women weathercasters off the air forever.


    Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.


    This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Sophie Summergrad.


    It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.


    Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.


    Join Slate Plus to get the first three episodes of One Year: 1955 right away—and a bonus 1955 story at the end of the season. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads. Sign up now to support One Year.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year: 1955 - The Crockett Craze Sep 07, 2023

    In 1955, the frontiersman Davy Crockett became the most famous man in America, more than a century after his death at the Alamo. This week, Evan Chung dives into a cultural phenomenon nobody saw coming. Not the kids in coonskin caps who started the craze, not the parents whose money fueled it, and least of all Walt Disney, the legendary studio head who created it totally by accident.


    Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.


    This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Sophie Summergrad.


    It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.


    Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.


    Join Slate Plus to get the first three episodes of One Year: 1955 right away—and a bonus 1955 story at the end of the season. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads. Sign up now to support One Year.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Hear Me Out: Overconfidence Is Killing The Supreme Court Sep 05, 2023

    On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… supreme hubris.


    The Supreme Court is currently unpopular to a historic degree. That popularity is, of course, contingent on political opinion – and whether the court has bucked it recently. But most people agree that something’s wrong with the Supreme Court as an institution.


    And, according to Aaron Tang, it’s not partisanship… even though that’s a popular scapegoat. It’s overconfidence and egos running wild.


    Professor and author Aaron Tang joins us to discuss what’s wrong with SCOTUS, and how we might start to fix it.


    If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com


    Podcast production by Maura Currie


    You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year: 1955 - The Team Nobody Would Play Aug 31, 2023

    The Cannon Street All-Stars dreamed of playing in the 1955 Little League World Series. Their biggest obstacle didn’t come on the field. In the year that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus, these Black 12-year-olds became unlikely civil rights pioneers—and faced the wrath of a white society that wasn’t ready to change.


    Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.


    This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Sophie Summergrad.


    It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.


    Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.


    Join Slate Plus to get the first three episodes of One Year: 1955 right away—and a bonus 1955 story at the end of the season. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads. Sign up now to support One Year.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Amicus - Citizen Justice: The Environmental Legacy of William O. Douglas Aug 26, 2023

    In Amicus’ summer series of conversations about books that expanded our thinking about justice and the courts, beyond the churn of headlines, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Judge Margaret M. McKeown of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CIrcuit, to discuss her book Citizen Justice: The Environmental Legacy of William O. Douglas―Public Advocate and Conservation Champion

    Sign up for Slate Plus now to support our show.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year: 1955 Trailer Aug 21, 2023

    Coming Thursday, August 31st, the fifth season of One Year covers 1955. A year when a team of 12-year-olds tried to integrate Little League, “weather girls” took the country by storm, and a conspiracy theory about Communist brainwashing infected the nation’s politics.

    One Year is history like you’ve never heard it before. In each season, host Josh Levin brings you the weirdest, wildest, and most captivating moments from a single year in American history. You’ll hear stories you may have forgotten and ones you won’t believe you didn’t know, all told by the people who lived through them.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: Think Catchphrases Are Dead? Eat My Shorts. Aug 09, 2023

    Once you start listening for catchphrases in everyday life—you can’t stop hearing them. From the radio era’s “Holy mackerel!” to Fonzie’s “Ayyy!” to Urkel’s multiple go-to lines on Family Matters, we explore the irresistible quotables from sitcoms, movies and social media that have burrowed into our collective lexicon. Oh, just one more thing… bazinga! (Did I do that?)


    This episode was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.


    Thank you to Luke Winkie, Stephen Langford, Doug Dietzold and The Good, the Bad and the Sequel podcast, and Shawn Green for the suggestion and Urkel clips.


    If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, you can email us at DecoderRing@slate.com


    If you haven’t 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. As a member, you’ll get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads—and your support is crucial to our work. Go to slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Hear Me Out: Affirmative Action Failed Poor Black Kids Aug 08, 2023

    On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… almost affirmative.


    We don’t yet know what the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action is going to do, tangibly, to college admissions — or how long those impacts will last. But, based on past experiments, we have a decent idea. And many advocates say the implications here are urgent and dire.


    But affirmative action might not have been the great equalizing force that a lot of people believe it was.


    Bertrand Cooper, freelance journalist and policy researcher, joins us to elaborate on his belief that poor Black kids were failed by affirmative action.



    If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com


    Podcast production by Maura Currie


    You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    What Next: Florida Public Schools' New Anti-Woke Partner Aug 07, 2023

    In July, Florida approved the use of Prager U materials in its classrooms. The organization claims its videos offer an alternative to the prevailing left-wing ideology in the classroom. Its founder told a sympathetic audience that what they offer is indoctrination. What impact could these videos have in public schools? And where could they be heading next?


    Guest: John Knefel, senior writer for Media Matters for America.


    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


    What Next: It’s Hot as Hell. Why Are Pools Closed? Aug 03, 2023

    The temperature is going up, but the number of open, public pools isn’t. It’s not just a summer bummer; it’s turning into a public health crisis.


    Guest: Mara Gay, member of the New York Times editorial board, focused on New York State and local affairs.


    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


    Decoder Ring: The Quest for a Homemade Hovercraft Aug 02, 2023

    When Slate’s Evan Chung was a kid, he was obsessed with a mysterious advertisement that ran for decades in the scouting magazine Boys’ Life. Under the enticing headline “You Can Float on Air,” the ad assured Evan—and generations of scouts—that a personal hovercraft could be theirs for just a few bucks.


    In this episode, the adult version of Evan journeys halfway across the country to wield power tools, summon his latent scouting skills, and conscript his father into a quest three decades in the making.


    Will Evan float on air? Scout’s honor: You’ll just have to listen.


    This episode was written by Evan Chung, who produced this episode with Decoder Ring’s Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. It was edited by Willa Paskin and Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.


    If you haven’t yet, please subscribe and rate our feed on Spotify, 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. As a member, you’ll get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads—and your support is crucial to our work. Go to slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: A Brief History of Making Out Jul 26, 2023

    Kissing—the romantic, sexual, steamy kind—is so ingrained in us that it just seems like a fact of life. Like breathing or eating, we just do it. But what if it’s not like that at all?


    In this episode, we’re going to look at passionate kissing, well, dispassionately, not as something instinctual and innate but as a cultural practice. We’re going to backtrack through history in search of the origins of the kiss, with some surprises along the way.


    This episode was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrea Bruce and Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.


    Thank you to Marcel Danesi.


    If you’re interested in the papers we mentioned, you can read about Justin Garcia and William Jankowiak’s research, Troels Pank Arbøll and Sophie Lund Rasmussen’s essay, Sabrina Imbler’s When Was the First Sexy Kiss? and the herpes study. (Here’s that bronze-age statue, too!)


    If you haven’t yet, please subscribe and rate our feed on Spotify, 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. As a member, you’ll get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads—and your support is crucial to our work. Go to slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Political Gabfest Reads: How the British Empire Twisted the Truth Jul 22, 2023

    David Plotz talks with author David Grann about his new book, The Wager. The non-fiction book tells the harrowing story of a shipwreck off the coast of Patagonia in 1742. They discuss how the British Empire twisted fact and fiction, the process of digging through 280-year-old documents, and why you should always have citrus at sea.


