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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - America’s Killer Car Problem | 2023 In Review Dec 29, 2023

Show notes

While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes in January.

Pedestrian deaths in America have been rising for the last decade, while dropping in Europe and Japan. What makes the U.S. so dangerous for pedestrians?

Guest: Jessie Singer, author of There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster―Who Profits and Who Pays the Price.

Originally aired July 16th, 2023.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Does Steven Spielberg Have an Oscars Curse? | 2023 In Review Dec 28, 2023

Show notes

While the What Next team spends some time with their families this week, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes Jan. 2.

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.

Originally aired on March 9.

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Live From New York! It’s Conundrums 2023! Dec 28, 2023

Show notes

This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Wesley Morris, critic at large for The New York Times and co-host of the Still Processing podcast, to cogitate on Conundrums 2023.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

Thanks to everyone who submitted Conundrums, especially Alex, Brian, Mitchell Kosht, Patricia Gonzalez, Kali Rocha, Becca Nagorsky, Kevin Maginnis, Kevin Collins, Beth Kirsch, Brian Cechnicki, Chuck Terhark, Howard W, Brian, Mike Daugherty, Alan Dybner, Tim Falzone, Matthew Gill, Cynthia Weiner, and the incomparable Phil Goldstein.

Benjamin Wittes for Dog Shit Daily: My encounter with a shit-throwing neighborhood Karen

Jon Mendelsohn for American Songwriter: The Real Reason Why Van Halen Asked Venues For Bowls of M&Ms Containing ‘No Brown Ones’

The Sellout: A Novel by Paul Beatty

Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do by Studs Terkel

Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry

In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom

Amy Bloom for This American Life: Exit Strategy

Gabfest Reads: He Wanted to Die Holding Hands

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and Wesley tackle three more Conundrums.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John talks with Brad Stulberg about Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth with live show support from Katie Rayford

Research by Julie Huygen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Congress Wants to Know: Do Aliens Exist? | 2023 In Review Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

While the What Next team spends some time with their families this week, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes Jan. 2.

In a recent public hearing, three government officials told Congress that not only are “unidentified anomalous phenomena” real, they’re a major national security concern. But one witness took his testimony even further, claiming the government possesses materials of “non-human origin.” How much do we really know about UAPs – or, as they’re more commonly known, UFOs? And now that Congress is involved, are we about to learn a whole lot more?

Guest: Garrett Graff, contributor at WIRED magazine; author of the forthcoming book, “UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here—and Out There”

Originally aired July 7.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Wait, China’s Taking Our Pandas Back? | 2023 In Review Dec 26, 2023

Show notes

While the What Next team spends some time with their families this week, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes Jan. 2.

Everybody loves pandas—and China knows it. As we say goodbye to the National Zoo’s pandas, we look back at 50 years of “panda diplomacy” and consider its uncertain future.

Guest: E. Elena Songster, author of Panda Nation: The Construction and Conservation of China’s Modern Iconand professor of environmental history of modern China at St. Mary’s College of California.

Originally aired Sept. 27.

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - The Plot Against Pope Francis | 2023 In Review Dec 25, 2023

Show notes

While the What Next team spends some time with their families this week, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes Jan. 2.

Not all of the Cardinals who elected Pope Francis are pleased with the changes he’s made, or his vision for where the Catholic Church goes next. Both the 86-year-old Francis and his detractors are preparing for his successor. Who’ll prevail?

Guest: David Gibson, Director of Fordham's Center on Religion & Culture

Originally aired Feb. 2.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Carmel Delshad, and Madeline Ducharme, with help from Anna Phillips, Jared Downing, and Laura Spencer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Stephen King Is Just as Confused About Blue Checks as You Are | 2023 In Review Dec 24, 2023

Show notes

Twitter’s “blue check” verification went from something you applied for, to something you could pay for, to something you had to pay for…to something that many celebrities wouldn’t even accept for free. Master of horror Stephen King told us he wouldn’t pay for a blue check, but he’s not going to fight it either—he just doesn’t really understand what’s going on. Does anyone at Twitter understand?

Guests:

Alex Heath, deputy editor of The Verge

Jon Favreau, co-founder of Crooked Media, speechwriter for President Barack Obama

Stephen King, author

Originally aired April 28th, 2023.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - The Many Trials of Donald J. Trump Dec 23, 2023

Show notes

This week, the Colorado Supreme Court determined in a pivotal decision that Donald J Trump should not appear on the ballot in the state's Republican primary. Meanwhile the high court is already involved in the possible briefing of another Trump case (about presidential immunity) and has agreed to docket another involving the obstruction of the vote certification on Jan 6 2021. And we haven’t even mentioned the Georgia case. Basically, Trump is going to have a very lawyer-y 2024. So where do all these cases sit right now? Slate’s Jeremy Stahl joins Amicus host Dahlia Lithwick to give us an update.

In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern joins the show to talk about Rudy Giuliani’s defamation lawsuit and the $150 million he owes election workers. Mark and Dahlia also discuss the latest in ProPublica’s continued deep dive into the finances of Clarence Thomas.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - FT News Briefing: Markets, Elections, and A.I. in 2024 Dec 23, 2023

Show notes

From our friends at Financial Times's FT News Briefing:

The FT’s Peter Spiegel, Katie Martin and Elaine Moore preview what could happen in geopolitics, markets and artificial intelligence in 2024.

Listen to the FT News Briefing podcast every Monday through Friday here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ft-news-briefing/id1438449989

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian and Marc Filippino. Additional help by Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Monica Lopez. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads: A Woman’s Life in Museum Wall Labels Dec 23, 2023

Show notes

John Dickerson talks with author Christine Coulson about her new book, “One Woman Show.” They discuss the moment that inspired Coulson to tell a story in museum wall labels, her 25-years working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and why restraint can be an artist’s best friend.

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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