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What Next - Democrats Had a Rare Opportunity. They Blinked. Mar 17, 2025

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Last week, Democrats averted a government shutdown—by voting for a MAGA-friendly Continuing Resolution, which may have just handed even greater power to Trump. Why?

Guest: Josh Marshall, editor-in-chief of Talking Points Memo

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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - How Trump Is Trying to Kill Press Freedom Mar 16, 2025

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With a Trump-friendly Supreme Court and a contentious relationship with the press, could Donald Trump follow through on his 2016 campaign goal of making it easier to sue media companies for libel—and imperil America’s free press?

Guest: David Enrich, business investigations editor at the New York Times and author of “Murder The Truth.”

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Political Gabfest - Gabfest Reads | The Day the Challenger Fell From the Sky Mar 15, 2025

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David Plotz talks with author Adam Higginbotham about his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space. They discuss the feats of engineering that took place, the political cynicism and cost-cutting that played a role in the tragedy, the heroism and tragic loss of the people on board the shuttle, 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.

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Big Law Stands Up Mar 15, 2025

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Donald Trump continued his almost uninterrupted losing streak in the courts. Across the country we saw federal judges openly criticizing his Administration officials and their lawyers for overreach, bullying and misrepresentations about not only their cases, but about norms and values. But Trump has both judges and law firms in his crosshairs. On this week’s show, former US Attorney Preet Bharara joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss the role of lawyers and law firms and legal norms in a crisis of lawlessness, and the extent to which court victories alone can save democracy.

Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Slate Money - MrBeast and The Chocolate Factory Mar 15, 2025

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This week: The US Stock Market is plummeting during Trump’s second term. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain why headlines very rarely affect the movements of the Stock Market–and discuss whether we're currently living one of those exceptions. Then, the Wall Street Journal has reported that the Trump family is in talks to invest in the US arm of crypto giant Binance. If true, the move would almost certainly be an attempt to buy a pardon for billionaire founder CZ, who pled guilty to violating U.S. anti-money-laundering requirements under Biden. And finally, Youtube megastar MrBeast, made popular among the Gen Alpha set for giving away fabulous prizes, is turning his fame into fortune via his candybars. Are they any good? Elizabeth will decide!

In the Slate Plus episode: How many days a year should we all really spend at work?

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Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

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What Next - Bonus Main Character: Meghan Markle Could Use a Win Mar 14, 2025

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From television, to a royal wedding…and back to TV, Meghan Markle is carving out her own niche.

Guest: Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay, cohosts of Slate’s ICYMI.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

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

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Will Tesla Survive Elon Musk? Mar 14, 2025

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The public’s anger towards Elon Musk and DOGE has found an outlet in the form of Musk’s car company Tesla. How long can the company put up with a sinking reputation and stock price?

Guest: Pranshu Verma, tech reporter for the Washington Post.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

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Political Gabfest - What Happens When Government Breaks Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

This week, John Dickerson and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem to discuss how Elon Musk and DOGE are endangering Americans; the Trump administration’s attacks on universities and the arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil; and the politics of the measles outbreak centered on West Texas.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, John and David are joined by Juliette Kayyem to discuss taking your kids to work: great, weird, terrible, or all of the above?

In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Rich Benjamin about his new book, Talk to Me: Lessons From a Family Forged by History.

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

Research by Emily Ditto

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What Next - Could DOGE Really Gut Social Security? Mar 13, 2025

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DOGE cuts have already hit Social Security, with offices closing and employees fired. With Elon Musk calling the program a “Ponzi scheme” and saying entitlements are “the big one to eliminate,” this may be just the beginning of the unraveling of the trusted safety net that millions of Americans rely on.

Guest: Joe Perticone, political reporter at The Bulwark.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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What Next - Will Student Protesters Be Deported? Mar 12, 2025

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The Trump administration’s approach to free speech, immigration, and due process all converge in a crackdown on Columbia University.

Guest: Sarah Brown, news editor at the Chronicle for Higher Education.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

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