    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


    A Word: Justice Delayed, Justice Denied? Jul 21, 2023

    Oklahoma’s legendary “Black Wall Street” was destroyed in the Tulsa Massacre of 1921. Hundreds of victims were murdered and dumped in mass graves, and dozens of homes and businesses were burned to the ground. More than a century later, three survivors remain, fighting for justice. But their lawsuit seeking reparations was recently dealt a blow in court. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons to talk about the case, the history and the next steps.


    Guest: Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons, founder of the Justice 4 Greenwood organization


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    The Waves: Why Barbie Lives On Jul 20, 2023

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about Barbie. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth sits down with M.G. Lord, author of Forever Barbie and co-host of “LA Made: The Barbie Tapes” from LAist and So Cal Public Radio. They discuss the history of the Barbie doll and how she’s managed to endure, how Barbie might actually be feminist, and what the new Greta Gerwig movie gets right about Barbie.


    In Slate Plus: Episode 6 of our And Just Like That…recap.


    If you liked this episode check out Is The Wedding Dress Dead?

    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: What's Really Going On Inside a Mosh Pit? Jul 19, 2023

    The mosh pit has a reputation as a violent place where (mostly) white guys vent their aggression. There’s some truth to that, but it’s also a place bound by camaraderie and—believe it or not—etiquette. In this episode, we explore the unwritten rules of this 50-year-old, live-music phenomenon with punks, concertgoers and a heavy metal physicist.


    Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin with Katie Shepherd. This episode was written by Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Willa Paskin and Andrea Bruce, with help from Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.


    Thank you to Vivien Goldman, Paolo Ragusa, and Philip Moriarty whose insights and research on moshing were crucial to this episode. You can create your own mosh pit using this simulator developed by Jesse Silverberg and his colleagues.


    If you haven’t yet, please subscribe and rate our feed on Spotify, 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. As a member, you’ll get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads—and your support is crucial to our work. Go to slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Slow Burn: Season 8 Live Announcement & Bonus Conversation Jul 15, 2023

    Join host Joel Anderson and special guests for Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas LIVE in D.C. (July 25, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.)

    You’ll see a live performance of an extended story from the season(spoiler: it will be a…slam dunk). You’ll hear even more insights into Clarence Thomas’ life and career—and his decades-long battle with affirmative action. And you’ll watch as Anderson gets grilled about the making of this season and what it was like to interview Justice Thomas’ mother in his childhood home.

    Special guests include Thomas’ college friend Eddie Jenkins; legal scholar and MSNBC commentator Melissa Murray; Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse from the Senate Judiciary Committee, and more. (Slate Plus members will receive a discount off your purchase. Use the discount code found on the Events page in your account.)

    In addition, please enjoy this bonus conversation with Joel conducted by Slate's Dahlia Lithwick for the Amicus podcast. Joel talks about Clarence Thomas’ anger issues, and what his mother really thinks of Ginni Thomas.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: Black Dolls Matter Jul 14, 2023

    Barbie is more than a toy. She’s an icon, and now the focus of a blockbuster film. For generations, Barbie has helped define all-American beauty, often leaving girls who weren’t blonde, thin, and white feeling invisible. But that began to change in the 1980’s with the introduction of Black Barbies. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Lagueria Davis, the producer of Black Barbie: A Documentary. The film tells the stories of the African American women who helped bring Black Barbie to life, and the surprising impact that had on the marketplace, and the emotional lives of Black girls.


    Guest: Filmmaker Lagueria Davis, producer of Black Barbie: A Documentary


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: The Great Parmesan Cheese Debate Jul 12, 2023

    Parmesan is a food—but it’s not just a food. Italy’s beloved cheese is often paired with a deep craving for tradition and identity. But its history also involves intrepid immigrants, lucrative businesses and an American version that’s probably available in your local grocery store.


    After a notorious debunker of Italian-cuisine myths claims this Wisconsin-made product is the real deal, we embark on a quest to answer the question: Has an Italian delicacy been right under our noses this whole time?


    Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin with Katie Shepherd. This episode was written by Willa Paskin and edited by Andrea Bruce. We had production help from Patrick Fort and editing help from Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.


    Thank you to Giacomo Stefanini for translating. Thank you to Fabio Parasecoli, Ken Kane, Thomas McNamee, Dan Weber, Irene Graziosi, James Norton, and Ian MacAllen, whose knowledge and book Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American were very helpful.


    You should also read Marianna Giusti’s article in the Financial Times. If you feel like really nerding out, we also recommend the 1948 academic study Italian Cheese Production in the American Dairy Region.


    We also included clips in this episode from David Rocco’s YouTube channel about how Parmigiano-Reggiano is made and from Gennaro Contaldo’s YouTube documentary on the same subject.


    If you haven’t yet, please subscribe and rate our feed on Spotify, 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. As a member, you’ll get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads—and your support is crucial to our work. Go to slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Hear Me Out: Insurrection Is A Force For Good Jul 04, 2023

    On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… don’t you know they’re talking ‘bout a revolution?


    July 4th celebrates one of the least bloody milestones of the American Revolution. But we have a complicated relationship with overthrowing the powers that be in this country – not to mention when other nations do it.


    We call what happened on January 6th, 2021 an insurrection. But what do we do with the George Floyd uprisings? Other efforts to buck the system? Who, as the “common man,” should we be rooting for?


    Geo Maher, writer and political organizer, once again joins us to make the case for good-faith insurrection, even when it’s messy.


    If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com


    Podcast production by Maura Currie


    You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 4: A National Disgrace Jun 21, 2023

    Anita Hill’s accusations launched urgent and heated conversations about racism and sexual harassment. They also stoked an anger in Clarence Thomas that’s never stopped raging.

    Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.

    Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.

    Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

    Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.

    This episode was edited by Josh Levin, Derek John, Sophie Summergrad, and Joel Meyer.

    Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.

    Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Hear Me Out: Descendants Of Slaves Don’t Need Reparations Jun 20, 2023

    On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… an archaeology of grievances.


    In honor of the third Juneteenth being celebrated as a national holiday, it’s worth unpacking symbolic gestures like Juneteenth — and, as many states are finding out, like Reparations.


    The movement to compensate the descendants of slaves is gaining more traction than ever before, in many parts of the country. Could this be our chance to clear a massive, lingering blight on our nation’s history?


    Our guest today argues no. Podcast host and columnist Coleman Hughes joins us to make the case that compensating the victims of slavery was something we should’ve done long ago – and now, it’s too late for it to be anything other than a problem.

    If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com


    Podcast production by Maura Currie


    You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    How To!: Find the Gems in All Your Junk Jun 20, 2023

    Most people have something they’re holding on to. For Lesley and Alex, that’s some old baseball and basketball cards that are collecting dust in their attic. For Kathy, that’s a house full of antiques. They’ve all been wanting to pare it down. But the big question is: how much is it worth? On this episode of How To! co-host Carvell Wallace is joined by Leila Dunbar, a veteran appraiser and frequent expert on Antiques Roadshow. Leila knows the stories and the value behind all kinds of collectibles and memorabilia. She’ll break down why we hold on to certain items and let go of others…and how to make money along the way.


    If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Put Your Town on the Map.”


    Do you have a problem that’s keeping you up at night? 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. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.


    Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, Kevin Bendis, and Jabari Butler.


    If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus 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


    Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 3: I’m Their Guy Jun 14, 2023

    When Clarence Thomas got nominated to the Supreme Court, his behavior during the 1980s would get put under a microscope. To understand who Thomas was then and who he is today, you need to hear how he treated the women he worked with. You also need to hear from the woman who knew him best during those critical years: his ex-girlfriend Lillian McEwen.

    Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.

    Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.

    Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

    Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.

    This episode was edited by Josh Levin, Derek John, Sophie Summergrad, and Joel Meyer.

    Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.

    Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 2: Smiling Faces Jun 07, 2023

    Clarence Thomas went to Yale Law School because he thought it was a good fit for his left-wing politics. But when he got there, it seemed like all the white liberals thought he was only there because he was Black. The sting Thomas felt fueled a lifelong resentment of affirmative action. It also drew him to a group of conservatives who helped sharpen his political beliefs.

    Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.

    Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.

    Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

    Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.

    This episode was edited by Josh Levin, Derek John, Sophie Summergrad and Joel Meyer.

    Merritt Jacob is Slate’s senior technical director.

    Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: My Father, the Spy Jun 02, 2023

    Every family has secrets. As a girl, Leta McCollough Seletzky learned that her father, Marrell McCollough– was on the scene of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. But it would be years before she learned that he was there as a spy for the Memphis police, who wanted information on King’s local allies. On today’s episode of A Word, she speaks with Jason Johnson about her father’s story, captured in her new book, The Kneeling Man: My Father's Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King.


    Guest: Leta McCollough Seletzky, author of The Kneeling Man: My Father's Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King



    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.



    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


    Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 1: America’s Blackest Child May 31, 2023

    Growing up in Georgia, Clarence Thomas wanted to make his mark. His goal was to become his hometown’s first Black Catholic priest. But in the 1960s, he abandoned that dream. Instead, he embraced campus activism and the teachings of Malcolm X.

    Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.

    Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.

    Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

    Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.

    Editorial direction by Josh Levin, Derek John, and Joel Meyer.

    Merritt Jacob is Slate’s senior technical director.

    Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Hear Me Out: “Thank You For Your Service” Feels Cheap May 30, 2023

    On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… empty thanks?


    Memorial Day is meant to commemorate those who lost their lives in serving this country. Around such a heavy day — and on many others — the common refrain of “thank you for your service” can feel hollow to living veterans, as well as military families. What are we reflexively thanking these people for, and how could we tangibly show gratitude instead?


    Third-generation veteran and writer Lucian Truscott IV joins us to propose that, while words may be well-intentioned, there are better ways to thank those who’ve served.


    ________________

    Note: this episode includes a brief discussion of suicide. If you or a loved one need support, help is always available at the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — you can call and text 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 988.


    Veterans can access specialized resources at the Veterans’ Crisis Line.

    ________________


    If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com


    Podcast production by Maura Currie


    You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: Reckoning on Campus May 26, 2023

    The murder of George Floyd prompted a number of American colleges and universities to reckon with their historic roles in slavery. Three years later, many institutions have abandoned those efforts. One that’s still going strong is the Hard Histories Project at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by historian Martha Jones, the director of that effort. The scholars associated with the project have uncovered many challenging truths, including evidence that the founder of Johns Hopkins—widely hailed as an abolitionist—owned slaves.


    Guest: Historian Martha Jones, Director of the Hard Histories Project at Johns Hopkins University


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Hear Me Out: Policing Can’t Be Reformed And Must Be Abolished May 23, 2023

    On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… imagine a world without police.


    Three years after George Floyd’s murder, we’ve seen some incremental change in how we try to prevent police brutality. But it still happens, all too often — and Americans are still dying, in alarming numbers, at the hands of police.


    Writer and organizer Geo Maher joins us to argue that our law enforcement system is too bloated and corrupt to fix. Instead, we should dismantle it entirely and start from scratch.


    If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com


    Podcast production by Maura Currie


    You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: The Ballot, the Bullet, and the Truth May 19, 2023

    Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925, and he remains one of the most polarizing figures of the civil rights movement. An enduring myth from that era is that he and Martin Luther King Jr. were diametrically opposed politically. But the recent revelation that a quote where King condemned Malcolm X was false has prompted a wider reconsideration of his beliefs and legacy.


    On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by historian Peniel Joseph, author of “The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.” Professor Joseph explains why the popular understanding of Malcolm X is so incomplete, and helps to give a more nuanced portrait of him as a man and a leader.


    Guest: Peniel Joseph, Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values at the University of Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: Dungeons, Dragons, and Diversity May 12, 2023

    The persistent stereotype that role-playing, tabletop game players are overwhelmingly white is rooted in race, housing, and history. The suburban homes where people could dedicate a surface to a sprawling, multiplayer board game used to be almost exclusively white. And the knights, wizards, and other fantastic creatures in these games were closely tied to European mythology. But a more diverse world of game playing is rising, with more people of color getting a seat at the creative table. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses diversity in hobby games with Aaron Trammell, a professor of informatics at U.C. Irvine. He’s also the author of the new book The Privilege of Play: A History of Hobby Games, Race and Geek Culture.


    Guest: Aaron Trammell, author of The Privilege of Play: A History of Hobby Games, Race and Geek Culture


    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.


    Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: Who Owns the Tooth Fairy? May 10, 2023

    We pride ourselves on being grounded, rational beings, but flitting amongst us is a mystery: the Tooth Fairy. This flying piece of folklore is alive and well in the 21st century, handed down to kids in whatever way their parents see fit.

    In this episode, with the help of Tinkerbell, Santa Claus, and some savvy humans who are trying to exploit this strange creature’s untapped intellectual property, we’ll explore the origins of this childhood ritual, its durability—and its remarkable resistance to commercialization.

    This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Jamie York. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.

    Thank you to Charles Duan, Jim Piddock, Purva Merchant, Hannah Morris, Laurie Leahy, Torie Bosch, and Rebecca Onion. Also, a big tip of the hat to Rosemary Wells, the dental school instructor who in the 1970s began exploring the Tooth Fairy’s, ahem, roots . Much of Wells’ work is out of print, but you can find one of her pieces in a collection called The Good People: New Fairylore Essays.

    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, sign up for Slate Plus. You’ll be able to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads—and your support is crucial to our work. Go to www.slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

    Decoder Ring is now available on YouTube. Listen here: https://slate.trib.al/ucMyTst

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: Becoming “The Black Mozart” May 05, 2023

    Even classical art can be revolutionary. That was true for violinist Joseph Bologne. He was a biracial musical prodigy who worked and charmed his way into the center of 18th-century French society. But the new film “Chevalier” shows how even his genius couldn’t save him from the poisonous combination of bias and envy. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by actor Kelvin Harrison Jr., star of “Chevalier.” They talk about rediscovering this largely forgotten musical history, and Harrison’s critically acclaimed work on stage and screen.


    Guest: Actor Kelvin Harrison, Jr.


    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.


    Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    What Next: Charles In Charge May 04, 2023

    It’s the first British coronation in 70 years and along with the celebration, questions abound: What kind of king will Charles be? Who is Charles anyway? And why even have a king?


    Guest: Imogen West-Knights, writer and Slate contributor


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: Why You Can’t Find a Damn Parking Spot May 03, 2023

    Parking is one of the great paradoxes of American life. On the one hand, we have paved an ungodly amount of land to park our cars. On the other, it seems like it’s never enough.


    Slate’s Henry Grabar has spent the last few years investigating how our pathological need for car storage determines the look, feel, and function of the places we live. It turns out our quest for parking has made some of our biggest problems worse.


    In this episode, we’re going to hunt for parking, from the mean streets of Brooklyn to the sandy lots of Florida. We’ll explore how parking has quietly damaged the American landscape—and see what might fix it.


    This episode was written by Henry Grabar, author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World. It was edited by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. We had extra production from Patrick Fort and editing help from Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.


    Thank you to: Jane Wilberding, Rachel Weinberger, Donald Shoup, Andrés Duany, Robert Davis, Micah Davis, Christy Milliken, Fletcher Isacks, Victor Benhamou, and Nina Pareja.


    If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, you can email us at DecoderRing@slate.com


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


    If you’re a fan of the show, sign up for Slate Plus. You’ll be able to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads—and your support is crucial to our work. Go to www.slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.


    Decoder Ring is now available on YouTube. Listen here: https://slate.trib.al/ucMyTst

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    What Next: America’s Rich History of Gun Control May 03, 2023

    When the Supreme Court struck down New York’s concealed carry law last year, it set a precedent that gun control laws should be judged against “historical tradition.” But judged against actual American history, it’s the on-going repeal of gun control laws that’s an anomaly.


    Guest: Robert J Spitzer, professor emeritus at SUNY Cortland, author of The Gun Dilemma.


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Hear Me Out: The Iraq War Was a Necessary Evil May 02, 2023

    On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… Mission Accomplished?

    This year marks the 20th anniversary of then-President Bush’s infamous address aboard an aircraft carrier, declaring that the war had been won and Iraqis were free.

    We know now, of course, that the war had not been won – and in 2003, it was far from over. Many thousands of lives were lost. With the gift of hindsight, can we see the war as anything other than a costly mistake?

    Iraqi-American and President of Ideas Beyond Borders Faisal Saeed Al Mutar joins Celeste to argue that the war, while mismanaged, was a victory — and that the alternatives could have been far, far worse.


    If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com


    Podcast production by Maura Currie


    You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: The Artist Who Was Both Loved and Disdained Apr 26, 2023

    We bring you a special episode from Sidedoor, a podcast about the treasures that fill the vaults of the Smithsonian. This story is inspired by “Big Band,” a defining work by the painter LeRoy Neiman.


    Neiman was a character, a cultural gadfly and an omnipresent artist who sat for decades right at the nexus of professional success, cultural ubiquity, and critical disregard. What made him so popular? What made him so disdained? And what can we learn from how he resolved this dissonance?


    Sidedoor is produced by the Smithsonian with PRX.


    The Sidedoor podcast team is Justin O'Neill, James Morrison, Stephanie De Leon Tzic, Ann Conanan, Caitlin Shaffer, Tami O'Neill, Jess Sadeq, Lara Koch, and Sharon Bryant. The show is mixed by Tarek Fouda and the theme song and episode music are by Breakmaster Cylinder.


    Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Executive Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our Technical Director.


    Special thanks to Joel Meyer, the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, especially Tara Zabor, Dan Duray, Heather Long, and Janet Neiman. Also thank you to the team at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History: Stephanie Johnson, Ken Kimery, Theo Gonzalvez, Eric Jentsch, John Troutman, Krystal Klingenberg, Valeska Hilbig, and Laura Duff. Thank you to Smithsonian Folkways Recordings for contributing music for this episode, and also to the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.


    If you haven’t yet, please 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, sign 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.


    Decoder Ring is now available on YouTube. Listen here: http://y2u.be/D8cLqWAffJ8

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Political Gabfest Reads: The Art of Writing Political Satire Apr 22, 2023

    David Plotz talks with author Alexandra Petri about her new book, Alexandra Petri’s US History: Important American Documents. They discuss how to transform staid history documents into rollicking parodies, how Petri found her “voice” multiple times, and her grander ambitions for the book. Plus, Petri reads some choice selections.


    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


    Decoder Ring: The Curious Case of Columbo's Message to Romania Part 2 Apr 19, 2023

    Last week, we put on the proverbial raincoat and made like Columbo to investigate Peter Falk’s claim that he recorded a special Cold War message telling Romanians to “put down their guns.” This week, we’re back on the case, and what started out as a zany inquiry goes to some serious and surprising places.


    Part two of this caper, involves dubbers, propagandists, a couple of 90 year olds and the legacy of a brutal dictatorship. It’s a story about celebrity, diplomacy, memory, and the limitations of all three—and about the power of television not to get Romanians to put down their guns, as Falk would have it, but to pick them up.


    This podcast was written by Willa Paskin who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.


    Special thank you to Oana Godanu Kenworthy who was instrumental in figuring this all out as well as Andrada Lautaru who translated and worked with us from Romania.


    Thank you to: Andrei Codrescu, Cameron Gorman, Gabriel Roth, Ilinca Calugareanu, Harry Geisel, Elaine McDevitt, Michael Messenger, Gerald Krell, Ash Hawken, Tom Mullins, Jessica Leporin, Jerry Gruner and Marie Whalen.


    There’s a number of documentaries that were instrumental to reporting this episode: Videograms from a Revolution; Chuck Norris vs Communism; The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu, The Rise and Fall of Ceausescu: and Whatever Happened to Blood Sweat and Tears.


    If you can’t get enough Columbo, make sure to listen to our previous two-parter on McGruff the crime dog, who was directly inspired by Peter Falk’s detective, and features a wild soundtrack.


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


    If you’re a fan of the show, we'd love for you to sign 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 www.slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Hi-Phi Nation: Living in a Zoopolis Apr 18, 2023

    A zoopolis is a future society that philosophers envision where wild, domesticated, and denizen animals have full political and legal rights. What would that look like? In this episode, we look at how animals were put on trial in medieval European courts, and how animal rights advocates are bringing animals back into the courtrooms to sue people and the US government.

    We then look at what the science of animal minds tells us about how much agency animals have, and envision what political and legal rights various animals would have in a zoopolis. From there, we discuss and debate whether we should be allowed to farm animals, control their reproduction, and have them work for us.

    Co-produced with Alec Opperman, guests include historian Gabriel Rosenberg, attorney Monica Miller, and animal minds researcher Professor Kristin Andrews.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    What Next: He Couldn’t Teach ‘Slavery Was Wrong.’ So He Quit. Apr 17, 2023

    Iowa was one of the first states in the country to pass legislation against teaching that the United States is systemically racist — an idea some equate with “critical race theory.” But when one social studies teacher asked how he could teach U.S. history without running afoul of the new law, he didn’t get any clarity — or help.


    What happens when legislation targets teachers? And as America’s teacher shortage grows — what will this mean for the country’s kids?


    Guest: Greg Wickenkamp, former eighth grade social studies teacher in Fairfield, Iowa.


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: The Curious Case of Columbo's Message to Romania Part 1 Apr 12, 2023

    Not too long ago an old clip surfaced of Peter Falk on David Letterman, in which he told an intriguing tale about recording a special Cold War message for Romanian state television. The clip went viral and got our attention — but was it actually true? Did a fictional American detective really help quell a communist revolt?

    We donned the proverbial raincoat and started sleuthing—at which point Falk’s late night anecdote cracked open into an intricate geopolitical saga that stretches from DC to Bucharest; from a Los Angeles hotel room to the palatial estate of a despot. It’s a story that involves dueling ideologies, dozens of diplomats, and millions of viewers. It’s an honest-to-goodness cold war caper about American soft power behind the iron curtain, and it’s so involved it’s going to take two episodes to solve.

    This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.


    A special thank you to Andrada Lautaru who translated and worked with me from Romania. Thank you to Carol and Joel Levy, Jonathan Rickert, Alan and Aury Fernandez, Katie Koob, Felix Rentschler, Richard Viets, Jock Shirley, Gabriel Roth, Cameron Gorman, Torie Bosch, Delia Marinescu, David Koenig, Don Giller, Forest Bachner, Corina Popa, David Langbart, William Burr, Asgeir Sigfusson, John Frankensteiner, Tom Hoban, and everyone else who helped with this episode. Thank you to Evan Chung.


    For research into Romanian T.V., Willa relied heavily on the scholarly work of Dana Mustata, Alexandru Matei, Annemarie Sorescu‐Marinković, and the screening socialism project from the University of Loughborough. She also relied on the work of Dennis Deletant and Timothy W Ryback’s Rock Around the Bloc, a history of rock music in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union


    You also heard a song in this episode from the Romanian band Phoenix.


    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 www.slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: The Battle for Eatonville Apr 07, 2023

    Folklorist and Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston made her hometown of Eatonville, Florida famous in her writing, including her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. But her fame hasn’t saved the town from the pressures that many African American communities have endured: a population fighting poverty, government indifference, and developers that want to scoop up the land to build housing that current residents can’t afford. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Aallyah Wright, a reporter with Black news non-profit Capital B, who has written about the town’s recent success in resisting developers, and its hopes for the future.


    Guest: Capital B reporter Aallyah Wright


    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 just $15 a month for your first three months.


    Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Hear Me Out: Secession Could Be A Good Thing Mar 28, 2023

    On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… the case for breaking up the union.


    Frank Buckley, professor at George Mason University and author of American Secession, makes a case for allowing states to peacefully secede — not just in the interest of preventing another civil war, but in hopes of creating a happier, more functional society for us all.


    Podcast production by Maura Currie


    You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: When a Race War Threat Was Real Mar 24, 2023

    For many people of faith, Holy Week brings the most sacred days of the year. But in 1968, that season was marred by the murder of Martin Luther King Jr., and the violent unrest and riots that followed. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Vann Newkirk II. He’s a senior editor for The Atlantic, and the host of its Holy Week podcast, which examines this moment in history. They discuss the political and social forces that led up to these pivotal events, and how they’re remembered by the people who were themselves in the streets.


    Guest: Vann Newkirk II, host of The Atlantic’s Holy Week podcast.


    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 just $1 for your first month.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    What Next: A Disability Rights Icon’s Long Legacy Mar 13, 2023

    Judy Heumann devoted her life to advocating for Americans with disabilities and was a fixture at protests, sit-ins, and activist meetings, eventually becoming a presidential advisor. After passing away at 75, her work continues through her friends and those she fought for.


    Guest: Sandy Ho, founder of Disability and Intersectionality Summit and disability policy researcher.


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    What Next: Does Steven Spielberg Have an Oscars Curse? Mar 09, 2023

    For all of his success, Steven Spielberg has a spotty record at the Oscars. He’s been nominated 22 times, but he’s only won three. Is it a curse?


    This Sunday could mark a shift for the King of Hollywood’s five decades in the industry. And with The Fabelmans this year, it’s personal.


    Guest: Michael Schulman, New Yorker staff writer and the author of Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears.


    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    The Waves: What Ballet’s Best Choreographer Destroyed Feb 23, 2023

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion is joined by Erika Lantz, host of the podcast The Turning to discuss the impact of ballet culture and the legacy of George Balanchine on dancers of all levels.


    In Slate Plus, how ballerinas and nuns have more in common than you think.


    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Tori Dominguez with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario 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


    The Waves: The Inherent Fear in Being a Woman Feb 16, 2023

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth talks all about fear with author Erica Berry. They discuss trying to navigate alone in the world as a woman, how one fairy tale tells you everything you need to know about women and fear, and Erica’s new book, Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear.


    In Slate Plus, Cheyna and Erica talk about how one wolf, OR-7, stole hearts across the nation.


    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. With additional help from Tori Dominguez.

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

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: Surviving “Driving While Black” Feb 10, 2023

    For many Americans, the “Green Book” is an Oscar-winning film. But for generations of Black Americans, it served as a literal map for traveling through an often hostile and hateful country, finding safety and businesses that would serve us. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by writer and financial educator Alvin Hall. He’s the author of Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance. Hall explains how the original Green Book began, discusses its evolution, and why he’s dedicated years to studying and sharing stories of its impact.


    Guest: Alvin Hall, author of Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance


    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 just $1 for your first month.


    Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    What Next: How Florida’s School Censorship Spreads Feb 09, 2023

    Governor Ron DeSantis canceling the rollout of AP African-American Studies course in Florida is more than just another salvo in the culture war. It has implications across public education, across the country—and its chilling effect is already evident.

    Guests: Jeremy Young, historian and Senior Manager of Free Expression and Education at PEN America.


    Chyna-Lee Hunter, a 12th grade student at Robert Morgan Educational Center in Miami, Fla.


    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.



    Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    ICYMI: American Girl’s Addy Is More Than a Slave Jan 25, 2023

    On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by NPR’s Aisha Harris to talk about the return of the discourse about Addy Walker, the first Black American Girl doll. They discuss Aisha’s great piece from 2016, “The Making of an American Girl,” their own histories with the doll, and why this discourse pops up so frequently.


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


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

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Political Gabfest Reads: Two Horrifying Days in D.C. Jan 21, 2023

    David Plotz talks with author Shahan Mufti about his new book, American Caliph: The True Story of a Muslim Mystic, a Hollywood Epic, and the 1977 Siege of Washington, DC. They discuss an Islamic group’s multi-location attack in D.C., the terror that hostages experienced while held captive for the two days, and the movie that started the whole thing.


    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


    A Word: Haiti: Fear of a Black Republic Jan 20, 2023

    Headlines suggest that Haiti could be on the verge of collapse, with gangs controlling its streets, the economy at a standstill, and political leaders fearing for their lives. But while international observers decry it as a “failed nation,” Haiti’s path to success has been consistently blocked since its successful slave rebelion in 1804. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Leslie Alexander, author “Fear of a Black Republic: Haiti and the Birth of Black Internationalism in the United States.“


    Guest: Historian Leslie Alexander, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of History at Rutgers University


    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 just $1 for your first month.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: The Mailbag Episode Dec 27, 2022

    We’re really lucky to get a lot of listener emails, suggesting topics for the show. In this episode, we’re going to dig into a handful of the most fascinating ones that we’ve yet to tackle on the show. We’re taking on five listener questions that run the gamut—from kids menus to succulents to the chicken that crossed the road. It’s an eclectic assortment of subjects that come to us thanks to you. So let’s jump into our mailbag.


    Thank you to Mark Liberman and Susan Schulten.


    This podcast was written by Willa Paskin who produces the show with Katie Shepherd. This episode was also produced by Sam Kim. Derek John is Slate’s Executive Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.

    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Outward: How Can Queer People Keep Each Other Safe? Dec 21, 2022

    This month, hosts Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder reflect on the painful impact of anti-LGBTQ violence and dig into the new possibilities for trans storytelling and filmmaking. First, they talk through their complicated feelings about one of the responses to the shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs last month: Should queer people be organizing in self-defense, or even arming ourselves for protection? Then they are joined by actress Jen Richards who portrays Barbara in Framing Agnes, a new documentary, directed by Chase Joynt, which is centered on six trans people who were interviewed and treated at a UCLA gender clinic in the 1950s. The film combines reenactments of those interviews with contemporary conversations with trans actors reflecting on how the lives of the people they portray resonate with their own lives. Our own Jules Gill-Peterson has a central role in the movie as a historian and narrator.

    Items discussed in the show:

    • Season 2 of The White Lotus
    • Christina’s Slate piece, “I Think I Found Kyrsten Sinema’s Side Hustle”
    • Framing Agnes


    Gay Agenda

    Christina: shopping gay, including at The Little Gay Shop and Adam’s Nest

    Jules: “Not a Transition: On Andrea Pallaoro’s Monica,” by Eva Pensis in the Los Angeles Review of Books

    Bryan has created a bespoke cocktail for Outward listeners: the Cuddle Puddle


    The Cuddle Puddle

    2 oz rye

    1 oz ginger liqueur

    ½ oz Fernet Branca or similar

    Dash of orange bitters

    Stir the ingredients for a long time over ice, then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange peel.


    This podcast was produced by June Thomas.


    Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: Encore: ‘You’ve Got Mail’ Got It Wrong Dec 20, 2022

    (This episode originally aired in March 2020.)

    The 1998 romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, is about the brutal fight between a beloved indie bookstore, the Shop Around the Corner, and Fox Books, an obvious Barnes & Noble stand-in. On this episode of Decoder Ring we revisit the real-life conflict that inspired the movie and displaced independent booksellers on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This conflict illustrates how, for a brief time, Barnes & Noble was a symbol of predatory capitalism, only to be usurped by the uniting force at the heart of the film: the internet.

    Some of the voices in this episode include Delia Ephron, the co-screenwriter of You’ve Got Mail, the illustrator Brian Selznick, Laura J. Miller, author of Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, Joel Fram, founder of Eeyore’s Books for Children, and Boris Kachka, book editor for the Los Angeles Times.


    This podcast was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Benjamin Frisch and Cleo Levin was research assistant.


    Thanks to Steve Geck, Maris Kreizman, Emma Straub, Jacob Bernstein, Gary Hoover, Peter Glassman and June Thomas.


    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.


    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.



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

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


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

    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


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

    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: How Preppy Became Streetwear Dec 06, 2022

    We bring you a special episode from the Articles of Interest podcast hosted by Avery Trufelman about the incredible reach and adaptability of preppy clothes. It’s a story about the great modernizer of Ivy style, Ralph Lauren, and how he and his label, Polo, were themselves modernized by customers who helped push preppy in a whole new direction, from the runway to the streets.

    We encourage you to listen to the entire American Ivy series from Radiotopia.

    Articles of Interest is created by Avery Trufelman. It’s edited by Kelly Prime, mixed and mastered by Ian Coss, fact checked by Jessia Siriano, with music by Avery, Rhae Royal, Sasami, and the Beazlebubs, the Tufts University Acapella Group.

    Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. We had mixing help on this episode from Sam Kim. Derek John is Slate’s Executive Producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.

    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, I’d love for you to sign 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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    S7 Ep. 5: Creating a Winning Show Nov 29, 2022

    The team who made Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade tells the story that unfolded behind the scenes of Apple Podcasts' Show of the Year, from the original pitch to the leak of the Dobbs decision. We’ll hear how host Susan Matthews first came up with the idea, how the producers dug up rare archival tape and hard-to-find sources that helped bring the story to life, and how the show tried to fairly represent both sides of the issue. Plus, we dive into what changed after the Dobbs opinion was leaked in May, a month before the show launched. Featuring host Susan Matthews, producers Samira Tazari and Sophie Summergrad, editor Josh Levin, and executive producer Derek John.

    To hear all of our Show of the Year Extras visit: https://apple.co/showoftheyear2022

    For even more Slow Burn, join Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get exclusive episodes each season. If you’re not already a member, join today and save 50 percent on your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: The New Age Hit Machine Nov 29, 2022

    For this episode, a story from Slate senior producer Evan Chung about how Yanni, John Tesh and a number of other surprising acts made it big in the 1990s. It’s a throwback to a simpler time—when musicians struggled to find their big break, but discovered it could be possible with a telephone, a television, and our undivided attention.

    This story originally aired in 2019 on Studio 360 from PRX.

    We hear from George Veras, Pat Callahan, and John Tesh.

    This Episode was written and produced by Slate’s Evan Chung. 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.

    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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year: 1942 - The Black-Japanese Axis Nov 23, 2022

    In 1942, federal officials targeted a group of Black Americans who were allegedly hoping for a Japanese invasion. They uncovered a plot that included stockpiles of weapons and secret passwords—but was any of it true? This week, Joel Anderson tells the story of a shadowy organization in East St. Louis, Illinois, the group’s mysterious leader, and an alleged conspiracy against America during World War II.

    This episode of One Year was produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Joel Anderson, Sol Werthan, and Josh Levin.

    Derek John is executive producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

    Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: The Butt and the Bustle Nov 22, 2022

    For about two decades towards the end of the Victorian era, in the 1870s and 1880s, a large bustle-enhanced bottom was the height of fashion. In this episode we explore how it’s connected to today’s big booty craze. We look at the bustle’s history with a curator fascinated by old undergarments; consider the various theories about its popularity with the author Heather Radke; and then hone in the tragic story of Sarah Baartman. The bustle may be old-fashioned, but it still has a lot to tell us about race, sex, power and how much people know, or let themselves know, about what they put on everyday.

    We hear from Heather Radke, author of Butts: A Backstory, as well as Kristina Haughland, Janell Hobson, Pamela Scully, and Maria Garcia.

    This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrea Bruce. Derek John is Slate’s Executive Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.

    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, I’d love for you to sign 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.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Political Gabfest Reads: Rethinking J. Edgar Hoover Nov 19, 2022

    Emily Bazelon talks with author Beverly Gage about her new book, G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, a detailed account of the life of the first FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover. They discuss Hoover’s hostile relationship with Martin Luther King Jr., why he should have quit at the end of the 1950s, and how Hoover’s childhood shaped his reign [MOU1] as director.


    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

    [MOU1]“tenure”? Maybe I’m overthinking this.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year: 1942 - When Internment Came to Alaska Nov 17, 2022

    Six months after Pearl Harbor, Japan launched another attack on the United States. This time, Axis forces actually invaded, turning the Aleutian Islands into a battleground. What the country did next, in the name of “protecting” Alaska’s indigenous people, is a shameful chapter of the war. And it’s one the nation has never fully reckoned with.

    This episode of One Year was produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Sol Werthan, and Josh Levin.

    Derek John is senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

    Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: The Truth About #TheDress Nov 15, 2022

    In the history of viral images, #TheDress has got to be in the top 10. This unassuming photo of a party dress kicked off a global debate when people realized they were seeing it completely differently. Is it black and blue, or white and gold? In today’s episode, we’ll talk to someone who was there when the photo was first taken, and the BuzzFeed writer whose post briefly broke the internet. Then we go down the optical rabbit hole with a neuroscientist who’s been studying the The Dress for years. What does it reveal about the nature of truth?

    This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrew Adam Newman. Derek John is Slate’s senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

    We’ll hear from Paul Jinks, Cates Holderness, Pascal Wallisch, and David McRaney author of the book How Minds Change. Here’s the optical illusion of the strawberries mentioned in the episode and created by Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka.


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


    If you’re a fan of the show, I’d love for you to sign up for Slate Plus.

    Slate Plus members get to listen to Decoder Ring — and every other Slate podcast — ad-free. Their support is also crucial to our work. So please go to Slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.


    Check out Remote Works here.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year - 1942: The Info Wars of World War II Nov 10, 2022

    In March 1942, a new nightly radio show hit the American airwaves. The stated goal of Station Debunk was to correct all the lies getting tossed around about America’s involvement in the war. But the real story was a whole lot stranger and more devious than it appeared.

    One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Josh Levin.

    Derek John is senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

    Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year: 1942 - The Day the Music Stopped Nov 03, 2022

    On Aug. 1, 1942, the nation’s recording studios went silent. Musicians were fed up with the new technologies threatening their livelihoods, so they refused to record until they got their fair share. This week, Evan Chung explores one of the most consequential labor actions of the 20th century, and how it coincided with an underground revolution in music led by artists like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

    One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Josh Levin.

    Derek John is senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

    Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    A Word: Jim Crow’s Killers Oct 28, 2022

    For every civil rights martyr like Emmett Till, there were many other Black Americans who were brutalized or killed by racist violence in the early 20th century and remain largely unknown. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Margaret Burnham, author of By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners. This new book unravels many of the lesser known stories of racist violence, the perpetrators, victims, and survivors. It’s also offering descendants of victims a platform, and an opportunity to fill in the blanks of their family history.


    Guest: Professor Margaret Burnham, author of By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners


    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 just $1 for your first month.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year: 1942 - The Year Everyone Got Married Oct 27, 2022

    There were 1.8 million weddings in 1942, the most that had ever been recorded in a single year in American history. But how many of them would last? 98-year-old Millie Summergrad tells the story of one that did: her own. And a pair of brothers explain what it was like to grow up inside the busiest chapel in Yuma, Arizona—the wedding capital of the United States.

    One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Josh Levin.

    Derek John is senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

    Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: McGruff Takes a Bite Out of Crime Pt. 2 Oct 23, 2022


    McGruff the Crime Dog arrived on the scene at the dawn of the 1980s, just as a firehose of anti-drug PSAs was inundating the youth of America. These messages didn’t always work as intended—but they did work their way into the long term memories of the kids who heard them.

    In the second episode of our two-part series on the weird world of PSAs and very special episodes, we look at how the McGruff Smart Kids Album influenced everything from straight-edge hardcore to a couple’s wedding playlist. We’ll hear from Sarah Hubbard, Dan Danger, Joseph Cappella, David Farber, Mike Hawes, Robin Nelson, Daisy Rosario, and Tatiana Peralta.

    This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Jamie York. Derek John is Slate’s Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director.

    Thank you to Tatiana Peralta, Ari Merkin, Wendy Melillo, Dan McQuade, Dale Mantley, Larissa Zargeris, Dave Bledsoe, Larre Johnson, Duane Poole, Eric Greenberg, Charles and Karen Rosen, and Jennifer Holland, Orla Mejia, Andres Martinez and everyone else at the Rutgers library who helped me listen to some old cassette tapes.

    A few things that were helpful in working on this piece: How McGruff and the Crying Indian Changed America: A History of Iconic Ad Council Campaigns by Wendy Melillo, Taking a Bite out of Crime: the Impact of the National Citizens Crime Prevention Media Campaign by Garrett J O’keefe and others, and “This McGruff Drug Album Might As Well Be By Weird Al,” by Dan McQuade for Defector Media. You can hear Daniel Danger’s McGruff cover album in it’s entirety or you can purchase it here. And lastly, if you are interested in hearing the full McGruff educational program or any of Puppet Productions productions they are available for purchase at puppetsinc.com, part of a company that Rob Nelson still runs.

    If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com

    If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you get ad-free podcasts, bonus episodes, and total access to all of Slate’s journalism.

    Check out Remote Works here.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Decoder Ring: McGruff Takes a Bite Out of Crime Pt. 1 Oct 22, 2022


    McGruff the Crime Dog arrived on the scene at the dawn of the 1980s, just as a firehose of anti-drug PSAs was inundating the youth of America. These messages didn’t always work as intended—but they did work their way into the long term memories of the kids who heard them.

    In the first of two episodes, we take a look at PSAs and their strange afterlife through the lens of a trench-coat wearing bloodhound and his bizarre, yet catchy anti-drug songs. We’ll talk to Dan Danger, Sherry Nemmers, Joseph Cappella, David Farber, Mike Hawes and Robin Nelson to discover how the McGruff Smart Kids Album came to exist in the first place.

    This podcast was written by Willa Paskin. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. We had production help from Sam Kim.

    Editing by Jamie York and Derek John, Slate’s Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director.

    Thank you to Wendy Melillo, Dan McQuade, Dale Mantley, Larissa Zargeris, Daisy Rosario, Drew Bledsoe, Larre Johnson, Duane Poole, Ari Merkin, Charles and Karen Rosen and Eric Greenberg.

    If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com

    If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you get ad-free podcasts, bonus episodes, and total access to all of Slate’s journalism.

    Check out Remote Works here

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year: 1942 - The Most Hated Man in America Oct 20, 2022

    At the beginning of World War II, the greatest threat to the American war effort wasn’t the Nazis or the Japanese—it was runaway inflation. The man in charge of stopping it was the country’s “price czar,” Leon Henderson. In 1942, he controlled how much coffee ordinary people could drink and how many tires they could buy. Those rules made him a nationwide villain. But would they save the country?

    One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Josh Levin.

    Derek John is senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

    Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year - 1986: The Man From Fifth Avenue Oct 13, 2022

    After Joe Mauri gets evicted from his New York apartment, he becomes a star in the USSR, the subject of a documentary about the injustices of capitalism. But this Cold War icon was using the Soviets just as much as they used him.

    One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin. Mixing by Merritt Jacob.

    Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts and Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director.

    Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year - 1986: The Miracle of Cokeville Oct 11, 2022

    On May 16, 1986, a man with a bomb held an entire elementary school hostage in the tiny town of Cokeville, Wyoming. Instead of becoming victims of unimaginable tragedy, all of the hostages in this predominantly Mormon community survived. But how? This week, Evan Chung explores what—or who—saved the children of Cokeville.

    One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin.

    Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts and Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director.

    Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year - 1986: Herschel vs. the Blubber Busters Oct 09, 2022

    In Seattle, a pack of voracious sea lions decimates the local fish population. When fireworks and an underwater air horn don’t scare away the whisker-y mammals, bureaucrats and scientists are faced with a thorny question: Who decides which creatures get to live, and which have to die?

    One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin.

    Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts and Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director.

    Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    One Year - 1986: A Boycott in Mississippi Oct 08, 2022

    Black residents of Indianola, Mississippi, were fed up with decades of separate-and-unequal classrooms. When a white outsider got hired as school superintendent, they decided to take a stand. This week, Joel Anderson tells the story of how their boycott of white businesses transformed the community and captivated the nation.

    One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin. Mixing by Merritt Jacob.

    Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts and Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director.

    Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    9: How Did American Slavery End? Feb 01, 2020

    This episode was originally released in 2015.

    In Episode 9, the finale episode of the History of American Slavery, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie discuss emancipation. They examine how emancipation was more a process than an overnight change, and they compare the different ways it was enacted in the South and throughout the United States. They also discuss how people sought to rebuild their lives and reunite their families once they had achieved freedom from slavery. They begin the episode by remembering the life of Rose Herera (1835–unknown).

    See this episode's complete show notes.

    This series was made possible by Slate Plus members. To support more work like this at Slate, sign up for Slate Plus now.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    8: Runaway Railroad Feb 01, 2020

    This episode was originally released in 2015.

    In Episode 8 of the History of American Slavery, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie discuss the small minority of people who escaped slavery during the 1850s and 1860s and the people who helped them along the way. They examine our evolving and sometimes selective historical memory of the Underground Railroad. They also explore the legal environment that confronted fugitives and their helpers and how it changed after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Jamelle and Rebecca begin the episode by looking at the life of John Parker (1827–1900).

    See this episode's complete show notes.

    This series was made possible by Slate Plus members. To support more work like this at Slate, sign up for Slate Plus now.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    7: To Do No Harm? Feb 01, 2020

    This episode was originally released in 2015.

    In Episode 7 of the History of American Slavery, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie explore how science and medicine interacted with slavery in antebellum America. They discuss how doctors such as J. Marion Sims used human experimentation on enslaved subjects to help advance the practice of medicine. And they explore how scientific racism, as practiced by doctors such as Samuel Cartwright, was used to justify slaveholder ideology. Jamelle and Rebecca begin their discussion by looking at the life of Anarcha (1828?-unknown), an enslaved women who endured more than 34 experimental surgeries that culminated in a path-breaking medical discovery.

    See this episode's complete show notes.

    This series was made possible by Slate Plus members. To support more work like this at Slate, sign up for Slate Plus now.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    6: When Cotton Became King Feb 01, 2020

    This episode was originally released in 2015.

    In Episode 6 of the History of American Slavery, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie explore the rise of the antebellum cotton economy in the early decades of the 19th century. They discuss how the growth of the cotton industry transformed the American system of slavery and the lives of enslaved people. And they discuss slavery’s relationship with the development of modern American capitalism. They begin the episode by discussing the life of Charles Ball, who wrote about his experience working on a cotton plantation in his autobiography, Slavery in the United States: A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Charles Ball.

    See this episode's complete show notes.

    This series was made possible by Slate Plus members. To support more work like this at Slate, sign up for Slate Plus now.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    5: What Happened When Slaves Rebelled Feb 01, 2020

    This episode was originally released in 2015.

    In Episode 5 of the History of American Slavery, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie explore the slave rebellions—both real and imagined—that unfolded during the settlement of the 19th-century American frontier. They discuss the largest slave insurgency in American history, Louisiana’s 1811 German Coast rebellion. And then they explore an imagined slave revolt in Mississippi and the heady, boom-time conditions that led Mississippi slaveholders into panic and hysteria. Jamelle and Rebecca begin Episode 5 by remembering the life of Charles Deslondes (unknown–1811), a leader of the German Coast uprising.

    See this episode's complete show notes.

    This series was made possible by Slate Plus members. To support more work like this at Slate, sign up for Slate Plus now.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    4: The Family Life of Enslaved People Feb 01, 2020

    This episode was originally released in 2015.

    In Episode 4 of the History of American Slavery, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie explore the shape of family life on the slave plantations of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They make a case study of one famous plantation, Monticello, the Virginia estate owned by Thomas Jefferson. Then they take a closer look at how slavery tore families apart, and the emotional history of that trauma. They begin their conversation by remembering the life of Joseph Fossett (1780–1858), a Monticello blacksmith. Upon Jefferson’s death, his last will and testament granted freedom to Fossett, but not to Fossett’s family. It would be 10 years before Joseph could reunite with his wife and 10 children.

    See this episode's complete show notes.

    This series was made possible by Slate Plus members. To support more work like this at Slate, sign up for Slate Plus now.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    3: The Hypocrisy of America’s Revolution Feb 01, 2020

    This episode was originally released in 2015.

    In Episode 3 of the History of American Slavery, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie explore the shape of slavery during America’s Revolutionary War. They discuss how the enlightenment ideas that helped found our government both inhibited and encouraged the spread of American slavery. They also talk about the divergent ways the early Northern and Southern states handled slavery in their courts. And they begin their conversation by remembering the life of Elizabeth Freeman (1742?-1829), an enslaved servant whose victory in one of the first “freedom suits” helped lead to the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts.

    See this episode's complete show notes.

    This series was made possible by Slate Plus members. To support more work like this at Slate, sign up for Slate Plus now.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    2: Inside the Slave Ship Feb 01, 2020

    This episode was originally released in 2015.

    In episode 2 of the History of American Slavery, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie explore the shape of slavery during the late 18th century. They talk about the heyday of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the birth of the British abolitionist movement. They begin their discussion by remembering the remarkable life of Olaudah Equiano, 1745?–1797.

    See this episode's complete show notes.

    This series was made possible by Slate Plus members. To support more work like this at Slate, sign up for Slate Plus now.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    1: The Terrible Transformation Feb 01, 2020

    This episode was originally released in 2015.

    Slavery in America started out pretty bad in the 17th century. White colonists made it way, way worse in the 18th. What made this “terrible transformation” possible? In Episode 1 of the History of American Slavery, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie explore how hereditary, race-based slavery took shape in colonial America. They begin their discussion by remembering the life of Anthony Johnson (1600?–70).

    This series was made possible by Slate Plus members. To support more work like this at Slate, sign up for Slate Plus now.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


      Related Podcasts

      Sweet Daddy Grace

      1

      Sweet Daddy Grace History
      Sengoku Daimyo’s Chronicles of Japan

      2

      Sengoku Daimyo’s Chronicles of Japan History
      Total Recall: California’s Political Circus

      3

      Total Recall: California’s Political Circus History
      Madames, Heauxs, and Gigolos

      4

      Madames, Heauxs, and Gigolos History
      American Presidents – The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

      5

      American Presidents – The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History History
      Real Narcos

      6

      Real Narcos History
      footer-logo

      Contact Us

      Toll Free: 844-670-7747

      Links

      • Home
      • Top Charts
      • Networks
      • Apps
      • Independents Podcasts
      • Podcast Advertising
      • Podcast News
      • Contact Us
      • About Us
      • Analytics & Insights

      Stay Connected

        Privacy, Terms of Use & Our Code of Ethics Protecting Content Creators Copyrights